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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1378376602' post='2199262'] SWR SM400 is considered a classic. Lovely, loud and flexible. [/quote]Looks like a good workhorse. Thanks for the suggestion.

Over the last decade, a number of used musical instruments and bits of pro audio kit have passed through my hands. I've always used the analogy of buying used basses being like buying used cars. If you buy a new one, the moment you take ownership of it, it depreciates in value, and some makes hold their value better than others. To avoid this, I’ve always employed the old trick of buying used classic gear that has retained most of its value, or kept depreciation to a minimum whilst I’ve been enjoying it. On the odd lucky occasion I’ve made a small profit and when it does, I congratulate myself on my good taste and business acumen... doesn’t happen often. Sometimes it means spending more than I originally intended, or waiting patiently for the 'gear available' and 'cash in pocket' stars to align, but you can do it safe in the knowledge that if it turns out to be the wrong thing for you, you can move it on for the price you paid for it. For example, you can bank on the value of a newish second hand american standard Precision not fluctuating too wildly over the space of a few years, as opposed to the falling value of the new custom instrument you had made to your perfect specifications. With this in mind, could the good citizens of Basschat furnish me with their suggestions and rough guide prices for a new ‘classic amplifier’ to replace my outgoing Little Mark II? Good solid second hand bass amps to power my 2x 300W@8ohms Purple Chili cabs. I'm asking because my knowledge of the amp market is sorely lacking and I don't know what to buy next. Solid state, valve, hybrid, Class D or own gravitational field... it's not important. Warm or cold/gritty or clean sounding isn’t a specific desire either. Nor is the price within reason (up to £1000’ish), but it doesn’t need to be expensive, I might be just as happy with a Peavey as I would a Matamp. I’d like to be able to try something out and if it doesn’t suit, move it on for what I paid for it.

I'm flitting between my original idea of using Windows 7 x64 or plunging into a new o/s as Reaper 64bit does purport to work on Windows 8. I understand alot of plug-ins are written 32 bit native though. I could build a lower spec and use it until I hit a wall in performance, then upgrade, but I don't want to. The reason years ago I foresook building desktop PC's in favour of laptops and games machines was that I was sick of the spiralling upgrades of more RAM, better graphics card, qicker CPU, quieter fans, new o/s, funkier mouse, etc. For years it seemed like my computer didn't go six months without me spending money on it and it might have spent more time side-off, with me hovering over it menacingly with a screwdriver, than it did turned on... and I was never never happy with the performance, always in the back of my mind thinking, "my motherboard will support that component that would have cost me twice as much a year ago... damn that new high end graphics card looks cool... etc". This time I'm going to build the highest spec I can afford and utilise it for a specific job, for a lifespan of hopefully say 5 years. My microphone GAS doesn't need PC GAS getting in the way. My original plan wasn't to use a PC at all, instead to buy something like a Mackie HDR24 or Tascam 2424, but unless you're buying top end like Otari or JoeCo, support for standalone HD multitrack is dropping off because a PC can do all that and more for less cost. Also it seemed a better way of integrating my digital desk. I'm just not too desirous of spending the wee small hours staring at waveforms on a monitor, constantly tweaking minutae values for barely perceivable differences in sound, imagining if only I could afford that expensive plug-in that would magically change this mix from mediocre into world beater. Going to idealistically keep that to a minimum and try to use my ears and intuition instead. So far Scan is winning the battle for the majority of my order.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1363773156' post='2017216'] EDIT: I see that socket 2011 motherboards seem to have 8 slots (!!!!!) eg [url="http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-p9x79-intel-x79-s-2011-ddr3-sata-iii-6gb-s-sata-raid-pcie-30-%28x16%29-atx"]http://www.scan.co.u...0-%28x16%29-atx[/url] and that it seems at last 8GB RAM per slot is now manufactured if not stocked eg [url="http://www.scan.co.uk/products/32gb-%284x8gb%29-corsair-ddr3-dominator-pc3-12800-%281600%29-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-10-10-10-27-dhx-technolo"]http://www.scan.co.u...27-dhx-technolo[/url] So i stand corrected....... [/quote] I'm not finding a problem finding companies that say they have 4 x 8GB in stock and will sell it to me for around £180-200. The proof will come I suppose when I place an order. Now I'm wondering if I need lower profile RAM that won't interfere with the CPU cooler I'm yet to choose. [quote name='6v6' timestamp='1363773811' post='2017229'] I assume you've seen the 3xs stuff from scan? The prices on these are actually pretty good when you start adding up the cost of all the components, and consider that you're getting something which has been specifically optimized and tested for DAW use: [url="http://3xs.scan.co.uk/Category.asp?SystemMasterCategoryID=2"]http://3xs.scan.co.u...terCategoryID=2[/url] [/quote] I have looked at them and they just don't do the configuration I want at the price I want to pay. I think i7 processors aren't good enough value for money at the moment. It's interesting to see they spec LGA1155 socket and Intel Z77 chipset motherboard but, is that the one they know works the best, or the one they got the best deal on a bulk buy? The good thing about DIY is getting exactly what you need, the bad thing is deciding where the best value lies in the market these days when you haven't kept upto date for a few years... ... and the constant desire to upgrade and improve... like a electronic money pit. My last PC had a whopping 64mb of RAM. At the time you could max it out to 1GB and I remember thinking, "Whats the point in that? I don't want a supercomputer!" When I was knee high to a grasshopper, my first computer was a VIC-20 which I used to type little basic programs into, making sure they wouldn't use more than the magnificent 3.5 kb memory. I used to covet the neighbours Commodore 64, but not the lad over the road's Spectrum 48k because, a little like the tedious Apple Vs PC debate, the Sinclair seemed vulgar and common and didn't give the user the smug sense of superiority provided by Commodore. *ducks*

