Beedster

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...?

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1439400279' post='2842523'] Start, The Jam, starts in G so hopefully that's the key....it shows my lack of musical theory doesn't it! [/quote] Or Taxman by The Beatles as it's otherwise known On the subject of which I will nominate Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Macca, key of G major I believe. Never liked the song or the bassline that much until I played it live. Now it's an absolute fave, and introduced me to just how clever Macca was and what a driving force his lines were to the music