Yeah, you're on it, I'm on it. All thinking (and especially listening) musicians are forever parties to that noble quest to improve their amplified sound. It was my personal quest for sound that got me into the biz of making these pickups, mics, amps, cabinets, instruments, and other stuff available to fellow musicians -- see the Who's Bob? page for the dirty details. I proudly offer a varied line of pickups and microphones, preamps, and amplifiers along with other superior products for bass players (and other musicians) at very good prices. You will notice one thing here that is rare... a large number of the bass items that I sell are those that I used before becoming a dealer — and anything I consider adding had better pass the "Bob Test" or you won't see it here.

We will continue to add cool new bass stuff now that we're finished implementing our new web presence. Any suggestions for additions?? Please email me! Take a look around, you'll see new items here and there, various bass needs that I've been wanting to add for a while.

At left you'll find menus for browsing categories of products that will take you to results pages that can be further refined by clicking on the entries to the right of the results. There's also a search engine block at the top of the column to help you locate what you want. Specific information on ordering details, contact info, product manuals (also linked to each product), and warranty info is under the INFO heading.

"HELP! What should I buy?" We've tried to include as much information on each product as possible; I endeavor to bring as much detailed information to you about each item — and not just the marketing talk — as I can. If you're looking for a bass pickup, but don't know which one would be best for you, I'd suggest taking a look at the "Overview" page to start. Narrow down your choices using the short description, then follow the links to get more detailed information on the ones that interest you most.

We also include links to Product Manuals where they are available. Just click on the special button on the page (shown at left). Many of the manufacturers' Product Warranties are recapped on a special page you can access under the INFO heading.

However, if you're still unsure, QUESTIONS are always welcome, whether you are buying stuff or not! We're all in the same boat, and if I don't know the answer, I'll try and point you in the right direction. Making sales is not my only reason for living — I have been a bass player a whole lot longer than a music store owner.

We've developed useful BASSIST RESOURCES on the Gollihur Music site. You'll find answers to lots of Frequently Asked Upright Bass Questions in the FAQs section, and those same FAQs are also linked on product pages where they apply. Our Double Bass Links have been on the web since 1996, and include over 900 links to upright bass-oriented sites, as has the Luthier Directory which includes dozens of bass makers and repairpersons all over the world. An experienced luthier can be invaluable to we bassists. If your favorite repairperson is not included, please let us know. We also have a free Upright Bass Classified Ads section where you can directly enter your own bass or bass bow ad.

Learn How To Play Your Amp!! (Part 2)
In Part 1 of this series, we talked about basic amp controls and specific methods for learning their effects. This article, Part 2 (of 3) covers the tools (and concepts) for managing preamp gain, as well as some of the features which can have an effect on preamp gain, like compression and alternate inputs.

Preamp (input gain) and Master Volume controls are two different controls entirely, and how you use them can have a big effect on your sound. This brings us to the important topic of...

Gain Staging Instrument amplifiers have separate preamplifier and power amplifier circuits, and most have a volume (gain) knob to adjust the levels of each. The way these knobs are adjusted can help -- or hurt -- your sound. What the preamplifier and power amplifier do is pretty simple; they each multiply the bass signal. The Preamplifier takes the relatively low level signal of your instrument and preamplifies (multiplies) to a medium signal level that is at a high enough level to feed the power amp. The Amplifier then takes that stronger signal and multiplies it to an even higher level to power your speaker. Generally speaking, if your instrument and/or preamp signals (volumes) are too low and your Master (power amplifier) level is too high, you're likely to have extra noise (usually "hiss" or "static.") This is because the percentage of good bass signal is low, so the preamp increases general background noise in the signal along with the bass. On the other hand, if your instrument level and/or preamp signal (volumes) are too high, they can cause distortion, and other ugly sounds, as they overwhelm the input capacity of the power amp.

