JPJ

Mother fetch the gun, the boy has gone near that red stain...... :-)

As I am going to be spending the next 18 months or so in Holland, returning home every other weekend or so, I decided to buy a cheap bass to keep at the apartment in Holland. I decided on a whim to scratch my acoustic bass itch and went with this five string acoustic from Harley Benton via Thomann. [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/7383DD24-AE49-4E5F-81B4-331EAF033E9C_zpsr2ks4luk.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/7383DD24-AE49-4E5F-81B4-331EAF033E9C_zpsr2ks4luk.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The bass arrived very well packaged (cardboard box inside cardboard box with lots of air filled padding) as we have come to expect from Thomann. Immediate impressions were of a well made playable bass, in need of a little fettling to get to where I like it. True, the frets and fret ends need a bit of fettling, and I've junked the original bronze strings for a set of Fender flats, and now I have a bass that's a pleasure to play for the grand sum of £172.00 (£150 for the bass plus £22 for the strings). Sure, like all acoustic basses, it's not going to keep up with a couple of acoustic 6 strings on its own but as it is electro-acoustic with built-in tuner and a surprisingly good preamp with both jack and XLR outputs, you could gig this quite happily. Yes, this is definitely a budget instrument, there are a few flaws in the finish, and as I've tried to show in the photographs, there are a couple of spots where you can see the binding has penetrated the wood leaving little spots of 'light' glowing through the binding. But I really am quibbling now, other than the noted defects, this is a hell of a bass, nicely made for not very much money at all. Now the question is, do I rip the frets out and make this one fretless or do I buy another fretless version, decisions decisions😎 [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/BA0CDBCC-6041-42F0-BBF4-C26EB9BB61C6_zpsk48ig39n.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/BA0CDBCC-6041-42F0-BBF4-C26EB9BB61C6_zpsk48ig39n.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/B6672E1B-29B0-44FF-8F95-1A3E2CEB0A92_zpsjdkqo2pd.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/B6672E1B-29B0-44FF-8F95-1A3E2CEB0A92_zpsjdkqo2pd.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/8D33E536-DDCC-470D-9EC8-650B3C06830A_zpsqiyenws9.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/8D33E536-DDCC-470D-9EC8-650B3C06830A_zpsqiyenws9.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/76BA2EEB-DD1D-404E-B7D9-71DF7839827B_zps5r8zxine.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/76BA2EEB-DD1D-404E-B7D9-71DF7839827B_zps5r8zxine.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/D1D40979-0AEA-4E03-ACE7-842BCC1D0D4E_zpsv7vfr1gt.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/D1D40979-0AEA-4E03-ACE7-842BCC1D0D4E_zpsv7vfr1gt.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/17CEB2F1-3ECF-4DA2-957E-5EABAD7B8B35_zpscvoqonw9.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/17CEB2F1-3ECF-4DA2-957E-5EABAD7B8B35_zpscvoqonw9.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1470508147' post='3106489'] JPJ - that worries me - what mains fuse is in the amp - is it a slo-blow? (I would have expected the amp fuse to easily pop first) [/quote] The amp actually has two circuit breakers (one for each amp). The mains fuse has only blown when I've been using the amp in bridged mono mode, and only in the odd venue where the mains supply hasn't been the best. The breakers themselves have never tripped, which is why I got my local tech to check the amp over.

I can't use anything other than a 13amp in the lead for the SWR SM1500. Even with the inbuilt soft start, the amp will blow the kettle lead fuse on start up. I've had the amp checked out and all is well.

Go anywhere near that beautiful piece of timber with red stain and I will be forced to hunt you down and kill you!

I've used an LD300 in both a practice room and as the provided backline at a multi-band event. In the rehearsal room, I always managed to get 'a sound' out of it, but I was constantly tweaking parameters to try to get my sound out of it. On stage at the multi-band event, I found it just got 'lost' and it certainly didn't feel like 300w or anywhere close to it. As la bam says above, there is a lot of modelling and emulation going on, and I found that the amp lacked grunt when used live.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1468439251' post='3090988'] Now there's a thing of beauty. I don't care about weight - that's bloody lovely. [/quote] Thanks, it is indeed a lovely looking and even better sounding rig

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1468426879' post='3090867'] Lovely cab, but it's a heavy bugger... [/quote] You think that's heavy? [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/IMG_0864_zps17e5864c.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/IMG_0864_zps17e5864c.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I advertised for a PJB Briefcase combo in the Items Wanted section on Sunday 10th, yesterday at 16:03 I received a personal message from 'Marions' saying: " If still interested in buying I we send you some pic or contact me Via [email protected] or send me your email for pics and details" I have had some email correspondence with him but his use of stock images off the PJB site and the fact that he's offering the newer 'Ulitimate' model for the price a well used original model sells for made me very suspicious. Then a thread on Bass Players Market UK exposed this guy as a spammer. Lucky escape because I was tempted despite my suspicions.

