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Here's a little audio/video of the SB1 with Labella 760fx stringz

Better photo tonight. Weird room - for live tracking drums so was acoustically a bit odd…

The new BB615. Lots of knobs...

Here's mine, (I know, I know) but I only played at home these days and it does the job well enough.

I've ordered the passive short scale, sunburst. Been trying to get hold of a "proper" short scale stingray for ages but they're like gold dust. So excited!! Should arrive within 4 months...

The new BB615 with the BBG5S.

I like preamp pedals (probably as I don't have a good amp!), they all seem to be quite different from each other as far as features/tones so there's potentially a lot to get through. I've had Sansamp BBDI v2, EBS Microbass 2, DHA VT1 EQ, Bass Simplifier, (and the smaller overdrive/preamp pedals like the Crimson Red and the Solid Gold FX Beta) and all were really good but quite different. The issue I had with all of them if using at the end of the signal chain as a preamp was how they played with other pedals e.g. you can get a great tube type overdrive tone with the BBDI but if you have something like a Fuzz or Envelope filter ahead of it lots of their tone gets muffled so you need to turn down the blend when using them and then turn it back when you want the sansamp overdrive. You can get around that knob twiddling a bit with the Bass Simplifier having 2x FX loops and the Microbass A/B (or A+B) channels and FX loop but there were certain issues with doing those things and I found myself still having to either adjust the preamp pedals depending on what other pedals were being used with them or leave them in quite neutral settings to not keep needing to fiddle about. I've just got a Sansamp VT Bass Deluxe that solves that issue for me: 6x presets all easily accessible on footswitches without menu diving, and a foot-switchable FX loop. So can do things like run an envelope filter ahead of the VT and then have a VT setting to reduce the highs and add a bit of overdrive to it, or can put Fuzz in the FX loop and have a setting so the VT feeds it more mids, or settings where the VT is running a dubby EQ or an Overdrive (it has good overdrive tones). ....probably after a few months something else will catch my eye though!

Has anyone else experienced the delicious irony of reading this post in the dark theme?

For sure. I couldn’t make mine break a sweat, and I did really try once. I bottled it before the cab! Bet that EBS really suits it. Way too big and powerful for my needs now, and long gone, but this was a helluva set up:

Just had this reminded of by youtube, with a 735a in rather competent hands.

long thread warning.. Hello All First outing with the scrap ply cab last night I loaded the car and looked at this little black box in the corner of my boot and though “I don’t think I’m going to have enough grunt tonight” I play in a Glam band with 2 excellent guitarists who really like to noodle and a solid drummer The cab was plonked on the floor (in landscape mode if that makes sense) and hooked up to my TC BH550. I tilted the cab back very slightly with a high tech lump of wood No pedals – just a lead and a classic vibe precision. A tad of compression on the amp. Low bass turned down a bit to avoid pummelling the pulse 10. Mids and top enhanced a tad I tried it out whilst others were setting up and thought “Blimey - I might just get away with this” Began rehearsing and I got a little lost in the mix. Turned up a little between songs and I was there. I sat right in the mix with a smile on my face. I usually use 2 x 50L cabs with Beyma SM212’s. We rehearse in a steel stockholders, so it’s quite ringy and boomy. The 212’s used to sound very muddy (but sound great outdoors or in a dead room). I think the band used to play louder because of this boom With the new cab, we played a bit quieter (lovely) and my tone was right there. Highs were clear without being obnoxious. Bass was enough for it not to appear like I was using a practice amp Compliments during the break along the lines of “I can’t believe that little thing” The Pulse 10 is quite a little powerhouse. I was dubious as to whether it’d cut the mustard, but I’m pleased to say it does Remember this is a 1 x 10” 200 watt small enclosure so it’s not going to shake your fillings out. It will be easy to transport, make you grin when you look at it and it’ll hold it’s own with a band who aren’t prone to inducing tinnitus So – 1 cab for a rehearsal? For me, yes indeed. Would 1 cab suffice for a gig? Hmmm. Jury is out on that one. Tiny pub? Yeah. 100+ room?…. I’d be wanting a bit more grunt for peace of mind BUT – Given I now have the ply, speaker and hardware for a second one, I think we know where this is going I may make the second with a removable baffle, so I can try the 212’s in a smaller enclosure. Top hats to be fitted too so I have an emergency PA system. Thanks once again to the people behind this thread/design for a great little build I would say to anyone thinking of having a go to just get on with it! There’s loads of helpful people on here. Bring on the next design 😉 Jon

This pretty much covers the basic idea.

I think i have finally found my string of Choice, Dunlop Nickel Super bright 40-100. The sound, feel and tension of these strings are just exactly what I want. It's only taken me 20 years...

