msb

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.

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.

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.

Last night at the blues jam in the old dive.

The TT is a great amp! Have you been using both channels on gigs?

I love my C2 for home use , it’s wonderful when you’re sitting right in front of it , but it doesn’t fill a room. I had to import mine from the US so it got expensive , however no regrets I use it every day. I play through that more than anything else.

I have one older combo and seven amps. Things are divided between the in-laws and home as we look after my mother-in-law and I have a practice nook there GK MB150 combo … should sell simply not getting much use , doesn’t owe me a thing. the heads Hotone Thunderbass (mostly used as a headphone amp … replaced by a PhilJones BigHead) should sell GK MB200 used to be a primary practice amp , should sell , great little head Aguilar TH 350 home practice amp … lotsa use SWR HeadLite should sell Darkglass e500 practice rig at the in-laws , I play through that more than anything else I love that thing , digital modelling and all Bergantino Forte … main amp going out the door … gigs and rehearsals , beautiful thing , older version with the variable compressor GenzBenz Streamliner 900 overhauled by AndyField , it’s like a brand new amp . Backup. Beautiful thing. I usually take a tube preamp out to gigs and rehearsals , Monique , by Jule . A gorgeous boutique pre. I have my cabs pared down to just what I need. An Aguilar SL112 to pair with the TH350 for home practice , this doesn’t move. A Phil Jones C2 to pair with the E500 at the in-laws practice nook , this doesn’t move and really is a sweet practice rig A BareFaced One 10 , this gets paired with the Forte and Monique for rehearsals. And for gigs , a Bergantino HDN112 &210. For most gigs I just need a single cab , together they would cover anything I might have to do. The Bergs are run with the Forte and Monique. The Forte is a wonderful clean , transparent , hifi amp. Monique gives it the classic tube warmth , but with a 700 watt slam. None of the gear is heavy. I drive it downtown and set it up. And then tear it down and drive it home. I’m mostly playing mid sized rooms , and often not in the PA so my stage sound is the room sound. I keep the stuff I move around completely separate from the practice rigs. If I sell some amps I’ll probably just buy something different to try out. I’ve almost picked up Darkglass MicroTube heads and am curious about Eich , Trickfish , and Jad Freer among others. There’s just the standard generic stuff in the regional stores. I’m a little nerdy about amps.

Those old RB400s really are great amps.

That looks good.