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/6014F307-5DBD-4466-9C7B-BFE40899D2A1_zpsyd8uzn9w.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/6014F307-5DBD-4466-9C7B-BFE40899D2A1_zpsyd8uzn9w.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Thought I'd posted this here before but obviously not. Here's the innards of a man sized amp 😎

This is why I am hanging on to my SM1500. It may be the biggest heaviest unpractical beast but by god the tone is to die for, and coupled with the Goliath Snr, its a stadium ready rig.

I went down this route a while ago, when I was looking for a less weighty equivalent of my SWR SM1500. I had the SWR Marcus Miller Pre amp paired with a QSC PLX1602 power amp. Truth was, with them both racked together, there wasn't much of a weight saving

Thanks for the replys folks, I've decided, it's going to be another Briefcase! Now the hunt begins......

Not British and no longer in production but the Aguilar AG500SC takes some beating in the simple but devastatingly beautiful sound stakes.

Well after an unplanned but hugely successful 'acoustic' session at last weekends gig, we're now considering adding this to the repertoire, and have already been rebooked by last weeks venue for an acoustic only gig. The only problem with last weeks show was I was playing through my Radial Tonebone straight into the house PA and I was behind the speakers so couldn't really hear myself. Now a while ago I owned a lovely little PJB Briefcase combo that would have been perfect for this situation, with the PA doing the work and the PJB acting as my personal monitor but I had to let her go during a bout of unemployment. So now I'm thinking of getting another either 100w like I had or the newer 150w version, but then I'm also tempted by the 150w flight case with the upward firing speakers which might be a bit more useful in small venues. Question is, I know and love the front end of the Briefcase (as I still own a bass buddy pre with the same feature set) and I know the Flightcase is a different feature set but which is best? Anybody got any experience of either the 150w briefcase or the Flightcase that they'd care to share (positive or negative)?

Just to reinforce what I said earlier, last Sunday we were playing an outdoor gig, first half came to a close just as the rain arrived. So quickly stripped the gear, setup an acoustic gig inside, and within 30 mins we were back in business. Bassbone saved the day again, plugged into the house Yamaha desk and a pair of Mackie SRM's, fretless Overwater and we were rocking again, albeit to a slightly different beat.

An essential tool in my armoury is the Radial Bassbone. Essentially a two channel preamp with effects loop, tuner out etc. an a premium grade DI box all in one.

So I collected her yesterday and I haven't been able to put her down since. Amazing finish, exactly what I had in mind when describing her to Dave at the outset of the project. Playing-wise, she has growl and mwah by the bucket load, and she plays like butter. All in all, an outright success, now I've just got to improve my own chops to a level which is worthy of such a fantastic bass. I now know what it feels like to commission your own full custom bass, this one will have to be prised out of my cold dead hands.

So she's been reassembled and strung up. Dave reports that she sounds fantastic so I'm a happy man. Picking her up tomorrow 😎 [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/A5C66495-5641-4C8C-834B-77AE28F1BCFB_zpsbdmdtakd.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/A5C66495-5641-4C8C-834B-77AE28F1BCFB_zpsbdmdtakd.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/969E82BB-6674-4E89-A161-391FDE78210E_zpsd9rlrydk.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/969E82BB-6674-4E89-A161-391FDE78210E_zpsd9rlrydk.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/084E4A52-3B14-4C19-AC74-3F5C718A23DB_zpspfvx6s00.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/084E4A52-3B14-4C19-AC74-3F5C718A23DB_zpspfvx6s00.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/30982416-982A-4B34-833D-6CDC052964A4_zpsypa0sbuy.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/30982416-982A-4B34-833D-6CDC052964A4_zpsypa0sbuy.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

So today the Overwater has been buffed and polished, may be ready as early as Sunday 😜 [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/F5A6980D-2483-4130-ADF4-D2AAE9002FC3_zpshgrxidoh.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/F5A6980D-2483-4130-ADF4-D2AAE9002FC3_zpshgrxidoh.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/B5270344-C69A-454B-ABC8-89B69B15084B_zpsbaxtczob.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/JPJ/B5270344-C69A-454B-ABC8-89B69B15084B_zpsbaxtczob.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Thank you for all the positive comments. I've just seen a picture of the back of this with the clear coats on. Holy cow it's looking good!

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1461361734' post='3034128'] It isn't, it's down to current delivery. [/quote] Without wishing to appear pedantic, doesn't the current comes from the mains supply via the transformer?

I own an Aguilar AG500SC and I can assure you that when coupled with a suitable speaker cabinet(s) it is not found lacking in the 'heft' department. We have had this debate on here several times and the conclusion always seems to be that the perceived lack of heft in a class D amp is not down to the amp topography, but down to the switch mode power supply they are often coupled with to achieve these ultra small form factor amps. Irrespective of the amplifier, the Aguilar has a proper iron transformer power supply which most accredit as being the source of the heft.