Your signature rig!

[calypsocoral]

If you became a famous bassist, and an instrument or amplifier maker approached you to help design a signature product, what would it be, and why?

 

P.S.-- I have asked this question in several other forums pertaining to topics I'm interested in (cars and martial arts), and the responses are always interesting!

[57pbass]

Assuming that I would not have to move it.....

 

I would go with two Bag End 4 x 10 cabs and either a Mesa Boogie head or an Eden head....

 

If I was moving it..I would use my Scout Combo : )

[jcadmus]

Dunno, specifically, but it would be an all-tube heads and 8x10 cabs, in varying quantities.

 

This would assume:

-- I'm outrageously famous;

-- I'm headlining shows at the Enormodome;

-- Someone else is moving and maintaining it.

 

Manufacturer would be whoever would pay me the most.

 

 

[jeremy c]

It would be a line of blue basses. Lots of different kinds of basses, but all of them would be blue.

[b5pilot]

Not that anybody would be insane enough to give me any endorsment let alone a signature series anything, but if I were to dream....

 

The bass would be a 5 string with a neck shape like my Guild pilot but with a nicer peg head shape. Maple neck with a rosewood or ebony fingerboard. 34" scale. Big side position markers, none on the front. A solidly designed trussrod system. The neck finish would be an oiled finish, absolutely no laquer.

The body would have more of a jazz bass look. Bass would be light weight. The finish would either be natural or sunburst with a tort pickguard. Woods if natural maybe poplar or maple, with walnut and a quilted maple top. For sunburst maybe maple or ash. A solid bridge system set back far enough that the B string, any brand that wasn't a taper wound, wouldn't be bottomed out when setting the intonation(a big pet peeve of mine). Very low action. and ultra responsive.

Pickups would be active/passive. Good preamp Maybe EMG or Aguilar(sp?). Controls would be Master volume, pickup blend, bass, mid & trebel.

 

For an amp maybe like a TC Electronic setup with two light vertically stackable 2x10 or 2x12 cabs but with an Eden sounding head like a wtx-500 but with a 4-band eq (bass, low mid, mid, and trebel). Dual channel with some kind of level monitoring for each be it VU meter or LEDs.

[Switch hitter]

fretless epiphone zenith bass strung with ernie ball power slinky strings, one signal going to a pedalboard filled with electro harmonix pedals and my vintage morley wah, then both signal going to 2 EDEN WTB300V's, which seperately feed into 2 eden 2x12s.

[jeremy c]

Guys, not what you would buy, but what you have made with your name on it.

 

Dream!

[picker]

I think I would have an instrument designed to my specs. It would be an extremely light 5 string, with 3 humbuckers that could be tapped and run in both series, parallel, & out of phase each other.

 

If I were really pushing it, I would have a bi-ampable head (w/ built-in cross-over)with 600 watts for lows and 200 watts for the highs & mids, and a multi-cabinet set-up designed,with 3 12s for the low cab and 3 8s and a horn for the mid/high cab, all with neodymium speakers & cabinets that weigh next to nothing and deliver ungodly amounts of SPL. And, the whole setup would be in a package that would fit into a mid-size car's trunk with room to spare. Small, light and extremely loud, that would be my choice if I could have it designed for me.

[Michele C.]

I would want a 4x12 cab. Why have 2 inches less than my guitarist? (and square them and multiply by pi, makes a lot of square inches).

So, I would have a line of 4x12 cabinets with coaxial speakers and a line of tube heads, from a tiny couple of EL84 for the bedroom to the giant 8x6550.

Color matters, so I would choose something unusual, like british racing green or metalized gray.

Ah and the stomp boxes would snap into each other without connecting cables and each would have a clipping and an output volume led.

[Switch hitter]

dream huh? I got it!! A bass that has a special feature that transmits a signal to each audience member, so that when I play it, each audience member would hear the most pleasing sound suited for that persons taste.

[jeremy c]

I also want a special collector's edition of 12 basses going from one string to a twelve string. Only a limited number of sets would be made and they would be instant collector's items, with my signature on the headstock.

[davio]

I would want a Dingwall endorsement (big surprise, huh?). Sheldon and I have spitballed a bit on some custom mods to a SuperJ and once I get the cash flowing again (haven't worked much in the last month or so...but there's much more work on the way) I'll be putting money aside for it. The next step is to become famous enough that he'll put my name on it and market it.

 

As for amps, cabs and effects...there are a couple people doing amazing things who I'd love to see make a business out of their work. I'd love an endorsement/signature gear from them.

[Paul K]

This

 

Of course it would be renamed "Dr.K"

[Juancarlin]

I'd have Alembic make me a Balance K, heart omega cut body, crown peghead, series I 5 string bass, on mahogany w. Cocobolo top and back and ebony and purpleheart stringers (w. the complete Series I electronics, plus amber LEDs), and make a custom mother of pearl inlay (probably on 1st fret) with my personal anagram, the Alembic Logo on Brass at the peghead, and then instead of the "Alembic" script it would say "Juancarlin" . Last time I checked, to do it was about 14.000$.

