Paul S

A Yin Yang for people who like direct thinking?

I've just acquired a Mesa Boogie prodigy four:88 and would say it is a league ahead of anything else I have owned, which includes Ashdown, Mark bass, TC Electronic, Eden, GenzBenz, even my beloved old Trace Elliot. I've never had an all valve head before but now know what the fuss is about. Valve pre-amps don't come close, really. The beauty of this model is that it is compact and relatively lightweight at 14kg. Controls are straightforward, too.

I have a brace of them - been using Barefaced since the Compact started and find these Supercompacts the best i have tried by a mile. My new-ish Mesa Boogie prodigy four:88 is, for me, the perfect head to drive them along too.

After a week of hockey cokey with Royal mail I finally got hold of one of these bags. It was worth the money just to sit down for a while and sort it out! Hope it lasts as it seems perfect in terms of what it does/size etc and not too heavy when full, either.

I've owned a handful of short scale basses and enjoyed them all one way or another. Epiphone EB0, Fender Musicmaster that subsequently had a P pickup put into it, a Squier Vista Series Musicmaster (that was very nice), Danelectro Longhorn. But the one I liked the best was surprisingly a Squier VM Mustang. Cost me around £180, it was lightweight, narrow neck, easy to play and sounded fantastic - that real really thumpy growl that Mustangs have. I've migrated to 5 strings now and moved them all on but, if I were looking to buy a shorty 4 again, it would be a Mustang for sure.

'We are the Blockheads and we go like this' works as an intro. Well, it does if you are Norman WR introducing The Blockheads, anyway.

Tricky dat. World population is 7.5 billion and, unless I have a secret twin, none of them look like me. Could be a long thread!

Well, once you have the stuff that matters sorted out, most other things can be adapted

I've not had it long. Mainly used at home - not at band volume but not too softly either as fortunately we are detached and Mrs S goes out to work... I got it secondhand from obbm Dave who answered my plea! I use it with a Barefaced Supercompact and, for the first and only loud rehearsal I have used it for, had it switched to full power. I had the gain around 1 o'clock, master on about 1.5 on a scale of 0-10 and it was too loud. That was in a small gig sized rehearsal space where we set up and play as though at a gig. Next time (Monday night and all day Wednesday coming) I will try it switched to half power and see how far I need the master turned up. I don't think headroom is going to be a problem! I have a second Supercompact that I may or may not have to use for bigger gigs. I probably will, though I see you are in East London - if you want to hear it in action I am gigging at a family fun day at Police HQ in Chelmsford on 5th August with my Bon Jovi tribute band (we re treating it as a 'dress rehearsal' for our first proper gig we have looming up quickly!) and The Miley in Rochford on 11th with my little band, also 12th at the Golden Lion in Hoddesdon.

I have a Sterling 5er. Marvellous thing and weighs around 8.5lbs. I had Andyjr1515 put a P pickup in the sweet spot (with reversed treble side), routed out a little wood under the new pickguard to offset the extra weight - it still weighs around 8.5lbs. And, importantly, it is black with a maple neck, too!

No insights, just an opinion. I use my amps clean to the point where the signal 'just' starts to break up a little - warm but not remotely overdriven. Over the last 10 years or so I have used all sorts - class D, class D with tube pre, AB. Off the top of my head TC Electronic RH750, Harley Benton 500 (so Ibanez Prometheon, Red Sub), - Eden forget which, GB Streamliner, Mark Bass Little Mark Tube 800, whichever Mark Bass is in the combos, Fender Rumble 500, Orange TB500. Quilter Bassblock 800, Ashdown ABM500, Trace Elliot AH300. Trace Elliot heads always gave me the tone of choice. Orange is a close second followed by Quilter. Then very recently I acquired a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 and I can honestly say it is leagues above all the others. There is an organic, extra-dimensional quality about the tone way above those with tube preamps. I don't have the words to describe it properly but it puts a smile on my face whenever I have used it so far. Band mates have said it is by far the best sound I have had, so I guess it does notice.

That is one heck of a bass, Andy. I can't begin to understand the skill levels involved - not to mention the lateral thinking - that made it possible but I unquestionably admire them. However I also think it is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen! I like Fender shaped basses....

Used it at rehearsal. What a monster! Still smiling....

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1500326746' post='3337014'] Only one choice for my money... build your own. [url="https://public-peace.de/configurator/jake-c/"]Go nuts.[/url] [/quote] Wow, wish I had seen this 12 months ago! Just made my perfect bass for Euro1300.

Andy measured it for when he added a P pickup to my Sterling - the 'sweet spot' is 11.5" from 12th fret to the poles of the E/A string. You can do standard or reverse mounting for the treble side, according to your whim.

Not quite an accurate statement as the amp is second hand and I've had it longer than a day. Anyway, obbm (Dave) came to my assistance after I had put out a shout for a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88, having decided that one of these was realistically my best shout at an all tube head because of it's low weight. It is a one hand carry - 14kg on my luggage scales. Very compact, looks great sitting on top of my Barefaced Supercompact. I imagine it would look even better sitting on top of both my Supercompacts, but I haven't done that yet Only used it at home - have a loud rehearsal tomorrow. But, my oh my, it sounds glorious. Nothing complicated about the EQ - bass, mids, treble and a 'voice' control that cuts mids one way, boosts them the other. Kind of. For me everything straight up, voice one notch to the left. The gain seems to be the key for using this - straight up is super clean, moves through warm and into grit as you turn it clockwise from there. For me around 1:30pm is perfect, before it starts to break up although that point varies between basses. But the richness, the sparkle - it brings my basses to life in a way that my other amps have failed to do - another league completely! Really looking forward to hearing it cut through tomorrow night! Also a throwaway comment from Dave about it fitting into a tool box. After measuring every toolbox in Homebase and Wickes I found it fits neatly into a Stanley 23" Fatmax with a little space either side for leads. I had an offcut of upholstery foam to pad out the bottom a bit. I can stand on it (I weigh 100kg +/-) and there is no give. 17kg fully loaded, still no problem to lift or move about. Perfect! [attachment=249239:MB1.jpg] [attachment=249240:MB2.jpg] [attachment=249241:MB3.jpg]

After kissing a lot of frogs I eventually found my prince - a Yamaha SG shaped bass, the SB-35, made in the early 70s. Previous owner bought it new. Medium scale, more mojo than you can shake a stick at. It even has a fag burn on the headstock! No neck dive, a tone to die for. [attachment=249098:sb351.jpg] [attachment=249099:sb352.jpg]

Dave answered my plea for a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 amp. Picked it up today with a couple of cab leads thrown in for good measure. A complete gentleman and a pleasure doing business. Thank you, Sir.