Re: Neo Neo Who's Got The Neo?

On Feb 28, 9:22 am, Brian Running <brunn...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
This is an inter-continental parlor game that is populated by bass
players.  We're on a tangent now; let's return to Markbass' ugly
styling.  ;-)

For the past -- I don't know, what, four decades -- the styling theme
has been black carpet, an attempt to make the gear as invisible as
possible on stage.  I've hoped that it would change for a long time, but
not back in the direction of Kustom tuck-and-roll garishness, but to
something tasteful and stylish.  Nice woods, nice craftsmanship, nice
finishes -- instead of trying to cover up the construction, show off
some beautiful grain and joinery.  Knee-jerk reaction:  "Can't do that,
it would get all bashed up during load-in and load out."  With a slip
cover and just a little bit of care, it wouldn't, not any more than our
basses, guitars, keyboards, saxes, trumpets, etc. do.  We can overcome
the carelessness that's been encouraged for decades by the
shipping-crate construction of our cabs.

I like the spray-on coatings like Rhino-Tuff and Line-X. Never liked
Tolex or carpeting: they get old-looking too easily.

Wasn't the real issue here the yellow, that god-awful Markbass yellow
that everybody can't help but notice?

Heft is endemic to a speaker cab (even lightweight ones aren't what
you'd call graceful). It's necessary to heave them around and leave
them in unheated spaces. Babying them just means don't drop them.
It's hard to baby a tank. Speaker cabs are GEAR, commodity items,
(furniture even) not instruments, and do not deserve the same exalted
status. It does make one wonder why more speaker cones aren't run
through during transport, since they are very exposed to pokeage.

Edward G.
Baltimore, MD
.