RandomBass

Oh. That pre owned 2024x is a beautiful bargain.

[quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1372929119' post='2131648'] A solid 12" which is good in the low mids? [/quote] And wide dispersion....

I thought that was a new model from Alex's workshops....

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1372446981' post='2125933'] TE AH200 with 2 cabs. See sig. Plenty loud with bags of headroom. [/quote] I also have an AH200 - aren't they bloody good, or what?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1372443457' post='2125897'] I'm imagining a 'Great Escape'-type ruse where you smuggle in a dwarf in a dummy 8X10 who then nicks loads of booze from the cellar while you're doing the gig. You haul the dwarf and the booze out along with the cab. Brilliant, eh? Unless of course the dwarf drinks the booze during your set, in which case all you'll have to show for it is a pissed dwarf. And who can honestly say they've never had that happen of a weekend? I certainly can't. [/quote] That would be such a cheeky dwarf. In fact it could be said he's a barefaced midget.... I thank you...

I think it's important to understand what intonation means, and how it can potentially affect tuning slightly. However I don't think it's something to fret about ;-)

Cheers Dean. Yeah I'm impressed with it, great tone and more than enough oomph. Between this and my LB30 I've got everything covered I reckon. Thanks Geoff

After having the opportunity to give my recently acquired LB550 a good workout at last night's practice session (through the cab section of an ABM500 4x10 combo), I thought it only fair to share my thoughts. I've always had a bit of a thing for Ashdown amps, but had a not-so-impressive experience with the MiBass 550: design, weight, form-factor, EQ, facilities etc were great, the output wasn't. After much fiddling and trial & error I came to the conclusion that the pre-amp stage just wasn't driving the Class D power amp hard enough to allow the latter to really give some welly. Increasing the input gain simply sent the preamp into early overdrive (the nasty transistor kind). My old MAG600, and my current ABM500 have huge headroom at the input stage before things go funny. So I just had to try the LB550 to see if the poweramp (supposedly the same as the one in the MiBass) benefits from having that lovely dual tube preamp section in front of it. The short answer is that it clearly does. With the gain up to about 1 or 2 O'clock, it's still clean and capable of tremendous output volume - something the MiBass lacked. There seems to be unlimited low-end if you want that sort of thing. The overall tone is very reminiscent of my LB30, but obviously lacking that tone of overdriven output tubes that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with the LB. It's the same EQ as the all-valve LB30, and works in just the same way - so no surprises there. However, the LB550 is pretty damned close - and with the gain full up gives a lovely grit to the tone. Not overdone or anything, just enough to make you stand out when you want. Downsides? Well, the DI has no pre/post option. Also, the lack of headphone output or MP3 input might put some off. Can't think of anything else at the moment really. I'm pleased. First gig with it this coming weekend and looking forward to hearing it perform with my BF Compact. Cheers Geoff

I often use the cab section of an abm combo in our practice room, with my ABM EVO head. I can't imagine needing anything louder. Has a great big punchy sound, really good for any rock/pop.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1372032455' post='2120935'] That's off topic though, cameltoe. [/quote] Especially when one of them is with a midget.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1371803546' post='2118240'] mentioned it also in a previous thread somehwere but check out scott devine's walking bass lesson on his website it's very good [/quote] Yes to this. I've found Scott's tutorials to be most useful.

+1 for the Ashdown LB30. I use mine for gigs as well as home practice. With enough efficient cone area it will surprise you with its abilities. Moreover, the tone is simply divine. Cheers Geoff

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1371712792' post='2117156'] Firstly because the world's supply of valve watts is being used up, and there are fewer and fewer of them about. Valve watts are grown organically in sheltered uplands, preferably on north-facing hillsides. Solid state watts are easily obtained (they use CNC machines to cut them out of large sheets of wattage) but they're not nearly as good as valve watts. Secondly because putting valve watts inside little glass bottles is more of an art than a science, and the skills just aren't there in the workplace any more. [/quote] This sounds the most plausible explanation. We should be encouraging sustainable and renewable sources, where every valve watt that is harvested is replaced by a newly planted one.

