The Burpster

Have you guys tried pimping the 12AX7s.....? I shelled out on a pr of 'select' Mesa tubes for mine, and the change in tone was astounding! [url="http://www.hotroxuk.com/mesa-boogie-br-spax7-a-12185-0.html"]http://www.hotroxuk.com/mesa-boogie-br-spax7-a-12185-0.html[/url] ignore the waffle about "Designed for main driver position" these puppies are selected for low noise (top 5% creamed off selection tests). The tone the produce as a result is WELL worth the extra few squids. [url="http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/spax7.html"]http://mesa.stores.yahoo.net/spax7.html[/url] If you liken your tone to beautiful woman (swiss Tony) with std AX7s in, put these puppies in, and your in for a night out with a Princess that can suck a golfball through 3ft of garden hose!

Chris, Give Oreste a ring or email at [url="http://www.westsidedistribution.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=11"]http://www.westsidedistribution.com/index....8&Itemid=11[/url] he is the UK importer and is normally helpful. I was going to say that they make a set of rack ears but Clarky beat me to it....!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='767452' date='Mar 7 2010, 11:42 PM']I remember those but not fondly, sorry. I doubt it's got any collectable value unless you got it signed by Jesus.[/quote] Oddly, not only did his dad leave his signature on my few but he was also partly involved in making them.....

Spent too long dithering and someone else has bought it..... Oh well...... thats Karma. Anyhoo, it was indeed the 1st Swamp Ash bodied one that was made (hence prototype designation) and was hanging around for sometime in Mr Smiths personal collection. It was then given the #150 designation and was sold to a collector a few years ago. So it does have [u]some [/u] history but other than being the 1st Swampy its just another EB-IV. The 'cant make my mind up' thing was born out of mine being a Maple neck/ Swamp Ash combination that is just sublime. This being Rosewood (birds are an irrelevant distraction to me) it just wasnt screaming at me. Someone has bought themselves an absolute doosey of a bass tho' and you never know they might get bored with it!

the old 'is _____ Fender worth it?' question bounces around fairly frequently but I think most sensible opinions were aired in this thread. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=62155&hl=fender%20why&st=20"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...20why&st=20[/url] Personally now, I dont think they are. Then again I'm not a Fender-head so they fall into the same catagory with me as many other mass produced basses (what I mean by that is they have no special appeal to me).

I'd thoroughly recommend either:- i) Bass gallery ii) Bass Direct Both staright up, direct and A1+ service.

Tried lots of stuff, and DESPERATELY want an M6 Carbine combo (can't justify it!), but am VERY happy with my 1-12 4ohm Walkabout Scout. It has tone to die for :wub: and will shake beer glasses off a bar if you need it to.... I have a feeling tho' the M6 would rearrange internal organs! FWIW - OBBM uses top quality components and has oodles of experience putting them together. I have won my G'tard over with the same kit (assembled by me) and previously he was shelling out on Whirlwind gear ... (very pretty but waaay over priced!).

Dave they just make a bit pf a pop in my experience...... (well they do through my Mesa!) Oh and incoming PM, I need some more bits... As for PW cables...... sorry but they are cack......! For what they cost buy proper kit from Dave above (OBBM) for a wee bit more and feel the difference between over priced shoite components and proper components put together properly.

[quote name='toastieman' post='765417' date='Mar 5 2010, 05:27 PM']Hi all, I'm a long time double bass player, but very new to electric bass and after some advice. I've just got a new Squier 60s vibe P bass, which I'm really happy with. I'm interested in putting some La Bella flat wound strings on it (to emulate the motown sound), but have read some reports that these type of strings are particularly high tension, and could warp the neck. Has anyone any experience of this, and is this any more likely on a Squier? (am aware is not a top of the range instrument). Don't mind if it's just a case of adjusting the neck, but don't want to risk any permanent damage. Thanks for your help![/quote] I only use flatties. I now have settled on D'addario Chromes, they produce the tone nearest to that which I aspire to. Using flats on a Squire is not going to be a problem as even with a larger guage the most I've tightened a trussrod is 1/8 of a turn, so we're not talking 'bullworker' tensions here. I would suggest if you are worried to try a set of light gauge (45-100) at first and you'll see that you will probably have the t-rod at the same setting as that for a heavier guage set of roundies to achieve the same relief. You quote later that Jamerson didnt look after his instrument, which is far more likely to have cuase the neck to warp (or shoite fender QC) than his use of flat wound strings. FYI Herbie flowers uses a jazz and only uses nylon wound flatties which are huge gauge and he has had the same one and only bass for 30+ years.

If you let us know where you are, there are plenty of talented hacks on here that would set it up the MIM for the cost of a beer and talking bass boll8x for a while..... (me included!)

