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Last Purchase: And now everyone who recognizes that thing is in awe of my ability to waste money. Also how hairy I was when this picture was taken (I'm slightly better now, honest). For those who don't know, this is a Wal bass, built by the on-again-off-again, sometimes defunct company Electric Wood, and it is coveted by rabid bass playing fans of both Geddy Lee of Rush and Justin Chancellor of Tool. It's also coveted by tech geeks because of its unique electronics, which have gone unimitated for thirty years, despite lack of any sort of patent. ACG has come close, but their filter preamp still doesn't sound much like a Wal at all. Unlike most modern active basses, a Wal's pre-amp doesn't boost/cut specific frequencies, instead it applies either low pass or high pass filters combined with passive tone roll-off emulation and allowing for separate 10dB boosting of a specific frequency band from each pick-up enclosure. Hell, even the pick-ups themselves are wacky - they're actually collections of four humbuckers (one per string) inside a single housing, the signals from which are reconstituted into a single signal in the pre-amp circuitry which is then free to be modified by the filters. Once you play with it a while it's actually fairly intuitive, and it allows for a much greater range of tones than a standard 3-band EQ. The bass itself has a lot of cool construction tricks as well, the neck in particular has a very unique, pronounced V shape that I've never run into before (and considering how big a gear whore I am, I imagine I would have, by now). Motherfucker is damnably heavy though, my walnut/maple six string weighs less than this beast. This is the bass that finally made me fold and use a 4" strap, which makes this bass bearable and all my others feel weightless. I am a retard for not using that strap sooner. Of course, now that I have this bass, I need to figure out where I'm going to get the money for the badass recording set-up I was going to buy. I could buy a brand new Mac Book Pro, Pro Tools HD, a MOTU recording interface, a good external harddrive, Guitar Rig 3, and various mics and cables for what I paid for this bass. Still, it's the only one in the Wal Owner Database in that color, so what was I gonna do, not buy it? Right, like I'm that smart. edited for spelling and one more awesome Wal fact: The pre-amp has both a standard 1/4" output and a line level Mic out, eliminating the need for a separate DI box, and this also allows for running the bass in stereo through an amp and a PA - I got to do this for the first time last week, running a dry signal to the amp and pushing my PA channel to distortion. 1400 watts pushing a bass signal is fun! Rocketpriest fucked around with this message at 11:21 on Nov 20, 2008 |
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Nov 20, 2008 11:08
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breaks posted:Eventide time factor, or the old line6 delay which had some ok emulations and they made a pedal version of it (and maybe they have a new one now?). thanks guys. Seems like the Space Echo is still the best option, it has reverb.
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Nov 20, 2008 11:33
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Noise Machine posted:I'll give you guys a teaser. ?
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Nov 20, 2008 11:45
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Noise Machine posted:I'll give you guys a teaser.  ?
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Nov 20, 2008 12:05
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Rocketpriest posted:Last Purchase: I think i speak for everyone when i say, congratulations you son of a bitch <  >
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Nov 20, 2008 13:50
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Capitan Dad posted:thanks guys. Seems like the Space Echo is still the best option, it has reverb. I wouldn't get into the RE-20 because you want its reverb, amigo. The original unit has bad, super bright splashy reverb that really only sounds good when you've got space-man noises going on. And the RE-20's emulation is perfect. It will not fill the role of a "normal" reverb. But if you want a good reverb pedal, pick up the Marshall RF-1 Reflector! If you're after a good delay that can also do reverb, then look into the EHX Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai. You can get some great reverb sounds with its three echo modes and their diffusion control. It's about the same price as the RE-20, too. The thing is, though, that you shouldn't be buying the RE-20 because you want a delay or a reverb. That's not really what it's about. You're buying the RE-20 because you want the special something that only the RE-20 has. It's a very unique kind of tape delay, and the compact pedal captures its essential mojo really well (although it has to compromise with an oscillation "mode" and it doesn't sound right when you change the rotational speed). It isn't a traditional delay or a traditional reverb, it's just its own thing. It comfortably coexists with other delay pedals, in much the same way that you might have two low gain overdrives just because one of them has such a characteristic sound. Edit: Modeler folks! I decided to rerecord the jam track last night and make use of Amplitube Metal's Triple Rec model to show that it can sound good and work in a track. It is characteristically dark/smooth, but that's just part of the sound. In this clip, it's the Randall Warhead model for about two thirds of the track, and then the Triple Rec on the final leg of my soloing. The Triple Rec starts when I start tapping, and it's pretty impossible to miss since it sounds completely different from the Warhead.  Later today, I'll try to make the modeling megathread. It might have a placeholder first post with just a brief description of what the purpose of the thread is and some clips, but I can fill out the content later when I have enough time - I'd like to get the discussion going on sooner rather than later. Edit 2: Here's the patches I've made so far for Amplitube Metal, including the Randall Warhead lead patch I'm using in this clip and the Triple Recto patch as well. Enjoy When I make the modeling megathread, I'll be happy to take requests and see if I can't make patches to suit people or meet some kind of need - I'll start by dialing in a good Recto tone with Guitar Rig 3 if y'all want. Agreed fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Nov 20, 2008 |
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Nov 20, 2008 15:54
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Bob Sanchez posted:Check this out Rocketpriest posted:Last Purchase: Veg posted:
I have a black one of these with Nordstrands and an OBP-2. It is awesome. Noise Machine posted:I'll give you guys a teaser. Upright.
