Dan Dare

Of course not, but it amused me. I realise I've probably blotted my copybook with some on here, but I guess I'll just have to soldier on...

If you like it and then find it may not be as it seems, that'll take the gilt off the gingerbread for you. In your shoes, I'd avoid diving down the rabbit hole. If the serial checks out, just have fun with it. Nowt wrong with MIM Fenders, anyway, especially for the money. I have a MIM P Bass Special (P/J) that does the job as well as any instrument I own.

It's a bit late to worry if you've already done the trade.. If the bass does the job for you, just enjoy it.

The grille on the Ashdown 1x15 cab I used to own was held on with velcro and could be prized away from the baffle with a screwdriver. Even if you're only using the Rumble as a power amp and cab', I'd still be surprised if it will be much of an improvement on what you already have. I'd question whether the BF 1x10, whilst very loud for its size, would do the job for you. A single 10, no matter how capable, just won't shift enough air to be adequate in a rock band. It'll be expensive to find out, too.

Does it make you talk sh!te about other musicians, too?

I use a 4" wide Pinegrove. I bought it to solve the slight neck dive on my Spector (it has a grippy suede liner that helps prevent it slipping), but I find it very comfortable. It's thick leather, decently padded and very nicely made (in the UK, with UK-sourced materials, too, which is a bonus).

I know it depends on the band and how loud the players are, the size of the space you need to fill and whether you have PA support, but I don't reckon a 1x10 or even a 1x12 would be loud enough for a rock band. Modern gear is unquestionably much more efficient than a lot of old school stuff, but there are limits - the laws of physics, Jim and all that. If you have a reasonable amount burning a hole in your pocket, you really should go and try/audition some gear. I appreciate that there may not be a wide choice in the Highlands, but buying on the basis of recommendation alone is often a route to disappointment. Rumbles are a standard recommendation, with good reason. They are portable and good value. However, they do sound a bit generic and I don't think one would improve on what you have. If you like your MAG 210, keep it. 22kg is hardly a behemoth and a quality folding trolley would make life easier and cost far less than new gear.

Agreed. She does clean up rather nicely, mind...

Not great where I live (Hants), but I don't expect it to be. Specialised items tend to be thin on the ground away from major centres of population, unsurprisingly. Say, for example, that one in ten thousand people play the bass and so will have the occasional instrument to sell. In the Greater London area, with approx 10 million inhabitants, there are likely to be a few hundred to choose from at any one time. Move to where I live and you'll find a couple of dozen at best. Better players (excluding the rich and famous who have bought a mansion in the country) tend to live in major population centres because that's where most gigs are. Unless you want a used Squier, there ain't likely to be a lot to choose from.

This. we can only guess, which is not a good idea with anything electrical. Bite the bullet and take it to a competent tech.

Recording rehearsals is very useful. We always do it. We're fortunate, in that our drummer has a home studio in his garden where we can rehearse, so it's straightforward for him to prepare reasonable mixes of rehearsal sessions. But even a simple recording that isn't mixed is helpful. Just set up a portable recorder with a couple of mics. The result will, of course, depend on everyone playing at a sensible volume. I agree with comments above that people should learn parts beforehand and use rehearsal time to stitch it all together, iron out bugs, etc. A recording is valuable as an aide memoire and to check everything works, the key is correct and so on. It also gives you something to play along with at home.

Odd that nobody would bat an eyelid at buying and selling shoes (to cite a random and completely unrelated example) for profit. Why should basses be any different? Perhaps I'm missing something.

Once again, Bill goes above and beyond with advice and help. Mods, please make him a Grand Master. He probably won't be fussed, but it's the least BC can do. Edited to add: Have since found he's already a GM. Just wanted to record my appreciation of his generosity in sharing his knowledge and expertise. Good on ya, Bill.

I'm not putting down Chinese manufacturing per se, just the cheap and nasty end of it. The best Chinese-made stuff rivals anything produced in the world. Plenty of reputable firms have stuff built there, but it will be to their standards and you will have a proper guarantee and some comeback if anything goes wrong. The things I referred to were "50 quid Chinese no-name jobbies" that you can buy on Etsy, Temu and the like. In China, the nickname for such junk is tofu dreg. It's certainly true that you pay a premium for the name for stuff from AKG, Sennheiser, Shure and established brands. However, you can be sure it will do the job. You may well be able to find something cheaper that performs as well, but it won't cost a fraction of the price of the branded product.

Brings back memories of the time when I had Bassman 1x15 and 2x15 cabs and the 135 head. Great sound, but heavy and bulky. I ditched the stock rubbish drivers in favour of Black Widows. I added castors to the 1x15 (the 2x15 had them already - neat removeable ones that had a shaft that plugged into sleeves mounted in the bottom of the cab). I used bolts and nyloc nuts to secure them and never had any issues. You can get self-adhesive foam speaker mounting gasket tape on eBay. Just buy the length you need. Some of the hi-fi DIY firms sell it, too (I know Falcon Acoustics does - I've bought it from them).