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1371682571' post='2117063'] I did the same thing just recently too. Pretty sure Randombass you posted in my thread! I already owned the HB cab, so for £160 I got a couple of nice neo speakers and I now have a very nice cabinet! if I pick up another HB cab I might just do the same again to get a matching pair! The last gig I did where my amp was getting used by the other bands another bassist said the rig sounded expensive! I took that as a compliment! [/quote] Yes I did, and it was your thread that inspired me to have a go :-)

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1371675736' post='2116943'] This is unfortunately what the resident experts don't get, all the foibles and mistakes made by the tried and trusted brands have become what we love, if it sounds good it sounds good no matter what the computer programme suggests, I prefer driving my morris minor to the wifes focus zetec, go figure [/quote] Exactly this. There are some self appointed gurus here that just don't get this. Luckily I got some advice from an informed and wise person to help me on my way. It's great fun experimenting sometimes.

As an aside, why is the bass player often the PA, lighting and sound engineer. We are clearly more talented lol

+1 to Truckstop. I'm also the designated PA, mixer, sound engineer and lighting chap for our 5 piece. Often use par cans on the floor pointing upwards, with the mounting bracket reversed to point them in the right direction. However, we don't individually dim them like you asked. Cheers Geoff

Funnily enough I'd also considered the series box option if I were going to make them 4 ohms each. Would still be very loud and an easier load on the amp when both cabs in use.

Thanks. I can sort some pictures of the finished cabs, I don't have any 'in progress' ones as it were. Geoff

I've been using my BF Compact for a few years now. For a while I even had two of them, but found I really didn't need that so one of them found a new home. In one of my phases of curiousity and discovery, I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about with 2x10 cabs as I'd never used one before. Before long I had a pair of those bargain basement Harley Benton 210 cabs from those lovely people at Thomann. The cabs themselves are pretty well made for the bargain price - and the tweeter is not at all harsh or nasty to listen to. Also, the control plate on the back has a continuosly variable tweeter control, together with a pair of jack and a pair of speakon sockets. The downside was the 10" drivers - but then what do you expect for less than the cost of 6 months road tax? So, along came the opportunity to get a set of four Celestion BL10-200S speakers, 16 Ohm each to maintain my 8 ohm per cab rating, for a bargain price. I'd already had an enlightening PM discussion with our very own Phil Starr: he recommended some Fane Sovereigns in the end, which I may well take up in any future experiments. I eventually got the Celestions and popped them in the HB cabs. An easy swap really. The difference is night and day. The dull, poorly defined thudding sound coming from the original drive units has been replaced by clarity, definition to notes, and a real nice punch to the sound. Oh, and easily much louder sensitivty wise. I now have a pair of relatively inexpensive 2x10 cabs, which weigh about 23Kg each, which sould good and loud - either alone or as a pair. I dont have to baby them. I dont have to worry about them. They are purely functional, look good and sound great. What's not to like? The other side to this, is my discovery of how good a vertically aligned array of four 10" drivers can sound. Plenty of loudness, up higher I can hear them better on stage. Out front they sound just fab. Anyway, I know I've broken all the rules by replacing drivers without using my Mech Eng Degree to analyse the T/S parameters and box size - please forgive me for that. However, my empirical results suggest I didn't do too badly. Gotta say a big thanks to Phil Starr for his ideas & suggestions. Enjoy! Geoff

Slightly off topic, but TB1000 into a pair of BF Compacts. Lightweight, modular and quite loud I'd guess. Mind you, my little 30 watt valve amp isn't too quiet either lol. Sorry, back on topic now....

Nice one, thanks for the write-up.

Actually at my age it's probably gonna be a Tea Urn in there

The wonders of mobile sites... Double posts in case you have two cabs lol

Remove speaker and front baffle, and fit a small beer fridge in there.