The Burpster

For £1k you could pick up a used PRS EB-IV - all the bass you'd ever need (unless of course you needed 5 strings) with a D-tuner!

[quote name='Jimelliottbassist' post='779360' date='Mar 19 2010, 06:38 AM']What's the best courier company to use?[/quote] Any one that doesnt mash you bass up. I beleive there are horror stories about most companies - but I have found you get what you pay for! DHL are very good transatlantic - Other than that I dont have lot of experience of UK ones although I am assured that DPD are reliable.

'scuse my ignorance but what is a silencer.....? I know what they are for cars, bikes and guns......but musical instruments.... And why would you need 0% for one...?

Should be here Friday, had a great chat with the g'tar tech at Abs Sols. (Robin) Top bloke and owns a PRS EB4 too! Double top bloke!

[quote name='Beedster' post='776523' date='Mar 16 2010, 06:21 PM']Please excuse my ignorance folks, but I've used mainly solid state amps until this year. Could you let me know the likely symptoms (on sound, performance etc) of a) an old valve that needs replacing, or a faulty valve. Thanks Chris[/quote] You'll know when one goes wrong.....! FWIW have a full set on stand-by. Expesnive maybe.... but better than waiting for a new set and being ampless! As said above they are not that fragile of treated with a bit of respect. (my guitard has had the same set in his MM RD amp for 30yrs and not so much as a pop)

Well its nice to know somthings work out in my favour. Seems the guy that pulled the trigger on this last week couldnt pay....... So it was back up for sale for a day...... Now its mine...... MMMMMMwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaahahahahahah!

Think you'll find they are std pitch 4-40 thread like most US bits. Available here at much cheapness....! [url="http://www.modelfixings.co.uk/"]http://www.modelfixings.co.uk/[/url]

Although not my 'thing' I'd say that was worth £200 of anyones money. Clearly alot of attention paid to the details, and whilst it may be a one off it is a very nice bass.

Yep sounds good plan. Be careful of getting 'ripped' with Mullard tho' they havent been made for a long time and all sorts of folks are claiming they NOS..... The Mesa tubes are selected Russian tubes but TBH I dont really care for 2 reasons. They are sold by Mesa so they come with thier back up, and they sound superb!

Thank for the detailed reply. I didn't even realise my carbine had 2 pre amp valves, I thought it had 1. I might give them a try, just for an experiment. Cheers thebassman _________________________________________________________________ Bassman, the Carbine series do only have one 12AX7 - The M-pulse series have 2.! Bob.

Mine is a walkabout scout 112. Same set up as the M-pulse 600 just smaller MOSFETs. It uses 2x 12AX7s in the preamp stage (same as the M-pulse 600 and Carbine series). The change was hard to describe, but if I said it makes it richer does that make sense...? Its sound was a bit clinical (hi-fi) to me before the valve change now it seems deeper, and thicker without feeling muddy or distorted. My gitar'd who is a complete tone freek (tone is everything!) just said "wow" and thought it had a voodoo hex cast upon it. EVERYTHING else in the chain was the same so its not down to a combination of changes. The best way I can descirbe is relating it to coffee... do you drink yours black? If so you'll undertsand this. std= Nescafe 12AX7SP = Columbian ground coffee from a cafetiere. Oh and I got mine from hotrox nottingham.

apart from, the silly ashtray it looks lovely and well made. Bit like a Shergold. Cheap as chips and very retro but if they are your thing- Priceless! Go for it I say!

I does make a difference what you put in. I recently swapped mine for the upgrade 12AX7SP Mesa valves and the difference was huge from the std valves. You kinda get what you pay for - or you might get lucky. You dont need to change them just beacause they havent been changed - you could just be throwing money away. If you want to experiment with the tone then by all means play. Always have a spare set incase one dies (which you'll know about when it happens ) My guitard has had the same set of valves in his g'tar amp for 25 years without so much as a pop! 12AX7s are not the type of valve that needs 'matching' - that is normally (as stated above) output stage valves that work better if they are bias matched.

[quote name='Golchen' post='771549' date='Mar 11 2010, 01:10 PM']Are you 100% satisfied with your best bass?[/quote] Yes - have been since the day I first saw it.

looks like termites to me........ off to repairs for you.

Have you guys tried pimping the 12AX7s.....? I shelled out on a pr of 'select' Mesa tubes for mine, and the change in tone was astounding! [url="http://www.hotroxuk.com/mesa-boogie-br-spax7-a-12185-0.html"]http://www.hotroxuk.com/mesa-boogie-br-spax7-a-12185-0.html[/url] ignore the waffle about "Designed for main driver position" these puppies are selected for low noise (top 5% creamed off selection tests). The tone the produce as a result is WELL worth the extra few squids. [url="http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/spax7.html"]http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/spax7.html[/url] If you liken your tone to beautiful woman (swiss Tony) with std AX7s in, put these puppies in, and your in for a night out with a Princess that can suck a golfball through 3ft of garden hose!

Chris, Give Oreste a ring or email at [url="http://www.westsidedistribution.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=11"]http://www.westsidedistribution.com/index....8&Itemid=11[/url] he is the UK importer and is normally helpful. I was going to say that they make a set of rack ears but Clarky beat me to it....!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='767452' date='Mar 7 2010, 11:42 PM']I remember those but not fondly, sorry. I doubt it's got any collectable value unless you got it signed by Jesus.[/quote] Oddly, not only did his dad leave his signature on my few but he was also partly involved in making them.....

Spent too long dithering and someone else has bought it..... Oh well...... thats Karma. Anyhoo, it was indeed the 1st Swamp Ash bodied one that was made (hence prototype designation) and was hanging around for sometime in Mr Smiths personal collection. It was then given the #150 designation and was sold to a collector a few years ago. So it does have [u]some [/u] history but other than being the 1st Swampy its just another EB-IV. The 'cant make my mind up' thing was born out of mine being a Maple neck/ Swamp Ash combination that is just sublime. This being Rosewood (birds are an irrelevant distraction to me) it just wasnt screaming at me. Someone has bought themselves an absolute doosey of a bass tho' and you never know they might get bored with it!

the old 'is _____ Fender worth it?' question bounces around fairly frequently but I think most sensible opinions were aired in this thread. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=62155&hl=fender%20why&st=20"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...20why&st=20[/url] Personally now, I dont think they are. Then again I'm not a Fender-head so they fall into the same catagory with me as many other mass produced basses (what I mean by that is they have no special appeal to me).

I'd thoroughly recommend either:- i) Bass gallery ii) Bass Direct Both staright up, direct and A1+ service.

Tried lots of stuff, and DESPERATELY want an M6 Carbine combo (can't justify it!), but am VERY happy with my 1-12 4ohm Walkabout Scout. It has tone to die for :wub: and will shake beer glasses off a bar if you need it to.... I have a feeling tho' the M6 would rearrange internal organs! FWIW - OBBM uses top quality components and has oodles of experience putting them together. I have won my G'tard over with the same kit (assembled by me) and previously he was shelling out on Whirlwind gear ... (very pretty but waaay over priced!).

Dave they just make a bit pf a pop in my experience...... (well they do through my Mesa!) Oh and incoming PM, I need some more bits... As for PW cables...... sorry but they are cack......! For what they cost buy proper kit from Dave above (OBBM) for a wee bit more and feel the difference between over priced shoite components and proper components put together properly.