REDLAWMAN

Monckyman; that's exceptionally funny, even though- I presume quite unwittingly- you appear to have turned me into a horticulturalist........! AAANNNYYYWWWAAAYYY...... I want to buy some ludicrously expensive NOS valves, so that I can monitor covertly everyone's secret conversations and hear them in better detail: where may I safely buy some of these elusive things like my Grandad used to have in his giant radio...??

Hey, do you think both Mr F' and I work for MI6, too, and that we're secretly watching you...??

Bigbottomend: are you suggesting that the link I posted, by way of an attempt to help you to understand an already very simple point, is in fact a link to my own sales business...? Incidentally, no one asked you either what you wish to buy/sell, or what you're interested in.

Well, Bigbottomend, as an example: if you follow the ebay link you posted and look at the guys other listings, he has a number of different Mullard, British-made, NOS, ECC83's valves advertised, all for different prices. I appreciate that the terms ECC83, 12AXT and 7025 are interchangeable; I'm talking about things like BLACK LABEL; GREY LABEL; YELLOW LABEL; different designation codes, pin length, etc. Follow this link and you'll see:- http://www.altofidelity.com/link1.asp

When people speak of the Mullard as being the all-time, ultimate pre-amp value, which one of what seems like quite a few is it, please? Where would one buy some from with safety and quality assurance, please? I don't feel too confident just going to an ebay seller. Thanks

I'd like to come in on this one as an owner of both a Berg' NV 412 & Barefaced 'Big-Baby'. They're both absolutely top-class cabs in quite different ways. If, like you, I were looking to acquire a 2 x 12, then I would go Barefaced without hesitation and I would opt for the 'Big-Twin', two 'Big-Babies' or a 'Big-Baby' & a 'Baby-Sub' combo. You have to listen to these cabs first-hand to appreciate their immense capability. Initially, I simply could not get my head around even the basic notion that a 12 (plus a mid-range driver) could equal (let alone better) a 15 for my chosen criteria: now, I simply marvel that any sized speaker can produce/reproduce 'bass' as this cab' does. Don't be put off by the suggestion that it's simply 'Hi-Fi', either; you can make it sound however you choose and that includes the finest reggae tones I've yet to hear.

Apolgies in advance for this blatant hijack: mcnach- which of the two would you recommend if I'm seeking to emulate the Bryan Adams/Steve Harley-type, pleasant, golden overdrive, please?

Is it feasible to use either of these two pedals with this all-valve head in order to achieve an overdriven sound at relatively low, practice volumes, just as you might with a SS or hybrid head?

I'm going as well! Top idea: thanks for sharing it.

With respect, two Big-Twins is a ludicrous proposition: one is more than enough. I'm used to playing into a Berg 412 and my new Big-Baby still scares me........... So much so, in fact, I think I may have to buy a leash and a muzzle for it.........

Either the Darkglass BK3 or BK7...?

I've got one, too and I have to say that it's fabulous. I can make mine sound however I want, from the clean, bright, clear Hi-Fi tones described above, to classic, vintage, old-school, lush, juicy, warm tube-tones (and everything in between). I don't find mine to need any more power than any other cab I've owned and it plays much, much louder. It's astonishing with a Sansamp BDD fed into the front of a Littlemark and equally good with a Streamliner and no effects: you can jack the bass and low-mids right up on both heads in a way that's simply impossible with my Berg NV 412 and the little cab takes it all in it's stride. I play loud and the 300W of the LM (or 500 of the ST) is more than enough grunt to blow-off your knackers at 25% volume. I have to disagree strongly with the notion that it's only as loud as a 1x12: it's worlds apart and considerably louder. I can't fault it; I really can't. In fact, I'm going to buy a second.

The best examples I can think of are 'Back to You' and 'Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)'.

I'm struggling to emulate this at close quarters: what is it; that deep, glorious, clear, harmonic, bright, yet slightly 'over-driven' tone on the original recordings...?? Are we talking pure Ampeg 'tube' sound...? As daft as this might sound, the only way I can describe the sound is 'Golden'.

I'm talking playing it at low volume, though; the sort of volume for practising alone in the house. I never came close to 'break-up' volume, Jack.

