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[quote name='Kirky' post='1314477' date='Jul 24 2011, 09:38 AM']Mine has arrived and sounds fantastic through my compact. The only problems are the loud fan...[/quote] Yes it's a shame that the fan is fairly loud. I'm hoping there is an upgrade I can do. It's a wonderful amp though. I think I've found my settings for a fingerstyle alder P / TI flats by cutting significantly at 450hz with a slight treble cut and compressor on half (no Hi/Lo boosts engaged). The compressor adds a nice squareness to the note attack and the overall sound is not harsh at all but almost valvey. There are still plenty of mids in there. Very John McVie. I might even get another PF-115HE for it. I also need to find Ampeg PF cabinet covers but as far as I know there aren't any yet.

[quote name='gafbass02' post='1354143' date='Aug 28 2011, 10:18 AM']If they made a trace micro head with the preshapes, a graphic and some cool lighting I think I'd do all sorts of over excited dance moves and start franticly selling stuff [/quote] Wow, that would be cool, especially if it sounded right. Sadly, as much as I have a soft spot for some of the amps that I have owned (with the Trace being one of the very best), the thought of a big heavy amp nowadays seems a step backwards. It was hard but I think I'm gradually accepting lightweight as the way forward. So a Trace amp with a real Trace signature punchy tone like the old ones would be excellent.

I will agree that the F500 is 'fiddly'. I borrowed an F1 and then based on that I bought an F500 which I had for a while. It was ok but didn't compare to my more expensive preamp/Berg combination so I sold it as I didn't need 2 rigs. My situation has changed and I now want a 2nd rig again and I would take the F1 instead of the F500. This sounds delicious. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49nnpXzPMlA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49nnpXzPMlA[/url] I don't have any experience yet with the LM3.

Yes that green one is a 60s Fender - perhaps a 64 or 67. It is the one used on the 1st 3 Stranglers albums which is largely the tone people think of when talking about JJB. This bass just sounded unique (and yes, the torn speakers as well). Rosewood neck too. Apparently the green spray job is quite rough when you see it up close. He broke it but when glued back together it just never sounded the same.

I had an early Shuker JJB. With Roto rounds, nice action and played with a pick it sounded just like the the bass from Black and White. In the end it was too alive and aggressive for what I need today. My 18 year old self would have loved it though. I also had a 2008 Maple/Black P that I thought sounded just as good. Either got me in the ball-park of the JJB tone if I wanted it, with the Shuker just edging it but for a traditional, warmer P tone I would go with the Fender. It's funny, the first 3 Stranglers albums (the ones that defined the JJ tone) were from an alder and rosewood bass.

The general concensus seems to be pre-Peavey, pre-Gibson with perhaps a peak around MKV / Series 6. Ultimately I would take an SMX myself - the one with the fancier graphics but 12 band EQ, dual compressor, valve input and overall tone balance. At least that is my experience with the preamps alone. Sounded superb to me and it was the last Trace I sold from my collection including early Ah250 GP11, MKV, S6 Silver. I tried a new model Trace a month or so ago and I really wanted it to be a Trace for the new era - but it didn't do it for me and there was some distortion related to the second gain arrow as a note decayed and this light faded.

I have found nothing that sounds similar to classic Trace Elliot. It has a certain sound of its own. That said, one option would be to pair a Trace pre with a Bergantino IP rig of whatever cab size you choose. That worked extremely well for me. And they're both green

I'm a long time Precision player who currently has GAS for a Classic Ray! I honestly believe you don't need a herd of Precisions, maybe one with flats and one with rounds. IMO the main choice to make is what nut width do you prefer. I find the latest US Precisions to be a bit narrow. I like a P bass to feel like BASS so vintage 1962 spec for me - wide and shallow. I've had so many Fender Precisions that my next one I'm assembling myself with my own parts and mods - JustaNut, P Retro preamp, original '62 pups, Babicz bridge and Brazilian Rosewood neck and 1 3/4" nut. I'm not going for authenticity here but hopefully a real good 'Precision'. If I could buy an aftermarket MM bridge with mutes that would probably go on instead as I love the warmth that mutes bring to the table. I may then sell the rest of my collection which includes a minty black/maple 79 and a Pino CS. I think I could get down to one Precision. Though I'm looking forward to fingerfunkin on a classic Ray right now for that Chic thing.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1248203' date='May 28 2011, 01:17 PM']this bass is the embodiment of mojo and has it's place in the history of music. This bass is quite literally world famous.[/quote] Now if this was the bass that recorded Rhythm Stick then we could be talking real history and real mojo. But as far as I know it isn't. Rhythm Stick is Norman's most famous line and that could indeed have really boosted it's mojo.