The Reverend Club (part 7)

[G On Bass]

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not using any tone prints. The amp sounds fine without them. Please LMK how it went tonight with the flats. They maybe the ticket for me. I'm also curious about your bass settings too!

Notes on the rehearsal:

I got the Mercalli back from the shop where he installed a bone nut. After playing it some at home and listening to it with the GHS Precision Flats, I did a last minute swap and put a year old set of Chromes on it. The GHS's I had on it are closer in tone to the LaBellas on my P-Bass (which is good) but it's not what I needed from this bass. Note: I had to ream out the bridge a little as the Chromes have that unnecessarily large winding at the ball end, even with the silks removed.

Usually, I take at least 2 (when possible, 3) basses everywhere: a P5 w/Labellas and (lately) the Mercalli w/Circle K's. But I have a gig coming up that is extremely space limited and set-up time is tight, so I need to cover as much sonic ground as possible using only 1 bass, realizing full well that I would have to compromise on both ends.

It is a great combo for me. For the blues tunes that needed a P/flats sound, I rolled the blend forward (obviously) and rolled off the tone a little less than half or so. It's not quite as awesome a P tone as my regular P, as it seems a bit more 'modern', but it was definitely close enough to what I was after. Favoring the bridge pickup a hair and dialing up the tone gave me a good, aggressive tone for the more rock songs. The bridge pickup only with tone rolled off just a bit (and a little 'air' effect) worked enough for the stuff I would usually do on a fretless.

So I think this bass is keeping the Chromes. It's plenty versatile and covered everything it need to cover well enough. My first choice will always be to bring 2, but I'll have no worries with this for those room-for-1-bass-only gigs.

Amp was a rehearsal-studio-provided Ampeg 450h () into an older Ampeg 810e. It ran through a Zoom B3 with a mild compressor (dbx 160 sim) on the way in. Both my Mercallis are stock except for replacing the stock tuners with Hipshot Ultralites.

Hopefully there is some useful info in all this gibberish...

 

[brad houser]

mercalli neck on BH5 body. amazing!!!!!!!!!

 

[brad houser]

here's a pic.

 

[G On Bass]

here's a pic.

Does that mean it's a 34" BH sig???

How much mod work had to be done to get the neck to fit?

 

[Chef]

^^^what he said.
I bet Ken was involved in that project.

 

[G On Bass]

I've not yet posted a pic of the Twins, so here they are. Both have bone nuts and Hipshot Ultralite tuners (one Lollipop, one Cloverleaf). The blue one has Circle K's, the Flamed Maple one has Chromes.

Love 'em both, and so do all my bandmates. Still looking for a BH to round everything out!

 

[Gus Borden]

That BH5/Mercalli hybrid looks sweet. I love my stock BH5, although I'd love yo get my hands on a custom pearl white or tort PG - anyone here know of anybody that specializes in Rev PGs?

Aside... I think if I had disposable cash these days, I'd have to look into the Thundergun - reverse headstock - sweet!

 

[Charley Umbria]

I love my stock BH5, although I'd love yo get my hands on a custom pearl white or tort PG - anyone here know of anybody that specializes in Rev PGs?

Dazbootman did a great job on the guard for my J/J Rumblefish (see my post above). I believe he's got a number of Reverend templates, but I had the best luck just sending him my pick guard to use as a guide.

 

[Chef]

I think Jeannies makes them too
http://home.comcast.net/~pickguards/

 

[Rezdog]

Greetings from the North,

Hey man that looks pretty cool. The first BH5 with a matching headstock!

Rezdog

 

[Gus Borden]

I think Jeannies makes them too
http://home.comcast.net/~pickguards/

Thanks.
Jeannie did a PG for me several years ago, had to send in the original, which for some reason I'm not thrilled with doing.

 

[Gus Borden]

Dazbootman did a great job on the guard for my J/J Rumblefish (see my post above). I believe he's got a number of Reverend templates, but I had the best luck just sending him my pick guard to use as a guide.

That's the guy I remember hearing about — thanks! Gotta contact him.

Now the question is what PG to go with.

Phone won't add attachment now, but I have the Mahogany-style fin. Always love white pearl, but tort seems like it might be the way.
Hmm.

 

[mike o]

Update.
Played my 1st gig with last night with my Reverend Mercalli 5 and a TC BG250 amp. Actually it was my first gig playing bass or with a band live or rehersal in 10 years. Got the call around 3PM for a 6:30 gig. It was a blast. Forgot how much fun it was playing with other musicians. The bass and amp sounded amazing. Great tone between the two. Couldn't be happier with this set up. Round wound strings are fine as well. Reverend is the right choice for me. People dig its funky looks too.

 

[Gus Borden]

Well look at that, the pic of my BH5 did upload after all. So, I'm curious what the TB Rev fans think... what should I go for for a custom pickguard? Thanks!!
(2 posts up)

 

[Chef]

I had one like that.
I liked the black, but, either of those others might be ok too.

 

[Gus Borden]

Thanks Chef, I am starting to think that black pearloid may be cool. Give it that "character" while maintaining the classic/original feel.

 

[Chef]

I like that idea

 

[Gus Borden]

I like that idea

Thanks. I'm thinking that's the one. Things are starting to settle down here in my part of Jersey I'm gonna have to look into it. I'll definitely post photos!

 

[brad houser]

to get it to intonate I had to move the bridge forward about 1/4". it's AMAZING!!!!!! the B string is actually Better than it was as a stock 35" scale. 35"- boo. fail. I'm loving this thing, and yes, the matching headstock is pimpin'. the response all over the neck is even and punchy; beautiful sound that is very close to an original 90's rumblefish. I have DR flats on it, and they are perfect. did a whole set with it the other night, at the end of the set switched to my mighty Lakland hollowbody, which has been crushing all others lately, and the hybrid BH mercalli held up in comparison. usually the Lakland makes any other bass sound thin and lame. I may eventually bug Ken to sell me a mercalli neck for my other BH5.......... :::stoked:::

 

[brad houser]

and definitely Hipshot ultralights. I hate the new stock tuners. they weigh a ton and are tone-killers.