Dan Dare

A pal has a JB combo and I've used it. Surprisingly pokey for its size and smooth sound (without being dull). Very musical, as guybrush says. You'll probably need a pedal or two if dirty/overdriven sounds are your thang, but aside from that, it's a great little combo.

Hilarious. I hope NG was being ironic. Apart from anything else, a dynamic mic like a SM58 (as in the photo) would be useless for picking up something as quiet as that on a noisy stage.

Your Suitcase + C4 will be a fine combination. I have two C4s and a 4B (the Suitcase is effectively a 4B with amplification added). The 4B and one C4 makes a great compact rig.

Gotta be a home brew. Up to £92, I see.

Re-badged D'Addarios, not doubt

Make sure you're using genuine Neutrik Speakon plugs. Speaklocs and other cheap substitutes don't always mate properly with the real thing (although the manufacturers claim they do, of course). PJB kit uses the genuine article.

You could try filling the drums with that cavity wall insulation foam. Just pump it in via the little air holes on the sides of the shells. Once it solidifies, it's job done.

To answer the original question, yes there is bad stuff out there, but the average quality level is a lot higher these days and the cost is much lower. When I bought my Jazz Bass in 1972, it cost several months wages, for example.

Hilarious. I suppose some idiots fall for it (like the fools who pay a fortune for soiled bed linen used by stars and sold by the hotels they stay in).

Suspect it could be a rebadged Squier. That headstock decal looks well dodgy - too far from the fingerboard.

70s style headstock logo. Maybe a misprint and should read 72?

If you like the Aguilar sound, maybe a more powerful head of theirs would give you the extra headroom. If you have plenty lolly, a DB751 should suit (although not a true lightweight). failing that, an AG700 (which I use) is pretty pokey.

Interesting. I have several PJB 4x5 cabs and one of them is more than the equal of any single 10 I've come across in terms of weight and volume. They do take some driving, however. They're not very efficient and soak up power but they can give it out when fed enough juice.

Don't 4 5" speakers have exactly the same surface area as a single 10"? Area of a circle is Pi x r squared. So 2.5 x 2.5 x 3.142 x 4 = 78.55, the same as 5 x 5 x 3.142.

Phil's suggestion a good one. Much cheaper than mine (which are Thule and came with the rack), but the same thing.

Heavy covers? Great for preventing your cabs from getting dented/scratched. Oh...

My back-up head used to be a Veyron. As JapanAxe says, it's not a true 2000w, but mine made plenty of noise and had decent eq. For the money, it was very good. Get the mosfet, rather than the valve one - cheaper and no difference in sound that I could detect. Used, you'll likely pick on up for the mid 200s. In terms of bang per buck, a bargain. And if it goes pop, you can always buy another...

Have a look at Quiklok stands. Not cheap, but do the job.

Another vote for Watford Valves.

I use the webbing straps from my surfboard/canoe roof rack to attach stuff to a wheelboard. They have latches that you can tighten, but undo easily.

A small mixer, as others say, will do the job and allow you to connect an iPod, CD player or whatever so you can play along to songs. Do use decent headphones, though. Preferably closed back with a proper bass response. I use Beyer DT770s, which I find excellent.

G&L L2000. Fabulous pickups - very versatile tones. Nicely put together, not too heavy, a quality instrument. But... just couldn't get on with the neck. Wide and flat - more so than my P bass - and just struggled with it. Perhaps because I've played a Jazz for 30+ years. I persevered, because it was such a good, do-it-all instrument, but sold it in the end and got a P Bass Special, which just seems to suit me. However, the pickups/sound aren't as good as the G&L.