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Nov 20, 2008 17:18
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Capitan Dad posted:anyone wanna recommend some alternatives to an RE-20 so I can pick one, buy it and put it in this thread? RE-20 seems fine but I'd like to know my options. If you are looking for "flexibility" dont get the RE-20, because it does the tape echo thing quite well, but thats about it. If you want something more flexible, there were some units mentioned, but also the DD-20 is possible since it has a number of delay modes. I love my RE-20 :efb
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Nov 20, 2008 17:21
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warwick5s posted:Upright. I think you could get an upright in most cars.
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Nov 20, 2008 17:34
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Thoogsby posted:I think you could get an upright in most cars. I was able to fit mine in a number of small hatchback two doors no problem, but if it's a really small four door with a trunk sometimes the front doors don't open up far enough to get it in the front seat. (By the way, going to test drive a car with an upright in tow, just to be sure it fits, is an easy way to get some laughs.)
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Nov 20, 2008 17:50
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Gorilla Salsa posted:I've been wanting to get a new guitar, but I have a few criterion that I can't seem to find for a decent price.[list] Try looking at a used Ibanez RG7620. Just be of the understanding that they do NOT have DiMarzio Blaze's in there, that was a misprint and still causes confusion. There are a couple up on ebay right now and I'm sure you could get one for like $500 or so if you want to wait on a really good deal.
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Nov 20, 2008 18:39
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7 Bowls of Wrath posted:With all your guitars, and you cant drop some on a parker?  e: unless I stumble on the guitar first because I've got one in mind
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Nov 21, 2008 02:24
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Agreed posted:
Sweet. I had been using your Boosted Randall 2 preset with all the same settings except on a recto and it sounded pretty good, but I doubt I was maximizing the recto's potential. Anxiously awaiting a nice sounding GR3 recto- currently the only thing that doesn't sound like poo poo for metal in GR3 is some form of Bogner. I also would like to find a good Petrucci sound ala Wishful Thinking. Leviathan fucked around with this message at 03:22 on Nov 21, 2008 |
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Nov 21, 2008 03:20
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 http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Custom-Vibrolux-ReverbAmp-Combo?sku=480513 About half price, $560 shipped. I played one at the home of a guy I was attempting to make a deal with and it just sounded amazing with anything with single coils - strats, teles, even my LP Special just sounded crystal clean but tight and articulate. Didn't have anything with humbuckers to try out since he's more of a strat guy. I tested a bunch Fender amps out at GC and found that I prefer the 10" speakers over the 12" ones for some reason - just seem snappier, I guess - so I went with my initial instinct and got the Vibrolux. I haven't gotten a new amp in ages and this is wildly opposite my main amp, a 1x12 80's Peavey that tends to run hot. I can't wait!
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Nov 21, 2008 05:19
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warwick5s posted:
ding ding ding. Although gently caress I want that modular synth now.
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Nov 21, 2008 06:23
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Rocketpriest posted:this is a Wal bass I don't understand how people aren't making a bigger deal out of this purchase. Its intense. As mentioned, its a holy grail for many bassists. I really like the finish on that one. A lot of Wal basses just look awkward to me. I'm interested in the electronics through. I'm trying to put together a bass and the more I think about it, the more a filter based pre-amp make sense. Off to do research on those basses now. Also, I remember seeing a person buying a Wal, gutting it, and putting the electronics in a Fodera. Money can buy happiness.
