It’s back from the dead! The TB Mega Thread.

[MSUsousaphone]

Good idea with the cloth.

And parallel loopers, guys. That's where its at. Man....the Badger Schism is just fucking sick.

[snipelfritz]

I've only ever used simple loopers like the Headrush. They are fun, but I can't see myself using one live. Waaaaaaaay to much of a margin for error. I suppose with practice...

I'm currently working on a song that involves a slow groove outro that involves me using an oscillating fuzz and stomping pedals on and off and playing with the volume pot on my guitar. No playing actual notes. I just told the bassist to just pay tambourine or come up with some spoken-word or something.

[My name is Mudd]

the Badger Schism is just fucking sick.

That's what got me thinking about what I could do here, since right now I have neither the real need or the funds for a Schism...but I'd still love to have one.

...or something.

Beer run.

[snipelfritz]

...or something.

Beer run.

lol, sadly I'm the only one in the band who can buy booze. Drummer is a big drinker but only 20. Bassist used to be straight-edge and is younger than the drummer and we smoked weed for the first time last week, bassist didn't get high. You know what that means?

It means somebody is gonna get hella high next time we smoke.

[behndy]

yah. i'm getting Jared The Leshes's Loopmaster that's what i was going to ask Danno to build me (2 loops, one has a momentary switch as well as a latching, plus it has a Make Loops Go 1->2 or Make Loops Go 2->1 that's pretty fucking cool switch), but it's heap enough and Danno's a busy little beaver, so just getting that to him to etch.

WOOT.

[Bassboar]

So, I'm a little bit ashamed to admit that I have something of a gear dilemma, but it's going to sound really shallow and dumb.

So I had practice last night, and got to finally A/B my Carvin 410 and my Avatar 212 with my full band rig at full volume. And, honestly, the 410 just sounded BETTER. It was much more full-range, with more low bass and also more crisp highs. The Avatar sounded muddy and like it had a blanket over it. Maybe this is because I like my bass to have more highp-mids and highs than most bassists. And when I tried cranking the tweeter all the way up on the Avatar to get some highs back, it sounded farty, like it couldn't handle the high-end.

So case closed, right? Just sell the Avatar and keep the 410. But for some reason, the idea of playing a Bugera amp through a Carvin cab just makes me feel like I'm gonnna look like fucking amateur hour up there on stage. I know this is totally illogical and I should just say fuck it and play what sounds good, but a little bit of my inner gear snob is starting to feel like there's something wrong with ME for liking the "shitty" equipment.

You could also remove any kind of badges and logos.
That would help conceal your gears identity.

[excane]

So, I'm a little bit ashamed to admit that I have something of a gear dilemma, but it's going to sound really shallow and dumb.

So I had practice last night, and got to finally A/B my Carvin 410 and my Avatar 212 with my full band rig at full volume. And, honestly, the 410 just sounded BETTER. It was much more full-range, with more low bass and also more crisp highs. The Avatar sounded muddy and like it had a blanket over it. Maybe this is because I like my bass to have more highp-mids and highs than most bassists. And when I tried cranking the tweeter all the way up on the Avatar to get some highs back, it sounded farty, like it couldn't handle the high-end.

So case closed, right? Just sell the Avatar and keep the 410. But for some reason, the idea of playing a Bugera amp through a Carvin cab just makes me feel like I'm gonnna look like fucking amateur hour up there on stage. I know this is totally illogical and I should just say fuck it and play what sounds good, but a little bit of my inner gear snob is starting to feel like there's something wrong with ME for liking the "shitty" equipment.

Lotta options here.

My first "big" rig was a Carvin stack and I still have my Red Eye amp.
After about 2 years, I felt the same as you so I totally went to town on the cabs. I did a combination paint/black electrical tape on the stupid red tweeter and my buddy made me 2 custom grills. (more like my old-school badass Mesa square grills)

On the amp, I cut strips of black electrical tape to cover most of the shitty/ugly control labeling. It helped a LOT. The face was all black, then I printed dark silver decals for just a few of the knobbies.

