Bassman Steve

Ohmio, Ohmio, wherefore art thou etc etc. :-)

I have a Palmer y box which splits the signal and has phase reverse etc. I wanted to be able to use the eq of each amp as they run into different speaker configurations.

+1 for the winged C 6550. I have them in my Boogie Bass 400 and they are a great sounding valve.

I always go by the maxim 'the best way to impress is not to try'. Be yourself as everyone else says and very good luck indeed.

Also, if you get the gig, get emailing the bass, amp and string manufacturers to get the endorsing deals in place.

Call Ron at BCS, they're based in North Boarhunt near Portsmouth. Excellent cases and very reasonable rates indeed. You're after a 'top hat' case I think you'll find. BCS will build whatever you want.

I was recently prompted to contact Boogie to find out some more about the 2x18 and they have responded to say it was never a production item and could be a one-off. I wonder if there any others out there? Anyone know of another one?

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1352508302' post='1864165']
[color=#222222]Similar thing happened at a gig in the 80s when we were supporting a band with Frankie Miller’s old guitar player (Ray someone or other). Apparently it’s a bit of a common problem with guitars that have necks made from mahogany. The thing was that it was a 59 Les Paul worth an absolute fortune![/color]

[color=#222222]We put him onto a guy in Bradford who sorted it out and did a really good job! Still, it must have knocked thousands of the value of the guitar, which was pretty much the guy’s pension……[/color]
[/quote]

That will be the great Ray Minhinnet - had the great joy of working with him many years ago.

Easy answer- John Deacon (though I'd have quit after Flash Gordon). If nothing else I would LOVE to have experienced that Acoustic/Hiwatt rig at ramming speed.

By the way, if you're lurking John, any chance of buying that tort scratchplate you took off the Precision before you sprayed it black and stuck a black 'plate on it?

You deserve at least a Jupiler for that - have a genever chaser too!!

Usually just play two octave scales or Sailor's Hornpipe (starting at the octave on the G string) when trying a bass (note I'm in Portsmouth) and those two and 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' when trying amps - the latter is good because it needs a fair bit of definition and is a good low-down (not as in badass :-)) workout for the speaker.

Personally, I see the use of a switch rather than the Jazz layout to be a major flaw. I reckon the ability to have a variety of 'blended' sounds far better than having a pick-up switch.

My own opinion, I hasten to add.

Best pub guitar sound I ever heard (played with) was a guy with an old 18 watt Marshall Bluesbreaker 2x12 combo. Just ran it flat out and mic'd it and it sounded immense.

Didn't want to give any impression that 10's were rubbish. I did try to say that opinions will differ to avoid any offence at all (I guess I must have failed).

My own experience tells me I don't get on with 10's and would always use a 2x15 but that's just me. Rightly or wrongly I have been thoroughly delighted with the same cab for nearly 25 years which must have saved me an absolute fortune in buying and selling other cabs.

I do apologise if my opinion is invalid, and my observation also.

Just goes to show how tastes vary - I wouldn't have anything with 10's in it as a gift. Possibly because I'm a finger style player but I have never heard any such cab (and I've had to play through a few on tours) that can hold down the bottom end like a (good) 2x15.

Just my opinion based on my experience but we all have different views (as already expressed here).

Consider this, how many cabs with 4,6 or 8 10" speakers can you buy on BC at the moment? OK, now how many 2x15's? That's right, those that have them, keep them.

It's definitely an addiction and also a religion too I reckon. I have never felt the need for either an artificial stimulant or spritual crutch and I'm certain that's because of music and Clarence Fender (probably in that order to be fair).

My guess (and it is a guess, not tried it) would be that plugging into the Mesa power amp input (via effects return?) would disable the pre-amp and give you just the graphic. I am pretty sure the manual states that (see below).

The Effects Return jack can also be used to plug directly into the 400's power section. The
Master can regulate sensitivity, and the Graphic EQ will be functional. If you wish to use
only the preamp section of your Bass 400, you can use the Effects Send jack as a preamp
output; be sure to set the Effects Blend at 10 and the Master to 0. This will prevent signal
from driving the power section, so running the amp without a speaker or load resistor will
be OK.

I dought one of those two tier tool boxes from B&Q for 20 quid. Has wheels on the bottom and a handle which folds up so you can pull it. Brilliant buy it was.

VW Sharan - 1.9TDi. Drummer with kit, me with flightcased 2x15 and amps etc + friend. 50 mpg easy. A Sharan is a phenomenal vehicle for gigging. The removable rear seats are the thing to go for.

Not quite such a Fender 'anorak' as others (which is not meant as an insult - far from it) but I once owned a 1961 Precision (bought from John Entwistle) which had a very thin neck in the same way as this one. Very wide and very thin.

Not to say this hasn't been thinned but I have encountered this before and the note from JE didn't mention any work having been done (and the notes he sent with his basses were pretty comprehensive).

There is a thread on here at the moment which talks about naming and shaming a retailer over the level of service (relating to a guitar which may be ex-demo). The idea is that the place won't be named if the service is good.

That set me wondering (not good in a bass player I accept). I think it's just as good to know the dealers that handle complaints and deal with them well. Two examples if I may;

1. Andertons - bought an Ampeg PF350 and took one home still in its box. Worked fine on day 1 but didn't work the next day. I had already attached it to the lid of the cab but that was no problem.

I took it back and was not only able to exchange it without the feet etc. but was also allowed to upgrade to the 500 with only 15 quid to pay after my loyalty points were taken into account. The guy even did all the swapping the head onto the cab lid for me.

To my mind Andertons deserve credit for excellent customer service and I will go out of my way to shop there in future as a result.

2. Digital Village (DV247) - I have recently been changing all my various Precision cases for SKB Precision cases and DV247 do them at a great price. The first one I bought was not the most recent spec (the catches were different on the newer models) but was otherwise fine (it was in a sealed box and was clearly un-used).

I didn't expect them to change it as there was nothing actually wrong with it but they made no attempt to fob me off and offered to let me keep the first case until the newer spec'd one arrived (which would have left them with a used case to dispose of).

Again, I will go out of my way to use them for certain things.

Ok, neither of those are too earth shattering but I think the mark of a good shop is how they handle things when there's a problem more than anything else.

Any other examples out there?

Spooky in that I used my slab body Precision with The Pretty Things too. The sound of those things is extraordinary and I'd have it straight away if I had the money. I miss mine and would not have parted with it had I known how rare it was.

If it's a new acquisition I'd agree wholeheartedly with Beedster. When I bought my Bass 400 it took me about 6 months to really get to know it and understand it. I stopped using it for a while and went back to the pair of Orange heads I had at the time.

Once I had got to know it I haven't ever looked at another gigging amp (in the last 22 years) as every sound you ever wanted is in there. Persist and you'll save yourself a fortune in GAS you don't even need to have.

I've always wanted one but, in my hands, would be nothing more than an expensive paint stirrer. :-(

My wallet's quite lucky here because I would only have a 1958 Precision but I don't want a maple board one. Rosewood came in the year after so I can save the money (some chance!!).