msb

When I had a G&L L2500 I’d change the battery about every three or four years. It worked in passive if the battery died.

I plan to move several amps , maybe a bass or two. I’ll probably just put that towards an amp or two I’m curious about. 
 

I like to think of it as a curious mind.  

I’d only change them if I broke a string , or lost a winding.  
I have some flats that are ancient. Some rounds that are ancient too.

It was funny when I bought it … I posted in a forum that one was on the way , and Jule contacted me , and said he must have misplaced the order , but that he would make everything good.

I told him I had found a used one and that it was in transit.

He said I could have kept him going for a couple of weeks.

On 13/08/2024 at 08:29, Reggaebass said:

I can’t help myself looking at the Jule Monique preamp, lovely thing 

After looking at them for several years I broke down and found a used one in the US. That was about a year and a half ago. With the exchange and duty it wound up costing more than I anticipated , but I have no regrets whatsoever. 

I am a believer.
I usually run it into the effect return of my Forte , and that’s changed from a transparent hifi amp to a wonderful old school tube warmth. Monique is a beautiful thing. 

2 hours ago, ossyrocks said:

My wife has gone away for three nights with my step daughter today. I had a meander back from dropping her off in Manchester, having lunch with my daughter and my grand daughter in Ramsbottom, and then called in for a brew with some old friends from school. 

 

However, that leaves me alone in the house for three nights, so inevitably this happens. All the gear comes out, and I've been trying everything against everything else,.

 

Remarkably, there is no contest, for me, and the tone in my head, the Gallien-Kruegar 400RB is the best sounding amp I own, by a country mile. This has been an interesting experiment. It doesn't matter how much money you throw at amps, the one that works for you, just might be the cheapest.

 

Of this pile, the Elf is a more than adequate backup/spare, and sounds great at 4 ohms through the BF 3x10. 

 

I have a GK 400RB-III coming this week, to compare to the 400RB-II, but I think that's it, I'm done. No need to buy other amps.

 

Looks like I have a few to list in the classifieds now. All of them are great amps in their own right, and would be superb on any gig too, but I need to thin this pile down a bit.

 

Rob

 

Edit:

 

Those are all the settings I was using whilst comparing the amps.

 

 

I have a Forte too , the first version with the compressor instead of the drive. I’ve found it to be a simple transparent power brick. A great hifi sounding amp. 
But I’ve been running a tube preamp in front of it , a little boutique rig called Monique , made by Jule. I use the effect return input on the back so Monique is the tone stack , and the Forte now sounds like a big warm tube amp. For gigs I use Berg cabs but for rehearsals I can easily get back with a little BareFaced One10.

I’ve heard so many great reports about the Elf that I’d probably snag one if I saw a reasonable deal.

 Thankfully Herself looks upon most basses as art objects. No problems bringing a new bass home. And most amps are not that big , but she’s not crazy about any more cabinets showing up. She doesn’t understand the appeal of a black box. Although she does refer to my Bergantinos as Lamborghinis. 

Welcome aboard !
 

You’ve put together a lovely sandbox.

A friend picked up the first version of the RB400 when it first became available. He was a mentor , and when he first showed me the amp he was incredulous that such a small package could have such tone and be so loud. It wasn’t too long before I picked one up , it was the second version with the detachable power cord. You could easily pick it up with one hand! That was astounding.
The first thing I noticed was the tone. It never failed , despite the drops and bumps. There were times I cranked it , but it gave me all the power I’d think I’d need. It did everything.
 

It was the most reliable amp I’d ever seen. 

I have sold the two RB400 amps that I owned , they are both still in use. And still have a classic MB150 combo and a tiny MB200. I did blow up the 150 and loved it enough to get it fixed. And the fan on the 200 got clogged up and stopped working , things got hot , fried , and there was another repair.
 

They both work perfectly today.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Musicmasters. 

gorgeous stuff

I’m in the house band for a Sunday blues jam , and just recently was informed I’ve been doing it for twenty eight years.

… shameless 

Eastwood Classic IV , I once owned a Rivoli , and sold it , and regretted selling it. So when an Eastwood hollow body popped up on kijiji I had to snag it. Since this I’ve picked up a big hollow body orange Gretsch and become completely smitten by it. Funny how things turn out.

I’ve been a big Dano aficianado since the first Korean reissues appeared. I became known for my love for Longhorn basses. So when I heard the DC bass was going to become available as a shortscale … well I jumped. I replaced the metal adjustable bridge with a wooden popsicle stick styled bridge. I think they sound better.

I picked up a big orange hollow body Gretsch , and some suggested I should check out the ThunderJet. It took a little time to track one down , but it exceeded my expectations. Beautiful thing. Not heavy. 

And a little Gibson LP DC Jr. Another beauty. Still listed on the website for some reason , but has been out of production for a while now. I hope they make more , I keep suggesting these to friends as a great little shortscale bass. They’re getting harder to find.

4 hours ago, ossyrocks said:

How did the mark IV compare with your original mark II tonewise?

It was a touch brighter. Not a huge difference. 

I bought mine new , and must have run it for close to twenty years. It was never in a rack or case so it was constantly getting banged around. Probably the most reliable piece of gear I ever had. And people frequently commented on the sound. 
Possibly the easiest thing to dial in. I had a tech friend clean it out a couple of times. Nothing was ever replaced.
When I decided it was time for a new amp I was originally thinking of a bigger GK , but my amp tech suggested that if I liked the 400 so much I should really get another. So I found the IV version on kijiji for a great price. The quarter inch line out on the model#2 was noisy (my only complaint) and the IV had a balanced xlr out , and they slightly bumped up the wattage. I liked the IV too.

It was eventually replaced with a 900 watt StreamLiner.
 

Another classic.

I had the second version with the removable power cord. Used it for years , was incredibly reliable despite being dropped and banged around. Every seven or eight years I’d get it cleaned out. Replaced it with the IV version and then replaced that with a GenzBenz StreamLiner. 
That RB was much easier to dial in. Never let me down , it was bulletproof. 

Bergantino make great gear.

Yup , we always make a point of making sure everybody listening to the same reference. 
 

the same thing happened
 

One surprising thing about the 51 reissue , it has the most lively G string that I’ve ever played.

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

Just a super work horse bass. Mine is a 2000 MIJ 1951 reissue. 

 

I love that custom pick guard on your's. 

 

Daryl

 I love the 51 reissues with the rocket shaped covers. I think I got the first one in Canada.

It’s amazing what a little maintenance can do for tuners. I was set to toss the tuners on an old UniVox HiFlier , but after a clean and lube they worked like new.
Made me wonder how many perfectly good ones get tossed.

a spare 

I should sell a couple

I wasn’t familiar with the U700.

Interesting.

Sunday jam in the old dive.