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Nov 21, 2008 06:56
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Rifter17 posted:Also, I remember seeing a person buying a Wal, gutting it, and putting the electronics in a Fodera. Money can buy happiness. Yep, it's been done with a Carl Thompson as well (speaking of CT, watch this thread for another purchase of mine that'll piss off a lot of bass players, once I take delivery of one/both of them). I always wondered about the CT's or Foderas I saw with the Wal electronics and I didn't know until recently that Electric Wood didn't sell the electronics separately from the bass. Apparently the idea was that Wals were their idea of 'the perfect bass' and you couldn't get any part of them without buying the whole instrument. So I imagine those few non-Wals with Wal electronics cost one hell of a lot of money, probably even more than I could talk myself into spending. When basses start reaching into the 'I could buy a new Accord or this' range, I start second guessing the purchase. Of course, since I've already got transportation, I probably would go for the bass. You know, if there wasn't a house down payment to make instead, or something. What I want to know is what, if anything, happened to the gutted Wal bodies. With their construction they'd probably actually sound really good with a set of Kent Armstrongs or Q-Tuners in them.
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Nov 21, 2008 07:39
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Do all Wal's have the same neck profile? I've always heard about their electronics, but never about the construction of the instrument. Do they use a compound radius or other construction improvements? Really neck profiles isn't something a bassist usually runs into. Mostly its a C unless you get into some really flat things like some Ibanez or Pedullas. You're gunna pick up a CT? I've read a lot of mixed things about them. Personally, if I were to drop a nice sum of money on an instrument I would go for a Ken Lawrence. The best playing instrument I've ever had the pleasure of playing was one of his. And I've played my share of big name basses (just one of the perks of living in San Diego and going to Bass Alone all throughout high school).
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Nov 21, 2008 10:44
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Noise Machine posted:ding ding ding. What'd you get? I sold my Engelhart a while ago and am currently upright-less. Sucks, but after I move I think I'm going to get an Upton. Rifter17 posted:I'm interested in the electronics through. I'm trying to put together a bass and the more I think about it, the more a filter based pre-amp make sense. Off to do research on those basses now. It's not from Wal, but ACG makes a filter based pre-amp. I'd think that one of those with a pair of Dark Stars or something could get you close. DEUCE SLUICE fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Nov 21, 2008 |
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Nov 21, 2008 16:52
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Rocketpriest posted:Last Purchase:
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Nov 21, 2008 16:59
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After all that bluster about offset/shortscale guitars and what does my dumb rear end get? An American Ash Telecaster ... For $500 (Technically it was a "Northeast Factory Special Run American Butterscotch Custom Telecaster," which predated the American Ash ones... only 100 made).
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Nov 21, 2008 17:06
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Susano-maku da! posted:After all that bluster about offset/shortscale guitars and what does my dumb rear end get? An American Ash Telecaster You need to do something to break that thing in like light it on fire or shoot it with a gun or something. Very nice, though.
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Nov 21, 2008 17:47
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new amp head.. marshall jcm 900 hi gain dual reverb model 4100 this has new caps, new tubes, hit up all solder points, biased.. a FULL once over by tim schroeder. it is a randall 4x12 cab and an ibanez rg7 guitar.  
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Nov 21, 2008 19:09
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Susano-maku da! posted:After all that bluster about offset/shortscale guitars and what does my dumb rear end get? An American Ash Telecaster Very respectable. Now replace those pups with Fralins, and get the Callaham enhanced vintage saddles. I've been planning on building a replica blackguard tele for a while.
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Nov 21, 2008 19:58
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GrAviTy84 posted:Very respectable. Now replace those pups with Fralins, and get the Callaham enhanced vintage saddles. I've been planning on building a replica blackguard tele for a while. Mine has modern saddles, thank god, but what advantages would the Callaham saddles bring the to the guitar? EDIT: or do you mean the Callaham Vintage Styled "CG" Saddles? Susano-maku da! fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Nov 21, 2008 |
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Nov 21, 2008 20:05
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Halo posted:new amp head.. This is the fist time in this thread I've had the jealous "I hate you" response. Any chance on sound clips? I know what they sound like, I just enjoy hearing them. 
