Beedster

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1439994258' post='2847365'] [i]Some[/i] people will tell you that having a second pickup will affect the tone, even if that pickup is totally disconnected electronically, because the magnetic field from it will affect the vibration of the strings. Whether or not you think that that would make any meaningful difference is probably best decided by an angry four hundred page thread. [/quote] Ha ha, you mean like the one on Talkbass

What's he building in there?

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1439936927' post='2847004'] I've been using a PJB Double Four for the last couple of months, it's my only amp. It's silent, no hiss, or whistling. It copes perfectly with a low B string, it actually sounds like a bass amp, if you know what I mean. There's no lack of bassiness. I use an ebow and a lot of effects for my stuff, and it copes perfectly with that. I only play my own stuff, or jazz. The jazz gigs range from a 3 piece, to a 5 piece with vocals. I did an outside gig at a garden party on Saturday afternoon. The rest of the band - keys and vocals were through a PA, I could have used the PA too, it has a line-out, but we decided that wasn't necessary. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is amazed by it. [/quote] I probably depends on genre as much as anything. I love the tone and clarity of my PJB gear, it's just that to get anything close to what I would describe as 'bass' I need to go to at least 250w in PJB terms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking PJB gear at all, I've got loads of it, but the Briefcase and the Flightcase at 100w and 150w respectively do not cut it in anything other than a very quiet room. And it's not just about the band, it's about the ambient noise also, I've sound-checked with a Flightcase and found it fine only to find that when the room fills up it isn't, neither for me or the audience. I do think there are things that can be done with positioning/height and EQ, so that if the Briefcase were my only option I could make it work better than it does, but none of these are ideal if there are options. Are people amazed by Phil Jones gear? Generally yes, I find that also, the quality of the sound for the size is always going to impress. It's just the quantity of the sound that can be lacking in comparison with other gear rated at similar power output (yes I know there is no reliable measure of this but you know what I mean........) Bottom line, if it works for you, that's the only measure and opinion that matters

Yes, Briefcase does have a BB but I'll be selling if as I don't need that, the 300 and the Bighead. Thanks for heads up re power, I'll give it a go C

[quote name='Sonic_Groove' timestamp='1439893283' post='2846476'] Beedster: Was that the Micromark 801? Anyone: Know if Phil Jones solved the high-pitch noise on 240v ?? Brendan [/quote] Yes, the 801, lovely little thing. Re PJB, I still have a Briefcase but whilst I love the tone, and whilst there are no high pitched noises, I've just bought a PB-300 as the Briefcase simply doesn't cut it for gigs, even those without a drummer ( and were a quiet band anyway). I'm sincerely hoping there are no high pitched noises with the 300!

Thanks MoonBassAlpha You were spot on, I emailed PJB at the same time as posting this and had a response from the man himself pretty soon afterwards, so I'm looking forward to a large box arriving at my door courtesy of Bassgear very soon I'll of course update on how it all goes Chris

I'm trying to sort an economic solution to my slightly underpowered PJB Briefcase for DB, as I have (and LOVE) the Bighead, it seems that running that into the PB-300 might be a decent idea, and I'm guessing the PB-300 would also allow me to run a couple of other pre-amps such as my Headway DB-1 into it also? Only risk as far as I can tell is with the charge-only power facility on the Bighead (i.e., no mains or battery solution should it run dry) Chris

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439571437' post='2844105'] That's the main thing. [/quote] I should point out that my 1975 Strat weighs close to 11lbs

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439288673' post='2841508'] No, if we'd been comedians you would have received a hail of "well don't touch them then" responses [/quote] [quote name='skidder652003' timestamp='1439309187' post='2841782'] funny that, thats exactly what my drummer is always telling me... [/quote] I rest my case; drummers=comedians

Let's not forget the tone voodoo instruments of the day, for example my Satellite Les Paul, described to my father (who was paying) "as every bit as good as the Fender version and probably made by the same people". It had tone by the bucketload, not very nice tone, but lots of it. Oh, and it weighed a ton as well

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1439565062' post='2844012'] I gigged and HH VS100 through and ex reggae sound system 18" bass bin made from what felt like paving slabs '79-81. Can you imagine the awesome tone? [/quote] This is why roadies in the 70's were generally gargantuan, hair-covered beasts, who communicated in subsonic grunts, and from whom one sideways look - even to major stars - would inspire fear and immediate obedience. These days you see roadies who Mo Farrah could take apart in a Greco-Roman Wrestling competition

