gypsymoth

there's eights and there's eights.

as in a 4 with octave strings, which cones in very handy when doing solo bass, as even most bass players find that boring without some high frequencies, and it is also very handy in a three piece to provide body when the guitar player is noodling.

as with any instrument, there is no rule that you have to use all the notes all the time, but if your instrument does not have the right one .....

anyways tune 5 on the link below is just an eight string, with some pseudo guitar sliding (as opposed to noodling, which is much easier on a four) at the end.
a couple of the other "band' tunes have the eight. or a four or five.

"as long as it sounds good AND HAS THE VOLUME YOU NEED"

yes, I'm quoting myself - and although I certainly appreciate your technical and theoretical expertise ....

it is pretty darn easy to read the Spl charts on the speaker manufacturers websites, and determine if they have the volume you need (comparitively speaking) and the frequency response you desire - along with a realistic for the application watt rating. there is a three way balancing act for these factors (which can be overcome to a certain extent by money/technology) where increasing one reduces the other.

sure, it's a black art, as is cabinet design, but realistically there are some pretty simple principles to both that can be applied by the regular buying public, without the need for software or special test apparatus. and the manufacturers supply the data so people CAN make a reasonbly well informed decision without designing and building a box for a specific speaker.

the smaller the speaker (10's) the more obvious these tradeoffs are - go for a wide range and you lose sensitivity/volume.
maximize one aspect and you lose on two.

my gamma pro 10's were chosen for their 300 watt rating and their wide frequency response - they are not very loud speakers. if I was willing to accept a narrower frequency response I could have had a louder speaker.
the trade off is not such a concern with the 15" pro series. a delta or kappa pro 15 has it all (some would prefer more bottom and less top end), as does a delta pro 12 - but a kappa pro 12 loses high end response.
read the supplied charts carefully, compare the provided information, and you shouldn't be disappointed.

if you can't try every speaker you are considering, I would suggest using a cab with an RMS rating at least double your amps RMS output- and quadruple would be better still. it doesn't hurt to have a high rated speaker, as long as it sounds good and has the volume you need.
an arced voice coil can make a real mess of a tube amp, especially a big one that was running hard.

twenty british ponds to replace two fuses ?

it's an interesting amp - I wonder how similiar it is to the Sound City 120 that he designed, which also used six el34's, and has "unique" circuitry.

one of my 4's stays at BEAD, it's 24 frets so there's not much missing on the high that a good bend won't take care of.

but if you got the bucks a five is nice to have too.

a shure 57/58 mic is about as versatile & durable as you can get. a clone is likely cheaper, but they aren't pticey to start with.

my apologies to those more technical seeking the maximum efficiency from a carefully tuned to a specific application enclosure - but regardless of what speakers initially come in a manufactured box, there is usually something better, as most people selling cabinets have to balance efficiency with cost - and many offer choices of speakers within a box. eminence's webite has guidelines for acceptable ranges of size/ports for each speaker to yeild goog (to them) results - so although there is an optimum/theoretically perfect box, a good speaker will work in most any box better than a not so good speaker. and a good speaker will work in an open back application, which is essentially no box at all.

the delta pro is a very good speaker - I use it for guitar & bass, I know other people who use them for either, all are quite pleased. it does fall off a little for low B - check the charts. maybe a kappa would be better for that, but they lack top end.

"fusionbassist1" refers to "purists" and "elitists".

somehow I find this, uuhh, confusing.

they need the jobs & money in Vietnam more than we do.

that aside, there is a new Laney 400 with eight KT88's

I'd say you are better off bringing an amp to the US than a euro guitar - but the question is will you have the time/situation to sell it at the good price?

some of the nostalgia euro guitars fetch a good dollar from the guys who stare at old black & white photo's.

maybe ebay it it with delivery to your destination, as the shipping is often what makes trans-Atlantic deals not happen.

I think I'd be pretty pleased.

yes, there are some that are very alembic-ish.

what will likely matter to you is the ohms rating of the original speaker - I really doubt the amp is adjustable for load, and is likely solid state, most all Kustoms were.
so if that is a 4 ohm speaker and you replace it with an 8 ohm speaker, you will basically cut your power output in half.

yea, the power rating won't matter as long as you don't go for a lesser speaker - but if you are after vintage break up, a much cheaper alpha or beta would likely do the trick.

very likely an early 80's matsumoku product. is it neck through?

looks a lot like my vox custom (except for the white paint), a very nasty bass.

the eminence deltalite II (300 watt) is more mid focused than the kappa pro 15 (500watt); some might say a mid focus give you a sweeter sound. eminence told me the delta pro 15 is a little more vintage sounding than the kappa.
I prefer the over the neo, but I use them for everything from 5 string to guitar, so the overall range is important to me. weight issues considered, you would likely be quite pleased with the deltalite.

do you have the Altec or the CTS? if you want it to sound like the CTS you could likely go for a stamped frame beta or something, which are less expensive.

Guitar Center is mass market, and have large stores in most every major city.
bigger selection than most - but usually not specialized stuff. if you are after a new fender bass you'd likely do very well there after wheeling & dealing, but will have to set it up yourself. I'm not on that side of the states so don't know of what bass shops might be where you are going.

same deal with Sam Ash stores.

Vanilla Fudge - shotgun, you keep me hanging on, season of the witch.
Spooky Tooth - I am the walrus.
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams

a microphone.

that one from School of Rock
and lotsa others

beautiful monster - way cool tune.

I don't know if it'll flick anybody's switch, but it's a monster. poorly played and recorded anarchy on bass, about the L.A. riots.

track 4 below, when dreamland burned.

don't listen to anything.
be surprised/stunned/ or sadly disappointed, but take it as a opportunity to go in blind and see it for what it is, rather than comparing to this or that record or wishing they would play this or that, as fans invariably do.

switched that for an earlier tune that has a nice string breaking bend right off. 4th track, I can't tell you. a lovely little tune.

maybe the non-breakers don't do many big bends?
110's on the 4 strings. but as I said, I'm playing bass like a wuss now (when I do pick it up) so it isn't an issue. and it wasn't an issue many years ago when I played like a wuss .

perhaps it is the way you play, and has less to do with the choice of strings or basses.
just an observation from playing the same basses and strings over the years, but having some distinct style changes.

edit - added an old solo bass tune to the link below. a cheap alembic with cheap rotosounds. a tender love song from the more civilized of two solo bass cd's. "can't leave you", fourth tune.