Merton

I’ll try to do a demo for you over the weekend. I love it, the 5-band EQ feels familiar from the RM800 and it produces a beautifully clear, clean tone which just enhances whatever’s going into it. The valve drive is VERY drivey, nothing like the old ABM valve which needed to be seriously cranked for any real heavy clipping. It’s very reactive to the bass you play - my ACG Finn 4 gets gnarly very fast but my Zoot Funkmeister needs a bit more of a push from the valve gain to match the distortion. Contemplating a lower gain valve. DI’d and in the mix with a band it sounds like a big valve amp, which is superb

Latest version of mine. The OriginAL has replaced a SansAmp and Darkglass in my heart, it’s a great preamp/DI etc. Had great fun with the TonePrints on the mini Sub’n’Up

Yep. I'd have got a few but not all of them for sure.

Nope, I got 100% too, no guesses

Did you neighbours thank you for the earthquakes?

I emailed Tom earlier in the year, he's not doing any custom builds at the moment - I wonder if that's stretched to all builds for now for the reasons above?

I'm glad there's a lot of love for these things, I've been an advocate since the first gen RM800 came out and I think they are superb so it's nice to have fellow betterer bassists agreeing with me

I'm surprised by the lack of comment on the configuration tool about nitro finishes - there's a comment against ebony fingerboards being prone to damage. Perhaps there will be an update on this soon....

I've been following the development of these and almost put a deposit down direct with Carey... Went for another ACG instead but I can see either one of these or a shorty Sterling in my future at some point. Or both if I win the lottery. 🙄

You came to ask about Berg vs Vanderkley but people asked (justifiably, they’re all trying to help you get the best result!) why those two Have been shortlisted, offered other options and then have also backed that up with some science. A 12” or 15” driver isn’t slower than a 10” and air resistance at this sort of level is probably completely negligible given all the many other real factors which affect how a bass driver works in an enclosure. Check out Alex’s excellent Barefaced demo videos he’s made recently and you will see Happy hunting!

I think it does but I’ve based this purely on memory of the two, I’ve never compared them directly, so there could be a HUGE dollop of psychology involved. I wouldn’t say the 800 is much louder per se, just fuller like you suggest.

I was in a band at university and we wrote a song that was sort of in 9/8. I say sort of, it actually caused the drummer and guitarist to get into a massive fight one night in the pub over whether it could strictly be called 9/8 or not because in music theory 9/8 is supposedly three groups of 3 quavers each. Our song was more like a bar of 3/4 then a bar of 3/8. I didn't really care so carried on drinking my beer.

Alice In Chains: Them Bones (7/8 mostly) and Dam That River (6/4) Def Leppard: Ring Of Fire has a 7/4 section Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics - Mind of a Mute (6/4 IIRC)

Was just about to add that one too!

How about one of these? Switch is on the back, I know I know, but the rest of the controls aren’t on the front so you could position it differently... https://ashdownmusic.com/collections/pedals-1/products/the-ant GK are about the only one I could think of which you’ve already mentioned

I’ve gigged a Super Compact in a pub with a loud rock band, no PA support. It was fine. The amp? Trace Elliot Elf. So probably pushing around 130W. PA support would have given a lot more bottom end and filled the room with a bigger “wumpf” but it coped - the cab wasn’t breaking a sweat of course. Not sure it’s the best idea longer term as the amp was being push very hard indeed. I’d go with two SCs or a Super12/Super Twin if I was going to be gigging a lot without PA support.

Yep. We have a lovey purpose-built rehearsal and recording studio facility now. Plus the barn still exists, as does another slightly tired outhouse thing. Hive is a breath of fresh air in terms of facilities and equipment

Yes. All the X10 series are like that with their metal grille:)

I was free from GAS on the basis my rig has been slimmed down to the essentials only and I have a new ACG currently being made from Alan’s finest MDF and crayons. But then he’s bloody dangled the tantalising prospect of a second build which I now cannot get out of my head. I don’t need a fifth ACG (Christ on a bike, I don’t NEED the fourth one FFS) but now I WANT one. 🤯

Great amps! Love my 800 and mine sounds really good with my "ACG Finn 'P' bass". Unless you're playing in a very (and I mean VERY) loud rock band without PA support I doubt you'll need the 800.

Yeah. Reality struck - they were just too large for the gigs I am likely to get again if we ever get back to normal. I put the money on a deposit for a new ACG though Go for a new bass