bremen

Yeah, thomann will probably try to charge you extra for that

I like that they still use chicken head knobs. Keeps it retro.

There you go - as many recommendations as there are pickups on the market!

If that's another name for the alnico quarter Pounder, that's what I use. Very high output, very attacky with a pick and pianoey with fingers.

Don't turn down an amp just because it lacks a headphone socket. It really is trivial to make an adaptor. I have an earlier model of this https://www.voxamps.co.uk/products/ap3-ba?srsltid=AfmBOorDJQvZmPqEggPXsqCRGFCQ7-riIJhY1qeGwUaT4_CEDN7hb6Js that I use to practise when there's no amp available.

If the amp has a headphone output, sure. But don't plug headphones into the speaker output, the level is much too high and your headphones will burst into flames but not before they melt your brain. Find an amp you like, if it hasn't got a headphone output I can make you an adaptor to take the level down to suit headphones, about 50p worth of parts that I have in my box anyway. Had you considered making your own cab? All you need is a jigsaw. And some glue.

Ohms. The unit of impedance, ie how much an element resists the flow of current. Valve amps must be impedance matched to the cabs they're driving. Some amps have a switch to select their output impedance, some are OK within a range (it's generally OK to drive an 8 ohm output into a 4 ohm speaker but not vice-versa). Transistor amps have a rating: minimum load. Most often 4 ohms, sometimes 2. The speaker(s) must not go under this impedance, and its nearly always fine to go over. Note that two 8 ohm cabs present a total of 4 ohms (unless you wire them in series, which you won't). An amp that delivers 100W into 8 ohms will generally deliver a bit less than twice that into 4 ohms. That's not twice as loud: it's between 2 and 3 decibels louder. Don't obsess over "getting the most out of the amp"; 2dB is noticeable in an AB test but other factors are far more significant. How far is the cab from the back wall? How full is the venue? How drunk is the drummer? A 4 ohm amp driving an 8 ohm speaker will run cooler and have an easier life than driving 4 ohms. In short: assuming it's a transistor amp, all you need to do is be sure your speakers impedance is equal or greater than the minimum rating of the amp. This will generally be labelled. Next week: power ratings! Phil Starr and Bill Fitzmaurice are absolute authorities on the subject. Hear what they say.

Definitely add a fan. I have the old version of cxd400, looks like the current cxd500 with the aluminium heat spreader rather than finned heating, and it's OK with up to 100w continuous sine wave just bolted onto an aluminium chassis. Top tip: bigger fans are quieter than whizzy little 40mm items for a given airflow.

Mods! Please expel this apostate!

I think you and I are probably the only players left standing that prefer 2x15! It's probably habit with me though, loved the Peavey and ampeg I used in the 80s and lightweight alternative I prefer nowadays. Playing opaque melodies that would bug most people, sometimes heavy on the bass.

OK, a few weeks later and the lo riders have definitely lost their zing and sound pretty dead unamplified. However, when the bass is plugged in and theres a band playing (in rehearsal or recorded) they sound proper rough and dirty when mashed with a pick. Sit well in the mix, too, big heavy dangerous sound on the monitors and still "there" on the Horrortones. Probably better in the mix at this age than when new, lovely as the solo sound was.

15 years later, it's still a beaut Precision neck and I'm still happy about the deal, cheers Gary!

I'm sure it will be fine, your experience of Cristi's customer service is quite common, we eventually had some useful conversations. Which power supply do you have?

Which reminds me. What's the best metal for sheds?

The connex ones I use are IRS2092 based. Haven't managed to kill them yet. Top tip for cooling: bigger fans are quieter for a given airflow. I also got a super cheap one similar to the one Neil pictured from Fleabay, terrible construction quality and over a volt switching noise at the output. I definitely wouldn't trust it at a gig.

Most bass players couldn't tell a shed felter from a patio decker.

I endured a gig not long ago where no-one had their own amp: guitar, bass, vocals, backing track. You couldn't actually hear which note the bass was playing. Sound guy spent most of the gig in headphones. Kick drum was lovely and loud though.

That's Numberwang!

I've been using Connex class D amps and smps without issues; they are made in China but the owner of the company has always helped when I've asked for help. This was a few years ago though, and whether his customer service is currently scintillating or dismal very much depends on which online review you read. https://connexelectronic.com/

Yes you will be good enough for a band. You don't need to be [famous bass player] to make a wonderful noise and have a great time with like minded people.

There's about 2dB difference between elf into 4 ohms and elf into 8

Can't argue with that!

Promoter: -you only played for 28 minutes! Rat Scabies: -yeah, but you got 30 songs!

All true. My point, though, is that Bob Gallien says it was a deliberate decision to use a mere 2000uF reservoir caps in order to get a particular sound, and users of his amps enjoy their 'heft'. So maybe, counter-intuitively; a stiff, conservatively rated power supply doesn't equate to a 'beefy/hefty' sound as conventional wisdom has it, but some sag is what's called for. In which case one of the possible reasons for some class D amps not sounding so great is that the switching power supplies in them are too good, too well regulated, not saggy enough. As Deaddog remarks, valve amps sag and valve amps have heft. I wonder how much the HT rail on an SVT drops at full power. I'm going to hook an olde fashioned unregulated linear power supply up to my classD amp, bypassing the smps, and see what happens. I suspect confirmation bias might win, though, so don't believe a word I say.

What's that switch, with the diode and capacitor symbols?