discreet

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1462288492' post='3041800'] This should really be the final word. It is for me My thanks to Bill. [/quote] +1. Mine too. What Bill and Alex between them don't know about cabs isn't worth knowing. In my opinion, of course.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1462300158' post='3041955'] Tsk... 9 posts in and no-one has mentioned HEFT. [/quote] I deliberately AVOIDED mentioning HEFT. Just like I deliberately avoided mentioning Barefaced - D'OH!!

Hopefully I'm getting close to it, too. But I've said that before! The general trend is towards much smaller and lighter gear, unsurprisingly.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1462281927' post='3041710'] Is that the 5 minute contradiction or the full half hour? [/quote] I just told you! No I didn't. And so on and so forth, etc...

If you want warmth, grit and big power go for a G-K MB800 Fusion. Actually the MB500 Fusion would probably do you, but... y'know. I'm not going to recommend a cab though, because I don't want your thread to descend into the usual casserole of nonsense. But it begins with a 'B'. Cabs beginning with 'A', 'S' and 'T' are also available.

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1462281101' post='3041695'] Sounds like a contradiction in terms ! [/quote] Yes, I'm full of contradictions. No I'm not.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1462260896' post='3041448'] Cool when you're 25 but wears a bit thin when you're in your 30s and trying to balance a gigging band with a full time job and a family. [/quote] I'm doing that in my 50s. I'm gigging way more than I ever have done in four decades of playing and loving it. Er, mostly. The only thing wearing thin is my hair. Boom-tish!

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1462278507' post='3041661'] It's been a thing for the last 15/20 years at least. Wouldn't knock it, some of it is pretty darn good [/quote] Me, knock an established sub-genre? Never! I'm into Melodic Metalcore, me.

Knobcore.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1462273744' post='3041579'] Symphonic metal? Whatever next, lol. [/quote] Yeah, it's a thing apparently...

I was born in Cheltenham and moved to London in 1982. Best move I ever made. It's a very conservative town in every sense of the word, totally provincial and there's something about the atmosphere which makes it a bit Royston Vasey ('you'll never leave')... It's a very nice area if you have an independent income, like upmarket shopping, enjoy peace and quiet and spend a lot of time walking your dog in the countryside. Not a lot happening for young people unless you like table-tennis. As far as music goes, it's a non-starter. Everyone I knew there who achieved any sort of success in the music business left a long time ago.

OK, taking a step sideways... what kind of tuner are you using? If it's a headstock tuner, the battery might be on the way out.

Elixir Nanowebs are relatively frictionless (and last well), but you'll be hard pushed to find rounds that are as smooth as La Bellas, for example. I find that generally nickel rounds will shred your fingers less and aren't as zingy as steel rounds, but that's just my opinion. You'll probably get a different suggestion for each reply, no doubt.

Does it have a bolt-on neck? If so check that the screws are done up tight.

Thanks very much for that info. I've already committed to something else, but a good Ibanez is somewhere in my future, I'm sure.

This was mine, it's on this very thread in fact. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/26588-the-gl-thread/page__view__findpost__p__2575806

[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1461943945' post='3039016'] [/quote] That pic has a very nice yin-yang vibe going on.

I sold a 1983 USA SB-2 (to gary mac, coincidentally - but not the one he just sold, confusingly) and I really regret it. There aren't that many around and they are killer, killer gigging basses. Huge power and presence and lovely to play. Don't have that weird pointy bit on the headstock, either!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1462123083' post='3040450'] Could you bring a couple of 'em, please? [/quote] Ew!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1462121256' post='3040423'] For some reason a lot of manufacturers use 45, 65, 80, 105 which is a big gap between the E & A. Never understood this. [/quote] It is - I use Fender 9050ML flats which are 50, 65, 85 and 100.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1462122870' post='3040445'] I'm waiting for the sofa shot. [/quote] I'll fetch a cloth.

