Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[scabpicker]

Hmm, I'm not sure in this case where to get that pot, even though I have a guitar with a fade pot. I'd go to the electronics shop and see what they had.


So, my conundrum is: I'm looking at Epi Thunderbird Pros, and I've decided to get one. I can get one cheaper if I opt for a regular pro with the active circuit. The pro classics are a little more, but they come with a passive circuit. I usually hate how active pickups sound through distortion, so it seems to be a no-brainer to spend the extra $100 or so.

Anyone have an experience with the TB Pro active circuit that would justify being a cheapskate?

 

[cornfarmer]

There's a Tbird thread in gen pop that is pretty busy, I'd check there.

 

[scabpicker]

There's a Tbird thread in gen pop that is pretty busy, I'd check there.

Well, I searched it. The words "active" and "distorton" appear together on 8 of over 6K pages. None of those seem to be answering my question. So, I figured this was the place where a person might have tried either or both through a high gain circuit.

 

[jollygiantchris]

My brother sent me a reverb "how to pick dirt for bass" link this morning: It's OK, but I'm pretty pissed that they feature an opamp muff. Kinda like featuring an SG when talking about les pauls.

Yeah whoever made the distortion choices to show in that video doesn't know poopie about bass distortion. Clearly options were picked by a guitar player. Even if they were trying to showcase cheaper options they could have made substantially better picks.

I don't understand why ANY bassist would use an actual Rat at this point when there are several variants that retain substantially better low end, blower box, cat tail, etc.

And I agree about the opamp muff...Why is this even in the video over a green russian or a civil war variant? Even the bass big muff is serviceable and cheap and is way better for what its worth if you wanted to show EHX stuff. Doom and sludge uses the heaviest bass distortion of anybody and is ANYONE in this thread using an opamp muff reissue and if you are is it ACTUALLY stock? I really doubt it.

I actually think the most ridiculous thing in the video is having the EHX Battalion over any of the tech 21 stuff as a preamp example.

That and this dude's right hand fingerstyle technique is going to cause him to need reconstructive surgery when he gets older the way its draped over at that angle.

 

[Jolagh]

I would love a dually. What would you compare it to? Are there enough mids?

Honestly im not sure what to compare it to. Maybe one of the sunn 2000 215s. Its got ok low extension but its definately a very bright and low mid focused kind of cabinet. Atleadt mine is with the faitals. Sometimes i worry its too bright and gas for like a sealed 8 ten, but i tend to run my bass very mid forward and grinding kind of guitaresque kind of distortion, which is what it excels at in my opinion. It gets plenty loud eith the meatsmoke to keep up with two 100 watt halfstacks that i run on guitar. I lovd the cab, but if you are looking for that classic like 8x10 kind of tone this isnt that cabinet

 

[Kriegs]

Hmm, I'm not sure in this case where to get that pot, even though I have a guitar with a fade pot. I'd go to the electronics shop and see what they had.


So, my conundrum is: I'm looking at Epi Thunderbird Pros, and I've decided to get one. I can get one cheaper if I opt for a regular pro with the active circuit. The pro classics are a little more, but they come with a passive circuit. I usually hate how active pickups sound through distortion, so it seems to be a no-brainer to spend the extra $100 or so.

Anyone have an experience with the TB Pro active circuit that would justify being a cheapskate?

I'm a frequent poster in the Thunderbird thread. I encourage you to just go ahead and post your questions there. There are lots of really cool, smart folks there that really know their instruments and Tbirds overall that I know cam answer your question. I play a passive Tbird so can't address the active ones accept to say that I preferred the passive over the active, tone-wise.

 

[Kriegs]

is ANYONE in this thread using an opamp muff reissue and if you are is it ACTUALLY stock? I really doubt it.

Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

I'll show myself out...

 

[themarshall]

Yeah whoever made the distortion choices to show in that video doesn't know poopie about bass distortion. Clearly options were picked by a guitar player. Even if they were trying to showcase cheaper options they could have made substantially better picks.

