Dan Dare

I'd bet the grille cloth/badge is rattling. Size is not everything. As Bill points out, there is a great deal to building a cab that performs well. If what you've done works for you, that's good, but the BF is a far better and more realised design. It will also hold value far better - you are unlikely to recoup much of what you've spent on the Chillbass plus the replacement driver.

Photoshop's a lot of fun, isn't it?

My parents, God bless 'em, paid for my violin lessons during my teens. They didn't think much of it when I started playing the guitar and the bass or, heaven forbid, developing an interest in non-classical music, but by that time, I didn't care what they thought and revelled in their disapproval. So yes, they helped by getting me started and ensuring I could read music and their gripes merely spurred me on when I went my own way.

Keep an eye on the Fusion website. They have sales on occasion. I got their almost Sherman tank proof model for around £100. Nice bag. Failing that, the Thomann others recommend is nice for the money.

I play bluegrass mandolin and like a reasonably heavy pick - a Tortex in around 1.5 thickness. You need something rigid for playing at speed - the pick must push the string out of the way, rather than the other way around. When the fingers get a bit sweaty, it can be difficult to keep a grip on the pick, especially as Tortex is a hard and smooth material. I've found that drilling a hole in the centre of the pick so you have skin to skin contact through it helps a lot.

I usually go straight into the amp with no effects. As I play in a soul/rhythm and blues function band, that's what's called for most of the time. I do like to fatten the fretless with a bit of reverb and maybe the slightest hint of chorus and/or a touch of compression when I use it. It's all down to what the music you play needs.

Debatable. It depends on the frequency the filter is set at. It can certainly increase the perceived clarity, but not necessarily the trouser-flap factor.

Looking at pictures of the Chillbass cab, it appears to be shaped more like a guitar cab - wide and not very deep. I can't see whether it has any porting, but it doesn't appear to be a sophisticated design. Was it expensive? If not, I would be inclined not to try to improve it. I'd sell it and put the proceeds, plus the money you were intending to spend on a replacement driver towards something like another BF 1x10. You will not make the Chillbass sound as good as the BF and you will always notice the deficiency when you compare the two.

I wonder whether the perceived lack of thud, slam, heft, etc in some class D heads is due to the fact that manufacturers build in some sort of subsonic filtering. PJB do this, for example.

Thanks. You may have just saved me some money 👍

Where are you? I still have my old Tascam 424 Portastudio (double speed). I don't have the means to transfer them, but it should play them. If you're near London, you might drop by with your laptop and we could try to copy them across.

Malcom Hine (MPH Guitars) in Edmonton. Google will find him. He designs, builds and repairs valve amps.

I take it "Junior Bass Groovador" didn't pass the audition...

I take it they used lead-based paints back in the day.

Doesn't seem any point in being entirely cable free. Going wireless from your instrument to your rig, pedal board or even the PA if going direct has an obvious purpose, but how often would you need to cart your pedal/effect board around whilst playing?

I'd be very surprised if there was such a beast as a class A bass amp (apart from low power studio stuff). Class A amps are very inefficient and produce large amounts of heat. For live bass use, you'd probably need something the size of a coal bunker, with truck cooling fans. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating, but not that much.

I reckon a Quilter plus F112 would be pretty spectacular.

Split the difference and experiment with a slightly heavier pick than .73 (which is pretty light)? I'm mainly a finger player, but use a pick sometimes. I also play mandolin and guitar and found it worth experimenting with pick weights. Maybe try something in the .85 - 1mm range? Should still have much of the flexibility you like but produce a bit more poke in the sound. Another thought occurs. Pick material makes a difference. The difference between, say, a Dunlop Tortex and a nylon Herco is quite marked. The Tortex is harder and will be a bit stiffer for a given thickness.

Bands I've been in have done the same. It makes sense, in that the remaining members don't have to buy out anyone who leaves, or worse, sell the PA, split the proceeds and start again.

I do like the Quilter a lot. If I didn't have my AG700, I'd get one. I may still do so if one pops up used at a decent price.

Just put the mic' close to the PA speaker and turn the wick up 😁

It's a toilet for a dolls house.

AG700? Same power module and an effects loop.

Uh oh. Tonewood...

I'd love to try a decent pre' into a Powersoft or Lab Gruppen power amp. Just need to win the lottery.