The Combo Club

[GonePlaid]

Ahhh yeah... 'tis the season...

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Looks yummy!

 

[iagtrplyr]

Sure, I'll take a number. Thanks. I have other combos as well.

Russell

Here ye, here ye. With the few remaining minutes that my brain has left to think, I officially proclaim Russell L to be the 115th member of this prestigious club. It is with great honor and humility that I welcome him aboard the very best club on the massive TB forum. Welcome RL, and please enjoy your stay here as long as you like.

 

[iagtrplyr]

It's definitely a keeper for me - walking to my friend's house with it in one hand and uke bass over my shoulder was so much fun!

I want to dig a little deeper into the weird sound I was getting with my Les Paul Triumph though - I think it was overloading something but was it overloading the gain? The speaker? I wish I had recorded the line out too, that's my next step, plus a couple of different basses.

The true test will be playing it in a coffee shop with my two guitarist friends, but that won't happen until next year.

Here's a shot to show the size with the Les Paul:

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hiero, that image of your rig has to be one of the club's most unique-looking partnerships. Great pic, but what's it sound like? I'm all ears! Try and detail the weird sound and maybe our Vox gurus can help you sort it out. I know G-doggie is gonna mention the break-in period and I'd believe him. Crank away and stretch that speaker out.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Yes she said, yes

which is a direct riff from James Joyce and there are several people who bring Molly alive and a wee pint will do ya. And decided not on a wee pint but some sort of dark Christmas ale that I rate as worthy of a second or third try for My StingRay is back from Santa's Workshop. Certainly appeared worthy of an ale. Of course your narrator never has before had a bit of ale before playing bass, that just wouldn't do in proper company.

In the room with all the pretty basses and guitars are also some Vox amps, and I said Vox VX50BA and Santa's Helper says when you're ready just ask.

A little bit worried after playing nothing but my semi-hollowbody shortscale for rather a good while, I plug in the 'Ray.

Ahhh.

Just like home.

What a smooth bass. Coming up this spring on 40 years together and I've not forgotten this bass can snarl. Nobody here .... just turn this up a little .... hehehe

Great story, but to make sure I got it right, did you play through the VX50BA? If so, how was it? Don't tease us, M, spill the beans.

 

[iagtrplyr]

whoa whoa whoa what's with all the punctuation don't you realize that just forces an interpretation that may or may not be the intended mental image and then the whole swirling zeitgeist gets pidgeonholed into ridgid inflexible and intractable preconceived ideas which can never truly convey the euphoria ecstasy and dyslexia of the emotional chaos that is was and ever shall be reunification with a long lost intimate long lamented and longed for for so long but yes above all else yes by all means yes I guess

Interesting, but isn't that a direct quote from Doc Intrepid's latest book, "Freud was a Bass Player too?"

 

[iagtrplyr]

Here ye, here ye. With the few remaining minutes that my brain has left to think, I officially proclaim Russell L to be the 115th member of this prestigious club. It is with great honor and humility that I welcome him aboard the very best club on the massive TB forum. Welcome RL, and please enjoy your stay here as long as you like.

Danger, Revision Ahead: Russell L, unless your twin brother also applied for a number a while back, you, my friend already have been given a number...95 to be exact. I just saw your name on my list, but am too pooped to go through the pages. How do you plead?

 

[hieronymous]

One thing to note, if you haven't already, is that the lineout is pre-EQ, so you won't get any of the color provided by the Vox.

I know, isn't that weird? Did they not want you to be able to use it as a preamp in front of something bigger? Is it just passing the original signal through the line out? What's the point in that? I basically wanted to use it as a control to the mic'd signal. But the input is even pre-gain!

There was actually someone in Japan on Instagram who wired in a speaker out. Making the line-out post EQ & effects would be an interesting project but not something I am capable of.

hiero, that image of your rig has to be one of the club's most unique-looking partnerships. Great pic, but what's it sound like? I'm all ears! Try and detail the weird sound and maybe our Vox gurus can help you sort it out. I know G-doggie is gonna mention the break-in period and I'd believe him. Crank away and stretch that speaker out.

For me the ukulele bass & the Vox are a great combination. I will definitely make some recordings when my guitarist comes back. The Tadpole isn't an easy bass to play - it doesn't have an endpin so you have to find a way to support the instrument to free up the plucking hand. I have used a couple of different classical guitar-style straps, but the other night I played sitting down and ended up taking the strap off. Also it's fretless which I always find challenging, but also enjoy very much. I've had the same set of strings on it for years now - they are very stretched out and I want to put fresh ones on but they bind in the nut on the E & A strings, so I need to get that taken care of too. (Sorry to go on about the bass!)

I think I have the weird (overloaded?) sound on tape - I have the weekend off, I'll either do some recording or work with what I already have.

