pete.young

This is being held up as an example of great bass playing? 3 repeated root notes all on the E string? I'm clearly out of touch.

The way that the winding stops with just the core going over the saddle makes me think these are Rotosound PSD or similar piano-wound strings.

Pickup looks like this to me: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003196228239.html?_randl_currency=GBP&_randl_shipto=GB&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=494-037-6276&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=17859472720&albag=&trgt=&crea=en1005003196228239&netw=x&device=c&albpg=&albpd=en1005003196228239&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4omaBhDqARIsADXULuUp1hGsKf2poaPNpt1tHPvTDmxQ3vEeJd_syUgm3DXUWBpmDk4afkQaAmtxEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&aff_fcid=343f2b700285474da6227621918b0597-1665327653019-01938-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=343f2b700285474da6227621918b0597-1665327653019-01938-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=15a6422552a94fc88720a94ab69051a2&afSmartRedirect=y It'll be a piezo transducer under the bridge feet, and the box probably includes a high-impedance (> 1MOhm) preamp. The cable on the Mark Wood violin looks like a right-angled mini jack on one end and a 6mm socket on the other. You can probably get Studiospares to make one, or buy the bits if you can solder. There's probably no point in replacing the friction pegs - you get all the fine adjustment you need on the tailpiece adjusters. Ebony bridge probably won't improve the sound, but with this it probably doesn't matter.

I was once told by a member of the audience (!) to 'get rid of that cheap bass and get a Fender'. That cheap bass being a Yamaha BBNE2. It's nearly as annoying as "oo that's a big fiddle mister, can you get it under your chin?" "No I can't, is it OK if I borrow 3 or 4 of yours?"

The usual use of 'unicorn' means pretty much the complete opposite of the way you've used it. It normally means something so rare and mythical that it doesn't exist.

Lovely!

Time for some more banjo action. Youtube randomly suggested this virtual concert by Alfi, which I love. Not just because the banjo playing is marvellous, and you don't often hear Irish music played on a 5, but because I think the whole thing is beautiful. @Nail SoupI hope your clawhammer is going well.

Did a search using Google, with the thread URL as a site: string and "BigRedX" . got 9 hits (one of which was a photobucket URL) and one hidden 'similar' value. Slightly better than the built-in search engine, but slightly less convenient.

I think I should be OK for this one, touch wood. But what to bring? I see that no-one so far has mentioned double bass - I can bring one if people would like to give one a try? @Happy Jackwere you thinking of bringing metal mickey? Other than that, usual suspects: Duesenberg, BBNE2, Bass Collections, what is interesting to people?

Or something to put up on the mantlepiece, to frighten the kids away from the fire!

Yeah, either the BC112 is able to handle a load of 2.7 ohms or the instruction to connect an 8 Ohm speaker without switching off the internal speaker is wrong. I don't really do Facebook so I didn't see the response, but can you be sure it was actually someone from Eich who understands impedance that replied, and not some marketing person or random dude from the Internet? I have a Puma 110, it is a great little combo but I wouldn't be buying anything else from them until I had a definitive answer. Maybe you could buy one and measure the impedance for us ? 🙂

One of the manuals is wrong then.

It doesn't state anywhere in the Technical specification, page 11 of the manual, that the internal speaker impedence is 4 or 8 ohms. Only that the maximum extension speaker impedence is 8 ohm, which is the same for both combos. I think the labelling is unfortunate, and you've jumped to conclusions that -8 means 8 ohm, -4 means 4 Ohms. The wording in the instruction manuals for the two different products describing the extension speaker sockets , section 16 on page 9, makes it pretty clear to me that the internal speakers have the same impedence. Unless of course there is a cut and paste error in the manual. I suggest you write to Thomas Eich, he is a friendly and helpful person and I'm sure he'll give the explanation you are seeking.

Think you've read this wrong. My reading of the manuals is that both combos have an 8 Ohm internal speaker. You can use a second 8 Ohm speaker as an extension, or turn off the internal speaker and use a 4 Ohm extension.

Chuck Rainey, Abe Laboriel, Anthony Jackson, Marcus Miller, Will Lee have all been mentioned in this thread already. That's not my top 5, that's just the bassists who played on Nightfly ! I'd have to find room for Nathan East, who to leave out? Tough call.

A WT400 into a BF4x10 isn't loud enough? You must have some noisy venues.

VPF is effectively a mid-range cut.

Very nice BB800 just popped up in the For Sale section:

Why not fit another strap button to the heel or side of the neck? Then you can carry on using your Schallers.

What about one of the line-array compact PA Systems? The Bose L1 springs to mind but there are other systems at different price points.

Stop resting your thumb on the pickup?

Buyer would be far better off spending his money on a hard case than insurance, IMHO.

Andrew Guyton is near you but he will not be cheap! Steve at Guitar Lodge in Felixstowe does refininshing. I've not used him for this so I dont' know how good his work in this respect, but he's done several setups and one headstock break fix for me and the work has been of excellent quality at a reasonable price.

And if you enjoyed that @casapete, I can thoroughly recommend the Prom from last night (Saturday) featuring Cynthia Erivo and BBC Concert Orchestra. She has a superb voice, and the band nailed it as you'd expect. It's on iPlayer.