 

I'd have a tube preamp made by Mesa/Boogie, which would be some kind of version of the TriAxis guitar preamp, but for Bass. It must have 1/4" and XLR connectors at the two signal loops (pre and post EQ), a tube-based compressor (a-la UA/Urei/Pultec/Avalon and so and so), and the same outputs array as my Yamaha PB-1 (2 channel biamp adjustable outputs, 2 full range 1/4" outputs and an XLR full-range output w. ground lift AND independent volume level... Hey, why not make it an in-board Countryman DI? ). All this 100% MIDI compatible and controllable (In, Out and Thru connectors), at least 20 presets, but with an ANALOG master volume control despite of the preset-able patch level. It could have -or not, thus making it a preamp version or a "head" version- a nice Class A amp (400w x2 on biamp mode 4 Ohm, 700w or so on mono 8 Ohm). Ideally it should not be taller than 2 rack spaces (but I consider it highly impossibly, most like 3 spaces at minimum) so I can hook any digital efx unit I'd like at the loop and still not have something taller than 6 spcs including a nice rack tuner (and the line conditioner would be on the back of the rack I guess).

 

A couple nice 4x10 cabs would do, I think. Bag End? Berg? Even GK? Mesa are sooooo heavy (have enough with my RoadReady 2x10", thanks!)

 

[Norwegia]

For Metal, I would basically get an Ampeg All-tube head, basically designed to sound like you had a Sansamp plugged into the front of it.

 

My bass would be an all Walnut Iceman style body with G&L style electronics. Maple neck with black block inlays and black binding. Flat black finish.

 

For Sludge/Stoner metal and the alternative stuff I'm playing I would get a J-Bass with a P-bass style neck, vintage sunburst. I'm thinking Split-coil/MM Style Pickup. I think I would get a custom Eden head with a custom 412 and 410.

[davio]

For Metal, I would basically get an Ampeg All-tube head, basically designed to sound like you had a Sansamp plugged into the front of it.

Am I crazy or does this sound a bit backwards?

[rizzo9247]

My signature rig would be something that had my name on it.

[The Bear Jew]

When it comes to playing bass, my needs are easily filled with standard, unmodified products right off the rack, so there is no need for me to create a signature set-up.

[davio]

When it comes to playing bass, my needs are easily filled with standard, unmodified products right off the rack, so there is no need for me to create a signature set-up.

Yeah, but you could get Guitar Center to market a "The Bear Jew" package deal complete with SVT stack and black P with a nautical star on it. All unmodified except with your name all over it and you'd receive royalties from sales!

[The Bear Jew]

That's a good point, but I have a moral problem with selling a repackaged stock item as something special when the only upgrade is my name emblazoned on it. If I somehow found myself in a position where companies were making offers of this nature, I hope I wouldn't be so desperate for cash that I'd be willing to take advantage of the people who like my music.

[Norwegia]

Am I crazy or does this sound a bit backwards?

 

It is, but that's basically what my rig would be. I was really thinking just about the distortion I can get out of a sansamp.

[calypsocoral]

Huh. More responses than I thought this would get...

 

Okay, I'll go now.

 

Bass-- I'm starting to venture into 5-string territory now. I've given the Traben Havoc bass (John Moyer Signature) a try, and I really like its feel-- wider string spacing to facilitate aggressive playing, excellent pickup placement, and the coolest bridge since the G&L "Saddle-lock" (upon which the Traben Chaos bridge is based).

 

So, I think I would do something similar, with deeper cutaways (I can't stand the "Lakland" look), and a solid Swamp Ash body-- sandblasted, with a matte black finish, or a myriad of sunburst finishes. I'd look at a deep-set, bolt-on (5-bolt joint) neck made of maple with rosewood stringers, and a solid jet-black ebony fretboard, since I absolutely love the ebony fretboard on my Clone P.

 

 

Amplifier-- I've been getting very interested in amplifier design lately. At the risk of getting flamed for this, I would have to say that I would love to do an amp with Acoustic Control Corp. (now owned by Guitar Center), since John Paul Jones was my biggest influence when I first took up bass guitar, and I would want something I help design to be accessible to most working musicians, and not just the ones with rich parents. I have two designs in mind, both all-tube:

 

1) ACC-300

- Based loosely off the Ampeg SVT (albeit with a shorter signal path), using a combination of 12AU7's (lower gain stage) and 12AX7's (higher gain stages) in the preamp, and a sextet of 6550's in the power section. Controls would be simple and straightforward, with a Volume, Gain, Notch Filter, and 6-band EQ, like the current Acoustic amps, although the knobs would be solid metal, like the old Acoustics, and not today's flimsy plastic stuff. Cabinets would be an 8x10 sealed (quad-chambered), with NEO drivers (and no stinkin' tweeter!), as well as the classic Folded Horn (as per the old 360) with an 18" NEO driver.

