chris_b

I see you're prepared with the crutches just inside the garage door.

My only experience of the basses on your list is the Skyline. I'd also add the 44-01 and 44-02 to the list They are great basses for the money. The necks are some of the best out there and as they are plek'ed they should play very well. I was wondering why there are no Fender American Standard basses on your list. If you can find one that plays well you can upgrade the pickups to get any sound you want, from genuine vintage to modern boutique.

I think the OP is in for a big change. Selling gear you like is easy. Replacing it with another sound and getting to like that one as much is a far more difficult task. Don't think this rig will be the one. You're making the first step on a journey. My suggestion would be to replace the cabs first. Running the current amp through a fairly neutral cab, like Barefaced, would keep a lot of the old sound intact, while improving the definition, punch and tone, in a significantly lighter format. One of the BF 212's should easily match the old rig for volume.

It's very easy to find a rig that [i]cuts through[/i] better than Ampeg, but you're going to loose that "Ampeg" sound in the process. You cut through by using power and volume from a big rig or by adding more mids from a smaller rig that has clarity and definition. What's your budget? To keep you in the "Ampeg sound" ballpark, a modular Ampeg rig would be a 2 ohm amp pushing a 4 ohm 410 and an 8 ohm 210. That's 3 rigs right there. I'd went for a 2 ohm Thunderfunk pushing a 4 ohm 212 and an 8 ohm 112. Both Bergantino. If you're in the UK (I see you put up the same post on Talkbass), there's a Barefaced Big Twin in the classifieds at the moment. You could cover most of the ground you need to cover with one of those and a good 800 watt amp.

Take the gig (never turn a good gig down) and change the set around. Back in the day I used to play several weekly residencies (Bob's Goodtime Blues and the Carnarvon Castle). If you're good enough then you can carry it off. These days we usually figure on 3 or 4 gigs per venue per year, but at the moment we're doing several 2 week turnarounds. It's OK if they like you. We change the set a lot and add new numbers.

I was looking at headphones and didn't see these in any reviews. The ones I found are the Grado SR80e and ATH-M50x.

I saw Pops with the Crusaders at the Victoria Palace London in 76. They were touring the Southern Knights album. What a fantastic gig.

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1439898943' post='2846556'] Who's happy to be described as solid? [/quote] I get described as solid. I accept it as a compliment but I suppose it could be taken either way. I would much rather be called exciting, lively and innovative, but I know that's not what I do. I like to think I'm in the same league as Duck Dunn, John McVie and Bob Babbitt. An American bass player I knew called my playing "meat and potatoes". I guess that's American for solid? You are what you are. Just make sure you're better at it than anyone else.

The budget 5er that I'd start looking at is the Sire V7. Quickly followed by a Lakland 55-01.

My Lull PJ5 has a separate volume for each pick up, so I would expect there to be no interaction other than through the tone control. I have A/B'ed my bass with another Lull P5 and heard no issue with the sound when the J was turned off. I only use the P pickup on mine. IMO it just doesn't need the J to sound great.

7 lbs sounds good. . . . My lull is 8.5 lbs, which is OK for 3 sets. My other 2 basses are 9.5lbs which are a struggle for 2 sets. What a difference 1lb makes. Due to my bad back and worsening shoulder problems, weight is the prime decider when I look at basses, amps and cabs! Like your hearing. . . . never underestimate your health or strength. It can disappear quickly and it's a real pisser when it does.

Either these guys have a very dry sense of humour or they're just ignorant dicks. A few years ago our then singing lead guitarist did a dep for a friends soul band on bass He said later that he's never worked so hard in his life, "I couldn't stop for a rest anywhere, I had to keep going all night!" Many people underestimate what bass payers do and what they contribute to the music, but in the OP's case I think I'd come down on the side of this band just being ignorant dicks.

There is no argument. Matchsticks are fine. If you fill the hole so that it is small enough so that the screw can exert enough pressure on all sides and the thread bites into the wood sufficiently, then you don't need to use glue to do this job.

The Duo might work, but unfortunately the ultimate solution is a lighter bass.

Sorry about that. . . . I can't tell my scratch plate from my control panel.

When I play at home it's to run through a part for the band so the sound doesn't matter.

. . . . . when I get my Aston Martin Vulcan. . . . .

I think we need 3 lists. . . . Need To Know, Nice To Know and You're Kidding, Right?

[quote name='Paultrader' timestamp='1439575368' post='2844149'] This was me in 1971 at Crawley Bandstand; loon pants, Russell and Bromley zip up boots, Impact 60W amp and home made speaker cab with an 18" Goodmans speaker. What wonderful days they were [/quote] Love the double bass drum kit. It was a great time. I wish I'd spent more of it on becoming a better player, but there were a lot of parties to get to, places to go to, people to see. I was too easily distracted.

The bass fell apart and finally went to the dump when my parents moved house, about 15 years ago. It wasn't playable by the end. The guitarist in my first school band is still rocking, in Ipswich and at least one of the guys from my second school band are still playing. I'm playing my first gig next week with a new project run by a singer and guitarist who I've known since I was 11. We were at the same secondary school. Might turn into a good little band.

Chaps, I never thought I'd ever see this day, so I think a little celebration is in order. 50 years ago today (just after lunch) I walked into Maurice Plaquet's music shop in Acton, West London, with £22 10/- in my pocket and bought my first bass, a Framus small body Star Bass. 6 weeks of hard graft on my Grandfather's nursery in Kent paid for it. It was easy to play and I played it at home for a year before I could afford an amp. Everything I know today I started on that bass. Unfortunately it began falling apart almost from day one. With an ever increasing number of repairs and mods I played that bass for 2 years and only stopped using it when I joined a pro band. [url="http://s293.photobucket.com/user/chris_b_photo/media/CopyofFSBme2.jpg.html"][/url] I've been a pro bass player twice, made a few records, been to some interesting places, played some great gigs in great bands with some fantastic players. I've also played in places and in bands that weren't any of those things. Ho hum! I have no idea where the time has gone. Anyway, my life started with that bass. Here's to the next 50.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1439416140' post='2842781'] I can't think of a bass with a wooden scratch plate that looks any good. [/quote] I can. Carl Thompson basses

I was hoping to see Yolanda Charles, but Randy Hope-Taylor is a great player so I was happy to see him on bass. Ironically, even at his level, the bass player gets stuck behind the pillar. If the stage had been set up 10 feet to stage right we could have seen everyone, but hey, he's only the bass player!! He seemed to be playing one of those Fender 400 watt valve things and an 810 cab. I stood at various places in the room, There was a lot of volume and the rig moved a lot of air within 20 feet but had no definition or clarity anywhere in the room. RH-T only played 4 string basses, so no 5's. The evening hasn't changed my view on Fender gear.

I would concentrate on getting a good case and keep pedals etc in a separate bag/case. I'd vote for a Hiscox, but do you need a hard case? IME you only need a hard case when you're storing the bass in a van, someone else is going to carry it or you need to send it through the post. Otherwise a Mono Vertigo, for example, is a good lightweight all rounder for carrying and protecting your bass.

Higher, Jackie Wilson, in D Gimme Some Lovin, Spencer Davis Group, in G You Really got me, The Kinks, in G Sexual Healing, Marvin Gaye, in Eb Sunshine Of Your Love, Cream, in D