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The Combo Club

#9,661
GonePlaid said:
I have 4 basses: 67 THUNDERBIRD, the Les paul 5er, the Ibanez AGB200, and the Squire VM Jag SS. Each gets a little playing time here at Casa GP(since we're not gigging), but it's the THUNDERBIRD that I always go back to since, contrary to popular belief, it can do anything. Well, anything I can do.
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GP, the T-Bird is your baby, no doubt about it. And you already know I personally love the looks of your Paul. I'd take a 4-string version of that any old day. Your thoughts here mimic RR and me. It's such a great hobby, second occupation, or just an expression of how you feel through the notes you play.
 
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#9,662
GwenOnBass said:
Your THUNDERBIRD may have 12 years on My Stingray and we'll not speculate further. What I can say is Saturday night plugged the Ray into the Phil Jones BG-400 combo (and C4), turned it up a little and things rattled.

It so happens the PJB has a compressor circuit. Far from any allegation of imagined authority on compressors, I know compression is good for varicose veins and such. Compression is built-in with the Elf's gain knob, so it's like a 200 watt Walgreen's foot care aisle.
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Hey, M, have you cranked the Elf to where the compression kicks in? I'm guessing you have, but I've read the compressor offers different shades, depending on where the gain is set at. I'm just wondering what the little green goblin sounds like with the gain at 3:00 or beyond.
 
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#9,663
Doctor Intrepid said:
I'm a Hofner guy all the way, and last night 3 of 5 were played: my 68, my fretless and my HCT. Although they are all shaped the same I get various tones out of them. This is because the 68 is single coil and hollow body (only the neck pickup is working currently). The HCT has two mini-humbuckers and is a solid body. The fretless also has two mini-humbuckers, but is fretless, a hollow body and has a different placement for the pickups than the HCT. So I've got some variety even though it might not seem as such. View attachment 3850544
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I was hoping you were gonna make a house call, Doctor. Great picture of your babies. I'm guessing at first look people might see three identical basses and wonder where any diversity would be, but like the others here, I know exactly what you're talking about and can see how you could coax various sounds from each.

I know I've been a fence jumper of late, but I turned in my 34" bass card for lifetime membership in short scale this weekend. I'm giving in to what I enjoy playing and it's that lighter, easier to move around on the neck bass. My buddy, Soul Reflection said a long time ago that he feels violin basses lack a certain bottom in comparison to solid bodies, and to a point, I do agree; but it's a different sound that, if dialed in right, can offer a lot of bottom end and definite thump. SR, I'll send you "Eye of the Tiger" after I record it and let you hear what I'm hearing. All I know is, like with GP's Thunderbird, it's what I feel reflects my style of playing best and what I hear coming from it.

Doc, I'd like to do what you're doing with the various basses and will take a look around as I'd like to have one more alternative. Thanks for posting!
 
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#9,664
Recon1342 said:
Being picky about basses is a luxury I do not have... I’ve got the Yamaha 5er, and whatever tone I can tweak out of a 100w amp and the active preamp in the bass. That being said, I was noodling around today and figured out the melody for “Simple Gifts” à la Bass guitar.

In case you are wondering, it sounds really cool.

Otherwise, I’m just trying to learn the fretboard and dusting the rust off of my musical knowledge...
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Recon, you're the person who brings in the dose of realism that's just as much enjoyed as anything I write. You are learning to coax every possible tone needed by your day-in-day-out rig, and that's where we all have been at some point. Then one day, you'll come across a used bass at the pawnshop that has your name on it and your journey begins. "Simple Gifts" was one of our community band's regular tunes and I enjoyed playing it. We always thought it was one of our better pieces.
 
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#9,665
iagtrplyr said:
I was hoping you were gonna make a house call, Doctor. Great picture of your babies. I'm guessing at first look people might see three identical basses and wonder where any diversity would be, but like the others here, I know exactly what you're talking about and can see how you could coax various sounds from each.

I know I've been a fence jumper of late, but I turned in my 34" bass card for lifetime membership in short scale this weekend. I'm giving in to what I enjoy playing and it's that lighter, easier to move around on the neck bass. My buddy, Soul Reflection said a long time ago that he feels violin basses lack a certain bottom in comparison to solid bodies, and to a point, I do agree; but it's a different sound that, if dialed in right, can offer a lot of bottom end and definite thump. SR, I'll send you "Eye of the Tiger" after I record it and let you hear what I'm hearing. All I know is, like with GP's Thunderbird, it's what I feel reflects my style of playing best and what I hear coming from it.

Doc, I'd like to do what you're doing with the various basses and will take a look around as I'd like to have one more alternative. Thanks for posting!
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I try and use my fretless for as much as I can, as it is my number one. It's has a deep tone with some grit, since I use rounds. It is really good for songs such as Money and Walking on the Moon. I can get a more twangy tone from the HCT and the 68. So they are good for Rush. The HCT is especially good for Rush, since it is a solid body (essentially). If you like the profile of the violin basses, but would like get a solid body tone, I'd recommend the Contemporary line from Hofner. I like mine a lot. There are some good videos on them online.
 
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#9,666
The sound of the Elf might have me believe it's a rocker's amp.

The stork delivered the Elf to power my PJB C4 cab as my BG-400 took in the good life back on Achill. In the knowledge that it would take a purposeful effort to dislodge the C4 with an Elf, I took it upon myself to learn how the gain knob works. With Volume dimed, I edged up the gain. What should I find but a truly clean sound (with the Trace footprint).

