Lfalex v1.1

I wondered that. And thought that it made the scratchplate look more matte... and from that came the thought; Stealth SB-2 😃

I should imagine that both G&L and Yamaha buy in vast quantities, presumably in one hit in line with the numbers dictated by their manufacturing forecasts. As such, the unit price will be commensurately lower. I shouldn't imagine that D'Addario make a loss on them unless it's offset by sufficient profits from elsewhere (retail), even then, it doesn't strike me as good business to do less than break-even overall. As @neepheid said, it's nice that G&L aren't cost-cutting unduly and ruining a good product in the process.

Congratulations on your new acquisition! You're right about the pickups being... angry It is possible to tame them though (turn them down!) I reckon Rotos will sound good, but only for about 3 minutes in my hands. They die very quickly for me. Mine came with DR Lo-Riders, which sound good and are still going strong.

Option "B" is definitely Pepsi.

If it sounds good and can withstand the rigours of amplifying the appropriate frequencies cleanly without melting, driver size matters not. The physical placement of the drivers (if more than one besides horn/tweeter) in the cabinet and its orientation is arguably more important , as is where it's pointing and how high it is relative to your ears.

I'm put off by the complexity of the electronics package.

That's in keeping with my experience of similarly aged Trace items; 122HSMX 1153 1048H All had the lettering on the dust cap.

Screw it into the cranks of a bicycle..

Me neither. The search for an EDA 905 and EDC 700/705 continues, however. And maybe, out of nostalgia, an SRX700.. Oh, and I like the look of the Reverend Dub King.. Or one of the MTD supers, And anything else I may happen upon.. Ibanez are unlikely to get any money for a while unless they change direction.. except for a GWB or an SRF705.

Fairly sure I used brasso on a cotton bud to good effect on some Musicman HB sized ones. Tip to prevent recurrence- once clean, put a coat of clear nail varnish over them. I myself favour Max Factor Diamond hard..

Stretch it over a metal grille? Protects the drivers and looks the the way you like it.

I thought my SB-2 Tribute was Mahogany from what I'd read. Given that they use solid finishes on the majority of the tributes, it's virtually impossible to tell.

Yamaha make all sorts of good stuff.

That would be my recommendation. Some pre-amps have some neat tricks up their sleeves that heads and combos don't feature. I've an Ampeg SVP-PRO- basically an SVT II without a power stage- all valve, with all that it entails. I also own a Peavey Max Bass pre, which has a valve and SS gain stage, each with it's own EQ, gain and output. Ok, its variable crossover is arguably overkill, but it can be bypassed. You can then feed the outputs to the power amp of your choice, and then whatever cab takes your fancy. The whole lot doesn't have to be excessively bulky- you could get down to a 1u pre and 1u power amp in a 2u case.

Got this out today, as I had the time to play properly for a couple of hours. Sorry, its filthy now 🙄 Think I've finally got to grips with the EQ- use it to accentuate/de-emphasize the harmonic content using the 3 position switch (? +12dB / flat / -12dB) to get the sound to sit where you want it in the mix. Use the volume control to compensate for any gain/loss in the output, and if there's any shortfall in the low-end, use the AMP EQ to reinforce it a bit. Live (hopefully) the man behind the desk will do the same.. It's only taken 2 decades!

I have a G&L SB-2 Tribute tuned to D standard (DGCF) I bought it strung with 50-110 DR Lo-Riders in E standard, and the tension was too great for me to achieve the degree of articulation I like, so I de-tuned it. Sounds great. Need E standard? I put a capo on the second fret. 2 basses in one, without the fuss or time taken to re-tune or the expense of de-tuners, AND it keeps the fingering patterns intact compared to using drop D and E standard.

If you had spoken to GuitarGuitar about an SB-2, what finish might it have been? Y'know, hypothetically speaking..

Yep. Just measured it. I made it 55~56mm.

(In agreement with much of what had been said before) The real "value" in modding lies in the learning processes; The acquisition of the technical skills to perform the task and the learning curve that accompanies this. The understanding of how the modifications affect the tone and playability of the instrument. The insight that the modification process gives into the original design and construction

I had a Squire (70s) VMJ. I put a BadAss II on it and a set of DR Fatbeams. They were good additions IMO. Pickups would've been next. I felt they these and/or the electrics made it sound a bit "dark"

This, but be aware that the tone controls on the amp might not be centred on the right frequencies for bass guitar. If you can get it to be approximately flat or get the tone you're after from the bass itself or a pedal, then go for it.

Some Warwicks share pickups between 4 and 5 strings. I have 2 that do; An Infnity SN4 and Fortress MM5. The MEC TwinJ (JJ) pickups are the same on both basses. I've been told that they've blades inside rather than individual polepieces.

Unless the "endpin" is well isolated from the floor, it'll cause some good structurally- borne vibrations. Imagine it being played with vigour in a timber- floored upstairs room. Even without amplification, I reckon it'll make its presence felt.

Shoreline looked great on the Roscoe Beck Fenders. Even looks good with tort (as above)

If we're going for car colours (and let's face it, most of the Fender ones were anyway) I'd use Renault Liquid Yellow. Matching headstock. Black plate. No. I've just seen the white blocks and binding. That'll be awful... LPB with matching headstock then.