The Burpster

It's an Ovation for sure, but not sure which model. It looks like a fore runner of the Viper that I had.... Or a copy thereof....

I know I have been quiet for a while, and certainly very quiet in the build or pimping departments. I am about to rectify that situation though, as I have a new PRS project on the go. Anyone that's been around a while will know that I have sold my soul to Mr Smith, but that doesn't mean that his design cannot be improved upon. I have for some years wanted a full Bartolini electrics equipped PRS, to add to the Bart preamped PRS pickuped one that I created several years ago. However this cated a quandary in that Bart pups are a different shape and size to the std PRS single coils. The quandary was that I would have to find a suitable donor guitar to have re-routed and finished. Well late on last year I came across 2 EB IVs on eBay and having secured them I ended up with what I understood was a 10 top inlayed model and what I thought was a CAR solid painted model, this was to be the donor originally..... Having bought them though and getting them home and fettling with them, the CAR one turned out to be NIRVANA for me, a translucent red wash on a Swamp ash body and maple/maple neck. This bass is 1 serial number different from my fist and original PRS bass of the same spec and this was was bought here in the UK with a full history.... There is no way I could do anything to this one other than set it up and string it with Chromes...... Yes it is as fantastic as my first one and, despite not liking red guitars I have fallen for it and absolutely love it....... This left me with ( what should've been / could've been) a 10 top finished in blue. Well it was a pretty guitar when I got it home but it has had a shady past. It still had a PRS preamp in it but had been rewired by 5 yr old following a dubious refinish job. Sadly the guy I had bought it from had been a bit duped by a dealer in the US from whom he'd bought it a few years ago. My (educated) guess is that it was a 10 top that had been either really used or abused (more likely) by a rich kid and then re finished on a budget by a scrupulous dealer and then shifted on eBay. I mean who in their right mind would repaint a PRS body (relatively well) and then put it back together with rusty components that damage the paint finish.....? So a bit of soul searching later I decided to take the original PRS parts out of it and store them and order up new Bart parts from the US. I then took the body and neck (neck had dinks in the face of the headstock probably from string ends) to Sims to see if the project had legs. Well after a few emails and then a visit to Kent the bits were left there for Martin and Rob to do their stuff. So here I am now with the finished parts back and ready to do the rest of the work to. I won't dilute the surprise of what I got the guys to do as I want you to judge it first hand when completed. I have most of the components I need to complete the assembly but need to do the bridge which will be done next week. Once I have his done I will complete the build and put some pics up here. I hope you will be as impressed as I am by the work done by Sims, but I genuinely hope the Bart set up works as I hope it will do......

Clover Marleaux Vigier Oh and of course PRS (but that would only be Private stock as that is all that is commercially available now!)

In my experience Roqsolid are actually better than OEM Mesa and Ampeg covers. Stronger, more padding more durable..... No I'm not on commission, but sadly you get what ya pay for....

I needed some Barts for my latest project (PRS of course) and this was the only place I could get them from for sensible money (actually the only place I could get the options that I wanted AND they were in stock) PLUS they had some offers on and I got a spare D-tuner.... The service was FANTASTIC they sent the packet 1st class not parcel and as such didnt attract any chrages WOW...... (that being said I would've been quite happy to pay legit charges as I couldnt get the PUP options I wanted here in the UK). Best bit was it took less than a week to come from ordering.... Cannot recommend these guys enough.

.....or you can just wait two years and send it off to HG Thor who is renowned as probably the best as this as its his whole business. Oh and incidently Jaco played his work. As I have a neck done by him I can vouch for the his work and the results. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/112736-prs-eb-iv-hg-thor-fretless/page__hl__hg%20thor

Cor blimey, saw the title of this thred and thought for a sec that Heckler & Koch had expanded their production base.....

Got my 11 year old girl a Daisy Rock last year changed bridge and tuner, shielded the cavity and its now very credible bass in its own right. Hoping she will play it the school band this year, it will certainly cut though.......

I only use Chromes - tried most of them on the PRSs and Chromes sound awesome. I have changed from 45-100s to 50-105s as they seem to have more depth of tone (and hold drop D better).... The big secret (if there is one) with flats is dont change them too often - flats seems to get better when they are no longer stretching. If you play everyday you can get at least a year out of them. Rounds (if your after a zingy sound which is the main reason for using them) go 'dead' very quickly. Im my opine of course, its hardly a definative thing tone.

