Dan Dare

There's a "hard life" for us in the West and a "hard life" for those in other parts of the world...

I use a mixing desk for headphone practice. It works well and you can route tracks through it to play along with and mix/balance the whole lot to your liking. Rather than buy new cans, a small, cheap (you don't need dozens of channels, etc) used mixer may be a good idea and will probably cost less than new cans that are as good as your Beyers. If you already have one, job done.

This. Worth or value is predicated by how much people are willing to pay. How much they are willing to pay is governed primarily by desirability. Quality plays a part in determining that, but so do scarcity, the "right" label, appearance and so on.

Good option if weight not an issue. Nearly always a few TEs on the 'Bay, too.

GK MBP cabs are around £400 new. If that is "very expensive" to you, what's your budget? Your current GK combo costs around £600 new, so, if it's in good shape, you may get 50% or a little more (generally, you can reckon on 50% of new price unless something is rare or sought after) of that if you sell it. Realistically, would it be fair to say your budget is around £200 plus whatever you can get from selling the GK combo?

If you like the sound of your GK, the obvious answer is to go for more of the same. An Elf plus 2x10 would be a sideways move and a bit pointless, imho. Your GK is not cheap. New price is in the mid £600 range. So improving on it will cost. Why not look at a GK MBP powered cab? That way, you get more of the same and can use just the combo for smaller jobs.

I've never seen a white P bass deluxe special. I have one of the Mexican ones from the early 2000s, which is a good instrument. From what I remember, they came in black (which mine is), green, red, sunburst and a natural finish dark wood (could have been okoume) that looked good. They were well reviewed and turn up used from time to time (was not a huge seller, so there aren't large numbers around). Currently, there is a Player Plus Precision, which is pretty much the same instrument. It's available in Olympic Pearl - so off white - but has a black scratchplate. You could get a plate made. The plate on mine (and I would imagine the Player Plus) is not a standard P plate, so they don't interchange. It's the wrong size, so not just a matter of drilling extra holes for the additional pots. I don't like the gold plate on mine, but have not got around to having one made yet.

Good point and yes, I do.

Listing says Jazz bass. Headstock says Precision. Pickup is P. What a wally. Do you reckon he might work at Essex Recording Studios...

Room acoustics play a big part in how one should apply eq if one is relying on backline to fill the room. If the bass is reaching the audience via the PA, you only have to worry about onstage sound. I find that scooping mids makes for a pleasanter sound at low volumes/at home, but at gig volumes (not necessarily stupidly loud ones), a mid scooped sound is too indistinct. I check how the bass sits in the mix at soundcheck using wireless or a long lead. I often find I have to boost the mids to the point where it is not particularly pleasant/a bit honky when stood next to the rig, to make it work in the mix/room.

jrixn!'s advice is sound. I'd add that most power amps you will find, in addition to being rack mounted, will be intended for PA use and will be stereo. Mono power amps are not that common and your chance of finding a used one in your price range is probably slim. Many stereo power amps can be bridged to act as a mono amp, but the minimum impedance you can run them into doubles in bridged mode. So an amp that is rated at, for example, 2x250w into a minimum of 4 ohms a side becomes 500w mono into a minimum of 8 ohms. That isn't helpful if you are looking to run multiple cabs - most will be 4 or 8 ohms, which limits you to one. Handy for bi-amping, but if not, you would have to run the amp in stereo and power a cab from each channel, using a splitter cable to feed the mono signal from the preamp to both channels. I'd definitely look at the Sumo if you want a power amp. It's compact, not staggeringly expensive and reviews are favourable.

That would probably work, but best to bypass the combo speaker.

You've no idea how much better that makes me feel 😊

Nice rig. My OCD requires me to plead with you to get a blanking plate or a spurious 1U unit to fill that empty space in the rack unit 😁

Feedback? You were lucky. We used to have to pay someone to stand in the wings and scream at us.

Usual patronising tone... I've re-listened to it and you are partly correct. The first note of the phrase actually varies. It is G# at the start, but once the song begins, it is sometimes G natural.

I've told this on here previously, so apologies if you've read it before. I used to play the fiddle (still do, butrarely do gigs these days) and frequently played for ceili bands. One Burns night, my band was booked to play at a Burn's Supper in a banqueting hall in London. It was quite a grand occasion - men in DJs and kilts, women in ball gowns. A tradition at the opening of Burns Suppers is that the haggis is carried ceremonially into the hall, accompanied by a bagpiper. It is placed on the top table, the MC will recite Burns's "Address to a Haggis" and then cut into it with his dagger, which signifies the start of dinner itself. The band will often play background music before and during dinner and then play for dancing once the meal is finished. We were sat on stage, playing, when the bagpiper arrived (we didn't know him. He had been booked by the organisers). He was completely plastered. Pipers on Burns Nights can often clean up - they play at a series of events (they are only needed for a few minutes), accept a dram (or two) and their fee and move on to the next one. Our hero had obviously fulfilled a number of prior engagements. He could still walk in a straight line and play, so he was sent into the hall, followed by the chef carrying the haggis and the MC. The procession arrived at the table, which was on stage on front of the band. They climbed the steps, the chef placed the haggis on the table and the MC stepped forward to read the address. The piper stood to one side and, no doubt due to the quantity of booze he had consumed, lost control of his bowels for a moment. He was wearing his kilt in the traditional manner, so there was nothing to catch the product of his lapse, which plopped onto the stage between his feet. He shifted to one side, stepped on it, slipped and his foot shot up, flinging pieces of it over the diners sitting at the front tables. The band rushed off stage and howled with laughter in the dressing room whilst the cleaning staff hastily did their stuff. The evening did carry on, but it took some time to sort things out.

Papa was a Rolling Stone comes to mind. Just 3 notes but a belter.

There were fewer replacement pickups around in the 80s than there are now. A Di Marzio is a good shout and they were known for cream casings. I don't think that's copper foil, but the windings themselves. The wire gauge is very fine and can look like a sheet of copper at a distance.

Many maple boards are lacquered, so that would need to be stripped if you want to stain it, which wouldn't do a lot for its resistance to wear. Removing every bit of it from around the frets will be time consuming and tricky. Paint will look horrible and will soon wear through in spots where you play most often. If you stain it, you will need to be very careful to prevent the stain from bleeding into the neck itself. All in all, I'd just embrace the maple look.

Is it the deluxe active V version? If so, your battery may need replacement.

I had one made quite a few years back, when Zilla were still in Surrey/SW London. They were very helpful, their workmanship was very good and their prices were fair. I sold it when I went lightweight. Their cabs were more traditional in construction - solid and a bit weighty. I don't know if they offer lightweight options these days. No gripes about the quality, though and they do an enormous range of finishes.

Welcome. Is the new bass to replace or add to your Sire? If it's going to be one bass to rule them all, any of those you mention could be a good choice. I like the Cort Rithimic. They're versatile instruments. A pal has one and I like it a lot. However, you're the person who will be playing it, so head for a few shops and try stuff out. It's best not to choose or buy on the basis of recommendations and reviews. One man's meat is another's poison and all that.

I love a proper traditional pork pie. I'm partial to a spot of Dijon on mine.

This. If it sounds right to you and the other musicians, it's fine, provided you are in sync with the other instruments and drums. Music is an audible, not a visual experience. Are the drums real or from the computer?