ValveWorrier

Hmmm...you know all the words I like. Namely "Thick valve grit" Hahaha Common sense and frugal practicality tell me I should continue along my original brief (portable, inexpensive and flexible), but my terrible luddite valve love is telling me to check out a Bugera BVV3000, and hunt about to see just how cheap I can pick one up in a vague effort to justify to myself that I can still bring in one on the original budget.

Ah, I see...that's reassuring that with a bit of fettling it makes a realistic improvement. Wasn't sure whether flats or rounds worked best for this kind of guitar...but I prefer flats from a playing point of view generally so thought I'd give them a shot. Although a full valve set up is probably out of my budget for this year, I've noticed that Bugera do a sort of Ampeg-based model called the BVV3000 Infinium...they sound great for the money...anyone tried one with a short-scale like mine?

I've got the roundwounds on it that I think came with the guitar...but I do have some 45-105 short scale flats I'm going to try once my Hipshot bridge arrives. Hopefully the Hipshot will also cure the bridge saddle silk winding overlap issue.

Thanks folks...there's a good selection to really get me thinking here! I started off thinking small-scale combo so things like the Rumble fitted will with that first thought. They're obviously popular as most places I looked had tem on backorder! The transparent amp and pedal option sounds a good all rounder, and in fact closely mirrors what I used to do with guitar rigs until about five years ago, when I built a couple of valve amps to my taste and minimised the pedals. Not sure I want to get into carrying too many FX though. Oh, and thanks to the couple of you who suggested valve options...you know my weakness!!! Cheers..I now have major "AAS" (that's amp acquisition syndrome)!!! Slightly out of my size and cost brief perhaps . Thing is I'm not convinced I can get gig volumes from a small valve package...mind you, I only use my home build AC30s and 18w amps for gigging guitar, so am I falsely concerned?! Just a short word on me and the SG bass...I've had J, P, and Thunderbirds in the past, and actually whilst the SG doesn't sound at all Fender like, and the E-string has the short scale flap, I can get a surprising range out of it with pickup selection, right hand position and style, and my crappy borrowed Crate combo, so I don't feel limited for what I need. Yes, it's not a presence-rich funky treblemeister, but I can get decent brighter tones out of the mini-bucker with EQ and comp'. Bit like with my Gibbo vs Fender guitars...I'd never say my Strat is more versatile than my SG for my needs. Although I concede that if you like whammy-bombing the SG's Bigsby won't cut it! Haha!!!

Cheers folks...loving the SVT comment by the way Actually you have just opened my eyes a little. Being mostly a six-stringer, and a general Luddite all round, I'm used to quite old fashioned setups (axe-couple of pedals-valve amp-speakers), so my first thought was a combo flexible enough to cover a number of sounds and situations passably, and small enough to chuck in car and not annoy the missis too much in the front room. Perhaps though my new-found conversion to bass might be time to try the Tech 21 route, or something similar. I do like the Bruce / Fraser thang, but I'd like to have a bit of flexibility for a number of styles rather than a superb rock rig that's more a one-trick-pony. Mostly because I only have the one bass and this will be my one amp set up for now, so don't want to be too limited if possible. I'm in Suffolk, by the way!

Thanks for the DiMarzio thumbs up...do you like it over the TB+, or are they similar sounding in non-tap mode? I like the idea of options. In an idea world I'd love a TB+ sized kind of Sidewinder/Mudbucker, with a coil split perhaps that would allow me to either have it as a full on beast, or a kind of half output to perhaps make it more usable with the more normal output bridge mini-bucker. I guess the only option I have for that is go the way of the router, drop in the Artec, but tap the artec and connect to a push/pull on one of the pots.

I've just satisfied a several year itch...to get a Gibson SG bass! This is the first bass I've had in many years as I've mostly played guitar in groups, and thus I currently don't even have an amp to play it through. I know I want a combo, or small head and cab for space and portability, and I'd like enough wattage for small gigs and band pracs etc. (I guess 200 - 500w)...and ideally I'd like something £500 or so, but more than that I'm not sure. I have no real idea whether to try 10, 12 16 or 18" speakers. A bit of googling tells me that Ashdown do a nice selection of Rootmasters in several variations. Any suggestions, or am I heading down the right path anyway?

I like the TB neck pickup of my Gibson SG bass (great modern pickup), but I'm toying with a Sidewinder / Mudbucker as I like that kind of sound. I've got an Artec sitting in my parts bin, and I have seen the Novak custom jobs, but both of these would require a degree of routing to fit the SG bass. Do people think it's worth the bother, or does anyone know of a sidewinder that's a few mm more skinny and fits the current TB route?