 

2) The ACC-400

- Based loosely off the Sunn tube amps, this would be a more modern amp, with a 12AT7-driven compressor. Designed for higher gain, this one would have 12AX7's in all gain stages. This would be two-channel amp, with separate Volume and Gain for each channel. Channel 1 (Overdriven) would feature straightforward tone controls- Bass, Mid, Mid-sweep, and Treble. Channel 2 (Clean) would be a little finer, with separate Lo Mid and Hi Mid boost/cut and sweep. There would also be an effects loop, tube-driven compressor with Limiter, a 6-band graphic EQ (assignable to either channel) on a light blue background (like the late-70's Acoustic bass heads), a pre-shape control, and a Direct-Out with Level control.

 

400 Series cabinets:

- A 6x10 NEO (with tweeter) with 3 individually-ported chambers; and a 2x15 NEO (no tweeter), with 2 individually-ported chambers. Cabinets would be of identical dimensions, so they can be arranged side-by-side, or stack horizontally. I love the gut-wrenching rumble of a 2x15!

 

Both amps would feature a Footswitchable Mute Button, Tuner Out, and user biasing controls.

[davio]

That's a good point, but I have a moral problem with selling a repackaged stock item as something special when the only upgrade is my name emblazoned on it. If I somehow found myself in a position where companies were making offers of this nature, I hope I wouldn't be so desperate for cash that I'd be willing to take advantage of the people who like my music.

There you go sucking all the fun out of extravagant daydreams with morals...

 

[The Bear Jew]

Yeah, I know. I'm a killjoy.

 

I can't help it--I remember being a kid who loved certain bands and musicians, and I totally bought into some of the signature gear hype. I wound up feeling pretty disappointed when it turned out to be nothing special. I wouldn't want to let other people down in a similar way. It's just not cool.

 

Also, imagine if the company cheaped out in some way with the standard production line of your signature product (finish, components, etc)? Eventually, your name would be associated with a lame product, which would eventually wind up on the "Stupid Deal of the Day" Musician's Friend page alongside Zakk Wylde figurines. Now, that would be embarrassing.

[jcadmus]

ThIf I somehow found myself in a position where companies were making offers of this nature, I hope I wouldn't be so desperate for cash that I'd be willing to take advantage of the people who like my music.

 

Yeah, you know, because that would make you Green Day. And nobody wants to be that.

[The Bear Jew]

You want to be that.

[TimR]

I hate all branding. I don't wear designer clothes if they have labels on them. I even opted for the badge deletion when I ordered my car.

 

My signature bass would have my signature very discretely written inside the control cavity.

 

It would be a 5 string rosewood fretless neck with active circuitry and easy battery replacement together with a power level indicator and active/passive switch.

 

3 separate cabinets 4x8,2x10,1x15.

 

The amp would be 1000w with tuner and compressor built in. Volume, Gain and 7 band graphic.

 

All logos, signatures, and model numbers written on the back in small lettering.

[calypsocoral]

I can't help it--I remember being a kid who loved certain bands and musicians, and I totally bought into some of the signature gear hype. I wound up feeling pretty disappointed when it turned out to be nothing special. I wouldn't want to let other people down in a similar way. It's just not cool.

 

Also, imagine if the company cheaped out in some way with the standard production line of your signature product (finish, components, etc)? Eventually, your name would be associated with a lame product, which would eventually wind up on the "Stupid Deal of the Day" Musician's Friend page alongside Zakk Wylde figurines. Now, that would be embarrassing.

 

I don't buy anything with someone else's name on it, as a general principle, and I never put my name on anything in my last post-- simply basses and amps designed with my input. You make a good point, and I kinda already took that into account.

 

But, yeah, I wouldn't want the "Bulldog (my nickname) Signature Bass" sold alongside a Zakk Wylde figurine, or a set of Trey Cool (sorry, couldn't resist another crack at trashing Green Day) drumsticks on Stupid Deal, that's for sure!

[jeremy c]

I don't know.

 

If my signature gear was on the Stupid Deal, I was playing at state fairs and Indian casinos, I was featured on a VH-1 one-hit wonders show, was on E! shown getting out of rehab, at least at would mean that at one time I was famous.

 

As it is, I'm a legend in my own mind, and still waiting for that truck full of my signature gear to back into my driveway. Actually, no it couldn't. My driveway isn't large enough for a semi to fit in it.

[The Bear Jew]

 

I don't buy anything with someone else's name on it, as a general principle, and I never put my name on anything in my last post-- simply basses and amps designed with my input. You make a good point, and I kinda already took that into account.

 

But, yeah, I wouldn't want the "Bulldog (my nickname) Signature Bass" sold alongside a Zakk Wylde figurine, or a set of Trey Cool (sorry, couldn't resist another crack at trashing Green Day) drumsticks on Stupid Deal, that's for sure!

 

Yeah, I see what you're saying here. If you were famous enough for an amp/bass/music gear company to offer you the opportunity to provide input on the fabrication of their product, this privilege would surely come with the proviso that they'd have the right to use your name in the marketing of whatever product resulted from this (un)holy union in order to promote sales. In other words, they'd be asking you for input because they'd be hoping to make a buck off of your name/prestige.

 

And that is where things get a little too shady for me.

 

I think if I had the bucks and the need for something special, I'd find it more reasonable to have a small amp repair guy or luthier modify my stuff.