Let me know if your stuck, I'm only at Bingham and can check it out for you if needed.....

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1336146884' post='1641702'] I wouldn't worry dude, we're all pals on here [/quote] Indeed, I'm too used to coming at stuff from the Mod angle, and Ooooooh so many times folks dont read what I actually put - but then this is typical of forums where you only see what is typed...... Anyhoo, I am going to order me a PF 500 and a PF115HE...... I can't resist much longer.

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1336146489' post='1641692'] Juan Alderete from Racer X and now The Mard Volta is using them on tour, 2 stacks with each PF500 going the matching 2x10 and 1x15 cabs. I reckon they'll probably work best with those cabs I love the look, just not ever really been a fan of the Ampeg tone, at least the solid state version of it, but hey, that's just me If I was you, I'd give the head another go with a bit more time and perhaps some more suitable cabs. Good luck! Eude [/quote] Maybe I should've just put that instead, then I wouldnt be missconstrued...... Thanks Eude.

[quote name='wally8' timestamp='1336136040' post='1641410'] Am i classed as one of these idiots? [/quote] Nowhere have I said you are an idiot - Unless you are one of the music shop assistants to which I am referring in that part of my post. Please read it again slowly and you'll see that paragraph refers to music shops, and hence the next paragraph is started with "But back to your thread!"

[quote name='wally8' timestamp='1336121120' post='1641083'] I didnt slag it off too hard did i? Just that i wernt that impressed as others have also said. I'm really pleased how many people have joined and given there opinion, thanks guys. Humm, if the opportunity arises again, perhaps i just might trial one with a decent cab. It's a shame it seems most of the shops now stock cheapy stuff as well as a truckload of guitar stuff and we bassist have to travel far and wide to find specialist shops. [/quote] Well maybe not too hard but, hard enough to put some of our younger viewers off the idea..... I can only find a couple of responses that agree with you and the vast majority seem to say that with a decent cab they are between good/reliable to fantastic......... does that not say something to you? It does to me, I shall get one ordered. As to shops, dont get me on a rant.... I've seen some fantastic gear slagged off by (IMHO) idiots that should know better, and seen very occasionally really good advice and support. The days of staff in shops ACTUALLY knowing much and in some cases anything about their products is I'm afraid long gone, and this doesnt just apply to the music business. But back to your thread, Ampeg have been in the business pretty much since it started, and they are not design dinsoaurs. I find it impossible to believe that they would release an amp (and certainly keep it in circulation) that does not undergo extensive testing and development before its released. Ask yourself this... "would they really make an amp that farts with a 'ray and then try to sell in the US where most of all the 'rays are owned....?" [i](......sorry, just read your original post again and its a Sterling that you auditioned with not a 'ray, but you get my gist...!)[/i]

As I'm on the cusp of buying a PF500 (but with an Ampeg cab) I was interested to read this. I'm sorry but whilst I respect your opinion, you are slagging the head off after a very quick audition through a cab of which you dont ACTUALLY know what Wattage and Ohm rating it had...... and also a TC. That's a bit like saying a MacLaren MP4-27 is sh*te because I have just driven it shod with a set of Michelin Energy Saver tyres. What you should've done was take them up on their 30 day trial and tried it through PROPER cabs that are known to be capable of dealing with the output. My PRSs have 18v preamps and kick out nearlty 20v with fresh batteries but only a couple of very cheap class D amps (Behringer and Yamaha) have ever needed clipping significantly due to high output. The farting is more likely to be due to cheap & nasty chinese drivers in an inappropriate cab. Other posters above have pointed out that this head is excellent through appropriate speaker cabs, and its of more interest (and I wouldve hoped inspired you to have a rethink) to me that the variety of cabs that have been tried that it DOES work with. I'm not impressed with the shop not getting or having an Ampeg cab to play it through for you, but TBH I'm not impressed by shops per se. Give it another chance and play it through a decent cab before writing it off. I was similarly unimpressed with the PJB D200 when I first got it, but through a proper speaker cab it is very very good, and there is no reason why the Ampeg shouldnt be as good. I agree, no it wont be a Mesa but then its not Mesa money or weight.