OK rig for a newbie?

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:50 pm

G'day all.....

I bought a 4003FG a couple of weeks ago and held off buying an amp until I could spend some time evaluating. This morning I tried out Warwick, Gallien Krueger, Hartke and Sound Lab heads and various cabinets (same brands). Eventually I settled on this:

It's a David Eden WT 400 head with a 15" XLT cabinet. I liked that cabinet because it gave me a great combination of deep, smooth traditional 60s and 70s type bass as well as the funky trebly more modern stuff with the adjustable horn output. Wouldn't we all want one of those???

I was much happier spending a few grand on something serious that won't lose too much value than some 'name brand' combo that would probably frustrate me and end up on eBay.

What do you guys think of my purchase?

BTW, I also bought a set of Thomastik Jazz flatwounds - .043 to .106 (70 bucks!!) - looking forward to trying them out. The guy at the store said that any other 'flatties' would probably require a neck reset (they'd do it for nothing, of course, me being their best customer!!). Are neck resets a common thing when changing types of strings?

green_us90 · Post by **green_us90** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:06 pm

Eden Makes some great stuff. From the looks of it this should last you quite a while.

Congrats on the purchase!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:08 pm

Thanks, David. It's a bit nerve wracking when you haven't bought a bass amp for 40 years - things have changed so much!

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:32 am

One of the bands I'm in just played an outdoor festival & the backline equipment included an Eden World Traveler 800 head & 2 Eden 4x10 cabs.
The rig seemed pretty nice - I wish I would have had time to mess with the settings & get "my tone".

Mostly it was just great not to have to lug my rig around.

...and my fiancé says I looked pretty funny on the jumbotron.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:42 am

Very nice, small, compact, and wont break your back. Eden makes some good stuff. Great choice!

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:43 am

You can see the rig in action here: WARNING NON-RICKENBACKER CONTENT!

highway_star · Post by **highway_star** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:49 am

That is absolutely nothing wrong with that rig, Howard. I had the Eden WT-400 head for a while and there are a variety of tones available if you take the time and work the controls. And Eden gear is very well-made. You shouldn't have any problems with it.

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:05 am

That's a great decision Howard. Eden makes nice gear. I'm not too familiar with the tone from the head but I was going back and forth between the XLT cabs and the Mesa's that I eventually bought. My choice was made by a great deal on the Mesa's more than a preference.....I loved them both.

I agree completely with your decision to buy something quality rather than a stepping stone. It's always better to buy more than what you need at the moment. If you ever needed extra kick you could always get a another XLT 1x15 or 2x10 which would be quite portable and flexible.

....the FireGlo looks great BTW

.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:07 am

I too, used to have a WT-400, great amp. I replaced it with my Walter Woods, otherwise I might still have it.

edski · Post by **edski** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:11 am

Looks like a good rig for an established player, let alone a neewbie!

Personally I like 10's better, but there's probably enough of juice in that head to eventually get a 2x10 involved in that action. And there have been time where I've liked the sounds out of 15's...

Good luck, Howard. Hope it rocks for you!

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:30 am

I have ab Eden Wt300 and a 210T cab. If I wasn't looking to go back to tubes, I wouldn't be selling it.....

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 7:02 am

Howard, that looks great! Eden gear is supposed to be excellent, and after all, if it sounds good to you then it's passed the most important test. BTW, I agree with your philosophy: "Buy nice or buy twice". Classic bass, too. At the risk of complicating things, have you ever tried a V63? Wonderful tones, from thump to grind.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:59 am

No, Lindsay. I haven't tried anything (in the last 40 years or so) other than the 4003 and a P-bass. I found the P a little easier to play but I just had to have the Rick!

Thanks for the great feedback, guys. I thought about the 4x10 but it seemed to lack a bit of depth. As you suggest, I could always add a 2x10 later. The beauty of it all is that the cabinet fits comfortably in the back seat of my current car. There's even room for a 2x10 if I get one! The head travelled home in the front seat and 4003 sadly had to go in the trunk!

So where do I fit my four Rick guitars and Roland JC-120 AMP when I get it?? Hmmmmm.... think I need a van....

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 1:45 pm

Just get a hatchback. Three cabinets (2-1x15 and 1-2x10, 4-space and 3-space rack cases, pedalboard, gig bag and car jack bag.

Plenty of room

.

......with just enough space left to squeeze in four Rics !

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 4:23 pm

What make and model, Brian?