chris_b

I'd stack the cabs on each other and wouldn't be bothered by the overhang.

I left my bass behind on a gig once! The drummer put a few things in front of it, so it couldn't be seen, and during the chat I lost track of it. Fortunately the rest of the band were still loading up when I left and the guitarist took it home for me! Caused a great deal of mirth!! Our 2nd guitarist and drummer used to meet up and travel to gigs together. At the end of the evening they'd move the guitarists gear into his car and go their separate ways. One night they managed to leave a keyboard leaning up against a fence. The guitarist went back early next morning but it had gone. About a week later he got an email from the guy who had found it. He'd tracked him down through a name on the cover. What a great guy.

I'd try out outboard pre-amps rather than making changes to this bass.

There were 10 years between the last tour and the one before that, so I guess the big world tours might be over. There are enough Corporate types with fat wallets and special guitar investments/collections out there to double any numbers we might think of.

On looking at the brief details and knowing Berg cabs I would guess that the Forte HP is a new "world beater". You can compare numbers but they don't mean anything on their own. The Forte HP looks like it is closer to the B|amp than the Forte with many of the features but without the profiles (I don't have Berg cabs any more) and the confusing (to me) menu screens. IMO, weighing in at about 6lbs, the weight difference between this amp and the Puma is pretty inconsequential. With Bergs it isn't a numbers game. If I'm reading correctly, the 1200 watts are there for tone, attack, heft(!!) and headroom, all reasons other than volume. I'll be interested in the reviews when they appear. It is pricey, but someone will buy one and decide they want something else in a couple of months. If they do I might just be waiting. The WD800 also seems to be a feature rich "tone monster". I'll also be watching that one as well. So far, in my experience, better amps create a better sound. From the feedback I get others notice the difference in my rig as well as me. Up to a certain point, the sound I aim to make is for the band and the audience. After that the rest is for me. If others appreciate it then great, but if I'm happy and confident I'll play better, and that's what is going to get me the gigs.

Derailed? We can't even see the tracks from here!!

I'm not arguing with anyone. Not even with you when you try to put words into my mouth. Don't confuse personal preferences with facts. A band or artist who has world wide success for decades is never "rubbish", or any other negative word you can think of. You may not like them but that has no impact on whether they are good or not. If anyone wants 3 minute songs with no faff, that get to the point and have changed the world of music? Check out Chuck Berry.

??

Filling dozens of 90,000 + seat stadiums puts all the silly anti Led Zep comments into perspective. Punk didn't replace anything. It temporarily displaced some stuff and then joined the mainstream. After that it was business as usual.

I don't know much about NAMM but, with the Mesa Boogie WD800 and Bergantino Forte HP, the 2019 show might be the start of a new chapter of bass amp design.

If Punk was the starting point on your musical journey, that's all good. I'm in favour of anything that turns people into a fan, that inspires someone to play an instrument, join bands or just enjoy listening to music. Rock and Roll probably made a bigger impact on the music business than Punk, but only because there was more to change and the entrenched attitudes were harder to shift. In some ways Punk was a breath of fresh air but in many others it was just a new way to make money for a small bunch of people.

That's not accurate or logical. You can find 4 string basses that are far heavier than many 5 string basses.

Don't believe the myths and newspaper headlines. There was nothing wrong with music up until punk. As happened in the 20's. 50's and 60's, the kids decided they wanted more energy in the music they listened to. New entrepreneurs emerged, new business models were created and replaced some of the old, but while Punk got the headlines, the music business evolved and carried on. For the simple reason, there was still a massive audience that wasn't catered for by Punk.

I like shiny new looking Precision basses. The sound of my bass improved after I polished it.

Give it to me for a few months.

First let me stress, this is not directed at anyone in particular. . . . but my first thought when reading these 5 or 4 string threads (Talkbass is also full of them) is why do so many people buy a 5 string bass when they seem to have no need for one! It's hardly surprising that there is such a high drop out rate because they didn't make the decision backed by any specific plan or needs. Moving from 4 to 5 presents fewer difficulties than we overcome when starting to play a bass from scratch, but it defeats so many. With so many stories of failure, again, it beats me why so many keep trying without working out what they want out of the change. Then it's the poor bass regularly gets the blame for the players inability to settle.

Would you put several £1000 guitars under your bed today? Even the pro's only had one instrument back then. I believe the weekly wage was about £20. Hardly any of that would have been saved. The 1966 Precision I listed earlier was 147 gns, that would be around £2500 in today's money. These days, be grateful for CNC machines and very low wages of Far Eastern labour for providing us instruments in the low £100's. edit. . .. snap!

I used to see Boz regularly gigging local pubs. Gary Moore used to sit in with Papa George on various pub gigs. Many years ago Eric Clapton used to play occasional secret gigs at a Scratchers in Godalming, and at the Parrot Inn. We had a jam night and the landlord let it be known the Paul Weller was coming down to sit in. When I got there the pub was so full I couldn't get my gear to the stage! Apparently PW took one look and drove home.

It was them, but they wouldn't play Sex On Fire when I asked. Said they didn't do requests. They were crap!!

When I switched to 5 string basses I tried to swap back and forth, depending on the song. It didn't work as smoothly as I'd have wished. In the end I was making mistakes on both instruments. My solution wasn't to practice more (which I guess is really the best thing) but to put the 4 away and only play the 5. Problem solved. The penny dropped when I realised that the type of bass didn't make songs sound better, but the way I played them did. I stuck to the more flexible instrument and focussed on was the way I was playing it.

I have a Selmer catalogue from the mid 60's. They were importing Hofner, Futurama, Hagstrom and Fender. A red Fender Jazz was 155 gns and the Sunburst was 147gns. A red Precision was 128 gns and the Sunburst was 122 gns. The cases were 10 gns. That was expensive. A Hofner Verithin bass was £59 gns and the Violin bass was 55 gns. In 1965 my used Framus Star bass cost me £22 10/-. It took me 5 weeks, working on a summer job picking fruit, to pay for that bass and an amp (£34). Then 5 weeks the next year to buy the cab (£73). I bought a new Fender Precision in Brussels in March 1969 for £90 9/-. The retail price on the Continent was a lot less than the UK anyway, but it was even cheaper because, over there, musicians were allowed to claim the tax back on their "tools of the trade". In the UK photographers and many other professions could claim the tax back but musical instruments were taxed as luxury items and you couldn't claim any tax back!

The guy's got such a positive attitude, no hangups or blinkers. That's a lesson right there!

I know someone using a BF Six10 and it sounds huge. He bought it for big stages and loud bands. It always looks the part but I think it's overkill every time he uses it. If the OP is replacing 2 410's then I'd suggest a BF Four10 (at a weight reduction of about 75%) would be a good choice. It runs at either 8 ohms or 2 ohms, so with the 7PRO you'd get a maximum 600 watts at 8 ohms. The Four10 is a sensitive cab so 600 watts would be far more than is needed to fill a gig. I doubt you'd really need as much as that. I use 2 Super Compacts or 2 Two10's and I've never gone past half way on the volumes of my Aguilar AG700, even for the loudest of my loud bands. With other cabs you need volume to fill up the room and even then you probably won't reach 100% coverage. The fantastic clarity, definition and dispersion of the BF cabs means you can hear each note clearly in every part of the room. . . and you've got 30 days to try it and either keep it or send it back.

We know we're the cool ones so we don't have to shout about it..

Not everybody!