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Show Us Your Rob Allen Basses Part IV
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
New to the club...anxiously waiting my MB-2f 4 string....
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Sold link is here...Locked up until I hit my 60th Bday in Jan. Something to look forward to is nice
Mb-2 Walnut Fretted Bass #1526 — Rob Allen
Wow, that is nice. I'm also a fan of delayed gratification. Looking forward to hearing about it once you finally pull it out of the case!Sold link is here...Locked up until I hit my 60th Bday in Jan. Something to look forward to is nice
Mb-2 Walnut Fretted Bass #1526 — Rob Allen
Greetings. Long time admirer of Rob's work and starting to think about a mouse. A few questions:
—with the lower tension, is the mouse easier on your fingers? I have some hand pain from drugs so am interested in this aspect of it.
—I am leaning towards a fretted. Has anyone bought a fretted and regretted it?
—am also interested in the mouse 5. How does the high C "speak"?
—with the lower tension, is the mouse easier on your fingers? I have some hand pain from drugs so am interested in this aspect of it.
—I am leaning towards a fretted. Has anyone bought a fretted and regretted it?
—am also interested in the mouse 5. How does the high C "speak"?
I have a Mouse 4 string with fretlines. I think it plays a little easier than my other 2 short scale basses. Perhaps because it's fretless and the nut slots are closer to the top of the fretboard so the action is very low. I love the light weight, and it sings so well unplugged.
I also considered one with frets, but realized I wanted the double-bass sound I can't get with a fretted neck.
Best of luck, I found mine on TalkBass classifieds.
At the risk of being the only one answering your questions, I run my Mouse direct into my Phil Jones Bass Double Four. It sounds divine.
I'm not much of an effects guy. Even when playing in a metal band in the 80's/90's I ran my line dry. But that's probably because with two screaming guitars in the mix, I wanted a stripped-down sound to stand out a bit. Sort of the opposite of Cliff Burton's sound. Not that I could have copied him at all.
I've used Compression & HPF & plectrum for a more magnetic PU sound.
I've also used mild OD with SS amps to mimic tube saturation. Thicker mids, sounded awesome for loud gigs.
I used a lot of reverb with my previous piezo/acoustic bass and that enriched it's sound. I don't think my Mouse needs reverb - it alters the envelope of the note too much.
I have been through 6 RA basses total through the years. THIS one is the keeper !!
Deep 5
Alder body, Bastogne walnut top
Walnut/ebony 5-piece neck
Strung E-C. I use a .50 G string and tune it up to C for a fuller sound.
Deep 5
Alder body, Bastogne walnut top
Walnut/ebony 5-piece neck
Strung E-C. I use a .50 G string and tune it up to C for a fuller sound.
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would love to hear what you're doing with it and that pedal and amp setup!
Stereo set up. Each GK MB Fusion 500 powers 2 Acoustic image 10's. The AI speakers offer high quality natural/neutral sound.
I use 4 tone effects at the start of the signal chain:
Mosky XP [ inexpensive but great sounding]
F-deck HPF-pre [ got to have a hpf, esp with a RA. The pre is also very nice]
TC Electronic Bodyrez [ designed to enhance piezo instruments. Has some nice magic]
Effectrode PC-2A [ pricey but a ridiculously good compressor, also very helpful for a RA ]
Then it goes stereo: SA Flanger / H9 / DD500 / DIG / H9 / GFI specular reverb / amps / speakers
I know, 4 tone enhancing effects is a lot. I like all of them.
I play a lot of improv. The pattern and dual delays available on these pedals provide a great canvas.
I use 4 tone effects at the start of the signal chain:
Mosky XP [ inexpensive but great sounding]
F-deck HPF-pre [ got to have a hpf, esp with a RA. The pre is also very nice]
TC Electronic Bodyrez [ designed to enhance piezo instruments. Has some nice magic]
Effectrode PC-2A [ pricey but a ridiculously good compressor, also very helpful for a RA ]
Then it goes stereo: SA Flanger / H9 / DD500 / DIG / H9 / GFI specular reverb / amps / speakers
I know, 4 tone enhancing effects is a lot. I like all of them.
I play a lot of improv. The pattern and dual delays available on these pedals provide a great canvas.
Hey - many ideas on what will make the acoustic basses sound better. Well I just got this pedal for my Rob Allen mouse and it is great.
I was using a HPF pedal and pre amp. Replaced with this straight to my amp and I am impressed.
I was using a HPF pedal and pre amp. Replaced with this straight to my amp and I am impressed.
I use one with the piezo (not mag) side of my D4. It definitely did NOT remove a pre or anything, but it just enhances it. It's not quite upright-y, but it adds a bit more depth relatively speaking.
EDIT: Interestingly enough, I don't like the Bodyrez on another bass I have that is similar to the D4. No idea why.
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Not really sure - but it kinda reminds me of a HPF turned one way and a LPF turned the other way with a touch of BBE.
I do not like it with any other bass - but running the Mouse stright to the amp sounds good - but with this to me sounds a lot better.
The BodyRez feature is also part of their vocal processor/acoustic guitar preamp/FX units. eg. TC-Helicon Play Acoustic. Anybody own/try one yet?
I was thinking of trying one out. I'd use the vocal processor as I sing BVs a lot. Use BodyRez, reverb, DI, etc for bass.
It also has has IEM features. Replace earplugs (that muffle the sound) with IEMs that both lower the total volume AND make it much clearer. Better mix, better pitching, better intonation.
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Each of my fretless basses (all unlined) are *slightly* different so foe me a lot of intonation is muscle memory. This was never more apparent to me until recently. The Blast Cult I got is 32" scale; everything else I have is 34" with similar neck profiles. The BC is not a massive adjustment, but it's still an adjustment. I'm at the point with that bass I have very few clams now but that was a month or so of using that more than anything else.
The other thing I've found with fretless over the years is practice the simple stuff. That's what's helped make my intonation fairly solid. I still go back and do things like whole/half notes, octave stuff, etc. I try not to get lazy.
Agree that good equipment and clarity (i.e. being able to hear yourself) is a crucial element of playing in tune on fretless, but to me, it's more than that. In band situations it's the ability to hear myself; it's one reason I got rid of the PJB Double Four; I found it muddy with the RA D4.
