Dan Dare

I would assume "featherweight" to mean something the size of a TE Elf. Nothing like that puts out 500+ into 8 ohms to my knowledge. Sure, the ones you list will (if manufacturers' figures can be believed, of course), but they're not really featherweights. You also need to ask for how long and at which frequencies an amp will deliver its claimed power output. Something that delivers 500w for 20 milliseconds at 1khz into a 2 ohm resistive load in a test lab' won't do the same at all frequencies into a reactive load like a speaker, so it says little about how well it will work in the 'real world'.

I take it the commonly used module is from IcePower. It does seem to vary according to how it's used. As far as class D goes, Lab Gruppen amps aren't lacking, either. Just wish I could afford them.

If you ignore the ads, pop-ups, etc for long enough, they stop. Just make sure you don't click on or open anything. Perhaps the algorithm thinks you've died if there's no response after a certain length of time...

An effective heatsink might be large, which would put people off buying them. The packing density of components on class D modules is high, in order to keep them compact, so it would be difficult to add a good sized sink to them.

As I said, there are exceptions.

AG700. Not truly featherweight, but very light/easily carried. 700 into 4 or 2 ohms. I think a true featherweight that puts out 500w+ into 8 ohms may not exist.

I think it may have more to do with the fact that we tend to use lightweight, compact cabs with class D heads. Many of those (there are honourable exceptions - BF, et al) don't shift the air the way big, old skool cabs do at high volumes. I had an old Ashdown 1x15 - the enormous one. The driver blew, so I replaced it. Sounded huge with my AG700. I sold it because it was so large and I live in a first and second floor flat with narrow stairs, but it certainly had no lack of heft or oomph..

He probably got it when they first came out and paid over the odds. They were well over £1k here when first introduced and I think I'm right in saying that MB has recently changed importers to the UK. As you suggest, he's going to be lucky to get what he's asking.

Given that you only notice the noise when you use it as a DI for quiet or silent practice, why not use something designed/intended more for that purpose and keep the AG for live playing? I use a small mixer, a DI box and headphones for silent practice. If I wish to play along with something, I can route music through it and blend the bass with it. Works fine.

Seems to me that FX, pedals and the like are a bit like herbs, spices and seasoning. A chef who knows what to do with them will cook something wonderful using them. An idiot will ruin perfectly good food with them. The same applies to musicians and effects.

Exactly. A double bass (provided you have a decent pickup system) should benefit from the the clean and uncoloured sound of a good quality PA speaker. A bass guitar not so much, I feel. At home, I've played about with running my bass through my PA (Fohhn LX150 tops and XS22 subs - 1.5kw and like a big hi-fi. Wonderful for vocals and acoustic instruments), using a Lehle Basswitch preamp. So I'm certainly not cheaping out or using budget DJ gear. It sounds super clean, but also a little sterile. Maybe I'm just too used to the built in character/sound of bass amps, but I don't feel it would work that well in a band context.

It's wise, if you are offering something to be collected, to insist on cash and not accept PayPal payments, whichever site or medium you sell on. A common scam consists of paying on PP, collecting the item and then clawing back the payment on the grounds that it has not been received. As the seller has no proof it was collected (getting someone to sign a receipt won't necessarily protect you because the buyer can easily claim it's a forgery) and PayPal is well known for siding with buyers, you can end up empty-handed.

Same here. I listen to things that are tricky that I need to learn whilst doing chores, driving, etc and before I attempt to play them. They seem to worm their way into my mind and, by the time I come to actually attempt them, I have a good idea of where things are going. Then all (all...) I have to do is work out where to put my fingers and when.

Where your father would beat you with his belt until you fell asleep.

I struggled for several months with Jaco's 'Portrait of Tracy'. Then one night, there was a gas leak at my house and BOOM. Is this what you meant...

If the holes are clean and you re-use the same screws (or replacements with the same pitch/thread), you shouldn't need to fill them. If they're worn, filler is unlikely to give the screw enough to bite on. I'd fit hardwood dowels - make sure they're tight fitting and use strong glue - and drill fresh holes.

Small Rumble combo worth considering. Is your son big enough not to struggle with 34" scale? If yes, the Classic Vibe sounds a decent starter bass for him. If not, I'd look for a shorter scale instrument. Something like a Squier Jaguar may do the trick.

Yes, it did help. I may not have always had the finest teachers (they ranged from great to near-useless, although none was as bad as Skank's - see above), but I managed to learn some useful stuff nonetheless and often find it handy many years later, as Mykes comments above.

Checking your sound by walking about the place using wireless can be a bit of an eye/ear opener. I find what works when you're close up frequently doesn't out in the room and vice versa.

If I did that, I'd probably end up with what I have (I certainly wouldn't part with my old J bass unless I could be certain of finding another, identical one) or very similar. Having got what I have through many years of trying/buying/selling, I'm pretty happy with it. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise.

I have an AG700 and it isn't loud at all. You can hear it faintly when you're standing close to it and no music is playing, but it isn't intrusive. I wonder if there's an issue with yours.

That's interesting, Bill. I take it that means spec sheets for drivers aren't always the full story. Is there a rough rule of thumb that tells you how low a given size of driver can go? I appreciate that there is more to it than size, so may be a silly question.

Nuff said, really. Measuring or evaluating a drive unit at low levels by putting a mic on axis and about 6" from the cone tells you little about how it will perform in the real world.

Nightfly is good - well recorded with variety of textures. May not do the job if you don't like the Dan. Speaking of which, I like to use FM, too.

I always mic' the bass drum, even at small gigs. Just a little in the FOH (even if you only run vocals through it) makes the whole band sound tighter and helps reinforce the bass.