Dan Dare

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1481038917' post='3189212'] I've thought about making a beveled/angled something to place on top of my subs so it's impossible to place cups on top of them, never got to do it but it comes to my mind every other gig. Only times i've got really upset while playing was when a punter (and even staff members) rebember to place drinks on top of my amp, usually they get the hint after they see my furious face looking at them... i'm a bit OCD with my gear... maybe more than a bit... [/quote] Ah, drinks on gear. My favourite. I wouldn't say it's OCD to worry about it at all. The subs for my PA are a magnet for glasses. I explain to peeps that the power amps are built in to them and that if the drink goes over, the fans will suck it inside and wreck them (at £3k a pop, not fun) and they just look at me as if I'm mad.

Mesa. A pal uses one with his 70s P bass and the sound is spot on.

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1480887183' post='3187909'] I'd love to see some of the classical musos I know trying to cope with an authentic period 17th or 18th C classical music audience (to match their authentic period instruments). The ones where they'd cheer during bits which they liked (the equivalent to the round of applause 8 bars in to a hit on a live album when the audience suddenly recognise their fave tune, or after the lead guitarist does a blistering solo), make the orchestra play their good bits again, often in the middle of a piece, or call out in the concert for the orchestra to play some hits and oldies that they knew. [/quote] hence the old joke - That Pavarotti. Great singer, but a bit precious. Doesn't like it when you try to join in.

La Bella 760FL the closest to 40-100 Chromes, I think. The gauges are almost identical. Thomastiks too supple in my experience. The .70 A string is just too soft (to get the octave accurate, you need to push the saddle waaaay forward). Shame, because they sound great. I replaced the A on my set with a Chrome in .80. It's almost as good sounding as the E, D and G, but not quite (although better than the soggy Thomsatik A, which sounded a bit limp to my ears).

Above the 12th fret? It's a bass, for heaven's sake, man. Get a grip...

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1480492225' post='3184738'] You are going back to a time when 25W was a high power speaker and 50W was pretty exotic. Speaker coils were wound onto paper and stuck down with very simple adhesives. At any higher power the paper singes and the glue melted letting the coil distort and rub against the magnet. A 100W amp cost several weeks wages. I remember Goodmans bringing out what was the first affordable 50W 15" speaker in this country. If you wanted a 100W speaker until then a 4xsomething was the only way. It also raised efficiency to the level where 100W was enough to fill a large auditorium. You are also going back to a time when speaker theory was pretty much unknown. Thiele re-published the theory we all use in 1971 and it took a while after that to be widely adopted by music speaker designers. Partly that's why there are so many bonkers designs from back then, no real theory. Basically the reason we don't use 4x15's is better glue This + 1. I'd suggest better materials all round, in addition to the glue, as well as a better understanding of what is important. The bonkers designs were all people groping about in the dark. Sure, some worked, but more out of luck than anything else and they helped pave the way to where we are now. In 50 years time, I have no doubt people will look back with fond amusement at the stuff we consider state of the art now. [/quote]

If you can carry it, of course. Would have thought you wouldn't gain much over two 2x15s.

With your tight budget, why not look for something used? Neither of the amps you mention (of which I second suggestions for the MB200) will have the power of a Shuttle.

That is so cute and for Mykesbass's comment. [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1480365912' post='3183799'] Obviously not afraid of woofers. [/quote]

And of course, with a combo, if the amp goes down, you have no rig whilst it's being fixed. With separate head, you can use another with your existing cab and carry on regardless.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1480067439' post='3181376'] Dummy loads are for guitarists who want to make the power amp valves in their amp work hard without producing ear-splitting volume. [/quote] They also prevent you from destroying the output trannie if you want to run the amp without a cab - in a studio setting for example.

I have the B1000 (class D lightweight) and like it a lot. Very clean/neutral sounding but you can dirty it up a bit with the valve front end.

[quote name='tonyclaret' timestamp='1480066833' post='3181360'] Agh I wondered the "d" was for ha ha The Long suffering wife that never see their husband as they are always out gigging! [/quote] Some of them are probably quite relieved about that...

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1479755304' post='3179038'] Black Friday is a bit like the Xmas sales it is 99% tat and crap [/quote] Oh Yes. +1. It's the way shops get rid of old stock so they can make room for the Xmas/new year stuff.

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1479712835' post='3178566'] I tried this once with an old traynor 4x10, it pretty much fell to bits after I ran the saw through it (cheap osb board and stapled together without much glue). Whole thing ended up in the bin! I'm sure this is possible but I'd say you're better off selling unless you're sure it's solid ply construction where you can get some good strong joints with battens, screws etc on the new wood. Then there's the finishing to consider, which will be hard to do neatly unless you re cover both boxes completely. [/quote] This. As an inveterate fiddler, I can't resist modifying and "improving" things. I nearly always regret it. destroys any resale value.

Split the difference. Quite full and £50 or £60 in my pocket. On a more serious note, if you depend on it, you have to take the money. Those who don't have to pay the bills from music can be a bit too keen to look down their noses at the "breadheads" who need to earn a living, imho. I'm now in a position of being comfortable and not needing the money, but I remember the days when every penny counted and would never disparage someone who needs to put food on the table.

Good to break in new flats to get rid of the twang. I just put them on, take them up to pitch, back down to slack, back up to pitch and so on a few times. Seems to dull them nicely.

Some Euros or dollars, so he/she can afford the stuff that's gone up in price for mysterious reasons recently :-)

Most important question to ask yourselves is "Is the main band's audience our potential audience?". If it is (and you have to be honest with yourselves about it), then Bassjim makes good points. However, no point in being the support band the punters ignore because they're waiting for the people they paid to see, no matter how prestigious the gig.

As a long time J player who has recently built a P, I found that I needed to re-adjust the ears to appreciate the virtues of the P. It's a thicker, woodier sound than the J and superficially has less clarity. However, it has other virtues - solidity and weight - that you come to appreciate in time. Not a lot of point in spending a lot of money trying to make a P sound like a J. Either use the J or spend some time acclimatising to the difference is my suggestion. Agree with others' suggestion about the QP pickup. It may be louder, but it diminishes, to my ears at any rate, the essence of a P bass - that lovely woody tone.

There was a monster Orange cab, too. Think it had 8x12. Not intended for bass, but a big bugger.

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1479147875' post='3174347'] Did you have a good relationship with your old drummer? Might be worthwhile getting in touch with him and seeing if he was up to getting something going again. It does take some time to find the right people to play music with, and a lot of trial and error [/quote] This is good advice. If the two of you work well as a rhythm section, I should imagine you won't be looking for too long. However, if the guys you are thinking of joining are fun, what's the harm? It will keep your fingers in trim whilst you wait/look for something else.

I bought a cheapo speaker cab to use as the loan rig for a jam (not going to risk my PJBs). The bloke I bought it from demo'd it with a SVT head. Sounded fabulous.

You want to try the Peavey 8x10. The rehearsal room I use has one, with a World Tour head. Epic sound, but about the weight of a Mini.