Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 124
Location: London, UK | The overhaul and conversion of my Magnum Bass from Mk II (active) to Mk I (passive) is nearly complete. Throughout the process, I've been in pretty frequent correspondence with fellow Magnum owner dennydenco. We've been swapping knowledge, ideas and spare parts, and as a result I'll soon be receiving a from denny a brand new set of GHS Bass Boomers for my baby. :)
In the meantime, just for testing purposes, I strung her with an odd mixture of tired old strings - 3 flats and a roundwound 'G' - basically whatever would stretch all the way to the machine heads. I tuned up/intonated/set her up, and plugged her in...
OMG! :eek:
I'd forgotten just what a dub monster this bass is. Modern she ain't. If it's binky-bonky-planky-spanky midrange articulation you're after, forget it. Deep as the Marianas trench she is, and as solid as grandma's foundation garments. :D
Don't take my word for it, though. Get yourself in front of a decent set of speakers (i.e. ones that can go LOW) and wrap your ears round this sample:
WTD_bassline.mp3 - 3MB
(Left-click the link and the track will automatically download itself to your machine)
It's me playing along to Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives". I've removed all the bottom end EQ from the original track and panned it over to the right, and placed my bassline on the left. What you'll be hearing is the Magnum's neck pickup on its own, with the tone control wound down about 3/4. The bass was recorded via a Mindprint enVoice recording channel with no added EQ or compression - just flat and clean.
If this is what she sounds like with a very mixed set of tired old strings on, just imagine what a new set of Bass Boomers is going to produce! :cool: |
Magnum Force!!! (Audio clip for you)
