dannybuoy

I would also check out the new Geezer Butler signature EMGs!

Just make sure you string through the bridge and not the body, otherwise you might break them!

100W valve amp should be plenty for most gigging situations as long as you have enough speakers. I think it hits the sweet spot where it's plenty loud enough to play a small/medium venue, then anywhere that needs you to go louder will have PA support anyway. I played my 200W Orange head with a 2x12 in a club and an outdoor stage and barely had it ticking over, I would've preferred a 100W jobbie to get a bit more growl out of the power valves at the same volume. I predict either one of these 100W Fenders or an Ashdown CTM100 in my future at some point!

Squier Classic Vibe, or a Japanese 62 RI Precision, and some flatwound strings. I recommend Thomastik Infield Jazz Flats or Pyramid Gold (other options are available). They're expensive strings, but will never need changing. And whack a foam dish sponge under the strings by the bridge! The Epiphone Jack Casady signature is also supposed to be great for this music, and sounds similar to a P Bass. For your money though, you could get both a used Classic Vibe Precision and Jazz. Flats on the P for Jamerson funk, and rounds on the J for slap funk!

Check out the Squier Matt Freeman, comes in black/black/maple and from what I remember the neck felt a tad slimmer than a standard P!

The DHA VT1 might still be your best bet to be honest! I'd like to pick another one up some day actually. Otherwise there are plenty of options, one of which is a VT Bass.

Read this? http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/xoticsp.shtml

Just measured my BB1025X and my USA P - measuring from pivot of the G saddle to the middle of the pcikup, the BB is about 4mm closer to the neck. Probably not enough to make a discernible difference! Not all BBs may be the same though.

[quote name='davehux' timestamp='1397123503' post='2420825']If I see a band playing in day wear tee shirts, jeans and scruffy trainers, I just think 'You guys are going nowhere'[/quote] Not everybody wants to go somewhere though. Some people are perfectly happy playing covers around the local pubs, and the people that go there to watch them are there for a good time and a singalong and generally couldn't give a monkeys what the band are wearing.

I imagine they must've been a nightmare to build!

Either upgrade the PA or upgrade your amp. Unless you are playing big venues and have a soundman adjusting your levels who knows what they're doing and is positioned to hear everything out front, I would just upgrade the amp, with a cab that's light and loud and designed for good dispersion throughout the room - like a Barefaced perhaps.

I've not tried either of them, but SFX also do a micro compressor, although it's not listed on the site. [IMG]http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll268/photomx/Micro-pedals/micro-comp01.jpg[/IMG]

Just got delivery of this today, only £20 delivered from here (took a while to arrive from China though): http://www.donnerdeal.com/2013-newest-nux-phaser-core-guitar-effect-pedal-4-stage-and-tape-8-stage-tone-lock-true-bypass-white.html How they can sell a pedal for this price with 32-bit DSP, stereo in/out, relay based true bypass switching (like you only usually get on top notch boutique pedals), and even a battery, is beyond me. How does it sound? Better than the Small Stone or Phase 90 to me. I've not played with a great deal of phasers, but this one's very versatile and has no low end loss. Speed, Depth, Feedback and a Mix knob, and a 4/8 stage switch. You can even save a preset which you can recall by putting the switch in the middle position. Drawbacks? Knobs feel flimsy, like they might break with a clumsy stomp (but I'm quite careful with my stomping). There's also a clicking sound when turning it on and off like some true bypass pedals suffer from. There's also a bit of volume loss if you have the mix set low, like the dry element is a bit too quiet. But this isn't a problem as I set it high and reduce the depth/feedback knobs to make it more subtle. But for £20, I'm a happy camper!

[quote name='FretNoMore' timestamp='1396794580' post='2417387'][/quote] [quote name='FretNoMore' timestamp='1396812449' post='2417626']No, I don't know anything about the circuit. Soundwise, it's a quite "polite" overdrive for lack of better words, touch sensitive, has a bit of low end boost but doesn't muddy the sound. Gives the sound a fatter character without being too obviously distorted if that makes sense. I haven't tried it with the band yet, but I think there are a couple of ballsier blues numbers where it should fit.[/quote] Good description of the Beta, I find it to be the only overdrive I've used that can handle a really hot signal going in (like a Ray4 with the bass knob whacked up full) without overloading and farting out. Great pedal for blues / R&B. I've been thinking of picking up the Cusack Screamer also, what's your take on that one?

Sounds like you could benefit from a nice creamy, bassy, mild overdrive that plays nice with hot active basses and boosts/fattens up your sound in a supporting role in a big band situation- like a Solidgold FX Beta perhaps. Or a VT Bass to make your Markbass sound like a grindy Ampeg tube amp, which is versatile anywhere. Then for the solo stuff, something with lots of clarity that won't destroy your tone, which means a blend, like the EBS Billy Sheehan, Ashdown J-Lo, Brimstone XD-1, Darkglass B3K/B7K/Vintage, VT Bass DI, etc.

Pretty much any amp would work with any cab, no need to stick to a single manufacturer, let alone a single range. For example, I pair up an Orange head with Ampeg cabs. It is nice to have a matching setup though, especially when they are as cheap as Ashdown are knocking them out for these days.

[quote name='ThePapabull' timestamp='1396974934' post='2419352'] thanks to all…. anyone checked the soundblox 2? [/quote] It's not bad. Does a REALLY good low gain tubey overdrive, I found the high gain sounds rather meh, but it certainly gets a lot of rave reviews. You still haven't told us anything about what sounds you're after or what gear you use to help us to help you!

Add on the VAT and they are the same price.

I bought a couple of pedals from the same place using the same shipping method - one took 7 days and the other around 10. It's part of the gamble of buying cheap pedals form the US. If it was 100% trouble free, everyone would be at it!

Try entering the same tracking number into Parcelforce.

Pretty much every solid state head comes with a pair of 8 ohm outputs, and you can hook one of those up to a 4 ohm cab no trouble, I assume this can do the same. The only amps that come with a selection of different outputs where you need to be careful which one you're plugging into are proper heavy tube amps.