Paul S

Thanks for the replies. He is thinking of something sub-20kg for ease of handling in and out of the car, so castors don't help a great deal. So far the only ones I have seen 'off the shelf' are the Purple Chili neo range. Ah well, it's his problem so let him find out what's out there!

I have one and although ok-ish for symmetrical basses it wasn't any use for my Fender Jaguar, which had an assymetric shape a bit like a Jazz. It has never struck me as being particularly secure, though, and I have pretty well stopped using it.

I just had a Artec SE2 put in my Bass Collection and it has done the business - a real improvement over the original one. Not expensive, either.

I think I am pretty well GAS free at the moment. I am gradually finding out what I like and don't like and the only bass I was very curious about (Fender Precision Lyte) I have just bought for a reasonable price (although it isn't in my dirty mitts yet). I'll probably be trading my exisiting Hohner B2A to a B2AD at some point but that doesn't count...

Must be someone out there in a band with guitarists who have lightweight gear to recommend?

I recently (last couple of weeks) 'traded up' from heavy Trace Elliot gear to a lightweight amp. Best decision I ever made - I was scared I wouldn't get a tone or sound that I liked but that was blasted away as soon as I went into the shop and started trying out. I would say the very best thing you can do is allocate an afternoon, go somewhere like Bass Merchants (I did, they were soooo helpful) or wherever your nearest large bass gear stockist is and play everything. Genz Benz, various Mark Bass, various TC Electronics, Promethean, Orange, WHY. I started with the intention of buying the Orange Terror - thought I wanted a tube preamp and I liked the price. But in the end the tone didn't do it for me - and it was only by going somewhere and trying it all that I could actually make that decision. For me in the end it was close call between the Genz Benz shuttle 6 and the TC Electronic Classic 450, which eventually won. Had I just read stuff on here I wouldn't even have tried a Genz Benz as on paper it didn't seem to fit the bill. I wish I could have afforded both as they both do slightly different things which are equally nice! It is only by listening that you get an idea. BTW I expect everyone knows this already but the guy in Bass Merchants pointed out that one of those cheapo generic aluminium briefcases you can buy for next to nowt actually fits the Classic 450 (and so I guess most of the others) a treat. I had one kicking around unused, so recycled the packaging from the box and, hey presto, secure flight case.

I was explaining to one of my bands' guitarists about the lightweight cab I have coming - the Barefaced Compact. He is also not getting any younger and is now also keen to go lightweight for his gear and ditch the Marshall half stack. So - does anyone know if there is decent quality guitar cabs out there? I know about Purple Chili - is that good stuff? Anything else? ta!

And remember, folks, we watched them grow on here. Nice one. I think this is going to run and run.

Mine has 'Made in Japan' written on the cavity cover just underneath where it says 'Produced by SGC Nanyo'. I guess that is the main clue - despite that sounding facetious it isn't meant to be

Ta. On mine it is blend and (I think) bass cut/boost that are backwards. As you say, not a huge issue. Other than the exotic wood tops, what else would distinguish the 400/600 series - are the electrics/hardware still all the same, do you know? I don't mean to hijack the thread but while we are all here....

[quote name='pete.young' post='1191223' date='Apr 6 2011, 11:01 PM']Heh. Sold by another idiot who doesn't know how to put the strings on properly. It's not the highest spec either, there were 460 series and 660 series which had paduak and zebrano tops. But as you say, a tidy guitar.[/quote] Pete - where do these 400 and 600 series models come in the hierarchy - were they a bit later in the history but still MIJ? When I was looking for one I poured over [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=697&hl=nanyo"]The Definitive Bass Collection[/url] thread, plus everything else I could find on the 'net, but still can't see a definite family tree emerging. So far as I could see the earlier ones were the 300 series, with 4 string, 5 string, fretless and Sen bodied/gold hardware models. Then these others appear! Anyway - as per recommendation I put an Artec preamp in mine - the SE2 to keep it simple - and it has done the business -taken that plasticy edge off the tone and opened up the expression. Although the rotation is reversed in nearly everything, which threw me at first.

I regard it as a kind of 'The Exorcist'-esque experiment. Hopefully I am no longer possessed by the lumbar demons. Better edit my Avatar soon, too. Wanna buy it?......

It was my pleasure to bankrupt James this morning, who bought my Fender Jaguar AND Trace Elliot rig. Nice fella to do business with - enjoy the gear!

I played guitar in my mid-teens 'til I left university (early to late '70s), followed by a musical vacuum. Then mid-life crisis thingy came along 25years later and I took up bass, having changed the way I listen to and appreciate music in the meanwhile. Still have a couple of guitars and, if I were to put in the equivalent practice that I do on my bass, would be a better guitarist than both guitarists in one band. Which is rather worrying. Though nothing like as good as either guitarist in the other band - a much better situation. But doesn't it all seem a bit Liliputian? That's my biggest problem now when picking up a guitar - stumbling over such a tiny neck with all those strings on it. But I do quite fancy playing rhythm guitar in a band at some point. I never have and I think it could be fun.