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calling all bass players [message #2013] Thu, 17 October 2002 18:41 Anonymous hi all now that i have a k100 bass amp with 2x15's i was thinking of picking up a bass guitar. i will still play my tele custom through it but i got the itch to get into bass again after 30 years. i would probably lean towards a fender but am open to any recomendations and also what brand of pickups would you suggest and also what brand of bass strings are really good. any coments would be appreciated. TELEBOY. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2015 is a reply to message #2013] Thu, 17 October 2002 22:45 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member Okay, here's a few thoughts.... Fender mustang (short scale), or Fender jazz, D'Addario strings or fenders, but use pure nickle roundwounds. They are easier on your frets and sound warmer than stainless steel ones. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2016 is a reply to message #2013] Thu, 17 October 2002 22:47 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member Oh, and the only after-market pickups I spend money on are Seymour Duncan. Buy some basslines for that Fender bass. The quarter pound ones are hot. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2017 is a reply to message #2016] Fri, 18 October 2002 08:02   stevem Messages: 4742 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY Senior Member If you are talking about something in the 500 to 700 dollar price range, for new get a custom made carvin with their 9volt active system, I have a 1250 dollar model with the 18volt set up and I do not like the tonal range. they even offer a great kit bass for under 500.The other thing I can say to get would be a used fender precision and then install a active EMG pickup set for a jass bass. A note to all bass players here with active pickups!Vintage kustom preamps where never designed to take the higher output of active pickups. The preamps will breakup and sound bad. you can go in the amp and raise the value of the resistor off the input jacks, or just back down on the volume control on the bass. etheir way you will still the the greatly increased tone clarity of the acitve system. Another note here for 100/200 kustom players is the high and low inputs on these amps are tone changes not for gain changes like on later 150/250 sreies amps. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2019 is a reply to message #2017] Fri, 18 October 2002 10:01 Anonymous Best spend on first money will be a mex Fender with the combination jazz and Pbase pickup config...you'll have the industry standard to work with and can usually resell...if you are primarily a guitarist then you'll want the jazz neck..thinner and more guitar player friendly. Now having said that, I have to admit that I don't play a Fender, I found that they pro end Peavey basses represent a much better product and value. I have a 4 string late 80s model Unity dyna bass..its a neck thru all koa wood rig, ebony fretboard with the jazz/P pup config. The pups are passive but you have a toggle switch that turns on a 9db active preamp with a mid sweep 3 way eq on board...excellent hardware and tones. My 5 string is a PV TL-5 (TIm Landers signature series) from that same era..the late 80s was PV at its best on their pro lines...the 5 string has the same preamp option, but with a pair of humbuckers and a flame maple body, ebony board, etc. A very well made axe that is nothing less than pro. they reissued the model with a different active system in the 90s so you will see both, I prefer having thepassive option. These basses can be found for $400 in like new condition so a good value. I had never looked twice at PV for a lot of years until I stumbled across one of their late 80s custom guitars and fell in love. At the time I was playing Promise Keepers stages which were PV sponsored so it worked well to have this guitar...I now own 6 of their best effort guitars, and swear by them so when I went looking for another working bass I included PV in my search and when I found the unity and TL5 I snagged em without hesitation, and I'm very pleased. The koa wood on the 4 string always gets compliments and the 5string is a transblack, almost purple with nice flaming..its been on national TV and showed really wellunder the camera lights. Have fun bass huntin...Play Loud...ET Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2026 is a reply to message #2019] Mon, 21 October 2002 21:16   JW Messages: 12 Registered: September 2002 Location: Nederland, Texas Junior Member Hey Teleboy, another option if you want to consider the Gibson side. Epiphone makes a remake of the old Gibson EBO for $209 for one humbucker pickup or $409 for two. You want vintage sound thru a Kustom, both were popular in the 60's & 70's, and the sound is pure thunder. To some, a little muddy, but deep. Right now, I am playing a (surprise ET) a Hohner Professional Series B 5-string with two Active EMG humbuckers. To much volume seems to overload the Kustom speakers, but adjusted right, gives you the today sound and is deep and clear. Play loud, Jerry. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2031 is a reply to message #2026] Tue, 22 October 2002 09:08 Anonymous yep, a bunch of good rigs out there to play on, tkae yer time and look past the headstock..Washburn best efforts, etc...don't get me wrong, I'm proud of the Fender/Gibson rigs that I own, and they are some very best efforts for those folks, but by choice I also run Hamer USA, Peavey customs and others...find an axe that makes you smile when you play it, that's a keeper. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2035 is a reply to message #2013] Tue, 22 October 2002 17:36 BC Messages: 583 Registered: March 2000 Location: Kentucky Senior Member For those of you that have not heard...I drove over my black 4001 Rickenbacker with a 3/4 ton 4x4 last week. Yeah, it was my favorite for six years...and after I started playing it a Rickenbacker revival has occurred in this area! One of my backup basses is a Guild Pilot with EMGs P/J configuration. Sounds nice and does not push the preamps as hard as some active rigs. I was planning on selling my white 4001...but now it is the main guy! So, a new bass is on my "someday" list as well! One that is K200 friendly! Anybody need a low mileage 4001 with tire tracks? One of the tricks I have found to getting maximum tone control out of a Kustom amp is to play through both channels.....that gives you a second chance to add your desired freq. I use a Mex Jazz bass at rehearsal with a K-100 2x12 CTS cabinet...and the two channel hookup really makes it FAT! BC Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2036 is a reply to message #2035] Tue, 22 October 2002 19:01 Anonymous hi BC. COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW TO HOOK IN THRU BOTH CHANNELS AND DOES IT CAUSE ANY HARM TO THE AMP OVER A PERIOD OF TIME . THANKS TELEBOY Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2038 is a reply to message #2035] Tue, 22 October 2002 22:18 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member Put a 31 band eq in there..... Fat and tons of knobs to tweek! Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2039 is a reply to message #2036] Tue, 22 October 2002 22:20 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member Buy a morley A/B/Y and hook it up so the bass feeds both channels of the amp. It's easy, and fun!!! It also allows you to select the channel you feed too. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2041 is a reply to message #2038] Wed, 23 October 2002 14:33 Anonymous I also use the morely ABY.. I like the little red channel lights so I know what's one. for bass players..check out the Boss bass eq pedal..a full 15db of gain across a 5 band...great sounding pedal and really spices things up..its been a secret weapon for years particularly when you have a lower volume situation and need a fatter sound. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2045 is a reply to message #2039] Wed, 23 October 2002 22:44 Anonymous THANK YOU GODESS FOR THE GREAT INFO. I WILL HIT THE LOCAL SAM ASH THIS WEEKEND. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2046 is a reply to message #2041] Thu, 24 October 2002 00:11 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member Yes. I also use an old BBE stinger pedal. Awesome for bass or guitar, or even pa. A full size BBE unit in a stombox pedal. If you can't find one, go check out a BBE unit--worth buying. Hard to describe what it does, but it fattens up the sound and makes it sound great. It really has the effect of removing an unseen feather pillow from your speaker. Without the bbe on, you'd swear the pillow is stuffed in there. Check one out! Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2048 is a reply to message #2036] Thu, 24 October 2002 09:41 BC Messages: 583 Registered: March 2000 Location: Kentucky Senior Member The poor man's way to connect to both channels is to connect an instrument cable to the input you are not using on the channel you are plugged into.....to an input on the other channel.(I come out of the high or bright input on the right channel and connect to the low or normal input on the left channel as you are facing the amp) Not as versatile as a switchbox.....(my switch box is a newer Kustom unit)but you can at least get an idea of what you can do with it.BC Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2049 is a reply to message #2046] Thu, 24 October 2002 14:14 Anonymous the BBE has got to be doing some exciting or presence add..BBE has always been creative and great about handling the low end... I know what a huge diff it makes when I apply my Boss parametric eq pedal with presence control to my guitar signal on the kustoms...anything below say 4 (11:00 on the volume dial) on my kustoms and I need to use my boss pedal to enhance the presence, boost the low end, etc...once the amp gets working hard and the speakers start kicking the cab a bit, then I can pull the pedal out of my chain and I'm pleased with the kustoms on their own. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2053 is a reply to message #2049] Fri, 25 October 2002 13:49 Anonymous Well i went down to the local guitar shop yesterday and checked out some bass guitars. the one i liked the best was the fender hotrodded american series p bass. what a beauty.red with black pickguard. unfortunately at 1300.00 its way out of my price range right now so i will have to wait. the only other one i really liked was a fender squire p bass.antique white with white pickguard. i will say this for the money ( around 350.00) it was pretty nice. a little heavy but i could live with that. i think the only thing i would have to do is swap out the pups for either seymore duncan or bill lawrence. and put a nice set of black strings on. we will see Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2057 is a reply to message #2053] Fri, 25 October 2002 21:07 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member DUNCAN, you won't be sorry! Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2059 is a reply to message #2057] Fri, 25 October 2002 21:56 Anonymous DUNCAN IT IS THEN. IVE BEEN HEARING THAT BRAND RECOMENDED ALOT LATELY. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2065 is a reply to message #2059] Mon, 28 October 2002 08:52 Anonymous have to agree, Seymours rock on my humbucker guitars..all my Hamers came with the 59 and JB models and they are great. as for the bass itself... we have one of the US models like you saw at church and I"ve played it quite a bit...it is a nice rig...but don't know that its worth $1300...there are a lot of basses that play as well and better for half the price...don't over look a used rig...in fact ask BC about the two models that I took to Nashville for him to see...my Peavey 4 string Unity dyna bass.koa neck through jazz/P config with passive pups and active preamp...hard to beat with any headstock...and my 5 string purple heart neck thry ebony board, flame maple body in trans black finish...both were bought for less than $500 including shipping and case. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2072 is a reply to message #2065] Tue, 29 October 2002 12:57 Anonymous i think i found the bass guitar for me. its a FENDER DELUXE P BASS SPECIAL. i found it at musiciansbuy.com for 489.00 AND IT HAS THE P/J SETUP FOR THE PUPS AND COMES WITH GIG BAG, GUITAR STAND , FENDER 2 INCH STRAP,CALIFORNIA ELECTRONIC TUNER AND GUITAR CABLE.I JUST HOPE ITS NOT MADE IN CHINA. I WILL TRY TO CALL THEM AND FIND OUT. Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2079 is a reply to message #2072] Wed, 30 October 2002 11:02   RoyC Messages: 97 Registered: April 2000 Location: East Central Illinois Member Hi All .... this thread has made for some interesting reading, so I'll throw in my $.02. In approx '95 I bought a new Peavey Fury 4-string bass w/case for less than $250. Just a plain, red with white pickguard, no frills passive elec/ single p'up guitar. And it's been played hard almost every week since then (our bass player plays it exclusively). After this much use, the only deterioration I can see on it is a vol. pot that is getting kinda loose and will need replacing soon. It's been a lot of bass for the money. ymmv Report message to a moderator

Re: calling all bass players [message #2080 is a reply to message #2013] Thu, 31 October 2002 02:29 Anonymous I play a k250b. I`ve found Fender Jazz or Hagstrom 2n basses to be great. I also like DR strings. I`ve tried almost every brand and I`ve found they last the longest and sound the best. Report message to a moderator

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