Much like Spey casting..... (and I adore Spey casting...).

I've just gone back and re/re-read all of your comments on here and it's hugely inspirational stuff. Thank you everyone. Motivation is high; practising is far more enjoyable now; formal music lessons being organised and now all I need is two find a band in Cornwall who have a penchant for 'Some *@&* from Preston' music......

I had the pleasure of playing through an Ampeg Heritage SVT-CL for a while. Apart from giving me enduring tinnitus when played only at room-practising level, developing a problem with the tubes and weighing more than my girlfriend, the sound it produced (through my sealed NV412) was simply astonishing. The only way I can describe it is 'musical'. The notes were sharp, vibrant, crystal-clear, 'bell-like' and harmonious: in a nutshell, it sounded simply beautiful and MUSICAL. By musical, I mean it sounded gorgeous to my ear at relatively low volumes: each of the notes had an inherent musical quality which my ears registered as 'gorgeous'. No matter what, neither my Littlemark (with or without a Sansamp BDD) nor a Streamliner 900 can produce notes which sound anything close to those from the all-valve head: as nice as both of those amps are, the notes are simply in an entirely different league in terms of 'musical beauty' to my ear. Although difficult to put into words, they sound- by comparison- dull, lifeless, one-dimensional and artificial. My question here is four-fold really:- Is what I'm describing the inherent difference between all-valve heads and SS/Hybrid amps? Why did the Ampeg sound so 'musical'? Do all all-tube heads (eg. the Hiwatts) sound so musical? Is it possible to get this 'musicality' from a SS/Hybrid head? Thanks everyone.

I appreciate that this thread goes back to Summer 2010, but I've recently moved to Cornwall and I'm looking for a good teacher. Nothing flash or modern; I really like to play country-orientated/oldies and a bit of pop/rock type-stuff and I actually quite enjoy theory. If no one picks up on this, I'll PM some of the people suggested above.

At risk of putting other people off posting (which I really don't want to do), thanks very much everyone. There are a lot of really helpful, humble and magnanimous people on here and I appreciate hugely all your comments and the benefit of your collective experiences. I feel much better and I shall sleep easier tonight!

I just want to get this off my chest. I'm very much a beginner and still largely in root/5th land, very slowly starting to learn how to join-up chords a little more creatively. I was really happy on the whole with how things are going until, that is, I put some SLF on today. It didn't have to be SLF: it could just as easily have been Abba. I find it completely impossible to conceive of how the hell people both know what notes to play and once they know that, how on earth they actually get their hands moving so fast and creatively. I can't see myself being able to do that in a million years. Anyone who plays at gigging/band/recording standard remember feeling just this way: in awe really of proficient players and not having any clue how to emulate them and seeing it as 'mission impossible'? How did you get from there to where you are today and just how tough was it? It also made me realise that proper musicians don't always get the respect they deserve for their talent and skill, save for perhaps those very fortunate few who enjoy heavyweight, commercial success.

[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3]Thanks Johnston, I'll look into that.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3]Someone on the Fender Forum was kind enough to direct me to this:-[/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3][b]You can preset the basic intonation of your bass by taking a tape measure and measuring from the inside of the nut to the center of the 12th fret [i]([/i]the fret wire itself; not the fingerboard[i])[/i]. Double that measurement to find the scale length of your bass.[/b][/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3][b]Adjust the first-string bridge saddle to this scale length, measuring [/b][b]from the inside of the nut to the center of the bridge saddle. Now adjust the distance of the second saddle back from the first saddle, using the gauge of the second string as a measurement. For example, if the second string is .060" (1.5 mm), you would move the second-string saddle back .060" (1.5 mm) from the first saddle. Move the third saddle back from the second saddle, using the gauge of the third string as a measurement. Adjust the fourth saddle in the same manner (and fifth if you have a five-string bass).[/b][/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=HelveticaNormal, sans-serif][size=3][b][i]Note: If you're using a taper-wound fourth string (and fifth if it's a five-string bass), use the actual gauge of the string for your measurement rather than the dimension of the tapered portion of the string.[/i][/b][/size][/font][/color]

Thanks very much; hugely informative and very interesting.