I've picked up an immaculate condition, hardly used Trace hybrid combo. And I couldn't be happier. I've been after a Trace, I've been thinking about hybrid valve amps.. I somehow got all in one glowing green package. I've wanted a single amp to do my covers band with traditional rock, so a bit of valve drive would be nice for that, but also my 80s covers band where a super clean amp sound or better still a Trace amp sound would suit. I've got it all in this. I don't think I've ever seen one before. The front panel has... Harmonic emphasis in/ out and level Pre shape in/ out Graphic EQ 12 band sliders and in/ out button Valve stage in/ out and drive level Low and high band compression on separate rotary dials with a balance control in the middle Noise reduction in/ out Effects loop in/ out Mute switch I've never seen all these bells and whistles at once in a Trace. I'm bowled over. I've tinkered for about an hour using a Washburn Status headless for super clean sounds and a passive PJ DiMarzio loaded bitsa for valve drive. The valve drive is warm and fuzzy but not harsh like emulated drives can be. It's not going to satisfy people who want really hairy drive but it's enough for me looking for some grit and deep underlying fuzziness to the sound without it overpowering, works especially well with the mids ramped up a bit. What's interesting is dialling back the valve drive but keeping the valve section on and playing clean, it gives a bit more punch. Can't wait to investigate more of what this amp can do on Monday night with the band!

Having bought this from our very own Hiram.k.hackenbacker, I have to say I am in love. Barely put the damn thing down - Im not usually a fan of Jazz necks, but OMG.. this thing is amazing. Cheers Warren! Well worth the money and the wait! Won't bore you with specs as there are already two threads on this bass, plus some great pics on Classic and cool's gallerywith much better than I can churn out with an ageing iphone.. She has been christened "The Deaky".

Well I am now down from these 4 beauties (and a couple of fantastic 425s which came and went along the way), following the departure of my lovely NE2 into appreciative new hands today 😢 To this solitary, but very wonderful, beast!

Yes, with the BC12MkIII. However, that was a much more complex design with extensive bracing that benefited from being CNC'd (and encouraged quite a few forum members to build one who probably wouldn't have bothered). I'm not sure that CNC is the way to go with this cab though, because the assembly technique Phil developed simplifies the way the cab is put together. You just need to get the panels cut accurately, which many wood merchants will do for you at nominal cost. And then it almost assembles itself.

Back on track, thanks for this John, it's really useful to have an independent personal opinion. I have to say that this pretty much matches my own experience. I also rolled off the bass a tad and found the cab perfectly adequate for rehearsals. the basic sound is just a lovely open honest sound of the bass but I also added a little compression (and grit also). The band loved it. I'd also pretty much agree with the assessment of it's capabilities, 100+ would be beyond it as would anything outdoors. You'll find when you have two for PA it will sound a lot better than the single speaker. I do a lot of critical listening when testing speakers and listening in mono often shows up things you don't notice with a stereo pair and of course the imaging will do so much to the experience. This little speaker has given me a little doubt as to what I'm doing next. I've got the parts to build the 12" BC Mark3. I've been using bits and bobs of prototypes I've been taking to gigs for years and I wanted to have a go-to set up for important gigs. I've been using a couple of Beyma 12 based BC Mark1's for years. This BC 110T is so much better than it has a right to be and is so portable I'm now thinking of just having a second. Then I'll have two speakers I just won't touch for gigs and I can experiment freely with whatever else I have. For £125 and less than a days work it's tempting. Just a question of which one to build next.

Armour Believer ～ The Monkees

My modest Trio 82 JV Squire jazz Highway one Fender P bass Musicman Sterling Plus BB 425 for 5 string duties and PJ tone 😁

I MADE HOLES IN IT Horn aperture is four holes with the hole saw, joined up with the power saw. Port aperture is cut with the 127mm hole saw (I've got this set which I don't think could possibly be any cheaper, but it has worked.) This was a bit necky as my mains drill has no speed control, so it's flat out or nothing! Space on the baffle was even tighter than I expected, so the port aperture has ended up taking a tiny bit out of the transverse brace, and I couldn't cut the right-hand edge of the port aperture so just sanded down the pointy bit with the Dremel. It looks terrible, but the horn covers up my shoddy handiwork nicely… I may need to drill new fixing holes in it though, as the lower two existing ones end up right on the edge of the baffle, where the join with the batten to block the slot port will be. Port aperture is slightly too small for the tube so will need some sanding (as if there isn't enough to do already) but I guess better that than too big… Last of all, one on the back for the connector plate. I put it in the corner so it looks OK with the cab in either horizontal or vertical orientation, and I made it round because that was easiest, but actually I think it looks kind of cute:

Port placement doesn't matter, as the radiation pattern from a port is 360 degrees. What does matter is the size of the enclosure. Larger enclosures go lower and louder. In most cases the reason for putting ports on the back is that the enclosure is too small to fit them on the front. Boom is also typical of too small enclosures, and it has nothing to do with port placement either.

