Japhet

Brother Strut next up at Bury St Edmunds on Friday, then Hall and Oates at the O2 on Saturday.

When I had to change the preamp valve in my old Trace head I got one from Watford Valves. They couldn't have been more helpful and explained what each different valve would do to the sound and character of the amp. I can't remember what I ended up buying, but it did exactly what they said it would do and gave more clean headroom than its' predecessor.

Always loved this song. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQpO_kl_6S0[/media] Willie Weeks on bass. In fact, the whole album is a masterclass in what not to play and how less is more.

If I was in the market I'd definitely be looking at the latest incarnations of Amps I currently own. Eich and the Genzler Magellan would be high on my 'want to try' list.

Normal Amps are generally configured in 2 sections, namely the Pre Amp and the Power Amp. The power amp is the part that amplifies the signal and it's output power is denoted as Wattage. The Pre Amp is all the other gubbins that goes on before the signal is amplified as in Tone controls, Amp simulations, Compression etc.. Some amps have very basic Pre stages and others have very advanced ones with all sorts of whistles and bells. You can also get Pre Amp effects pedals or stand alone units which do the same thing and can be used with any sort of amplifier to shape the signal before it is amplified.

A single 2x12, 4 Ohm, Neo drivers is where I went for a solution. Your 40 Watt valve head should be more than capable of delivering through one of these (but I think 4Ohm is important to get more/full power unless it will do 2 Ohms).

Diago Patch Factory for me. Been 100% reliable in the 2 years I've used them so far.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1507552068' post='3386245'] Synths and keyboards didn't disappear though, quite the opposite. But Dick Rowe of Decca Records did turn down the Beatles, saying 'guitar groups are on the way out'. There is no crystal ball. [/quote] My point was that, contrary to speculation, electric guitars didn't die out in favour of synths.

I've not heard anything yet which produces the low end pulse of a rhythm section better than a bass guitar and drums. There have been plenty of attempts, but none have come close in my opinion. Music tends to go full circle at various rates. In the 80s it was suggested that electric guitars were being ousted by synths and keyboards, but that was just another fad.

My 'go to' amp for the past 3 years or so has been my Tecamp Black Jag (which is basically a Puma 500 with some extra whistles and bells). Its in a big enclosure but weighs next to nothing. A punter at a gig recently observed that you simply couldn't get 'that sound' without valves - the Black Jag has none. It keeps my all valve head out of the loop but, in all honesty, mainly because valve amps always seem a bit fragile to me. It does everything from super clean and fat to gnarly and in your face. I have a GB Steamliner as a back as well which I like a lot (but it gets mixed reviews on here).

Slap may be out of fashion but the snobbery it evokes will never die.

Robin Trower is (in my opinion) criminally underrated. Nobody comes close to his unique phrasing. More recently, I'm not sure if people have heard Lance Lopez who is an incredible player if you like your blues fast and raw.

Robbie MacIntosh springs to mind. Fantastic player. Also David Grissom from the now defunct Storyville is a great player with a pretty unique style.

I just picked up a Fender Rumble 100 watt combo from the forum. Light as a feather, sounds great at low volume and will go plenty loud as well. Mine was £200 with a quality cover. Used it the other night at an acoustic jam and it was bang on. Try one - I don't think you'd regret it.

Orange gas sounds awful. Should probably see a quack about that.

I've just picked up a Fender Rumble 100 watt combo off this 'ere forum. 1x12 and light as a feather. Very nice frity, vintage tone with my P bass (well, Tokai Hardpuncher to be precise) with flats on. Should hold it's own pretty well up to a smallish gig if needed because it seems plenty loud. No provision for an extension cab though, but I've got bigger stuff for that anyway. Also has a mini jack input and a headphone socket so covers pretty much all the bases for practice and small gigs. Cracking little thing.

It's been said on here over and over (but worth repeating) that at gig volume it's all about the mids. What sounds great at home turns into a boomy mush at gig volume. Cut some bass, add some mids and set the pedals to that sound. It will sound clanky and raw at low volume but will cut through in a live setting. That's my experience anyway.

^^ So did I. I've deleted the picture.

Not a great fan of Van Morrison even though his name (in some) guarantees hushed solemnity, as if in the presence of a deity. As a person he behaves like a complete arsehole if the stories are to be believed. P.S. Mumford and Sons or whatever they're called.

Bought a Fender Rumble off Tom. Exactly as described. Top bloke to deal with.

I'm not a huge Beatles fan but the thing that completely blows me away about them is the way their music evolved over such a short space of time. To go from 'She love you, yeah, yeah, yeah' to Across The Universe in a handful of years is quite extraordinary. I can't think of any other band whose evolution has been anywhere near as spectacular.

I think the BBC misunderstood Squeeze - Cool for Cats. After some of the stuff they banned I'm pretty sure they didn't get the connotations of the lyrics 'I'm invited in for coffee and I give the dog a bone'.