eric_rodolphe_christophe_baldini's Reviews
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WUNDERBACH
I’M an amateur (in the sense of Jim Jarmush’s advice for The Raconteurs) since 1979 in local bands from Toulouse, FR with sometimes international players (USA, IT, UK, SPAIN, IRAN, SENEGAL, etc…) due to my meetings and friendship in an audiovisual job during my career. (Some places like LE BIKINI, ZENITH, THEATRE DU TAUR, JAZZ IN MARCIAC, FIBENICASSIM, AZKENA ROCK FESTIVAL, …) So to make a long story short, for this type of basses it’s the second of the 2 Fender (the other one is, yes, the Precision in all the models till ‘49) that make history. Point. The Precision is the Old Testament. The Jazz is the New Testament. My precious (after a lot of JB models new and used) was my own gift for my 50’s birthday, a ‘66 transition tarnished sunburst, original grey pups and lollipop tuners, square inlays with a beautiful black neck… etc… With my ex band mates for twelve years, 3 LP and 45 Tours, videos, 80 gigs, with a REAL producer and multi instruments player, in a REAL analog gorgeous 70’s studio, i was never allowed to play any other basses in my arsenal (10-12 iconic vintage models) and the studio stuff too (a lot of the same guns or even better)…
Preferred Settings + Usage:
My favorite use is : GHS flat wounds, 2 pickups covers on, thumb rest up (for a right arm person), neck pup 3/4 up, bridge pup full, tone full up. For this configuration i play with alternate 2 or 3 fingers in the narrow spaces between the covers, or only thumb near neck for low fat sound, or an purple Tortex near bridge for the speed ones songs. And when it’s time for the extra kick, full on the neck pickup… I play Direct in an Ampeg B15N 1971 (loaded with JBL135E) with a jump in 2 of the channels, each one radically the opposite settings of the other. I soldered my cables, usually is Mogami with double screen shield, Neutrix jacks, and the length is 12 feet.
A classic one, till Motown to Rolling Stones to who knows ?
I’m a long time half pro, or half amateur playing in bands since 1980.
By a long search of this type of sound and the knowledge of his use in many records, i want to find one for an old style rock band, possibly split between gigs and studio. The size matters too… can be picked out in a van for touring not tailored for the SVT head and fridge.
After years of search, i finally find 15 kms from my town for a reasonable price in a farm, abandoned till the death of the step father of the now owner of a lot of musical stuff, in a bad look and situation (TOLEX ripping off, no earth for the wires in 110 v with a American fridge transformer, the latches rusted and out, the inside cabinet muddying and smell like a pond, etc…).
But the head is not rusted, the bulbs are old RCA lion or style, the 2 massive transformers are ok with some pink and blue spot of paint (?), and the fabulous speaker is an insane good JBL 140R from i presume the first upgrade or change of the beast.
It was the amplifier of a famous double bass and bass player in this city for one of the most famous singer of the times in France who was born, and lived sometimes in his native town : ).
So for a cheap negotiation I was back with a legendary amplifier who surely was on some records and gigs here and there;
I restored the whole during a period of 4 months with the help of an old friend of mine who had a rental shop for back line in the other side of the town, made some buying from US Ampeg renovation specialist, adjust this and that and find this amplifier a KILLER, this one version is the S (OR N don’t remember by now ) from 1968-72, 30 W but with the high efficiency of the JBL speaker project and sound more like an 80 w.
2 channels with four entries Vol, Bass, Treble and 2 baxendall filters just like the V4 or SVT, so you can mix or play in one or the two or the mix of two.
Oups so long this review :)
Try and play if you can find one of this beast !