 

[Russell L]

Here ye, here ye. With the few remaining minutes that my brain has left to think, I officially proclaim Russell L to be the 115th member of this prestigious club. It is with great honor and humility that I welcome him aboard the very best club on the massive TB forum. Welcome RL, and please enjoy your stay here as long as you like.

Thank ye kindly. I will wear my number with pride.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Great story, but to make sure I got it right, did you play through the VX50BA? If so, how was it? Don't tease us, M, spill the beans.

Alas, no VX50BA on the showroom floor. Santa's Helper can get one, and will when I ask. Made some noise about the gain on the Vox and was shown an Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal. Neat, compact pedal but not something I need ATM.

Thinking the DR Neons still have a lot of play time left in them. What I believe (who knows what stuff people believe vs. what is actually there <shrug>) is the Neons are coated Sunbeams and the Black Beauties are coated Highbeams.

Not really feeling any need for the patented Rotosound sparkle right now but I do like having an active bass! Playing only passive lulls me into a long winter's tone nap.

 

[G-Dog]

Welcome, hieronymous, to the Combo Club! You are member #114 of this illustrious group we've assembled. I apologize for being so late to issue you a number, but I'm an elementary teacher trying to survive December before THE break. Three more days and I'll be able to play more bass, get more sleep, and play more bass.

Please enjoy our complimentary beverage served by Gone Plaid, our holiday barkeep. He serves a mean Fuzzy Navel. Or is that a fuzz pedal? I dunno, but he's a really nice guy. G-Dog will update you on all the benefits we offer our members; completely free of charge, of course. Just make yourself at home and keep us updated on your Vox amp. The many reviews these past few weeks have been like a great book that I can't put down.

Sorry, hiero, but I almost missed your induction to the Club. Tricky Fearless Leader typed it within the quotes of your post! But I found it!! He is such a prankster. So . . .

Welcome, hieronymous and others, to the Combo Club! Checkout the Combo Club Clubhouse on the Combo Club Wiki, where you will also find many other things about us, and now you too!

 

[GwenOnBass]

Ahhh yeah... 'tis the season...

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Uncertain how I missed this as one who enjoys Christmas ales by any name. Had one on tap yesterday, in fact. Yum.

 

[G-Dog]

One thing to note, if you haven't already, is that the lineout is pre-EQ, so you won't get any of the color provided by the Vox.

I know, isn't that weird? Did they not want you to be able to use it as a preamp in front of something bigger? Is it just passing the original signal through the line out? What's the point in that? I basically wanted to use it as a control to the mic'd signal. But the input is even pre-gain. . . .

Actually, I think the Vox VX50BA's Direct Out is what many bassists call a "true DI". And many of them "cannot live" with any amp that has a post-EQ/post-Master output! I think that's the number one complaint we see in The Rumble Club. (The Studio and Stage resolve this with fully configurable, even stereo, XLR Outs. Other Rumble users find it's not the problem some think it is.)

So far, the DO from my VX50BA always goes to FOH and I haven't needed a dirty, or processed, tone, yet. When (not if) I do, I'll have to use a pedal for it, instead of just turning up the gain, so that the effects will go through the Vox to get to the sound board. I haven't tested this yet, though.

@hieronymous or @Killed_by_Death, have you used an fx pedal with your VX50BA and verified that it's Direct Out will pass the fx? (Although I can't imagine why, or how, it wouldn't.)

 

[GwenOnBass]

Because ....

 

[G-Dog]

Because ....

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Whoa! I do NOT want to be on his naughty list! Is that a double bladed axe he's carrying?

Better be good, for goodness sake!

 

[GwenOnBass]

Lemmy swings a mean axe

 

[Killed_by_Death]

have you used an fx pedal with your VX50BA and verified that it's Direct Out will pass the fx? (Although I can't imagine why, or how, it wouldn't.)

What goes in comes out.
Once upon a time I assumed that the DO was wired right to the input jack, but you need to power on the unit for it to have any output.

 

[Pontiac Thrasher]

That is good thing, otherwise it would tend to weaken the instrument signal...

They went for consistant quality on that, regardless of the usage variables.

Gonna have to try one of these : )

 

[G-Dog]

What goes in comes out.
Once upon a time I assumed that the DO was wired right to the input jack, but you need to power on the unit for it to have any output.

Thanks for the confirm, Killed. So, not true bypass, eh?

A powered switch to connect input to output seems strange to me. But, whaddaiknow?

 

[G-Dog]

Here's wishing everyone in general, and some in particular a very . . . .

Happy Belated Solstice Eve!

Everyone celebrate with the ritual of your choice.
​

 

[FirewalZ]

Anyone use a powered cabinet with a pre-amp pedal like a TH or VT Bass as a portable rig? I needed a powered monitor and just ordered a QSC K12, on smaller gigs I thought I could use it with a VT Bass, vs bringing an additional bass amp?