G-bitch

Importing is a bit of a ball ache - used stingray prices are down at the moment; nobody is getting more than 550-600 for run of the mill models. Besides, a stingray is one of those basses that looks better when its worn in with bumps, knocks and various other mojo.

To be fair, the VBA400 is OK but it's a bit woolly IMO and I don't think it quite comes up to scratch compared to SVT/400+/Orange et al. The biggest problem is brand prejudice! Right then - we'll all just have to wait a few years until it's discontinued and pick 'em up on blowout or second-hand when nobody knows a thing about them !

Awesome - I take it that the Aussie dollar is also getting a pretty good exchange rate?

A different EQ setting can make the world of difference i.e. cutting the bass out and putting more mids in - you'll 'cut through' more without just sending more and more power sapping/speaker flapping low bass frequencies. Alternatively, I've found that sealed cabs don't 'fart out' like ported cabs can - the Ampeg 810 cl is sealed hence your joy with it. There are some others out there too such as the Marshall VBC 412, the old trace elliot V-type 412 cabs, bergantino NV610 and NV215.

[quote name='P-T-P' post='84833' date='Nov 7 2007, 11:24 AM']At what point do you stop being a hobbyist and start being a semi-pro? Our house insurance is due up in a month or two and this seems very attractive but I gig and get paid for it once or twice a week?[/quote] I doubt there's any hard and fast rules but I should imagine that the moment you start declaring your income from gigs and have to list your profession or second-job as 'musician' then you are going to have to get professional cover. On the plus side, it goes down as deductable expenses in that case!

[quote name='Tinman' post='84732' date='Nov 7 2007, 06:39 AM']Does the M+S policy cover your gear if it's damaged in a road accident or if it's stolen from a vehicle? Just interested. Also mechanical breakdown is another point along with public liability.[/quote] I checked this. Accident would be covered by accidental damage. Any time it's stolen away from the property you just have to make all effort to secure the item, i.e. somewhere under lock and key - theft from vehicle would probably be fine if it was in the boot. Anyone leaving a vehicle unattended with gear on display probably wouldn't get a pay-out, but you'd have to be pretty bloody stupid to do that. Musicguard have such a bloody ludicrous range of demands it's unreal - that policy is written to open up as many loopholes as possible through which to avoid a payout IMO.

They always have been the cheap end of the scale for bass - their guitar stuff however, is quite different, one of my favourite heavy guitar sounds I've heard live came from a Laney head. They're based about a 5 minute walk around the corner from where I used to rehearse; should have been practising my breaking and entering shouldn't i?

£3k was just the shop guy's bullshit. The £1300 tag puts it squarely alongside SVT's, Mesa's and other companies with good reps though - if they just could've shaved a couple of hundred quid to say 'look at me' it might have worked. Wonder if all these new models is part of their 40th anniversary shake up?

No, just shocked 'cos I thought it'd be a very average amp - I mean, it's a Lany FFS!

Seriously - I hope that people do not approach this head with that kind of brand prejudice, it's an absolutely beast that is well worthy of comparison with the best heads out there.

Just nipped into the local shop to pick up an Akai unibass (had the last one in the shop!) and found that they'd got some new bass gear in. All they ever used to stock was sh*tty low end Laney gear so imagine my surprise when I see a stack of Markbass amps and some new Laney stuff - including their new 400w all valve beast! Anyway, asked if I could try it out... "you thinking of buying it?" "no, not at all" "sorry mate but that's a £3k rig there so if you're not interested I...." "go on - I just want to see how it sounds compared to my old Ampeg" "yeah, no worries, I'll just come over and set it up." It was running through a matching Laney 810 - gave it about a 15 minute workout, mainly the pre-amp/eq sections to see what range of tones it had. KT88's in the power section though is what really sets the sound. f***ing. Awesome. Sounding. Amp. Now I'm hardly a valve amp Afficiondo like some folks but I preferred this to the Trace V4 and V6 that I've tried (mostly a pre-amp thing) and it'd win over an SVT too for me I reckon.... and I love Ampegs. Really warm and punchy but very versatile too. I am officially impressed. [url="http://www.laney.co.uk/show_prod.php?prod=nexus-tube"]http://www.laney.co.uk/show_prod.php?prod=nexus-tube[/url]

