msb

After my father-in-law passed away we began caring for my mother-in-law and I decided that I wasn’t lugging amps back and forth , so I was going to need a practice amp there. At the time my usual practice amp at home was an old and battered GK MB150 , a great little combo. My first reaction was to get something cheap , so I picked up a used Rumble 15. And it sounded like garbage , so I decided to rethink this. I was spending far more time practicing than gigging so I decided to go for something that would sound nice. Found a little GK MB200 head for a great price on kijiji and was off to the races. Initially paired it with a cheap Traynor cab , that was replaced with an Ampeg 210 AV , and that was replaced with a Phil Jones C2. I sold the Traynor cab and moved the Ampeg cab home for practice and semi retired the MB150. Now the MB200 and the C2 sound lovely! But I managed to score an e500 on kijiji and that’s replaced the MB200 for now. At home I’ve been running the 210AV through a SWR Headlite , the little GK might go back there . I normally do a couple of gigs per week but easily manage to put in several hours a day on a practice amp. It was well worth the money to get something nice that sounds good. I believe that in order to develop a good touch you need to practice amplified. And I like listening to good tone.

That looks like a great little rig! Unfortunately Barefaced are quite obscure down here. I’ve been having a proper ball with my little e500 but haven’t used it on any gigs.

My little corner at the inlaw’s house , looking after my mother-in-law so I spend a lot of time there. I have another practice rig at home. I use the Hotone as a headphone amp.

My Stingray , got it new , I guess it’s about twenty years old now.

I put a wooden popsicle stick bridge on a shortscale Danelectro , and took off the adjustable metal one. It made a big change , much woodier sounding now. Exactly what I hoped for.

I saw their first Ed Sullivan performance , and everything shifted overnight. So I grew up with Beatlemania and immediately listened to every new release. Their output was phenomenal. Then I got into the Chess catalogue and didn’t pay much attention to popular music , lost in the shuffle. Eventually I came back and bought much of their music again. I don’t listen to them often , but it’s like being in a Time Machine when I do.

All of North America has one plug. Probably South America too. And a shock is rarely fatal.

Just put a Hipshot on my Flying V. So I prefer Leo’s original bent metal , but on Gibson basses I’ve been replacing the 3points with higher mass Hipshot bridges. Say one thing do another … it is much easier to palm mute with the hipshot.

Still 1/3 the price of a vintage one.

Well a black Hipshot popped up on kijiji for a good price. and I think it will look good on the V.

Add another mid twenty something …

I’m happy whenever someone tells me they have over 30 basses or guitars. It makes me fell better about only having twenty something.

Yes, I’ve got a little Phil Jones C2 under one practice head and an Ampeg 210AV under another. I have a pair of Bergantino cabs by the patio door for gigs , although for many I only need a single cab. And an ancient GK MB150 combo to drag out for rehearsals. I drag stuff out the door for rehearsals or gigs every week and keep the practice rigs completely separate and self contained. That way I don’t forget cables or tuners , or whatever when I head out. And I do have a cheap little headphone amp I can plug a tablet into as well.

I keep gig rigs completely separate from practice , or rehearsal amps. That looks like a nice home practice amp to me.

I always thought Leo’s bent metal bridge was genius simplicity. High mass bridges promised sustain , but I didn’t necessarily see that as a good thing. I sometimes palm mute. Last week I replaced two bridges on basses. I have a Danelectro shortscale DC bass that has the metal adjustable bridge and replaced that with a wooden popsicle stick bridge to get more of a woodier thump. And it worked. And I replaced a 3point bridge on a Gibson DC Jr bass with a high mass Hipshot. To be honest I don’t notice much of a change , but it looks a heck of a lot better.

Herself once dragged me off to a Shaggy concert. I think I was the only guy there.

My VI was the first Squier I’ve ever purchased. No complaints. I’m happy Fender made it available as an inexpensive import. Vintage and Custom Shop would be beyond my discretionary budget. I spend more time on it than I ever expected to.

It appears that Rickenbacker is about to do just that !

I sold a blackface Bassman to a guitar playing friend about 40 years ago, he was back for a visit last week and telling me it still sounds gorgeous.

Danelectro with Masonite construction.

My strings fall into three categories . Dead rounds , flats , and fresh rounds. Most basses have flats . Most 34 scales have TIs. I keep fresh rounds on an old Ray. Slinkies, of course. I have ancient dead rounds on an old Pbass. It thumps. I have Black Beauties on a Riverhead Unicorn. They were on when I bought it , and I’ll eventually put another set on it. Most have TI Jazz flats , some sets have been on forever. I prefer short scales now and with a 30 in scale I like a stiffer string than the TI Jazz flats I loved. And after trying a bunch I seem to be settling on LaBellas. For fresh shortscale rounds I’ve been buying Gibson Britewires. Nice string. Most shortscales have flats , but I do keep fresh rounds on a couple. And ancient rounds on some for that old school thump. My Longhorn has the factory strings , it was made in 98. All it can do is thump , but it really does that. I have Thunderguts on an Ashbory and a uke bass . And Thomastiks on my upright.

I suspect that after being restored , and tweaked for bass , it would be a lovely home rig with a small modern cab.

I prefer shortscales , and there’s no shortage of short scale hollow bodies. That said I’ve come * that close to buying one on several occasions. They sound good, and I don’t hear complaints about build quality. I prefer shortscales. I have too much stuff already , but if they did a shorty I’d probably break down and buy one.

Darkglass … get some hoodies back in the merch section … I really wanna buy one. And add tome Tremolo to the Darkglass Suite software. And maybe an octave pedal too. Gibson … there are more elegant solutions than the 3point. And maybe an Epi Pro shortscale Tbird. Might be nice to put a finer finish on the DC Jr. And don’t frig with Mesa. That train is right on track. Rickenbacker … that 4005 XC was a wonderful thing , how about another short scale hollow body based on the 350 body. Black of course , and maybe with an included Vox Python strap. Yamaha… overdue for another whack at the Flying Samurai , short scale this time. Danelectro … reissue the Commando amp for the harp players. Hand wire it , make it right. A six string Longhorn bass would be a funky thing to see again. More colours again , please. Fender… maybe a short scale upper end Squier Jagstang bass ? Something cheap and trashy for the kids.(and me) Bergantino … maybe a bookshelf speaker for home practise. If anybody could make a great one it would be Jim.

Mostly playing shortscales these days , but for rounds I’ve been buying Gibson Britewires. Nice strings. And I still put Slinkys on my Ray. I keep flats on most basses.