Thanks bobbass4k. I realise I'm not being stingy with the RAM but that's clearly going to be my main expenditure excluding the soundcard. That's interesting Twigman, nearly all the socket 1155 motherboards I'm looking at state they support 32GB. The socket 2011 I'm seeing tends towards 64GB max. Are there compatability problems between makes of RAM and motherboards? That's the sort of thing I'm looking to avoid. It's an old PC mantra of mine, moreRAM, moreRAM, moreRAM... If 8GB would be enough today, what about in 12 months or two years? For me, I'd rather stick 4 x 8GB sticks in at once than add new sticks to old ones.

Thank you for the suggestions so far, they'll all be investigated. Anybody got any thoughts or recommendations on CPU's ? Does a DAW really need 4 cores or more?

Like a few members of this forum I am also a member of GearSlutz, however that place is even more of a bunfight than here, so I was hoping to get your thoughts on the matter before I throw myself to the know-it-all sharks there. After a couple of years out of the loop, I'm endeavouring to build myself a new PC. The computer will be musically dedicated, used mainly as a DAW (Reaper) with the occasional free plug in effect applied, and integrated via ADAT with the Yamaha 02R I picked up second hand a couple of weeks ago, (it's got 2 ADAT cards and a TC Unity card already fitted). I was intending to use a RME RayDat PCI-e soundcard but I'm open to other suggestions. To give you an idea about how long it's been since I last build a PC, it had an AMD Duron processor. I never used it for musical purposes, just to play games and look at naked women on the internet, but got fed up of the constant spiral of upgrades, so bought the laptop I'm using now, (lasted me for 5 years or so and still going strong), and an XBOX or three. I'm looking for advice on a good place to buy components online and indeed good recommendations for bang for buck hardware. Cost v Service wise, well everybody likes bargains, but I will gladly pay a little more for an existent after sales service. On the shopping list is:[list=1] [*]An Intel Processor. I don't know how many cores I want or need and this obviously combines with... [*]A motherboard with PCI-e and RAID. Anyone suggest a good model for audio use? [*]32GB DDR3 RAM minimum [*]HDD's, (not SSD's still not convinced on reliability versus cost) [*]Graphics card to run two monitors [*]Two monitors [/list] The other sundries are coming second hand via eBay or a quiet pc specialist company. Can somebody give their suggestions of what to buy and where? Thanks. Oh, and a non-shonky disc of Win7 64bit.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1360541347' post='1972198'] At no point did you specify you were meaning solely on basschat. Your original post says "buying basses cheaply and flipping them". Is buying stuff cheap on eBay and selling it for its real value here ok? [/quote] I refer you to the title of this thread. [quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1360588328' post='1972754'] what i do object to is this notion that as a non-trader bass player, buying and selling a few basses per year, you are [i]morally obliged[/i] to sell it for the [i]same[/i] price you bought it, and now this is even being suggested by the mods?! [/quote] I asked whether you thought flipping on BC was OK or not and you've been morally obliged you to do nothing.

Seems some of the replies to my hypothetical question can be grouped roughly as: 1) those who frown upon flipping, 2) those who frown but don't really care, 3) those who don't care about flipping and 4) those who are just annoyed that I dare bring up the subject.