Because it is so hard to find decent lefties in anything other than bog standard colours or pay mahoosive amounts for a relic'd Fender custom shop, I decided to go for a UK crafted custom P-Bass a while back to get my dream bass and support British craftsmanship. Pics of progress so far. It's going to have a black scratch plate and black hardware. Neck will have a vintage tinted satin finish. Can't wait to get it and it will fill the p bass gap in my collection nicely.

My SB1 is getting an outing tonight for a local pub gig.

Thanks for posting this Ped - a new listen for me, and gold plated A1 stuff. Singer's phrasing reminds me of iamddb. Can't find the name of the bass player, but an absolute master of discreet glissando and ghost notes, and a great ad for the PJ sound, which I love. Here's another track:

Although my 'No.1' bass has been my go-to for as long as I can remember, I have always loved the sounds of P, J and MM basses on albums I grew up with, from Sade, Steely Dan, that sort of thing. At the same time, I resisted getting basses like that because I wanted to have my own sound, rather than to play an instantly recognisable type. Eventually I realised it would be great to have one of each as a 'tool' to vary my tonal palette and closely match the sounds I recognise. Having a range of basses also helps me feel inspired and I fall in love with each bass anew when I discover a great track I want to play along with. Also, and this might sound weird, but as 'The Bass Guitar' as a 'Thing' has been so important in my life, both through BC but also in making friends, playing in bands and generally providing the foundation to my pre-child-and-wife days, I believe collecting examples of the seminal developments in bass is excusable from a collector/historical record perspective. Just researching the ins and outs of how these basses came about, leading to things like the Vigier (it was the 80s), is really interesting. Although I'd probably not share that in public for fear of beatings or at least an uncomfortable silence, I feel I won't be attacked for it the same way here, in part because you can't reach me but mostly because I know you'll provide me with the conformation bias I crave. So after much experimentation and false starts, I have now amassed a collection of what I would consider my 'best' J, P and MM. When it comes to the MM, I have only played a few and owned two others, so I don't have as much to compare there. But as stated in another thread, nobody (or very few) luthier/companies make a 'take' on the MM bass like they do the J and P (apparently Ernie Ball are quite lawyered up) so I went straight down the line and got a Musicman for the job. When I say 'false starts' - it's often not the way the bass sounds, but the setup I am able to achieve on the instrument I've had previously. I like a flat neck with very low action, and not every bass can do that in the same way. This has led to some painful realisations when I've had to move on otherwise fabulous basses. If I can't play it effortlessly (I don't make effort very often), then eventually it gets moved on, normally to someone who says 'how the hell did you play it with the strings painted on like this' So here we go: Let's start, illogically, with the bass that's NOT a J,P or MM. It's 'My' bass - it has a sound all of it's own, but it's smooth, focused, detailed and consistent. I know exactly how it sounds in studio, live, amped, the lot - and it's a very versatile bass. It's been likened to sounding like a 'velvet brick' - kind of like a Modulus flea with a wider range and glassy almost digital response. It's a 1988 Vigier Passion Series II (Graphite neck) with a Marleaux pre, Basstec pickups and Roland GK system (I'm sure lots of you know it already) Next, the P bass. It's a G&L SB-1 from 1991. Strung with Labella light flat wound strings, it thumps and bites. The pickup is fantastic, with a huge range of sounds on tap by backing off the volume or tone. I nearly sold this when I nearly gave up on the idea of collecting the set but soon realised that I wouldn't get another like this. So what's next - Here's the Musicman. It's from 1983, the last year before Ernie Ball Made some changes, many probably for the better, but I love the fat slab body and the response of this bass. I have yet to try it with flats but with Elixir 40-95s (which I use on every bass except the G&L) it has that super poky top end which cuts through any mix, and the sound of pops on the G is just perfect. The previous models I had sounded a bit brittle, whereas this one sounds warmer and more 'chunky' somehow, although my setup has changed so much I can't compare for certain. The Jazz bass with the final hurdle. I actually didn't realise for a while that the 60s and 70s spacing on a jazz made such a difference, and when I did I wasn't in the space to buy one. I have had several 60s types in the past but never got on with them, finding the sound a little too rounded for my tastes. So after a crusade to play as many 70s basses as possible (knowing the quality and weight can vary substantially) I realised the best way to get what I wanted was a modern 'take' on a vintage bass, which, more often than not, needed work to support my lazy setup. The search was on - and this is where I ended up. I wasn't able to try it before I bought it so it was an anxious wait and unboxing and restringing and plugging ining, but the reputation of the Celinder J-Update is richly deserved. It's got that grinding, airy feel where the notes have that top detail and a slap sound so consistent and rich you feel like you can bite it in mid air. Oh and there's my 16" Wingbass with Roland GK pickup. Amazing little thing, perfect for playing synths or noodling around the house. The build quality is superb - beautifully carved black limba with a maple top. Guess what, the neck is dead straight because it's a plank of wood on the body, so the thing plays effortlessly and sounds huge. So there we go - If you are still awake, well done. Time to take Sybil for a wet walk. ped

If you don't have 30 mins to spare, then you could do worse than dive in at 17.35 to hear a classic Yammy BB "punchy growl" on the 735A on @such's video link. Great tone!