Which is why I believe it's a rocker's amp as those settings let me hear how the Elf makes everything seem bigger somehow.

With my combo and me on the same continent again, mated the Elf with first one, then two PJB Cab 27s and I am here to say that rig can do first line duty. I keep the gain around 2 o'clock and what sounded bigger clean sounds even bigger with the compression. If I dime the gain, I get full blown fuzz distortion. It sounds very good to me, but I don't believe I actually have a need for it. Now. Given the right situation, sure, why not?

In a funny reversal of ways, it now appears easier for me to take only the BG-400 than the Elf and both cabs! The BG-400 is just downright scary paired with the C4 :woot:
 
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#9,667
GwenOnBass said:
The sound of the Elf might have me believe it's a rocker's amp.

The stork delivered the Elf to power my PJB C4 cab as my BG-400 took in the good life back on Achill. In the knowledge that it would take a purposeful effort to dislodge the C4 with an Elf, I took it upon myself to learn how the gain knob works. With Volume dimed, I edged up the gain. What should I find but a truly clean sound (with the Trace footprint).

Which is why I believe it's a rocker's amp as those settings let me hear how the Elf makes everything seem bigger somehow.

With my combo and me on the same continent again, mated the Elf with first one, then two PJB Cab 27s and I am here to say that rig can do first line duty. I keep the gain around 2 o'clock and what sounded bigger clean sounds even bigger with the compression. If I dime the gain, I get full blown fuzz distortion. It sounds very good to me, but I don't believe I actually have a need for it. Now. Given the right situation, sure, why not?

In a funny reversal of ways, it now appears easier for me to take only the BG-400 than the Elf and both cabs! The BG-400 is just downright scary paired with the C4 :woot:
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Thank you for the response. The Elf sounds like one amazing amp, regardless of its size, and from what I’ve learned from playing through the Double Four, your PJB combo/cabs must be lethal together!
 
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#9,668
iagtrplyr said:
Great post, Rod. It looks as if we're starting a subcommittee called, Just Playing Bass Appreciation Group! It's nothing more than a musician's admission that it's fun making music with your gear and finding new ways to improve your sound. I'm glad to know, RR, that you're having fun like the rest of us are.

I'd like to read your thoughts on using compression. Take it from me, start with a little, and then experiment to where you can hear what it does to your tone. Pick the sweet spot and you're good to go. Now you may find it still sounds better without, and that's cool too. I hear it evening my sound out and giving me more sustain.
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AFA compression, are we talking 'bout "Copper Fit" socks here?:bag:
 
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#9,670
iagtrplyr said:
Thank you for the response. The Elf sounds like one amazing amp, regardless of its size, and from what I’ve learned from playing through the Double Four, your PJB combo/cabs must be lethal together!
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Everybody here has a lot of combo firepower and, well, I'm looking out the window behind this monitor and see the forested hillside that begins no more than three steps beyond. From moment to moment never really certain what I will see but it can be summarized as "numerous forest beings". It's the fox that really hold my attention when they go by.

I get pretty close to the same view from my practice area immediately to the right of my desk. Speaking of. It's time I go to work. I've been paying attention to, but not replying to what's going on. And I'm expected just about now anyway.

For what it's worth none of the forest creatures appear to be overly concerned about my bass at volume.
 
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#9,672
iagtrplyr said:
I was hoping you were gonna make a house call, Doctor. Great picture of your babies. I'm guessing at first look people might see three identical basses and wonder where any diversity would be, but like the others here, I know exactly what you're talking about and can see how you could coax various sounds from each.

I know I've been a fence jumper of late, but I turned in my 34" bass card for lifetime membership in short scale this weekend. I'm giving in to what I enjoy playing and it's that lighter, easier to move around on the neck bass. My buddy, Soul Reflection said a long time ago that he feels violin basses lack a certain bottom in comparison to solid bodies, and to a point, I do agree; but it's a different sound that, if dialed in right, can offer a lot of bottom end and definite thump. SR, I'll send you "Eye of the Tiger" after I record it and let you hear what I'm hearing. All I know is, like with GP's Thunderbird, it's what I feel reflects my style of playing best and what I hear coming from it.

Doc, I'd like to do what you're doing with the various basses and will take a look around as I'd like to have one more alternative. Thanks for posting!
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Short Scale?? They have a club for that... :smug:
 
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#9,677
GonePlaid said:
Well, I didn't see a PJB bass amp club. Just sayin'.:eyebrow:
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WHAT??? :jawdrop:

No wait, there is a Phil Jones Club. I always it was too highbrow for me. Now M, she could run it with all her gear. I dunno, maybe I could be like a napkin passer-outer during club meetings or something.

Edit: I wrote this without knowing Morrighan had already broke the news. Heck, I was too lazy to even link it.
 
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#9,678
iagtrplyr said:
WHAT??? :jawdrop:

No wait, there is a Phil Jones Club. I always it was too highbrow for me. Now M, she could run it with all her gear. I dunno, maybe I could be like a napkin passer-outer during club meetings or something.

Edit: I wrote this without knowing Morrighan had already broke the news. Heck, I was too lazy to even link it.
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Who’s Phil Jones, and why does he have a bass club?
 
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