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1360535536' post='1972075'] I believe BC is a community and a great information resource on all aspects of bass playing. When I buy and sell I deliberately do not make a profit. In fact I have an embarrassing nine pages of feedback and have not knowingly profited from a single one of those deals. Maybe I am an idealistic mug but I believe in karma and would like to think I am treated well by other BC'ers as a consequence. I do not like seeing flipping on BC but there's 'eff all I can do it about it. DIfferent strokes for different folks. Everyone lives by their own moral compass and we have to accept this, in my view. No point setting rules about this on BC like minimum holding/re-selling periods. [/quote] Clarky, if you wanted to buy something of mine I would sort you out an old school 'basschat' price. Not try and screw you for every last penny like some other forum members would appear to gladly admit to. *disclaimer* - I have nothing you want!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360526871' post='1971869'] For me it works largely like this: I won`t pay any more for an item than I think it`s worth If I sell it on, it will be at the price I bought it at. If I`ve spent a fair bit on the item, I`ll try to recoup some of that by upping the price accordingly.[/quote] That's what I would do as well. Not so long ago, I remember a forum member snapping up a CS Fender Jazz for a great price, which he then proceeded to sell a few days later at a figure he thought was nearer market value. The general vocal opinion, at the time on the thread, was that he was taking the piss out of his fellow forum members and that if he wanted to flip it, he could at least have the decency to do it on ebay or somewhere else. I thought it was a credit to the forum that he was called out about it at the time. I was just wondering if that attitude has gone by the wayside?

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1360526391' post='1971851'] So, let me see if I get this straight. I buy a bass on ebay, for a steal---the seller doesn't know what they've got, bad pictures, silly auction times, local collection only, whatever. Two weeks later I get made redundant. In that situation I should turn round to my wife and say "yes dear, I know we have to pay the mortgage and feed our child, and that that bass is worth £400 more than I paid for it any day of the week, but I can't sell it for its true market value because that wouldn't be cool" . Right you are. [/quote] Nope, I'm not talking about ebay. Never mentioned it. I'm talking about Basschat only, buying and selling within the community. How much community is left?

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1360511154' post='1971452'] It's your opinion; it's fair enough. Personally I think there's something callous about a member of this forum buying a bass on here cheap with the sole intent of selling it on at profit to someone who could have had it at the price the profiteering member did. As I just said, I was under the impression that that scenario is what the OP is talking about. It's not in what I took to be "the spirit" of this place, so I may - or may not - have had my eyes opened to the motives of some users on here. "Users" possibly being the operative word. [/quote] You are correct, that was the scenario I was referring to. I didn't reaise this had been done to death at all and I wanted to gauge some of the obviously differing opinions to mine.... capitalist pigdogs!

I only have one bass. I've tried buying others to usurp it but I always end up playing my jazz ,(with the same setting... in series pups with the tone rolled back a little). I'm a basstone monogamist.

I personally am not proposing any change of the rules or policing of the marketplace. I just wonder if my moral compass needs recalibrating when it comes to the BC marketplace... and thanks for the condescending flowchart.

...as in selling them quickly for profit. This issue arose on another thread a couple of weeks ago. A fellow forumite mentioned their dismay at someone buying basses cheaply and quickly turning them around for the BC marketplace at an inflated price. A few members chirped up and said 'this is the way of life', 'good luck to them' and then a few more, (me included), were surprised by this and mentioned that, whilst in no way against the rules, flipping basses on BC was poor etiquette and had previously been frowned upon by the community. So which is it these days? I'll set my stall out first and say I think flipping basses should not be encouraged. I'm very pleased that some members have disposable income and can snap up a bargain when they see one, but when they give it a spit 'n' polish and a new set of strings, then put it back in the marketplace for a few hundred quid more, well that leaves a bad taste. One of the reasons I've always been happy to buy and sell here is the sense of dealing with likeminded individuals, not used car salesmen. Or am I being too wishy washy? Is it a dog eat dog, free for all now? Has the will of the forum changed?

Sounds like half a weak joke and half a medical procedure. I voted hate it.

The 80's Ibanez Roadster thingy I had for the years when I wasn't interested or playing often, which I despised. Don't know what came first, the apathy or this godawful instrument. Failing that the first bass I owned which was an Avon Rose Morris EB0 copy... just cheap and nasty.

I remember when blatant profiteering was frowned upon on this forum, and it wasn't so long ago. [i]Blatant[/i] being the operative word. We used to be looking out for each other and flippers would be given short shrift. Are we not doing that anymore? More's the pity. Back OT, I hope this problem gets resolved asap.

Q. How many musicians does it take to change a lightbulb? A. Ten. One to change the bulb and nine to stand around and mutter, "I could have done it better than that".

Express Yourself

... two successful bands.