Phil_T

no, needs to be 4 ohms, but thanks

Yes, the 'slightly knackered but perfectly serviceable' ashdown option is looking favourable at the moment. There's a few available within driving distance for not much money

That is an option but my current cab is a Vanderkley and I'd want them to match so that's an outlay of around £550. I'm also a bit worried about how loud 2 x12 cabs would be in the house - it's on the verge on being too loud with one. I may just get a cheaper 1x12 and try to ignore the mis-match but I know my OCD would win eventually.

Mine was a 'B Stock' item so it's probably been returned under warranty for some reason and they've fixed the issue (hopefully) and re-sold it a knock-down price.

The concensus amongst chaps over on the US forum is that the SVT can be run at 8 ohms but really shouldn't. This amp is basically a copy of the SVT so I'm applying that advice. I'll look around for a cheap 4 ohm cab to pair with it but it's far too tempting to play through it at the moment - it sounds ace!

I couldn't resist buying a Bugera BVV3000 last week when one popped on reverb for £240 delivered. It's totally impractical for what I need (home use mainly) but I love the Ampeg sound so I thought it was worth a go at that price. For not much more than the price of a good pedal to emulate the tone I've got (almost) the real thing. It arrived today and I've just given it a quick blast - first impressions are that it sounds great and is very loud but can be tamed just enough for home practice without killing the tone. It also weighs a tonne so I can't move it more than a couple of feet without needing a rest. Only problem is that it works with a 4 ohm max load and I've only got an 8 ohm cab so I might have to use it very sparingly before I can source a more suitable cab. I'm slighter worried about how much louder a 2x10 or a 4x10 might be than be than my current 1x12 as they seem to be my only real options in 4 ohm. Anyway, minor details - I'm quite pleased with it.

My current favourite [youtube] [/youtube]

I'm trying to learn this at the moment, it's a superb line. Hopefully it's just within my abilities to at least get somewhere close with it

really can't tell if you're running with the joke in a very deadpan manner or not.... so, just in case, here is the original

I'm not techically minded so some of the might not 100% correct but - On the SVT 3 pro there is a tiny trim pot that sets the voltage being sent to the MOSFETs and it is known for either not being set correctly in the first place or drifting over time such that MOSETs become starved of power. It's an easy fix in principle but difficult to get right in practice because the trim pot is ridiculously sensitive making it very easy to run the MOSFETs too hot and blow something. There's lengthy thread on the other forum about this with all the info anyone needs to attempt it,

I took it that the OP meant switching styles between songs, not during

I think it is a bit louder but I agree about the tone change that it definitely adds to the perceived volume increase.

isn't it just a fact that playing with a pick is going to be louder than finger style? Why can't you just turn down your guitar volume or adjust the amp to compensate?

Yeah, Rancid is definately on my list of stuff to have a go at, along with 'The Decline' by NOFX - that's ones a bit of sod though so I need to get a bit better before tackling it

yeah, I might give some RHCP a go - none of that slap business for me though (mainy cos I can't do it). I've gone in a slightly different direction in the last few weeks and started learning 'aint no mountain high enough' which has a great baseline, not massively technical but it weaves about all over the place so remembering it is tricky.

Bought a p bass pickup from Chris - nice chap to deal with and it arrived in good time

I shall be moving onto the other notes when I feel I have fully mastered the A and not a moment sooner

Yep, got that too. Like the E string problem, lot's of little tweaks have helped. One of the most noticeable improvements came from a tip I read elsewhere that suggested loosening the neck screws a little whilst the neck is under string tension such that it gets pulled into the neck pocket (then tighten them back up obviously). I did seem to notice an improvment after trying that, didn't help much with the E string though

I've just tried lowering the pickup height and I would say it's helped a bit - the E string is still not as rich sounding as the others but the difference isn't quite as great as it was.

yeah I did wonder about the pickup but I don't think it can be entirely to blame because the string sounds odd even when played un-amped. However, one thing I've just realied that I omitted from my original post and may be significant is that I play with a pick. I think this may be partly responsible for the issue as it tends to bring out the trebly overtones more than fingers. I can still hear the effect with fingers but it's not as obvious.

Like I say, it could be a set-up problem but the issue has persisted through through numerous string changes and I've been really careful not to get the string twisted when fitting. Maybe I'll take it into a luthier to get it checked out. I mainly wanted to know if this a common problem and it sounds like it isn't so either I been unlucky with the basses I've bought/tried or I'm hearing something that others don't for whatever reason. Not suggesting i'm 'special' but it's odd that all the basses I've tried (OK. it's only 4) had the same problem.

It could be a set-up issue but I've tried everything I can think of - new strings, tweaked the truss rod, adjusted the saddles - but it's always there like it's a fundamental characterstic of the bass. If what you're telling me is that there's plenty of basses out there that don't have this issue then i'll make an effort to go and try a few more that are for sale locally