[bigchiefbc]

Yeah, I know that I could just black everything out and go stealth on it, but that almost seems like I'm enabling my own gear snobbery, when I should really be raging against it. That's really the dilemma, whether I embrace my shallowness or reject it. Or maybe I should just look for another 410 instead, one that won't make me feel like I'm using fisher-price gear up on stage.

[My name is Mudd]

...a momentary switch as well as a latching...

This can be done? It dawned on me last night that the box we talked about would have one problem...with the M5 in the momentary channel, I'd have to have my foot on the switch whenever I wanted to use it at all; a momentary AND latching switch would solve that problem.

BCBC - gotta ask...how many people would actually KNOW what's in your stack? I understand what you're saying here, really(I've been guilty of similar thinking now and then...we can be shallow together), but would your audiences be so hip to the gear that it would distract from your show?

[bigchiefbc]

BCBC - gotta ask...how many people would actually KNOW what's in your stack? I understand what you're saying here, really(I've been guilty of similar thinking now and then...we can be shallow together), but would your audiences be so hip to the gear that it would distract from your show?

No, the audience would have no fucking idea, but the other bands on the bill would, and the booking people might, as well. (and impressing the other bands on the bill with us is how we get a good portion of our future gigs). I admit this is all pure snobbery, and I'm being stupid. I should just be happy that i found a base bass tone that makes jizz run down my leg, even when I have no effects on.

[Deltaphoenix]

I should just be happy that i found a base bass tone that makes jizz run down my leg, even when I have no effects on.

Yes!
I am blessed with the same feeling.

I just wonder if something else is going on with your Avatar? Mine has lots of lows, I have used 4-10s, and not in the too distant past either, I had a GK one at my house. Also my highs sound good without the tweeter, present without being shrill.

Just for the record, I bet half the bands wouldn't know the brand name Avatar...

[excane]

No, the audience would have no fucking idea, but the other bands on the bill would, and the booking people might, as well. (and impressing the other bands on the bill with us is how we get a good portion of our future gigs). I admit this is all pure snobbery, and I'm being stupid. I should just be happy that i found a base bass tone that makes jizz run down my leg, even when I have no effects on.

I totally understand the snobbery but damn...... don't get rid of the gear purely based on cosmetics.

I LOVE a bunch of gear that others would thumb their noses at but I could give 2 shits. It makes ME happy, and that's all I care about.

If the whole image thing with other bands, booking, etc makes you a little apprehensive just black that shit out.
You'd be surprised how little it takes to completely obscure the branding - just a little paint or tape in a few places.

[aen]

Hm. Ok, bass guys. I have a couple of different 15" cabs. One is pretty much crap, the other one is good, but has like, no treble, so when I use distortion, I lose a lot of the effect. Also, when I'm at "rock and roll loud" it tends to kind of "fold over" where ALL the mids and trebles disappear and you just hear the bass and sub artifacts.

Do I just need to buck up and get The Big Ampeg Black 8x10 Refrigerator? That seems to be the standard for my kind of music...

[excane]

Hm. Ok, bass guys. I have a couple of different 15" cabs. One is pretty much crap, the other one is good, but has like, no treble, so when I use distortion, I lose a lot of the effect. Also, when I'm at "rock and roll loud" it tends to kind of "fold over" where ALL the mids and trebles disappear and you just hear the bass and sub artifacts.

Do I just need to buck up and get The Big Ampeg Black 8x10 Refrigerator? That seems to be the standard for my kind of music...

From what you're describing, you'll definitely want something with a tweeter and smaller drivers for keeping the mids and punch.

I always prefer 4x10 cabinets over 15's or larger. At least I'll pair it up (like a 4x10 with 1x15 or 18" massive sub)

I personally dislike the Ampeg, and I play the heaviest of the heavy. It's always sounded generic and bland to me, but I'm not denying it's earned a rightful place in history.

If you want some suggestions for cabs, lemme know.

[aen]

YES I DO. PReferably from a company that likes to trade gear, HAHAHA!