I don't understand why ANY bassist would use an actual Rat at this point when there are several variants that retain substantially better low end, blower box, cat tail, etc.

And I agree about the opamp muff...Why is this even in the video over a green russian or a civil war variant? Even the bass big muff is serviceable and cheap and is way better for what its worth if you wanted to show EHX stuff. Doom and sludge uses the heaviest bass distortion of anybody and is ANYONE in this thread using an opamp muff reissue and if you are is it ACTUALLY stock? I really doubt it.

I actually think the most ridiculous thing in the video is having the EHX Battalion over any of the tech 21 stuff as a preamp example.

That and this dude's right hand fingerstyle technique is going to cause him to need reconstructive surgery when he gets older the way its draped over at that angle.

I agree with a lot of your points, but feel they did an OK job of touching on major families and flavors of dirt. I mean, sure, there may be Rat based pedals built for or better suited for bass, but can’t fault them for showcasing an actual rat.

At the end of the day, it’s essentially a video “listicle” reflecting the opinions and biases of the producers. The Reverb name does give it more weight than the content merits, imho.

 

[cornfarmer]

Reverb is the greatest thing since eBay (during it's heyday, eBay kinda blows now), but most of their videos I've watched are cringe worthy. They're just trying to move product.

"...hey Tony, can you play bass for a second on this video? Yeah we know you're a sax player, but take a break from the stockroom and play this overpriced vintage/relic Fender through [INSERT PRODUCT] and tell the saps out there how definitive the BLAH BLAH BLAH BLING BLANG...we really need to let people know how to impersonate their idols correctly by purchasing the same kind of stuff their heroes used on stage!!!"

I'm glad I have a brain so I can see that crap for what it is, pure marketing horsesheeeit.

 

[JBOWLES]

Someone catching hell for the op amp Muff? I’m really going to get thrown to the wolves when I say I’m selling my amp and going straight into a monitor with my minimal pedalboard and Jazz basses.

Edit: Some of them are tuned standard. Blasphemous, I know. Lmao

 

[cornfarmer]

Ha, anyway I totally played some vanilla surf music last night through a 25w guitar amp and a Danelectro. I'll show myself out.....

 

[socialleper]

Yeah whoever made the distortion choices to show in that video doesn't know poopie about bass distortion. Clearly options were picked by a guitar player. Even if they were trying to showcase cheaper options they could have made substantially better picks.

I don't understand why ANY bassist would use an actual Rat at this point when there are several variants that retain substantially better low end, blower box, cat tail, etc.

And I agree about the opamp muff...Why is this even in the video over a green russian or a civil war variant? Even the bass big muff is serviceable and cheap and is way better for what its worth if you wanted to show EHX stuff. Doom and sludge uses the heaviest bass distortion of anybody and is ANYONE in this thread using an opamp muff reissue and if you are is it ACTUALLY stock? I really doubt it.

I actually think the most ridiculous thing in the video is having the EHX Battalion over any of the tech 21 stuff as a preamp example.

That and this dude's right hand fingerstyle technique is going to cause him to need reconstructive surgery when he gets older the way its draped over at that angle.

If there is one place where TB, myself included, is truly spoiled and living in a bubble, it is in the realm of pedals. We have such deep and rich resources for boutique pedals that we commonly forget that most people think there are maybe three pedal companies in the whole world. For the non-TB world Earthquaker is a deep catalog item. And to them the original TS or Rat doesn't sound like complete @$$.
We also have to remember that most of them are guitar players, whose knowledge about sound seems a little dubious to me.

 

[JBOWLES]

In all fairness, this is what I’m still working with as far as a board. So much unneeded stuff, but it is indeed fun to mess with.