Law came in Jan 2017, no way is this 4 year old stock. I keep a regular eye on GG website, this isn't that old.

Do you mean for sale or presently manufactured? Do a search for recent 'valve amp' threads and lots of availability!

Humans have an arrogant way of assuming they are the most important significant thing to have existed, ever! ( even made in the image of 'gods' etc ) Some "notable person" in the late Victorian era declared that, everything of significance has now been invented ! ..any era probably believes it's the pinnacle of development. sure we could press a few buttons and destroy much of life on earth this afternoon if desired, but I guarantee within that 1000 years or however many thousands of years it takes, the planet would be going " yeah whatever" so to speak, and growing new stuff, with new life evolving from whatever remained.. it's a circle that's way bigger than we are. ps. I don't reckon anyone / anything will be listening to the Beatles in 1000 yrs time

I'm not sure I'd put it quite like that, but yes. 😄 That's the beauty of it.

BB615 just arrived ...it's nasty outside so I'll wait till the weather clears up before getting some photos done.. I contacted Yamaha customer service about the truss rod issue. Their rep spoke to their luthier who confirmed a couple of washers would resolve the issue and they're putting some in the post.

First of all, thanks for the continued support! The easiest way to check your current purchase status is to look at 'Manage Purchases' here That should give you the next expiry date. You will also receive an email I think two weeks before the renewal, which will give you a week's grace period to renew at the discounted price. Perhaps that's going to spam? Let me know if I can help with anything, it looks as though you're all set until late November? Thanks again for supporting the site, we rely on people subscribing even if they don't use the marketplatz Cheers ped

If they are listening to the Beatles I would suggest that it would demonstrate a distinct lack of progress.

Sad news indeed. This has long been one of my favourite things on YouTube - the sheer joyful chaos of it!

Ah that's good. I don't have any hair so I was worried.

Red all night tonight - was due new strings for 5 basses and “next day” obviously means “not within 3 days…” but it seems the strings I kept as spares to put on the red one still had enough snap for one rehearsal…

Honestly I doubt that they do sound better, I can think of at least one good reason why they ought to sound worse but none which would make them sound better. There is no theoretical reason i know of that would suggest a difference and i doubt you'd measure any difference at a decent distance from the cab. You are then down to subjectivity/listening tests. The problem is proving a difference one way or the other. You'd need to build identical cabs with identical drivers and then carry out multiple double blind tests where neither the listener nor the operator knew which cab was which. The big problem is that our ears are connected to a big organic computer which processes the input from our ears and often functions to make us hear what we expect to hear. I've spent many hours doing listening tests when designing and building speakers and you'd be amazed how often you can fool yourself that you can hear something that isn't there or fail to spot something that is obvious. My wife assures me that i often fail to hear things which are important to her but rarely miss something important to me It isn't just our sight that is subject to illusions. To me ports on the back look wrong and I tend to avoid them even though I know there is no good reason to do this. The reality is that I've never actually listened to the same driver in a box identical except for the port placement. Maybe you just prefer some speakers to others and as not many have ports on the back it's just coincidence that you didn't like those as much as your favourite cabs So what could make it sound different but objectively worse? Firstly cutting a hole in the baffle weakens the part of the cab you have already weakened with the speaker cut out and the bit you need to be most rigid, you end up with a big heavy magnet fixed to a wobbly board. A weak baffle isn't good secondly the port itself has a series of resonances where the wavelength is a multiple of the port length. These are going to be more directional and could be audible.

Google 'omnidirectional'. Not only is port radiation omnidirectional, cone radiation is as well up to about 200Hz. A port output can be choked off if the port is placed tight to the wall, but even an inch or two of space will eliminate that. Without a doubt you may hear a difference between front and rear ported, but it's not due to the port location.

Yes, units manufactured. I mentioned this because these sorts of issues tend to show themselves after many speakers are out in the field used in a variety of applications. Same sort of thing often occurs with fatigue related reliability issues, which is one reason why more comprehensive modeling and aging analysis is done in higher volume commercial products (especially if a long warranty is offered). I thought that some folks here might be interested in the information I provided, if I was wrong then I’m sorry for wasting my time.

Latest addition to the family of black basses

This ^^^

You might be better off putting this request in the 'Build Diaries' section. That's where all the wood whisperers gather. Stay down wind of them and don't make sudden movements and you should be alright. 😉