lownote

I used to so hate my local blues jam I'd do one number/song then bolt home. To then face kindly comments the following week as to how they'd called me and I'd disappeared. I'm now in a gigging band but am nowhere so bad. Nerves aren't good for me. If I'm nervous I collopse, whether in performance or exams. But like olslapper above I don't like being looked at and often find I've turned my back on the audience without intending to. If I correct this, I turn around again [repeat]. But then I am f*ckin weird generally.

Alex said: " [The BB1] is unlikely to go as loud as that stack with that amp. I'd expect you to need ~800W with the newer BB2 to match ~300W into the Ashdown stack (I doubt they'll handle more than that without getting very muddy or overdriven) but the older Big Baby isn't as efficient."

Now had input from Alex at BF, so that closes the post, ta.

Toying with the idea of replacing my two Ashdown Rootmaster 210Ts with a Barefaced Big Baby (Gen1). As noted in another post I'm finding the Ashdowns a bit 2D at louder volumes. Thinking of swapping them out for the BB. Anyone got experienced opinions on whether the Big Baby would equal or out-perform the Ashdowns? Especially as one set up is 4 ohms, the other (the BB) 8 ohm.

GABCDEFGA Good Boys Deserve Fruit Always All Cows Eat Grass

[sigh] No idea, a lot of people ask that. It's partly because they're all almost deaf septa/octaganarians.

I have noticed before that the big difference with cheap v expensive cabs is the latter (Markbass/Barefaced) still sound great at full bore, whereas cheaper drivers start to give a featureless thud. Thus was my experience with my fairly newly acquired Rootmaster 210s last weekend when forced to play very loud by my very loud band.

I have a Harley Benton JB which is great but very heavy. Too heavy to be practical for gigging. Is there any way to lighten my load?

Bass Amp Speakers x2 Three leads (one instrument, two cabs)

11 years ago I took up bass. I am very unmusical so it's been a slow and often depressing grind to achieve competence. What carried me through was the unwavering obsession of Getting in a Band. Finally, a year ago, I got there. I was given the bass chair in one of the better regional rock and blues band in my area. Yay. YAY! But now, goal finally achieved, I'm finding the same music, the same band mates (all of whom are great BTW), the same hassle getting gigs, then playing the same music to more or less drunk people in the same pubs. And a question: So - where do I go from here? I am fully expecting considerable abuse for this post ("kin ell, you're in a gigging band and you're wingeing!"), but I'm also hoping to harvest some positive thoughts from those who've been down this route as to what carried them on into the future.

I had one. Monster sound and lightweight. Should never have sold it. But MB and PJB fine too.

£10 - £650, over 40+ basses. But there's no correlation with quality. I have a £120 bass that's better made than my £650 instrument. I've had mid range basses that were dead, and cheaper basses that leaped in my lap to be played. Overall my best squeeze was a £300 Fender P MiM. With a 5 or 6 string I would strongly recommend a long think, and play if possible. With the 6 string spacing can be a major factor - too tight may not be your bag, for others tight may be OK. You don't know till you try. I am going thru a fun phase of seeing how cheap I could get and still have a good bass. That's currently a Revelation uFL P worth £120, and a Harley Benton JB40 worth £140.

Mrs Lownote giving me earache

This +10. I have bought unlikely basses that in the flesh lept into my lap begging to be stroked: a Peavey and a Cort 5 and my current Revelation in particular. I've also had basses that looked a shoe in on paper that once home left me totally cold: a Yamaha in particular, and two Ibanez. Even within one brand wood and spec (especially string spacing) can make a difference. I really like Sires, but not the ash body versions. I've had two and had to send them back because I couldnt' get on with the tone. WAY different to alder to my ears. Dunno why, it's just me Bear in mind if you buy online you can usually return, although the retailer may grump a fair bit.

And if you're going that near the shallow end, both Harley Benton and Revolution are cheaper, and better quality. I have had an Affinity and it was OK, it's just that the bass world's offering has changed a lot in say the last five years, both with new players in the field and a ramp up in quality across the board.

Different animal I'd have thought. The Sire's superpower is the EQ and its huge range of tones. Fender P is a well made ironing board with strings - if its a well made one, with one tone - if it's what you want. Not knocking it, just saying, the AB is a bit apples and oranges, very much IMHO.

Welcome to the Revolution world. How are the frets? Smoothness and sharp ends I think are always a give away on poor basses. Mine is fretless so I'm interested what the fretted are like.

Scott Devine just posted a blind sound comparison of a top end Sire against a $12000 Fodera. I couldn't tell the two apart. FWIW. I've had four. The early ones were on a par with Squiers buildwise, a league beyond in terms of sound and electrics, at an amazing price point. I believe the generation 2 models have moved the build quality too up to the point where Scott called it ' a professional bass'. If you reckon a pro bass to be an Overwater or good Fender, say, at around £2-3k, then at £800 the Sire is still amazing value. And of course that's the top of the range, you can get the cheaper Sires for under £300.

I've had 40+ bassess of all sorts and valued from £800 down to £25. There were some amazing bargains to be had but hands down the best overall quality tone, playability and build balance belonged to a £300 secondhand MiM Fender P bass. I'm not specially a Fender bunny, just saying that was my experience...