Bigwan

Haven't built much in a while (not actually completed anything properly since I finished the Dumble clone valve amp build for my wee brother - a few half finished attempts lying around though!) but in the planning stages for a couple of circuits. I'm putting together my first proper pedal board so all these little projects are related. First up is an LT1054-based step-up supply for my recently acquired big box qtron. Hoping it'll produce close enough to the required 24v from my 9v supply! If not I'll use it as a doubler for when I get round to building a Catalinbread SFT/Madbean Faultline. Also looking at building a little mixer to mix some clean in with the effected qtron output - notice I didn't say blend. I want separate clean and effect volumes as per the MXR BEF. May include active bass and treble controls for the 'clean' side and a phase inverter of course. I may build all this inside the qtron box - it's not like there isn't enough room! Next up will be a Mammoth fuzz clone. More long term is a Trace V-type based valve pedal running from an AC wall wart with a step up toroidal transformer. Goodness knows when I'll get the time...

I'd be looking at finding a nice Celinder if I were you - if my house burnt down today and I had to replace my collection with one four string that's what I'd go for. Dingwall for a 5 string though...

[quote name='Blondino' timestamp='1333456337' post='1601907'] Well, I guess I'm looking for 'the right sort of curve'. [/quote] Pity - they meet every other requirement, and are damn lovely to play too... How about Dingwall? My latest squeeze is an Afterburner 5 - it is glorious and definitely not retro looking!

There's probably nothing special about how a TC cab reacts, except that they KNOW EXACTLY how their own cabs react and can guarantee that they will not interact to produce a total impedance that's below what the amp is designed to accept. Can't say the same for a random combination of cabs... Having said that it'd probably be ok to mix and match

[quote name='Al Heeley' timestamp='1333141841' post='1598167'] Here's the Mammoth fuzz finished [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/al_heeley/wminandout.jpg[/IMG] Heres a rather crude sooundclip of the pedal running my Warmoth Gecko into my little Peavey guitar practice amp. http://youtu.be/zAHifbWw4AE [/quote] Great sounding clone Al! Gonna have to build myself one of these - my recently acquired Mojo Hand Colossus isn't quite the right sound for me...

Look beyond where you are with this band at the minute, and beyond where you practice. Where do you want to be playing with this band in a year or 2 (I'm assuming you want to be gigging)? Are you going to have PA support? That's what your rig should be aimed at. Buy once. All of this is 'within reason' of course, but there's nothing as annoying as thinking you're sorted to then have to turn around and do it all again because you're first attempt fell short. IMHO and YMMV.

Hand trucks are your friend when it comes to loading stuff in and out... Until you get to the stairs and then you're kind of shagged, which is where the drummer comes in to lend a hand! Unfortunately with your stated budget you will be limited - lightweight typically means expensive.

Have someone who knows electronics service it or replace it with something better. I think contacting Fender over this may be a total waste of time... It's probably a fairly generic circuit. As a starting point have a look at any electrolytic capacitors on the board - if they look gunky they're probably shot and will need replacing. It's an age rather than amount of use thing. I had that problem with my Wal preamp, with similar sounding effect.

Yes that seems to be the way Ashdown have been working from the start! I'm not knocking the designs - I've used an ABM for 10 years - but there seems to be what might be called a familiar thread running through their range... Others might might say that that thread looks more like the titanic's mooring ropes...

The SB14 (modelled on the EB Sterling) also has the series/single/parallel switch, which I found very handy on the Stingray 5 I once had. I believe the EB Sterling has a slimmer neck profile than a 'Ray, but whether that's the case with these I'm not sure. Different pickup in those 2 basses too (ceramic in SB14 vs alnico in Ray34). Not sure what you're referring to with the maple neck as they are both available with maple neck? Also different body shapes...

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1333088484' post='1597068'] And I shot this one for the LB30 yesterday... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuLMqgk4Qk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuLMqgk4Qk[/url] [/quote] Good job once again Gareth! Bizarrely Ashdown have just posted the worst demo video I've ever heard for the same amp...

Sure thing: [url="http://www.tech-soundsystems.de/eng/12er/412.html"]http://www.tech-soundsystems.de/eng/12er/412.html[/url] Only 13lbs heavier than my GS112 (a cab you have experience of too I believe).

Like this for example (no affiliation with seller - just an example of how far your money can go): [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/171780-trace-elliot-2-x-10-gp12-smx-300w-bass-combo/page__hl__bristol__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]

I wouldn't waster your time with the 15 watt practice amp against a guitarist, let alone a drummer! I've struggled with more than 100 watts in that sort of setting in the past. 200 odd quid should get you something more substantial than the EB on the 2nd hand market. You're getting into 300 watt trace elliot/Ashdown MAG combo territory there! Reading back through 3 or 4 pages of for sale ads on here you could put together a rig that'd do everything you're ever likely to need (until GAS sets in) for about the same money as a small combo with a fairly limited ability (in my opinion - your mileage may vary!). Check gumtree/local ads too. There are bargains to be had EVERYWHERE, especially if you're willing to go with something a little older than the current fad. Good example is a friend of mine bought a trace 300 watt head, 2x10 and compact 1x15 for under £300 in really good condition. Sure it's heavy, but it's a fantastic sounding rig for very little money.

[quote name='Jesso' timestamp='1333040758' post='1596686'] Sorry, Ballymena! Just checked yer profile! [/quote] Yeah not that far away as I say... and you could hire out your rig for knocking down walls when you weren't using it! The 4x12's awesomeness is much more than I currently require!

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1333088484' post='1597068'] And I shot this one for the LB30 yesterday... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuLMqgk4Qk[/media] [/quote] Great! Now I can hear what the amp I bought 3 weeks ago sounds like... Only had a chance to plug it in once

The Ibanez ATK series is always my top pick when I'm asked this question. Loved them since I A/Bed an ATK300 against 2 different 4 string Stingrays in GuitarGuitar Glasgow a few years ago. For a bass that's obviously a Stingray-a-like it beats the real thing into the dust in my book (and I've owned 4 Ernie Balls - Stingray 4 & 5 and Bongo HH 4 & 5). I bought a well used/abused ATK700 (the porno looking one in blue with the ugly double dot inlays), which plays great, for £150 and have since sold my last of Sterling Ball's wears... I plan to eventually strip it of its blue finish and cover the ugly inlays with some of those stick-on block inlays. Also really rate Farida and the Squier CV series.

It'll sound very similar to the Ashdown 550 spyder. Check the Ashdown youtube video demo. Gareth/Walbassist did one too. Same preamp but class D power amp.

How much more oomph do you need? I'm thinking of selling my Tech Soundsystems (now called tecamp) 4x12 (8 ohms), and would you look at that, you're not far away... Might be too much though...

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1332940725' post='1595173'] And oh yes - you're mad. (but that's nowt to do with the in-ears) [/quote] True G, I cannot deny it!

I should clarify that the in-ears would be for me only, using one of those wee 'more-me' mixers and that would be in addition to the LB rig (for everyone elses benefit).