ossyrocks

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Thanks for all the input here. I've just snagged a secondhand RM 500 EVO from PMT for £249 on Ebay. I'll hang on to the LM3 too for the time being. Cheers, Rob

When you said that above I went to look at it again and thought, hey you're right, that's a transition logo. I then looked at Andy Baxter's site for comparisons. You would never find that style of logo on an early Strat or Tele, they would be spaghetti. So it seems the basses were different.

Andy Baxter has a '62 body only refinish with a very similar logo, so I think it's probably ok.

It's nice story, I enjoyed reading it. The finish is horrible, what's going on with the finish between the back pickup and the bridge? I do hope his "Best Offer" price is significantly lower too, maybe by about £7k.

I am indeed seriously interested in the new Venture series amps. I have never actually played through an Ampeg, but I have gigged with players using them, and always loved their sound when in the audience. The V3 seems to be readily available to buy, but the V7 is pre-order only. Would the V3 be enough? hmmm

I am a luddite. Up until two years ago I didn't believe an electronic device that didn't contain valves could be called an amp. I try not to use pedals, and prefer to go just straight in. However, I do have to use an octave on one tune in the 9 piece, and for that band, I have an old school Boss BCB30 board with TU2 Tuner, OC3 Octave and LMB3 Compressor. I don't really want to start looking at pedals. What I do need to try is my LM3 into the Barefaced Super Compact. I only picked the cab up a few days ago, so I haven't been able to try that combination out yet. Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed the Mark Bass rig, and I do think they sound better than a lot of stuff out there, but that last gig sowed the seed of doubt in my mind. Perhaps using it through the BF cab instead will dispel that doubt. Rob

Ok, looking at these now. There’s two models EVO and EVO-II. What’s the difference, apart from the price I could get one for? I can see a brand new EVO-II for £549, which seems very reasonable.

@Reggaebass and @Lozz196, two votes for the Ashdown RM ! This wasn’t even on my radar. Do you think the Barefaced Super Compact I’ve just got is a good match? Cheers, Rob

Hi all, I don’t have much bass amp experience. I have a Mark Bass LM3 with 2x10, and a TE Elf which usually runs with a BF One10. I’d like to try another amp to run with a BF Super Compact I just picked up. My bass taste is conservative, vintage P and J basses, strung with flats. Musically, I’m in a little instrumental jazz band, a nine piece soul/ska/funk/disco/rock band, and a straight ahead old school blues band. I want vintage thump and warmth. At a recent gig with my MB rig, in a larger than usual venue, I felt it was lacking in the ooomph department. I’ve asked a mate, a member here, who has a lot more experience than I do, and he recommended a Bergantino Forte D, which look rather nice, but are quite expensive. I have also been thinking about an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500. Hit me up with ideas, ta. Rob

My only experience of piccolo bass has been when used as a complimentary instrument to standard bass, like this one:

Dan Whitelock-Jones in Liverpool is also a good option.

I’m sure I’ve been in a band with you!

As an aside, what's that orange bass he's playing?

I’ve listened to the two tracks he put up on YouTube last week, and I’m halfway through the film about how/why he put this together. That itself is quite interesting. Some of this reminds me a bit of Jing Chi, and that can be fairly challenging, but I applaud the effort and dedication applied to making this, it’s a real achievement, and he should be proud of it. Is it for everyone? No. But I can listen to it and enjoy it for what it is. He’s also provided a full bass transcription of the entire album, for free, for anyone so inclined. I’ve downloaded it, but I’ll have a look at it when I’m feeling penitent.

Cards on the table, I own three vintage Fender basses from the 70’s. There’s another factor in the equation, and that’s as an investment. I really enjoy owning and playing my basses, they’re all in regular use, and go out to gigs in pubs and clubs with me. I also have a Made In Japan PB62 reissue, which is every bit as nice to play, and sounds great, but it doesn’t feel or sound quite like the old ones. Anyway, I have paid a pretty penny for my three vintage basses, all purchased within the last two years, BUT, if I hadn’t thought they would increase in value, I wouldn’t have bought them. I’m not one to drop £3k+ on an instrument only to lose money when I come to sell it. I have very seldom bought anything brand new for similar reasons. I know the market can go down as well as up, and I saw that happen in the late 2000’s, but right now the market is on the up, so I’m in it. Money in the bank is a waste of time and has been for a long time. Assets performing well is where I’ve put a bit of my spare cash, and enjoying them is a bonus. Rob

I actually have a bit of experience in the vintage guitar market, I used to stand shows in the 90's and 2000's. Once a guitar is "outed", it stays outed, and this seller will have a lot to regret regarding his current stance/position with the guitar and his future reputation. He may actually be causing himself more trouble than he anticipates right now. It's a very small world, and this will not go unnoticed. Rob

I had a Two10S too until recently. But this was a walk across town gig, so it had to be a small cab in hand. For anything bigger, and when I’m driving, I generally use a Mark Bass LM3 and a Mark Bass 2x10. One thing I haven’t tried is the Elf through the Mark Bass 2x10 cab. So I might see how that sounds. I really do see a BF Super Compact in my future though. Rob

Another update. The pickup arrived in time for me to fit it before my gigs this weekend. In the 70’s, Fender treated pickups in various different ways after winding, and in my case, this pickup was lacquered after winding in 1973. Ash has rewound it with the correct vintage wire, replicating the original wind, and has re-lacquered it as it was originally. I’ll be honest, I asked if he would wind it slightly hotter than it’s original 7.0k, so he has rewound it to 7.6k for me. The pickup now balances better with the neck pickup, and has ever so slightly more mid and authority than it did before. I think the bass overall is better for it. Yes, the pickup failing and having to be rewound has knocked a bit of value off it, but as an instrument, it’s still fabulous. I would recommend Ash at Oil City Pickups to anyone, great service, and unbelievably great value for money. Cheers, Rob

I finally ran the Elf at it's limit last night. Lancaster Music Festival, I'm on foot, Bass in gig bag, amp and leads in pocket of gig bag, Barefaced One10 in hand, easy commute and walk in. The pub wasn't big, but it was rammed and noisy with punters. The band is drums, bass, guitar, sax and trumpet. No vocals, just jazz instrumentals, some standards and some more modern groovy stuff. PA is small and just for horns. I had the master on full, and pre-amp at noon, but it performed admirably and it was enough, but I have found it's limit I think, through this cab anyway. If I'd had a second One10 it would have been a different matter I think. I'm seriously considering getting a BF Super Compact for extra oomph. Rob

@Sean bought my Barefaced cab. Great chap to deal with all round. Parcelfarce did screw up and delivered a day late when it was supposed to be a 24 hour service, but he was very understanding. I’ll do my best to get some compo off them and send it back to him. Cheers, Rob