Yes - although TBH, with the 'specialist items' that most insurers just whack the premiums up and make you list every item down to the chain lube, it's a bargain. The extra £80 for infinitely better cover was a no-brainer for me.

Right, I've just taken out contents insurance for the first time (no longer in either shared house or at home so sole policy holder for first time). Now I'm sure that a lot of you pay out for Musicguard or similar insurance as I have done in the past. Finding a contents quote was a real ball ache for two reason - 1. the gear 2. the bicycles. Try getting a home insurance quote online for anything but the most rudimentary cover and you'll see what I mean; you really need to speak to someone who knows their policies inside and out. Quote on musicguard for the gear (c.£7k cover) was for £244, similar specialist cycle insurance (c.£3k cover) was quoted at £322. So after seeking recommendations from fellow cyclists I ended up speaking on the phone to Marks and Spencers. Their quote came in at a whopping £350 annual premium for contents only (£80 more than the best I'd had up to that point)... but.... and this is a big f***ing but! Cover is [b]unlimited[/b] it is impossible to be under-insured Cover includes [b]all contents away from home[/b] including worldwide cover Cover includes [b]accidental damage[/b] Items only need to be listed on the policy if they are worth £4k or more New for old replacement (this is not defacto standard for the bikes) It basically provides the full level of cover that the two specialist quotes did but in one hassle free package - the policy document is the thinnest and has the least small print of any policy I've seen. Anecdotally, claims are apparently processed very quickly and efficiently. Now this, as far as I'm aware, is not going to cover you if you take an income from your band/musical activities but invaluable for those of us who are just weekend warriors lucky enough to get petrol money.

When I say VFM - I'm referring to the premium you are paying for an American brand. Why pay $000's on a US made bass (MTD/Fodera etc) when there are so many amazing European luthiers for same/less money without then adding import & vat to it.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='82646' date='Nov 2 2007, 08:16 AM']The thing I'm looking at is four hundred quid cheaper than anywhere else, incluiding Thomann... I don't think anyone will match it..![/quote] Holy crap dude - what are you looking at?!

Mesa stuff is just too pricey to provide any VFM outside of the US (usual caveat about used gear though...). The Eden Nemesis line gets good write ups although not heavy, they aren't exactly like EA/Markbass from what I can gather.

The DBS will likely sh*t on any other Marshall small combo offering, from a great height!

Dude, for punk/ska I would've thought that something like a Gallien-Krueger combo would be ideal given their reputation for really cutting through live and 'loudness'. For the sake of saving up a couple of hundred quid more, it ain't worth skimping as if you want to make it into a bigger rig later you can just add a cabinet to a quality combo for a great stack, but you may well find that you want something better, sooner. Choose well and buy once so that you don't end up selling it in 6 months because it doesn't cut the mustard live (is this why you're looking to replace the Lany?). *Edit, just noticed you DBS question - that would probably be a very good move for you. The power sections in those heads are phenomenal, capable of peaks up to 10 times the rated wattage - result is that you don't run out of headroom as easily like many other SS amps, it really is designed totally for a bass guitar signal. GK have a similar reputation, hence my previous suggestion.

Cheers for that - a bit far from Bris'l but doable on the way down to the Mother in law's!

I normally just read reviews and get a few impressions and then am more than happy to mail order, but given that Fenders can be hit or miss (more hit TBH but not by a huge margin) and they are so widely available it would be better if you could get around a good few stockists to lay hands on them. No harm in phoning ahead to avoid disappointment either.