Congratulations! I've got one myself and love it. I was initially worried it'd be a one trick pony (or a muddy mess) give the scale and pick-up placement, but was pleasantly surprised at the versatility. I mean it'll never be a hi-fi jazz instrument, but for anything on the blues/ rock spectrum it's great!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Congrats on the new bass. Seeing a Rumblekat in the wild makes me want one of my own that much more. (It hasn't quite topped my GAS for an G&L L2000, but its oh so close.)
Best wishes and happy playing!
Best wishes and happy playing!
It does feel really nice. Not sure if the LaBellas are the right match. Almost becomes too thuddy. I wondered about trying some half rounds like I have on my jazz bass. What do you have on yours?
Pressurewounds? Heard of them but never played them. Do they sound more like halfrounds? I have a set of D'Addario halfrounds on my jazz bass and seem to give it enough thump without overdoing it. The LaBellas seem a bit too low end thuddy to me.Nice!!! That's one covergirl in the looks department! And Kats have that classic tone. Heard one with a set of GHS Pressurewounds on it that was a total dream. Dial down the tone and you got your solid woody thump. Turn it up a bit and you were into vintage '60s Cal Psychedelic territory. Slap a hint of reverb and vibrato on it and you got Surf City. (Too bad it was Annette who always wore the most modest bikini on the set in those early movies with Frankie, right?<*sigh*>)
Great basses. And as I said earlier, not too hard on the eyes.
Congratulations. Play it well!
They're close enough that I wouldn't run right out and replace what you've got with the GHS set.
The primary difference is in how they're made. Half rounds usually start as a roundwound and then go through a grinding process on the outer wrap wire to half level it. The pressurewounds put the string through a roller press operation to partially flatten the outer coil wrap.
I personally prefer GHS Pressurewounds over groundwounds (which I have less experience with) for no good reason other than they sounded good on anything I ever put them on. They're reasonably priced too. BSO sells them for around $23 for a 4-string set.
Soundwise they hit a sweet spot between something like a bright flatwound like Chromes, and a warmer voiced set of nickel rounds like Sunbeams. I usually keep a PB strung with a set of Pressurewounds for use as a utility infielder sort of bass. That combination fits in with anything and sounds great. The perfect grab & go bass when you're already halfway out the door, your phone rings, and the caller says, "Oh…I forgot to ask you earlier…can you bring your bass?"
They certainly are. I'm afraid, though, for as warm and thuddy as the bass is now, these might not be as expressive as they are on that beautiful active soapbar bass in the video.
Hi, @McThud I'm just about to order a Rumblekat myself and having through all the TB threads on them. Just curious about what strings you went with in the end, and wondering how the bridge is holding up...as that seems to be the model's one weakness.
I've been researching short-scales and these really do seem a winner.
I've been researching short-scales and these really do seem a winner.
