Dan Dare

True. A C4 has an equivalent cone area to 1x10. A very pokey 1x10, it has to be said. I reckon one is equal to many 1x12s.

They are actually quite decent in terms of efficiency. Lesser cabs may make more noise with 100w, but they won't go as loud or as low, the quality of sound will be lacking in comparison and they will blow up when something like a Super Compact is just hitting its stride. And who uses 100w bass amps these days for serious playing?

Silver is a marginally better conductor than copper, although I can't hear the difference. It may be noticeable in a quiet studio environment, but not in a live situation. Silver isn't nearly as good at coping with flexing/bending and general abuse, however. That makes it a bit fragile for use as a stage cable, being trodden on, coiled and uncoiled constantly, etc.

There are flats and there are flats. I do keep a P bass strung with old La Bellas, but I put Cobalts on my 5 and Chromes on my J bass. Chromes seem to suit a J particularly well. They have plenty of brightness and the warmth is there when you need it. The higher tension enables me to use a lighter gauge and the longevity, smoothness under the fingers and reduced wear on frets is a bonus. I find flats age more gradually. Rounds tend to be bright until suddenly, they're not.

If everyone bar one can do a date, it has to be greatest good for the greatest number. The one who can't make it isn't really in a position to expect the others to miss out.

I don't know if one PJB C4 will be sufficient for your purposes, even if your bandmates are subtle players. I know because I use a couple in soul/blues/R&B bands. Tonally, I love 'em, but they are quite inefficient (around 92db) and do soak up some amplifier power (I use an AG700 with mine). They are also not that light for their size. The MB would be my choice of the ones you list and the Super Compact suggested above is a good shout.

Given that the great majority of P style basses have maple necks, I think it likely your choice will be limited. If Google, etc doesn't turn anything up, Warmoth may be your best, even only option. Wenge is a dense and heavy wood, so neck dive might be an issue on a lighter P body, unless you have one of those 70s instruments that weigh half a ton.

I agree with your summary of the differences in sound. I have an AG700 and a pal has a D800. We compared them through the same cabs (PJB). The Aggy is warmer (but not soft or unfocused). The Mesa is more aggressive. We both preferred the AG700 through my cabs, but he uses an older Epifani and likes the Mesa with it. They both use the same IcePower power amp module, so the difference must be in the designers' preamp choices. Interestingly, his has just gone pop (they are about the same age). I'd definitely try before you buy with your cab, if possible.

Well played, sir. It's full of trout, too.

They may be very good, but, as Lozz points out, that's fine if it's the bands schtick, but if not, not. If striving for ultimate realism, no thin white Duchess is going to be able to convince the listener that she's the thin white Duke. We are free to make art and music with whoever we choose, whether in tribute bands or not. Let's hope it remains that way.

It will be fine. You don't have to run an amp that puts out exactly the rated power of a cab. A decent cab (which you have) will tolerate occasional short term peaks that are over its rated input power. The usual rule applies - if it makes nasty noises, turn down.

Were, not are. The design and components (KEF bass and midrange drivers and a Scanspeak tweeter), whilst good in their day, are not comparable with more modern offerings. I'm not suggesting that everything modern is automatically better, but drive unit technology, cabinet design and measurement capability has advanced considerably since the 1970s.

Tell me about it. My late missus could still hear bats when she was in her 60s. I could up to about the age of 40, but not after that. I love getting old, although I suppose it's better than the alternative.

I have an Aguilar AG700 and the fan is quiet enough. It can't be heard over normal living room playing volume. If you're looking at compact/class D heads that are powerful enough to gig, virtually all will have a fan because there isn't enough space in the box for air to cool them via convection alone. A PJB BG400 will really only be loud enough for small gigs unless you add an additional C4 cab. Bass Cub definitely only suitable for jazz/wine bar type gigs. I'm not knocking PJB. Quote the opposite. I like and own PJB cabs. However, you do need a few of them to make a noise. I run two C4s for small to medium volume gigs and add one or two 4Bs plus a power amp for louder situations. Please don't buy on recommendation or reviews alone. Go to a decent shop and try stuff at "real world" volumes.

I see. Thanks Bill. I thought that, when an amplifier fails to deliver sufficient power, the peaks and troughs are cut from the signal, as in the illustration. Not exactly a square wave, but approaching one. I gather it's rather more complex from what you say. Certainly doesn't do drive units many favours.

Not always. Amplifier clipping causes a similar effect. It effectively means the cab is sent a square wave, which sounds very nasty indeed and will not do your drive units any good.

Sound advice (pardon the pun) from Bill as usual. I would also suggest not pushing the extreme low end. It makes little difference to the sound in the room and trying to get your rig to do the job of a subwoofer is a great way to soak up amplifier power and possibly do damage to your gear. Very few cabs can reproduce 40hz cleanly and at volume and you need serious power to drive those that can. In practice, sensible levels of boost at 80-100hz is as low as you need to go.

This is not a once and for all purchase, so I wouldn't agonise over it too much. Most small practice/starter combos from decent manufacturers (Fender, Hartke, Blackstar, etc, etc) will be much of a muchness. I would suggest you stick to readily available, popular models. When you do want to upgrade, which is inevitable with a practice/starter amp, they are easy to move on. I'd look for something with at least a 10" speaker.

I like my vinyl. I don't care whether or not it's the last word in fidelity and I appreciate that it's not the most convenient way to store and listen to music, but I don't care. YMMV.

If it doesn't happen with the more powerful amp, that would suggest clipping to me. If you are boosting the lows especially, the amp could simply be running out of steam. The Traynor, being all valve and with a meaty power supply, can simply deliver more sustained current than the other two.

Just bought a PRS guitar from Rod. Packed it extremely well, posted it promptly and good comms. Very pleased.

I second that. I saw a band playing in a local pub. The bassist had the MB 2x10 combo. The guitar players were using Boogies, so were not exactly quiet. You could feel the bass in your chest and he wasn't going through the PA. I was impressed.

A trip to Bass Direct sounds like an excellent, if potentially expensive plan. Have fun.

M Pulse 360 or 600? If the larger one, I would expect it to have plenty of wallop. I wouldn't expect the TC to, though. It's claimed to give 550w into 4 ohms (and TC are known for being optimistic with their quoted power ratings), which is not great. You need plenty of headroom for weight of sound. You mention that you might need more cabs. As others suggest, 4x10 or equivalent would be the minimum (and you say you liked two 2x10s, so that's a good starting point). What are you using? Really, the only way is to visit a well stocked shop and try stuff. As Paul says above, we can only recommend our favourites. I'm a PJB user, but I don't know if they would suit you. They can be very punchy, but you need a lot of them and plenty of amplifier power because they are so inefficient. That can work out a bit expensive.

Cabs are the final link in the chain and can only produce what goes into them. The instrument - together with string gauge/type and playing style - and amplification largely determine how much punch you get. I've heard bass players that had plenty of punch using pretty well all the cab brands you mention. What instrument and amp' are you using?