Mr. Foxen

Modding preamp is fairly extreme compared to getting an amp you do like the sound of. VT bass might do well for you into a transparent amp lacking grit.

People wouldn't come to me for that sort of lame stuff. That's not a bass, this is a bass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP1QqtGe8ts It has to be a functional equivalent of one of those, it won't happen acoustically, so gotta do it electric.

Advising on a project involving wanting bass, but not having mains power. What dinky heads use least power?

Consider it is the amp that makes the tone not the valves. Modifying the preamp circuit and amount of gain is going to make far more difference to the punch and grit.

[quote name='32Hz' timestamp='1333496741' post='1602664'] [size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Yikes, I thought I had to dogs dangly bits in cabs ( Ampeg [color=#000000]PR-410HLF) ... what do I need ? Something lighter and perhaps 2 x 210's would be nice, as my stuff is a bit big for small venues.[/color][/font][/size] [/quote] Working from brand names an speaker diameters is the whole wrong way to go about cabs. Ampeg are all about working from past glories, and relics like 4x10s cabs are an artifact of that. They are made to give you the tone of Ampeg, and overwrite the tone of your bass, hence describing a player as having 'the Ampeg tone' rather than the tone of themselves or their bass. If you really want to know about speakers: http://barefacedbass.com/technical-information.htm is a pretty good balance between being readable and not entirely made up, in contrast to Ampegs 'you need 3 18" speakers to equal 8 10"s' which is entirely made up.

[quote name='32Hz' timestamp='1333494632' post='1602645'] Glad I started some this thread, some really interesting in-put coming from you all. At the end of the day, I'm a bit of a novice at this. I'm 54 yo, always a regular guitar player, latterly a bassist. I have two claims to fame. [b]1) [/b]I had lunch with HM The Queen in 1992. [b]2)[/b] I once jammed with Mark Knopfler when he was still an English teacher at Loughton College[i] (yes, I'm that old)[/i]. Played since age of 8, first stage performance at 11 yo [i](strumming Edelweiss to 200 kids and parents)[/i]. Always admired Mark King with his percussive style and punchy, trebley sound. So I guess roll that all up and I have trouble with a boomy, shapeless and characterless sound. I think I've found the answer in my new (1996) Fender Jazz with j-retro preamp. My though process is/was 'why do I need this GB monster with 18 knobs and 9 switches[i] (not counting the back or foot switch)[/i] when I'm never likely to use any of them'. Also, my 1982 Pioneer Hi-Fi amp [i](yes I bought it new and still going strong)[/i] has a 'By-pass' selector, to by-pass all the knobs, bells and whistles. But I'm probably missing the point somewhere. Oh, and (BTW) just got in from rehearsal with my 80's covers band. Been using studio bass combo.. an Ashdown something or other, and it too had an EQ bypass. I discovered it when, thinking the sound was a bit boomey, I tried winding down the lows and low mids to no avail. Thought the thing was busted. Then I found this little EQ push button depressed. And this was after I had wound the j-retro bass EQ all the way down to naught. So, perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree here. It's probably true.. I need the amp EQ to set me up for the venue, and my j-retro to set 'my' sound. Keep it coming chaps. [/quote] Sounds a bunch like you need a more transparent cab. That is totally going to be the weak point.

You have to get them to learners with the action still right is the problem. I think the best thing for small batch from China people to do is get a bunch of varied rickenfakers, as a group buy, spread them about among the group to sell and try and make that guy catch on fire from his own rage.

Can you rewind transformers?

If the bass is otherwise set up ok, capo/fret the first fret, see how high the string is over the second fret, and it should be about the same over the first fret from the nut. I tend to leave bottom string a bit higher because of wanging it hard to make a big noise.

Seen the MKII GT200 too?

Think someone mentioned these, maybe they were looking for one. Seems about right price: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Acoustic-Model-126-Bass-Combination-Amplifier-Speaker-Cabinet-/130675339367?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item1e6cdb7067

How close are they in the Roost?

Maybe fitting a fan might help. Not sure where you'd tap the power from, but doable.

Whenever there is issues with an ebayer, best thing to do is call ebay with all the info at hand, and speak to an actual person. Not generally had much trouble in Europe, but certain former colonies have real trouble understanding the concept of things travelling to them from other countries will have more expensive postage, an their currency not being valid in other countries. People taking ages to actually mention their item never arrived is a giant pain though.

Totally depends on the input sensitivity of the power amp, and the output voltage your preamp puts out. It might even have an internal adjustment.. Some power amps can reach full power with really low signal. Check the power amp specs for a input sensitivity, which will be a voltage, much less that 1v and you have a change, but a preamp is going to be much easier.

Shuguang. What plate voltage is the amp running?

In practice, it all means nothing. Actually better to ignore it an pay attention to other things.

[quote name='DOTF' timestamp='1333144507' post='1598219'] OK I am now understanding what you are all saying, but if I was to use a 1x15 and a 4x10 and providing my amp will drive them, which it will, it is not going to hurt or damage anything? My set up so far, Peavey Firebass and a Peavey BX 1x15BW cab......... [/quote] You totally can damage something. Speaker make horrible noises before they are damaged, but if you have a 4x10 and a 1x15, the 4x10 will drown out the noises of the 1x15 breaking, so you won't know to turn down.

[quote name='DOTF' timestamp='1333129452' post='1597925'] Forgive me for being a bit thick here but I dont follow, mixing from the same amp, are you saying that I should stick to a another 1x15 (I alrready have a 1x15) [/quote] [quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1333056862' post='1596905'] Rule is, if you like the sound of the one you have, but need louder, get another the same. If you don't like the one you have, replace it entirely. [/quote] So, do you like the sound of your 15? Mixing a 15 and a 4x10 means that you get less consistent sound (in changes depending on where you stand due to phase oddities, and even on axis can have funny notches), and you are more likely to break teh 15, because it won't be as loud as the 4x10 and thus you won't hear it farting out. So, better to ahve more speakers you o like, than one you like, and one you don't like as much.

Mixing stuff from the same amp is bad, means more risk of damage and less consistent sound as you move about. Always avoid it.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1333123859' post='1597846'] Mind you have you seen Gary Moore lately... looks like someone's taken a blowtorch to a Nick Nolte wax work. [/quote] Being dead for a year will do that to a dude.

Have a good look over the for sale section here first, there was some Firebass and cabs floating about.

[quote name='umph' timestamp='1333112054' post='1597584'] or your tech is making a killing on replacement valves [/quote] That would be the main wrong thing I had in mind.

It will be enough alone, but to be sure, welcome to come have a try, I'm in Greenbank. Who have you been taking it to? Jesse? Subthumper on here always seems to be in Fenders when I visit him. His workshop is a few streets from me.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1333111329' post='1597566'] +1 Why do you service the amp every year? I'd leave it until something goes wrong. [/quote] If it has to be serviced/revalved every year, something is wrong.