JapanAxe

I think I sold a bit of kit to this guy once on eBay, but thankfully I'm certain it wasn't anything that would have ended up on that... item

From that list of questions - actually, [i]I'd[/i] like a Betty Boop guitar strap!

More internal shots: Rather worrying blackening of the insulation on the mains switch terminals: Happily, all the valves tested good - 5x unbranded ECC83 (12AX7), 2x Mullard EL34. Another slight concern - the HT fuse had previously blown, and been bypassed by some fine wire (fuse wire?) wrapped around the fuse. Bonkers!

Pics! Rear panel: Inside rear of amp. Two Mullard EL34 valves. Mains transformer on left, OPT on right, and mahoosive choke hiding behind two dual 32uF caps: Cover off - now you can see the choke more clearly. Panel-mounted controls and pre-amp valves (phase splitter not shown):

[quote name='Wooks79' timestamp='1386183596' post='2296902'] How's it sound? I'm tempted to pick one up. [/quote] At the moment - appalling! Pots are scratchy and intermittent. Even at living-room levels, horrendoulsly farty on both channels, almost like ring modulation. I have yet to look inside though...

This amp belonged to a bass player who had retired from gigging, my friend bought it from him out of pity (along with a 2x12 cab from which he kept the drivers), then asked me if I'd like it. Having replace his arm in its socket and reimbursed him the paltry sum which he had paid, it is now mine: This will be a bit of a project for me - learn the schematic, test the valves, replace the filter caps, replace the worn mains lead, plus any other necessary work. Gut shots to follow! Anyone else got one of these?

Although my fretless was something of an impulse purchase I don't think I'd have bought an unlined equivalent. Scott's point is that lines makes it easier to start with, and I agree with that.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1386019347' post='2294765']Very true - and I do like Ampeg gear a [i]lot[/i]. But an S12 is a one-hand lift. So are my BFMs. Hauling heavy cabs became very tedious after three decades. [/quote] Make that one decade!

Hideous! *adds item to watch list*

Sweet! Can't go far wrong with a G&L, with the possible exception of option anxiety - 12 switch settings before you even touch a knob!

If it's a song we do, we'll do it. If it's one we don't, I make a note of who requested it and where, and may consider learning it for a return visit.

Welcome Ed! Many of us here are already familiar with your video reviews - good for stoking up GAS!

Social clubs tend to do next year's bookings from October to December. Country music clubs book anything up to 2 years in advance.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1385685628' post='2291278'] If you watch yourself play, or pretty much anyone, most people tend to play over a pickup. This prevents you digging in too much during faster passages. Having a ramp between the pickups, or over any other area of exposed body enables the same thing. It just smooths out your playing, there's a tendency when not playing over something for the finger tips to get more attack, and accent the notes. Obviously sometimes this is something that you want, so in that case a ramp may get in the way, without modifying your technique anyway If I'm playing jazz for example, I like to play closer to the neck for a warmer sound. [/quote] [quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1385681247' post='2291227'] It helps you to make sure you don't dig in too much as well making poncy jazzy nonsense a bit easier (I think!) [/quote] So it's basically to compensate for poor technique then? *tiptoes over to coat rack...*

Suggest you contact Ashdown via their website. I did this before when I had to replace a 15in driver and they were very quick and not too expensive.

Heavier strings are likely to pull the neck forward slightly, increasing the 'relief', i.e. making it more concave under the strings. With your original strings at concert pitch, use capos or padded clamps of some kind to hold down the strings at the first fret and the fret where the neck meets the body. Find the point half way between these points and use feeler gauges to measure the clearance of the strings above the frets. Note down this figure for the G string and the E string (which may well have more clearance). When you fit your new strings, do these measurements again. If they have increased you have the option of bringing them some way back into line by tightening the truss rod. Go no more than a 1/4 turn at a time. Then do your nut work and bridge height adjustments. Check the relief again. If you are getting string buzz or rattle you may need to take off some of the truss rod tension you have added, by slackening it slightly.

Didn't know that about the Aux In and phones out on the BH500. You're right about the treble content of recorded music compared to a bass guitar. Did you do the thing where you cover the tweeter and listen for the difference?

If I only had what I needed I would have a lot less than what I've got!

Gone through the A's this morning and moved these two to the challenge file, my first contenders:[list] [*]Africa (Toto) - not difficult as such, just need to tighten up the timing, in terms of both the 16ths rhythm and the funny phrasing (some pairs of bars feel like 3+5 rather than 4+4); [*]Ain't No Stopping Us Now (McFadden & Whitehead) - found this in an old dep older so had a go - doable, but again needs work to make it tight. [/list]

OK so you are sorted for heads. Just buy a Midget! Plenty BF cabs going cheap(-ish) now as people upgrade. I noticed your post in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/223545-for-those-of-you-who-dont-drive-or-live-in-inner-city-areas"]this thread[/url] - a Midget on a bus or the tube would be no problem.

Plug an iPod or something into the Aux Input and play something with lots of cymbals in it. This should bypass all the tone controls. Get your ear down by the tweeter (careful with the volume!) and listen. You should hear a difference when you put your hand over the tweeter - if not, your tweeter is dead. If all is good, try playing your bass with a plectrum, and all controls on the guitar full up. Compare between full treble boost and full treble cut on the amp. I bet you can hear a difference now!

If your cab is working right, it will give you up to 20kHz thanks to the tweeter. Without the tweeter it would only give you up to about 4kHz. According to TC's tech specs, the BH500's treble control operates to cut at 1.6kHz and boost at 4kHz. It doesn't say what the tweetertone does, but presumably it is meant to operate on higher frequencies. All this makes me wonder how much top end is coming out of your bass in the first place. What bass are you playing, is it active or passive, what strings are on it, and how new are they?

Another benefit of adding a BF midget is that this effectively gives you [b]three[/b] rigs: Amp + Midget = tiny but surprisingly big-sounding rig - I also use this as my practice set-up Amp + Compact = what you have now, and what I use for function band gigs Amp + Compact + Midget = take no prisoners - I use this for loud rock gigs Of course if you then get another (spare) head, you have the same all over again in a different flavour, plus you can have two complete amps set up for teaching (if that's your thang). At the risk of stating the obvious, don't just add any other 8ohm cab to your Compact, as they are not likely to play together nicely, let alone look bitchin'! Finally, if you are anywhere near Swindon, PM me to try your bass guitar and amp head through various Midget/Compact combinations. I can even play guitar while you do this to give you an idea how it would all sound in a band context. Oops - have I stoked your gas!? [font=comic sans ms,cursive][i]PS - I am not looking to sell any part of my bass rig.[/i][/font]