The trick to setting these controls properly is to find the "window" where the incoming signal has sufficient level to provide adequate volume without excess noise, but not so "hot" that it overloads the input and causes distortion. Our friend on the left demonstrates the signal levels as you play bass; he's a 6'4" foot guy in an eight foot room. Just as you play notes, he jumps, but if you play a note that makes him jump higher than the amplifier's ceiling (maximum level)... well, it's bloody.

Some amplifiers provide assistance: Peak, Overload, or similarly labeled lights, or a meter, are designed to tell you when you have reached the preamp's or amp's design limit. There is no "standard" (or if there is, nobody abides by it), so experience or experimenting should tell you just how ugly things get if that light flashes too much or stays on. To set my amp's input gain/volume control,

The Straight Dope: if an amp has a power rating of 300 watts, even if you add more preamplification (gain) to try to make it louder -- well, that's like trying to put 400 gallons in a 300 gallon septic tank. The brown seeping over the 300 watt limit represents the brown sound; let's say it sounds like something brown. The bottom line is that an amplifier cannot get louder than it is designed to get, at least not in a "pretty" way.

I will play my lowest note at the loudest instrument preamp and/or volume control level (play hard and continually) and adjust all the knobs to a point (all the way up on my bass guitar) and adjust the input gain control on my amp so that little light only flashes a tiny bit. That way you'll know you shouldn't distort, but still have a strong signal that will have a full sound. Listen carefully for distortion, because those lights and meters are calibrated differently depending on each amp's design, so you will know what works best for your particular amplifier.

Note: Depending on the amp, turning up any tone controls (bass, in particular) may also increase the effective preamp volume and can put you back into that distortion place, so compensate by reducing the amp's input volume/gain control if necessary. You can also use this to your benefit: if you are at the limit and still need more volume, roll off some bass and then turn up a little; lower notes take more amplifier power to reproduce than the highs and mids, and while you won't have quite the "bottom," it may increase your percieved overall volume.

High/Low and Passive/Active are just two examples of labels you may find next to input jacks. Usually, the two different jacks allow for two different fixed levels of gain (see above) - one for the higher level of output for instruments with active preamplifiers or other electronics, and the other for lower-gain "passive" pickup arrangements. Unfortunately, there are no industry standards, but you'll find when you plug into one of them your bass will be quieter. That is the jack to use if you use an external preamp, or if one is built into your bass, meaning it is "active." The other is for basses with passive (no preamp) instruments, so it is "louder", offering more gain (volume). It is important when considering Gain Staging, above, so that your preamped, and therefore usually louder, signal does not overload the preamp inside your amplifier. Some amplifiers have only one input jack but may have a switch or button to decrease the input sensitivity; like with the jacks, your ears should tell you which to use.

(this blog continued on the Gollihur Music Blog page)

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Acoustic Image Series 4
Updated models! Order Now!

We've shipped many, many of the new Series 4 Acoustic Image amps, and are happy to confirm that we're keeping plenty in stock to satisfy the demand. But for those still pondering a purchase...

What's new in Series 4?

• ALL combos now have the removable head feature (Cabrio model)
• ALL One and Two Channel Heads and Combos will now have the built-in effects
• ALL heads and combos will have a 600 watts @ 4 ohms power level; slightly lower than the past Cabrio models but with improved specs
• S4 Clarus 1 amps are upped to 600 watts, now include effects, and have the same case as the Cabrio models
• S4 Clarus 2 amps now also have the new 600 watt @ 4 ohms power level and remain in the Cabrio compatible case
• Contra combo amps are replaced by the single channel Coda (with higher power, effects, and removable head)
• Coda combo amps can now be had with one or two channels +effects, at $1199 and $1349
• Corus combo amps can now be had with one or two channels +effects, at $1239 and $1389
• Ten2 combo amps can now be had with one or two channels, at $1449 and $1599

More specific details are on the product pages and will be updated with new information as we get it. You can order Series 4 models now!