chris_b

It was. They recorded it at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Put a big smile on my face.

I don't think we are seeing the death of big cabs, a decline definitely, but people are still buying and using them. What we are seeing is the rise of lightweight cabs. 12 years ago people needed a reason to buy a D class amps and Neo cabs, now they need a better reason not to. It's evolution, who buys those wardrobe sized TV's these days?

I have a pair of Goodmans Magnum SL's (bought from Laskeys in about 1974) upstairs. My son used them for his hi-fi system up until last year.

Lovely. I'll get my old Lasky's catalogues out for another burst of nostalgia.

Sadowsky basses have been a revelation for me. The bands comment on the bass more and last week I had another member of the audience asking about my 5 string bass. It's become quite a common occurrence with this bass. Also, since moving to Barefaced cabs I get a lot of comments about the overall sound of the bass. I guess that's because they can hear me better with the clear and full sound. The Sadowsky Metro has a very full and dynamic sound. I'm in a perfect storm of bass loveliness. Some people in the audience do notice but it's the bands who play better where there is a better bass sound. I agree about the price, that's why I play a used Metro and couldn't even look a new NYC. But the new Metro Express basses are coming in at less than the cost of a new Fender Elite/Ultra. They use the same electrics and pickups as the more expensive basses and are guaranteed to be less than 9lbs. They should be on everyone's "To Try" list.

That's all anyone does when they make solid body basses or guitars. Getting that idea to work was Leo Fender's lightbulb moment back in 1949.

Yeah: 5 strings, Sunburst, Rosewood or similar fretboard, tort, single coil pu's, 19mm bridges, P shape, J shape. Nah: Everything else.

This is the good part. A bunch of speakers in a box has worked for decades, but sound quality in the new lighter cabs improves because these cabs are designed properly.

Many years ago we hired SVT 810's in a couple of bands. They always sounded good, but I'd never consider owning one. I have owned several 412 cabs, one of which I couldn't even lift on my own. When you have roadies you buy what ever you want but sensible decisions have to be made when you are moving your own gear. I have owned 4 215 cabs, a Peavey, 2 Fender Dual Showmans and the least sensible cab, even as a 22 year old, an Ampeg 215. I've owned several 115's which weighed nearly as much as a 412, but the EV loaded cabs sounded the best, even if they were the heaviest! When I started looking at lightweight cabs I discovered that they were generally designed to higher acoustic standards and produced more volume, tone and definition than the older cabs. A laser rather than a battering ram. 2 of my current 112 cabs are much louder and easily heard than any of those 215s. YMMV

Stew, I have played all those songs. Many times. I like them all. They are well crafted pieces of music, and better still they are songs that audiences like. I played some Jessie J, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars for the very first time awhile back. Never thought I'd be asked to play anything like that. What great songs and a blast to play. IMO you've got the right approach. Songs are only as good as we play them. So if they are crap, we're not playing them well enough.

Some signature basses are a whole new bass and some are just a colour scheme. So far I they haven't tempted me, although I really liked the Fender Roscoe Beck and Marcus Miller 5 string basses that I played. Sadly they were both way too heavy for me.

I had a friend (a confirmed 4 string player) try out my Mike Lull PJ5. Their comment when playing it was, "I wish I'd played this one first".

I thought that Macca used Boogie and the other bass player, Brian Ray, was the one using Ashdown.

I listen to lyrics, but only because they are signposts. Part of the format of the song. Apart from that, I listen to the band more and the drummer the most. I don't care what music politicians listen to. I have no interest in knowing what their favourite colour is or their favourite food.

Mate, sorry to hear that. I hope your "bounce" comes back quickly. Time for some of that Motown?

I like Ron. An old rocker giving a couple of old pot boilers a blast. Great fun. The vocals were a little croaky, but what do you expect? The guy should be dead and he's out there, into his 70's, still rocking his socks off. The Wild 5 pumped more energy into a playing a few 12 bars that the rest of the studio put into all theirs songs put together. If you're going to criticize the pedal steel playing, well, I'm with you there. I've seen many Ron Wood gigs, from the Birds to the Stones. I'm sure I remember more of them than he does! OK shoot me! Despite the obvious "moments", it was the high point of the series for me.

I had a MM HD130 Reverb and Peavey 115 BW and an HD150 with MM 212 reflex cab, both in the mid 80's. Pretty good sound as I recall. I've no idea what could be wrong, it could easily be valves, but I believe the caps don't work too well if they haven't been used for a long time. I'd take the amp to be checked out by a professional repair man.

Produced by WIllie Dixon.

I insure myself. Having been playing for over 50 years and never made a claim (never had an accident or loss) I'm currently offering myself a 100% no claims bonus.

That was my preferred layout. SC's also sound particularly good with Aguilar amps.

I bought my amp cases from Maplins. When they went under I got a spare aluminium case for about £7. A drummer friend uses plumbers/tool bags from DIY stores instead of traps cases.

Anyone who is asked for their NI number should be checking with Citizens Advice or other help organisations.

The website actually makes a different point, "similar to what a high quality 2x12" or 4x10" cab can manage before the lows fail to keep up with the mids".

I don't angle my cabs, because I don't have a problem hearing them when they are on the floor. I guess I'm lucky, everyone I play with gets a good balance so I'm not playing with 1/2 stack wielding, guitar playing, "I need to play this loud to get my sound", idiots. If I was playing with guys like that, and being drowned out, I'd be using 2 cabs, which I do anyway, not for volume, but because I prefer the sound/tone of 2 cabs. I also find the bass is accentuated by the ear plugs I use. The top end is reduced which leaves the bass forward in the mix.