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Nov 21, 2008 20:10
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Gorilla Salsa posted:I've been wanting to get a new guitar, but I have a few criterion that I can't seem to find for a decent price. Ibanez RG1527?
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Nov 21, 2008 20:21
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Halo posted:new amp head..  JCM900s are one of my favorite Marshalls, sort of a cross between the 8100 and the JCM800. Please, I implore you, post some clips. I'd like to hear more of that "raw" so that I can dial in my own virtual JCM900
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Nov 21, 2008 20:25
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ashlandpunk83 posted:This is the fist time in this thread I've had the jealous "I hate you" response. Agreed posted:
Absolutely, I will post some good quality clips when I get home from work today. Do you have some preferred way you would like to hear it? Generally I play doom / drone style riffs so you can hear the how it distorts. Unfortunately, I don't have a space to REALLY turn it up, so I can't push those tubes as hard as I could. I can do an amp recording with a hi-MD recorder, and/or I can do a DI out from the cab into the laptop.
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Nov 21, 2008 20:39
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Susano-maku da! posted:Mine has modern saddles, thank god, but what advantages would the Callaham saddles bring the to the guitar? Stamped steel saddles like the CG saddles are more of a strat thing. They have much better chime and ring than cast steel or graphtech saddles. The obvious advantage of 6 saddles is intonation, but the enhanced saddles should have fixed this. If you rest your palm on the bridge then stamped steel saddles will probably be uncomfortable. One small thing, you'd have to buy a new ashtray if you went the vintage route, which may or may not be a worthwhile investment if you're not too hot on spending 1/5th of the money you just spent on the tele on a new bridge. Give it a few gigs before you change anything, you might like the way it is.
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Nov 21, 2008 21:12
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Rocketpriest posted:Last Purchase: I was kinda "oh, that's neat" until I headed over to the wikipedia page and looked at the folks who use this, and it's basically a who's-who of bands I like whose bassists have great tone (with some weirdos who should give someone else the bass, gosh). * Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam * Mark King of Level 42 * Chris Bostock * Ian Burden of The Human League * Jean-Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers * Nacho Cano of Mecano * Justin Chancellor of Tool * Peter Collins (record producer) * Greg Edwards of Failure * Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree * Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of Mercy * Grant Fell of Headless Chickens, as seen in video for "Gaskrankinstation" * Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers * Leigh Gorman of Bow Wow Wow * Nigel Griggs of Split Enz * Jonas Hellborg * Kev Hopper of Stump * Percy Jones * Mick Karn of Japan * Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet * Bob Knarley of Dread Zeppelin * Geddy Lee of Rush * Danny Lohner of Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle and Production/Remixing/Studio work (as seen in the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster) * Solon McDade * Paul McCartney * Justin Meldal-Johnsen of Beck * Colin Moulding of XTC * Jason Newsted * Mike Oldfield * Paul Raven of Killing Joke, seen in the video of "A New Day" * Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit * Paul Simonon of The Clash used a Wal during the recording of the album Give 'em Enough Rope * Mark Smith of Roxy Music, The Waterboys * Chris Squire of Yes * Stan Stammers * Bruce Thomas of The Attractions, particularly on the Elvis Costello album Punch the Clock * Kerem Tüzün of Kurban * Özkan Uğur of MFÖ Agreed fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Nov 21, 2008 |
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Nov 21, 2008 21:36
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Rocketpriest posted:It's also coveted by tech geeks because of its unique electronics, which have gone unimitated for thirty years, despite lack of any sort of patent. I'm still trying to figure out if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I'm assuming it's good as in no one can come close to a representation of this tone stack, but if there's no patent why hasn't someone ripped it off yet, like those chumps at behringer or something. It's just a phrasing thing I guess.
