Dan Dare

Agreed. Our singer picked one up on t'Bay for £35 in mint condition. It's far superior to a SM58.

I don't feel differently about BC. Most of us have never met and do not know one another. I've been happy to receive enquiries about whether I would take offers on here (and have accepted a couple). I've done the same when I've been buying. As long as people are courteous and polite, I don't see a problem.

Rick Beato's latest vid' discusses how it has become ever easier to manufacture (I can't bring myself to use the words "create", or even "make") music. The downside is, of course, homogenisation, which he points out. AI, which by its nature, has to be derivative, can only increase the trend for everything to sound the same. As has been pointed out on other threads about the way popular music is heading, nobody who is interested in seeking out real or original music should expect to find it in the mainstream/mass market.

Given that this is likely to be a purchase that you want to last you (you obviously, like me, don't change rigs often), you really should pop the Bassman head in the boot of the car and head for somewhere like Bass Direct (not a million miles from you if you're in Leics) and do some comparisons. Go on a weekday when it's quiet and you can take your time choosing. I had that same head, with either 2x15 or 1x15 matching cabs and moved it on for similar reasons - age and not wanting to lug it around. You'll find modern cabs far superior to the old Fender ones (the drivers were pretty poor - I replaced the drivers in mine with Peavey Black Widows back in the day, which were a big improvement). Fwiw, I'm running an Aquilar AG700 these days, which I like. It doesn't quite do what the Bassman did, but it's pretty close. In your shoes, I'd concentrate on finding a head you like first and then look for cabs to match it. I note you have an old Ampeg classic cab just out of shot, which would do the job whilst you look for something. Happy hunting.

You may be able to, but check output levels/compatibility first. The preamp send in particular may be too hot for some headphone amps.

"Market value" is what a willing purchaser is prepared to pay. Market value is not what we, as individuals, think it should be.

I agree. It works out at roughly 10%, which is a lot less than auctions, having an item sold by a shop, etc. Sure, you have to deal with prospective purchasers, etc, but if you're sensible and not afraid to tell chancers to get lost, that's no hardship. For me, the biggest advantage is not having to set a price and let the market decide. I start things off at obviously less than their value to encourage bids and let it carry on from there. Occasionally, I've been pleasantly surprised.

Not sure about that. Some things, such as cars, consumer electronics, appliances and similar, are worse. Sometimes much worse. Anything that becomes obsolete or for which desire is ruled by fashion loses value as if it was sitting in a bath of acid.

Very true. In practice, the price you can expect for a used item (barring rare, collectable and similar) in good condition is normally around half new retail.

It might appear on eBay at fantasy island prices, but that doesn't mean it will sell for them. I've seen stuff sit on there for months because the prices were obviously straight from la-la land. If stuff wasn't selling at your reasonable price, it's highly unlikely to shift on eBay at a stupid markup unless someone naïve buys it.

Hotpoint or Electrolux?

Freddie and the Dreamers?

As one of the (not particularly vocal) minority, I have to say that flats are way more versatile than you assert. Yes, a well worn set of La Bellas will give you that Motown thud, but there are many more options. Ernie Ball Cobalts, for example, or even D'Addario Chromes, are much brighter, especially if you use the lighter gauges (which have the added benefit of being easy on the fingers).

Yes. As Nile points out, just get the 4 pole plug wired on pins 1+ and 1-. I wouldn't bother going to Designacable for something that simple. They're good, but you'll pay for the privilege. Speakons are very simple to wire. No soldering needed. You just strip the cable, push it into the terminals and tighten the cross head screws. Job done.

Appreciate that, but large all in one racks will always be heavy and cumbersome. I switched from a large rack to multiple stackable rack cases. It's a lot easier to make several journeys into the venue from the vehicle with manageable loads than it is to struggle with a single behemoth.

If you use sufficient numbers of small drivers, this isn't an issue. Mine have 12x4" plus tweets in small horns and put out plenty. They go surprisingly low, too, although that isn't needed with subs. As is always the case, you need to spend proper money to get good results with mini line arrays.

No. The gap between the strings flares out from the nut to the bridge end. If it didn't, you'd never get your right hand fingers between them to play. Measure the spacing between the strings on the bridge and look for something equivalent. Whilst the existing bridge may be quirky, it's also cheap 'n nasty. I'd replace it and keep the original. Something like a Gotoh 203 would be a great improvement and not expensive at less than £30.

Bill's advice above is on the money as usual. If you are going to put 15 top boxes on stands, those stands need to be heavy, stable, strong and consequently expensive. The risk of a drunk/careless punter walking into a stand and bringing down a large, heavy cab on peoples' heads is real. I've seen it happen. You can't always position stands/cabs out of harm's way to prevent it. Good quality 10s on poles/stands, plus a single sub will be more than adequate for the average pub/club. You don't need stereo/two subs in any but the largest of venues. I have two, but very rarely need to use both. I usually end up dialling back even a single sub - see Bill's comment regarding reinforcement from floor placement. Low bass frequencies are omni-directional, so coverage from using just one is not an issue.

I feel your pain. I got just £150 for a mint RMX1450HD in a rack case when I switched to active speakers. Heavy beast, but bombproof and uber powerful.

Good advice. Peavey are also decent. All can be had used for little money if you don't mind the fact that they weigh. Avoid really cheap power amps which are aimed at the rubbish end of the disco market. They have little to no protection circuitry and can take out your speakers if they blow up.

Pot, kettle, etc

That's rather naive. Any business that doesn't keep a grip on the bottom line isn't likely to stay the course. Would you willingly pay more than you needed to for anything? I wonder how much debt you're carrying if you would. As for "building relationships over the long term", that may be true in the case of a product or service that is unique or hard to source, but bands are ten a penny (no offence meant to Stew and his colleagues). Plenty out there to choose from.

No offence, but, as I pointed out, no business will pay more than it has to for anything. Yes, they will have a figure that they expect/are prepared to pay, but if they can get it for less (provided the quality is of the desired standard), they will be more than happy with that. As I also pointed out, there is no "standard fee" for many things. That's why I suggested quoting the relevant MU rate. It isn't about trying to "screw a band out of a few quid". It's about the bottom line. Any business will save whatever it can, wherever it can because all those "few quid", multiplied over the course of a year, can add up to a significant sum. That too is one of the "basics of business". Have a look at Stew's most recent post above. Had he quoted what the band originally discussed, do you think the venue would have responded "Too low. We'll pay you double that"?

They won't want to pay more than they have to. No business will, which is understandable. Not everything in life has a set price (who determines what it is?). I'd start by quoting the relevant MU rate and take it from there.

Or Psychotherapist