• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

King Koa - Now With Nordy's!

#103
Greg, a FWIW, so at least you know you're not alone.

Last year I ordered a Mike Lull ash/maple J bass. Went with Bart SC's for a bit of sizzle. When it was roughly two weeks out, my local shop got in another one, equipped with Duncan LHB's. Amazing bass. I was in a quandry. 'Modern' vs 'retro', in a nutshell. Typical of me, I bought both.

The Bart bass sounded great, but it was really mid-scooped and had a clickety-clackety thing going up high. The Duncan bass was just ridiculous. Anything and everything you'd want in an ash/maple J. Except the color....my tastes just don't equate 3TB with a maple board.

After lots of thinking, over-analyzing, whining, etc., I finally decided to sell the Duncan bass. At the same time, I sent the Bart bass back to Mr. Lull for a pickup swap.

So, now I've got the Duncan LHB's in a great ash/maple bass. The downside? Good as it sounds, it's not as magical as that 3TB one. That bass is just one of those great ones we encounter now and then. Don't get me wrong - I'm very happy. I just offer this as evidence that we all struggle with the elusive perfect tone.

Greg, good luck with everything.
 
#106
I was messing around with my "new" bass last night while watching the games. I was running into my lousy little Hartke practice amp from forever ago, but it sounded plenty good. I'm pretty tickled. That mid frequency selector switch is really great, that's mainly what I was focused on with my experimenting. Turns out the 800Hz setting is more useful than I thought - that frequency likes to be cut on my bass to make a thick, fat dubbish tone. I see me actually using that live whenever a simple 8th note pump/strut is needed. The 250 Hz and 432 Hz settings are both really nice, too, for boost to add punch down low. I'll probably use those two settings more often than the 800 Hz, but we'll see.

At this point, I think I just need to up the wattage on my power amp. I see a CA6 (or maybe a CA9) in my near term future. My CA4 is clipping on the Quad cab when I push it, and I can't have that. :rollno::help:
 
#108
RocketMusic said:
At this point, I think I just need to up the wattage on my power amp. I see a CA6 (or maybe a CA9) in my near term future. My CA4 is clipping on the Quad cab when I push it, and I can't have that. :rollno::help:
Click to expand...
Tim Allen had it right...more power. :D

You know, I admire you guys that are willing to fiddle. I'm admittedly too far in the opposite direction. If it doesn't sound good flat, I don't want it...and history shows...I don't keep it. :rolleyes: I'll live with a small twist of a knob (or flick of a switch) to adjust for a room, but otherwise I'm just a stubborn bastage. Of course...couldn't be me without contradictions...I have noticed that the Lull J, with just a little 250hz boost, sounds ridiculous. Ain't easy bein' me. :)
 
#109
I'm with Captain Ballends on this one. :D I like 'em flat, and about the only fiddling I do is pup blend and add a bit of mid and bass when on the bridge pup. The acid test for a bass is when I plug it into a house backline (often beat and/or not uber high quality stuff). So far both Roscoes have sounded great plugged into whatever has been in the room. Not "perfect," but still a really good tone.

That was one reason I got rid of my passive Lull - I couldn't get it to really pop unless I eq'd the amp. And I don't want to do that. The knobs are for looking at, not turning! If you turn them, then the lines aren't parallel anymore...
 
#110
I used to be a set it and forget it kinda guy, but all this recording I've been doing has really made me appreciate what a slight EQ tweak can do to make the bass either sit in or cut through a mix.

I try my best to devote a certain amount of mental energy to imagining the tone I want when playing a given tune and then trying to find it as I play. That's not always easy to do, but I think it really pays dividends... plus it make me conscious of things other than the notes, which is more often than not a good thing for my geeky brain...
 
#116
RocketMusic said:
At this point, I think I just need to up the wattage on my power amp. I see a CA6 (or maybe a CA9) in my near term future. My CA4 is clipping on the Quad cab when I push it, and I can't have that. :rollno::help:
Click to expand...

CA9 ordered... gah, I'm a hopeless gear freak... :rollno:

I want to make sure Champs is rocking in two weeks with my usual thick tone, and the CA4 ain't cutting it with these 8 ohm cabs...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back