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Nov 21, 2008 21:54
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GrAviTy84 posted:I'm still trying to figure out if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I'm assuming it's good as in no one can come close to a representation of this tone stack, but if there's no patent why hasn't someone ripped it off yet, like those chumps at behringer or something. It's just a phrasing thing I guess. I think it's more of a 'no market for replacement parts' issue, honestly. From everything I've read, and what I can tell from the instrument's construction as opposed to pretty much everything else I've owned, Wals are engineered to be pretty close to indestructible. Even the crazy pre-amp poo poo, which is actually a collection of circuit boards that take up a TON of space and require the body to be extra thick (hence the weight, because that fucker is solid mahogany) are completely modular and easy to change out IF (and it's a big if) something goes wrong. There are Wals that have been going strong for close to 30 years that have only needed pot changes, or a couple of new capacitors. I'm sure the trend towards 3-band EQ's in active basses is also responsible, it just seems to give more control at first glance, which it does in certain ways. You can tweak your bass' specific tone easier with a 3-band, or enhance the tone it has. The Filters can make the instrument sound like a completely different bass (on top of giving you that really cool 'wah' sweep effect when you dime/zero out one of the tone pots really fast). My favorite thing about Wals is that you can usually tell a recording that used a Wal, but they all still manage to sound quite different. Hell, even Flea used a Wal on Blood Sugar Sex Magic. A lot of those Wal recordings are just the bass into the mixing board via the line level out as well, which is bad rear end. Chancellor, of course, is the big exception - that man LOVES his effects. Another big part of the Wal sound, which I'm sure most people don't think of, is the pick-ups, which are pretty special in and of themselves, like I mentioned. Most pick-ups and pre-amps are produced as stand-alone units, but the Wal electronics package was conceived and designed as a whole. The pick-up is VERY hard to wire correctly without the pre-amp circuitry, although I know it's been attempted; and the pre-amp would probably sound very different connected to some other set of pick-ups. I would be very interested to try ACG's filter pre-amp, and I think Darkstars would probably be a good starting point for punchy tone. If you're spending that much on pick-ups, Q-tuners are also fantastic. I'd be curious to know if the ACG plays nice with EMG's DC series, as well. Might even give Delano's Music Man style humbuckers a try with it (I got to hear those in one of the new Human BaseX's not too long ago, loving awesome p'ups). Then, of course, there's Nordstrands, and so on. Lot's of choices for good punchy bass pick-ups these days. We're kind of spoiled.
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Nov 21, 2008 22:43
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Agreed posted:* Paul Simonon of The Clash used a Wal during the recording of the album Give 'em Enough Rope I'm sure there's an interview or few floating around somewhere where he says "yeah, Pearlman gave me a Wal and said "use this", I had no loving idea what to do with all the switches and nobody took it away when we were done so I sold it". http://www.bassplayer.com/article/paul-simonon/Aug-03/784
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Nov 21, 2008 23:02
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warwick5s posted:What'd you get? A Shen hybrid.
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Nov 22, 2008 00:51
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D16 has a group buy and I jumped in . I already have Phoscyon and I was in doubt which to get - Nepheton or Drumazon. Problem solved! 
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Nov 22, 2008 01:02
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Susano-maku da! posted:After all that bluster about offset/shortscale guitars and what does my dumb rear end get? An American Ash Telecaster Aw hell yeah, very Springsteen-y.
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Nov 22, 2008 03:06
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Agreed posted:I was kinda "oh, that's neat" until I headed over to the wikipedia page and looked at the folks who use this, and it's basically a who's-who of bands I like whose bassists have great tone (with some weirdos who should give someone else the bass, gosh).
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Nov 22, 2008 03:49
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I got something new for my pedalboard!! Goes with this:  Click here for the full 1001x757 image. I got tired of my old 2x10 Ibanez ToneBlaster and based on Agreed's (or someone's...) recommendation in a thread about some new ToneBlaster, I started searching for one of these. Found one in a shop an hour away and traded my old amp + some cash for it. Not sure I'm completely sold on it since my old tone is pretty much shot now, as the clean channel on this does not agree with my Rocktron preamp (over distorts, it seems; I suck at these things. The distortion on the amp is fairly nice, though, and I'm sure with some fiddling I can get it to do some different things. Bonus: ultra neighbor-annoyance always at my fingertips.
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Nov 22, 2008 21:50
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So while I'm waiting for that amp to get here, I got it a friend to play with. I played a LOT of strats until I found one I really liked. Nothing in Guitar Center did it for me, but I found this Fender "Vintage '57" strat in A# Music in Renton. I like it considerably more than even the EJ strat, which is based on this. The one downside is it only has a 3-way switch, but A# said they'll swap it for me when I take it in for a (free) setup.
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Nov 22, 2008 22:45
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