If you're using 45-105 gauge strings, you may find that using 50-100 instead may help with this.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1462105375' post='3040269'] As always a splendid and informative review, good work that man Pics are not showing for me though. [/quote] Thanks Gary! Pics are definitely there for me... anyone else not seeing them?

[b]NAD - Gallien-Krueger MB200[/b] [b]Specifications:[/b] [url="http://www.gallien-krueger.com/mb-200-specs"][b]http://www.gallien-krueger.com/mb-200-specs[/b][/url] Price paid: £150 Used. This is my [i]third [/i]MB200. I'm really going to make an effort to hang on to this one. The problem is, I keep seeing these as a spare/backup amp and therefore expendable, so it's the first thing to go when I get GAS for something else. BUT this is a total misconception. It could easily be your main rig amp. It's light, easy to use and its core tone is excellent. Now read on. It's [i]really [/i]tiny - 7.75" wide, 1.75" high (without rubber feet) and 8" deep. If you're viewing this on a desktop monitor, the pic of the front is slightly larger than actual size. It'll fit into any gig bag, no problem. It's light, too - less than 1kg. 200W RMS @ 4ohms and 140W RMS @ 8ohms. Front panel: One 1/4" (6.3mm) Jack input, -10db pad for active basses, a single Gain control, Contour switch - this cuts the mids for a scooped sound - it's either on or off (I doubt you would want to have this switched in live, as I suspect you'd lose definition, but it does make the amp sound nice and lush for playing at home or for quiet rehearsal) Treble, Hi-Mid, Lo-Mid, Bass EQ controls. And a power switch with a ring LED which changes from red to blue when it's ready to rock, just like its big brothers the G-K MB500/MB800 and Fusions. The controls have a grippy rubber texture and are weighted to give a feeling of quality. On the rear we have an AC mains socket, XLR Direct Out with Pre or Post toggle, Aux in for playing your tunes through the amp (good for late-night headphone noodling), and a switched output that doubles as a headphone out or a line out depending on how it's toggled. And the ubiquitous Neutrik Speakon output - of which there is only one, so if you want to use two 8ohm cabs for maximum 4ohm beans, you will need to daisy chain your cabs. Or use a single 4ohm cab. However I found it more than loud enough at last night's gig through a BFM Jack12 cab (8ohms) - gain at 10 o'clock. I'm picking up a One10 from Alex on Friday - that and this little amp will be my main gigging rig - total weight; less than 8kg and both will fit snugly into a padded cajon bag. Jealous, much? Once again we realise that rated output means little, and the amount of 'volume' one perceives is largely due to the number and sensitivity of the cabs one uses, among other things. When I used an MB200 in a rock band running 200W @ 4ohms into two 8ohm BFM Jack 12 cabs, there was more than enough power to keep up with a drummer and egocentric guitarist using a 50W Marshall Valve combo - which is an arse-shatteringly loud guitar amp, by the way. How does it sound? Well, it's very good and is something of a giant-killer given its size. It does share some tone with its big brothers - albeit with slightly less headroom and fewer EQ options - but the MB200 has its own sound too, and you will start to hear a bit of gain break-up at higher levels. It's SS break-up of course, but it's musical and usable - however in 'normal' use I've never even got close to running it at those kind of levels. Within the parameters of the EQ it's possible to get modern rock, jazz and fusion tones but if (like me) you're looking for a warmer vintage vibe to go with your P bass strung with flats, it'll do that very nicely too. So... it's very simple, very small, very light and it sounds very good. It's also very affordable. You could consider this a back-up amp, a purpose for which it is well-suited due to its size, but it's really very much better than that - if you're on a budget, or you just don't need a massively loud amp (and really, no-one needs a massively loud amp - that's just marketing) then this is for you. Like the rest of the G-K MB range, you don't need a preamp or sound-shaper in front of this little beast - it sounds just great straight out of the box, it's totally plug and play. And its convenience, portability, simplicity, power and tone make it almost irresistible.