 

[scabpicker]

I'm a frequent poster in the Thunderbird thread. I encourage you to just go ahead and post your questions there. There are lots of really cool, smart folks there that really know their instruments and Tbirds overall that I know cam answer your question. I play a passive Tbird so can't address the active ones accept to say that I preferred the passive over the active, tone-wise.

Actually, I did enough reading in that and other threads that I'm gravitating to the Epi Vintage Pro T-bird. The alnicos call my name, and any money I'd be saving on getting the active setup would probably eventually be spent sticking alnicos in it, anyway. Thanks for pointing me over there.

 

[bassboysam]

New Bushman's Revenge, haven't listened to it yet.

 

[Kriegs]

Epi Vintage Pro T-bird

That's the bird I have. I made some small mods to it, upgraded to real Gibson Tbird pups, different bridge and a drop tuner. It plays any genre of rock, some metal and actually does slow, sludgy doom really well. It's clean voice almost sounds like there an always on, low gain drive circuit built in... gravelly, toothy, grit.

 

[Mordamir]

I couldn't find my router bits so I cutout the pickup cavity with the cutting attachment on my planer. I'm going to fill in the other pickup cavity tomorrow and prep it for paint. I'm thinking about swirl painting it, the last guitar I did came out pretty good.

It'll probably be next weekend before I paint it. I'm still trying to figure out what colors to use this time. The neck was shimmed too but it probably didn't need it. I think I was the first person to touch the truss rod since it left the factory.

 

[kleinenenten]

Decided to shield my cavity while I was trying to replace a pot. Mistake. Now I get no sound, except the occasional loud pop. Before I had intermittent sound from a bad blend pot, but now, nothing. Is there anything that shouldn’t be touching the shielding? I checked for continuity and got it from the pots to the bridge and pretty much everywhere, but can go through it again.

May just un-shield it all and try again...

Edit - just ripped out the shielding. Back to only a bad pot, thankfully. Hopefully getting that fixed fixes everything...

 

[scabpicker]

That's the bird I have. I made some small mods to it, upgraded to real Gibson Tbird pups, different bridge and a drop tuner. It plays any genre of rock, some metal and actually does slow, sludgy doom really well. It's clean voice almost sounds like there an always on, low gain drive circuit built in... gravelly, toothy, grit.

And that's the one I've got coming now, and that clean sound is part of what I'm looking for. Why did you switch out the bridge and pickups? Something actually wrong with them, or just restlessness?

 

[jollygiantchris]

Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

I'll show myself out...

That's not the EHX reissue I was referring to that they demoed though, pretty sure the stomp under foot is based on the circuit and not a direct clone but I could be wrong, it definitely sounds better then the EHX reissue in the clips I'm checking. Apologies that I wasn't clear but I was specifically referring to a stock EHX Opamp reissue. You also in the post you linked had to blend it to get the sound you wanted. That's like I have a Tech 21 Bass XXL and honestly it really only sounds great if you blend it in the same way you did with your Pumpkin Pi.

If there is one place where TB, myself included, is truly spoiled and living in a bubble, it is in the realm of pedals. We have such deep and rich resources for boutique pedals that we commonly forget that most people think there are maybe three pedal companies in the whole world. For the non-TB world Earthquaker is a deep catalog item. And to them the original TS or Rat doesn't sound like complete @$$.
We also have to remember that most of them are guitar players, whose knowledge about sound seems a little dubious to me.

You're right and I'm probably being too harsh but its weird to me to demo pedals as a bass distortion that are known to have a low end cut. I'd kind of expect the guys at Reverb to kind of know that. I know Andy from ProGuitarShop does! If you watch the whole video they did show but not actually demo some actually really nice pedals for bass there was a Alpha-Omega in there and the Way Huge Pork Loin, they shoulda shown those they obviously had them in the stock.

I thought Reverb was owned by Chicago Music Exchange and they filmed those at the store they have tones of stuff there they could have used to demo on bass they have a bunch of crazy CME exclusive paint jobs for a bunch of brands.