No. 8 Wire

Sorry, haven't visited the site for... well about 10 months! In short, yes, I succeeded. My 110 is in storage right now but I can remember the basics. Internally the preamp and power amp are two very separate units. Its fairly easy to trace the power amp input, disconnect it and connect a 1/4 input jack. Note that the power amp is 'dumb', it is just on or off, no master volume etc. So whatever preamp you use will need enough output to drive the power amp to get volume. I used an old line 6 xt pod live which has a preamp mode and also a DHA valve preamp which could do the same. Any pedal will probably do it, but you might not get the full output. Mine might be out of storage in a month or so, i can take a pic of the internals then if you need it.

Great to wake up to a new maiden song. Very much enjoyed it too. Reminded me of the red and the black, another epic off the last album. The book of souls was the first maiden album in a long time that I listened to on repeat. This next one could be even better.

I hear that thread was so good it's now going to be serialised by basschat. Even if you are a fully paid up basschat supporter you can only read it in monthly installments.

Bit gutted Dusty is gone. My favourite rock star bass player, singing since he was 8, on the road since he was 13. Loved this story about how he worked in an airport in the 70s while Frank was in rehab. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/dusty-hill-day-job/

I don't mind the aging voices, you lose some things but gain others. Bruce still has it in my book, check out the youtube vid of him singing Jerusalem with Ian Anderson in Canterbury Cathedral, magic. Think of Johnny Cash's last album, his faltering old voice makes that something really special. I'm also reminded of Terry Jones singing on Pagan Altar's final album, haunting and memorable stuff. If you want to listen to younger Bruce singing The Writing on the Wall, check out this cover by Bruce's Brazilian vocal doppelganger:

Opeth. Sorceress is a cracking track to play on 5 string. Last couple of albums by Baroness are in D standard, but the Bass player plays a std 5 string on most stuff live.

Blaze was a bit like Gary Cherone singing in Van Halen, nothing wrong with the vocals in particular, just not what you want to hear with that band. At least he kept the band going and they didn't all pack it in after Bruce left. Who could've replaced Bruce though? Dio maybe?

I thought Glenn Danzig had replaced Bruce when I first saw the promo pictures...

He did, then he got slaughtered by skeletor Eddie...

Me too, it's only the 'can you see' part though.

I haven't got anything intelligent to say about mixes etc, but I loved it. I'm also more of a fan of Seventh Son and before, but there has always been one or two songs on each album that are worth listening to. Hopefully there will be more in this vein with the animation to go with each track.

Quite something to turn up at a cash converters in NZ. No idea if that is a good price, halve it for GBP. https://www.trademe.co.nz/3109463843

Thanks @adamg67and @sammybee, good to know how the trade in works if you can't get there in person.

Just out of interest, how did you do the trade in? Did you courier the bass in or go to the premises yourself?

I actually thought that i didn't remember that track very well. Listening on streaming, not the original tape... I rate those two tracks you mention, but maybe less complex than most of the other tracks.

Just listened to the whole album again in the car been a while since i played the whole thing, I disagree on that. There is definetely one stinker on there "my creation" and I think it could be a joke, Megadeth had a tradition of a joke song or cover on each album. The rest are very consistent in my view. It almost surprised me listening back, obviously holy wars and tornado of souls are high points, but the rest are only just further back. Listened to killing is my business again too for contrast. Actually a lot more fun but also nastier (in a good way) than I remembered it.

You should do an overall ranking list of the 8 albums once you've finished. I'd supply my own but it would be heavily biased by growing up with a couple of these. For instance, I'd rate AJFA pretty highly as an album even though there is no bass. I think it was my only metallica album for many years when such things were expensive to buy and hard to find for a poor kiwi. So I have a soft spot for it. Same with So Far, So Good, So What, although with the latter, I think it still rates high on its own merit too.

I love that. I really like that Ibanez do these crazy models. They might be the only major manufacturer that does (or did) instruments like this.

Someone is still buying all the albums though.

Yeah, that's an awesome one. So far so good so what was my favourite when I was young, but now if I'm honest with myself Rust in Peace is. I want to hear Marty Friedman playing Into the Lungs of Hell off so far... but I can't find any recording where he's done it.

I'm sure that's where the phrase comes from. I play in my bedroom if I need to escape the kids, so it's the reverse of that! I use it to mean a player who doesn't play live (ie me), it probably started out as being derogatory, but I'm reclaiming it! Even Cliff was a bedroom bassist once!

I don't actually play in my bedroom either.. well not often. Just a phrase.

I stopped playing for a while after my last band. Picked it up again about 5 years ago and have been solo bedroom player except for the odd jam/party/campfire. It's probably natural to come and go from it a bit. I used to think it was all about getting ready to play in bands but now I get more enjoyment for it's own sake and there's always the faint possibly the right group of people will magically come together to play again. If you enjoy it, stick with it. I'm sure 99% of players are bedroom only anyway.

I started off being entertained by that but then it truly sucked the life out of me and I started losing the will to live! Sounded a little bitter and twisted to me and based on what they became rather than what they were then. Made a good point about all the remakes of Beyond the Realms of Death, of which Metallica have at least 3. With reviews like that though, it's a wonder anyone ever picks up an instrument and dares to have a go. I think what gets missed in these things about who is the greatest etc, is creativity and energy. It's not just virtuosity and sometimes not even that. Cliff had that in spades. Happy Cliff 'em All Day!