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439565338' post='2844017'] It was crap but, most importantly, it was heavy. [/quote] Genius

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1439563756' post='2843983'] Thsi has made me chuckle to myself all afternoon. Effects pedals the size of a sideboard [/quote] And is why musicians who made it through the '70s were real men; every gig meant hauling monolithic boxes - including sideboards it seems - up creaky rotten stairs with no bannisters into clubs whose electrics hadn't been touched since the Blitz, running said boxes from one extension cables that had been repaired numerous times with sellotape or Elastoplast but was still trailing through puddles of beer, and then subjected to an atmosphere not unlike a nicotine testing laboratory for three hours. But the tone ......

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439555599' post='2843849'] This is what used to be known as a 13 amp fuse ... [/quote] Amateur effort Dave, heavy duty tin foil would take far more current

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1439551166' post='2843792'] Our main guitar amp at the time was a Linear Concord, a whole 30 watts. My brother used an enormous old (even then...) valve tape recorder as an overdrive; it was 3 times the size (and weight..!) of the amp. Our 2nd guitar, John Mac, wanted disto too so, not to be outdone, he brought along a whole stereo radiogram, as big as a sideboard. We did very few gigs with that formation, but the sounds were excellent, to our inexperienced (and poor..!) ears. Reggae became known, and we wanted to record something in that idiom. We finally nailed the bass drum sound we were looking for by shoving a giant stuffed ladybird into a plastic bucket, and whacking it with the flat of a wooden spoon. Happy daze. [/quote] Ha ha, that is outstanding, a radiogram on stage, made my day. You'd have needed a roadie for a 14w rig! Ah, the stuff we used to do just to be heard, hardly surprising that electric shocks and stage fires were so common

Yep, I had a lovely old tube combo in the 70's (WEM I think) that sounded outstanding, great gritty tone for guitar, until I took it in for a repair at my Dad's insistence (IIRC he was concerned at the burning smell and hint of smoke in the room whenever I played it). I collected it (or my Dad did), to find that the tech had replaced a 'badly damaged driver', as the result of which I now sounded like Hank Marvin.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1439504028' post='2843498'] You should've done that before posting this thread. There're a few stages to a sale and it's certainly not over when the goods arrive through your door. Out of all the items I've bought here three of them have not been what I considered to be as described. Each time I contacted the seller and each time a full refund was offered or some money off to reflect the discrepancy. I've only returned one item, but I still consider this to be a positive experience and this was reflected in the feedback I left for the seller. The issues you describe seem cosmetic, as you put it "[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]The bass plays like a dream, its well balanced on the strap and it sounds great." I've got a bass just like that, it's a US Spector and cost me £2K+, but you got one for £400 and you're not happy?![/color][/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]The damage around the input socket is from it being plugged in a lot to be played. Chances are the corrosion on the hardware has been caused by hands playing it. It sounds like you've got a very playable bass. This might not be what you want to hear, but £400 for a bass that plays like a dream is nowt. You could easily cough £1200 and get something that looks like Claudia Schiffer in a G string but feels like a bog door banging in the wind.[/color][/font] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]I'm not familiar with [/color][/font][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Maruszczyk basses, but WoT raves about them, so they must be doing something right. My advice to you is to contact the seller and see if you can get a few bob off, then put that toward getting it spruced up by a pro, but at least give the bloke a chance before opening up a thread where he ends up judged before the jury is in.[/font][/color] [/quote] +1 £400 including shipping plus strap, gig bag and extra pickguard....? Given what folks say about these basses generally and what the OP says about this bass in particular, it still sounds about £200 shy of what you'd expect to pay for a used instrument. OP, listen to the folks above. Take it apart, clean it up, and play it. I bought a Jazz on eBay a couple of weeks ago and, no joke, there were what I can only describe as grime ramps on the nut side of each fret up to about the 10th. Took me about 2 hours to clean the neck, another hour on the body, bridge and PUPs. So what, the seller was selling a used bass? Plays, feels and sound lovely now.

Ha ha, 'unique'. It sure is. But apparently it sounds great I think that mod may have taken place in about 1984...?