SteveXFR

I'm looking around Frome/Warminster area. Zoom is OK but I'd rather actually get out

I want to get out and play with other musicians and learn a bit more about jamming and improvisation so I want to find local jam sessions but I don't have a clue where to look. Any tips on how to find them?

So it's ok until you use black paint then it'll never be quite as good again?

I did mean in parallel. I just remembered, the Terror 500 head has a 2ohm / 4ohm switc on the back. Try switching it to 2ohm and I'm guessing that'll stop it overheating

Have you got your cabs connected in series? That would put the total impedance too low and cause the head to over heat and cut out. If that's the problem, the same will happen with almost any head. My Terror 500 with a 4x10 and 1x15 is deafeningly loud and until a recent power supply short circuit, it would play at extreme volumes for as long as I could keep playing.

It has now got a more powerful thermostatic fan and a load of extra heat sinks but the vent is right next to the fan so it could just recirculate its own hot air.

I've been looking at all valve amps and noticed that the Orange AD200B head is only 200W. The last gig I went to before the world ended was PigsX7 and I remember their bassist had one of them and it was fooking loud. They're also very expensive but maybe 200W is all I need. That gig was at a pretty big venue and the band were so loud that up front I could only hear the guitarist who was right in front of me

Each failure occurred in a different building so that rules out the mains supply. I'll check the speaker wiring, it's 30 years old so could be dodgy.

I find I'm pushing the Trace pretty hard to get to a suitable volume with a loud drummer and that's 280w.

@Happy Jack I've been thinking about changing both my amps for one all valve head. Is there an all valve unit over 300 watts I can get for under £500 used?

Yep, I put a meter across it and it was seven point something ohms.

Pair of Trace Elliot cabs, 4x10 and 1x15. 8ohm each and each one connected to an 8ohm output in the Trace head or connected in series to the Orange.

I have a fairly simple pedal board between my bass and the front end of the amp. Stingray bass > Cali76 compressor > Two Note Le Bass preamp Both times with the Trace head I didn't have the preamp, just the compressor. The compressor is set so volume is the same on or off, the preamp is set with a slight boost but not a lot. Each failure has been in a different building so its not a dodgy socket. The Trace was running at about 80%on output volume and the Orange at about 40%

I'm a bit new to all this so I don't know how reliable amps should be but so far this year I've had three amp failures. Trace Elliot GP12SMX went up in smoke quite spectacularly with a failed power amp. Fair enough I thought, vintage electronics can be fragile so I had a new MOSFET power board fitted and thought that would be the end of it. Two hours playing and the new board failed, faulty board apparently so got that repaired under warranty. Last week my Orange Terror just stopped working, apparently its a catastrophic short circuit in the power supply and obviously the parts it needs are in China so that could be six weeks. Is it just me or are amplifiers less reliable than a badly maintained Alfa Romeo?

So you did actually use the B string? Not for its intended purpose but that wouldn't be punk anyway.

I'm not sure if they count as punk or not but Reel Big Fish's bassist uses a Stingray and its a five string although I'm not entirely convinced he uses the B string much.

Hammer Smashed Face by Cannibal Corpse will always get the grannies up for a dance

I forgot about Happy by Pharell Williams, that's far worse than I got a feeling. My idea of a great party tune would be Funeropolis by Electric Wizard

That's probably the song I hate most from the last 20 years. I guess that means it'll be an ideal party song.

That's it then. If it's good enough for the man who in my opinion is the greatest ever punk bassist and also just one of the greatest bassists full stop then it's good enough for me.

Stupid Girl by Garbage for a bit more 90's indie rock. Rock & Roll Queen by Subways would work well with a female singer.

How about Cannonball by Breeders? A 90's classic often ignored by party bands.

We're punk band back then playing real Fenders?

So no to the BC Rich for the smooth jazz audition then

I have seen an Industrial metal band with an electric upright. Bow plus heavy distortion plus some very low tuning sounded like the apocalypse.