Bugger damn and boll8x...... Had a reply from, PRS and guess what? its genuine...... Now I have to try and buy the damn thing! Will explain more if I can get hold of it....!

I have a spare amp part if you wish to take it off my hands....... Although if I remember rightly it has a similar fault and thats why I was gievn it. the cab now houses a PJB `D-200 and a celestion speaker.

Bob Asstute observation but not strictly correct. the Pre amp was available in the first models as an option, as was teh option of a Piezo bridge. The passive ones didnt sell well and so they were all made after '01 with the preamp installed. You could however specify that you wanted it passive right up until the end of the production run (but why you would, is a mystery to me). This info was passed to me by Stevensville after I was enquiring about my '01 passive and if I could retro fit the pre-amp. As to it being a proto. I'd be fairly happy (even without the reply from Stevensville) to say its not. I'm also pretty happy that the serial # on the neck shown in those ebay pics is not original.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='761222' date='Mar 1 2010, 09:25 PM']That's a bonny collection you have there. Do they sound as Jazzy as they look?[/quote] Sadly thats not all of them....... Check out post #30 in this thread...... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=40227&hl=PRS&st=20"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...l=PRS&st=20[/url] As to tone, they are very smooth, like a strong black coffee. Not everyones gonna like it, but you can't ignore it! Back to the OP, I have just sent an email to Stevensville asking for the spec of serial #150 - there is something fishy about that ebay listing....

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='761186' date='Mar 1 2010, 08:56 PM']I'm ready to be corrected on this big style but that looks all the world like one of the standard mkII PRS's with fancy inlays... with the exception of 'someone' writing prototype between the tuners with a permanent marker! [/quote] Actually I'm not happy with the serial # either as the 150 is clearly different to the other numbers. There was one of these (exact same spec) being hawked on ebay about a year ago from a seller in Hong Kong and I wonder if someone isnt happy with what they've got..... It's undoubtedly a PRS EB IV and a pretty one too..... but I"ll be surprised if it sells when this one in the US has just been relisted as it didnt sell...... [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320490458848"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=320490458848[/url] Actually WH you're spot-on! prototype is Bollox....... Ser # 150 was 1/2 way through the 2nd year of production so a prototype of what I ask.....

Not that rare........ In fairness tho' the swamp ash bodied one is my fave of all of mine. May just have to give them a ring.

[quote name='Spoombung' post='761040' date='Mar 1 2010, 06:43 PM']Sorry to ressurect this thread about the Gus guitar but I just got a copy of Bassplayer and read the article (it arrives about a month late in london) and the devil can be in the detail. I must say that what struck me as most surprising was the expense of the additional features; the extra pickup (£100), the maple fingerboard and heastock veneer(£250), the scratchplate and control cavity covers(£350) and carbon fibre inlays(£150) all coming to an [i]additional[/i] [b]£850! [/b] Seems [i]incredibly[/i] expensive on top of the £4500! Yes, I can understand paying extra for fairy lights... but I would have thought for that price you certainly should [i]not[/i] pay extra for a maple fingerboard and headstock veneer, (for instance) ....I mean, that [i]really[/i] should be included in the price - you'd expect that as it's hardly an 'addition' by luthier standards. In fact, for £4500 perhaps it should have all been included, IMO. Bizarre.[/quote] I agree to some extent but then its a bit like buying a Bentley or Rolls Royce........ If you have to ask how much it is - you cant afford it....!

[quote name='sjc' post='758728' date='Feb 26 2010, 11:28 PM']Is the general opinion that they are fine as long as they are treated with a reasonably amount of respect?[/quote] YES.... I have both a MP-BT1 and a Boss micro Br. Both are very good if you treat them like a delicate electrical instrument which they are. They are not designed to take runnig or swiming so dont expect it to work if you do..... The CD-BT1 however I found hard work and an absolute battery muncher, you HAD to have the power supply.

Get an old defunct or blown 1x10 cab and stick a Celestion speker in it - they do 300w 4 or 8ohm models. I have a 200w 8 ohm in my pimped Roland bass cube box and it rocks!

[quote name='paulie' post='753469' date='Feb 22 2010, 07:30 AM']And thats just the way it is in every market, luxury goods, electronics, cars etc. So I guess if I want one, Ill just have to get in line and start saving hard. Gorgeous basses though![/quote] Nail, head, hammer..........

ANY object bass or otherwise is worth what another person is willing to pay for it. Clearly Fodera can charge what they do because folks will still want them. Same with Rics and Alembics. The same could be said for Gibson and Fender which I firmly belive are way overpriced for what they are. None of those 5 float my boat. However were PRSs 2-3 or even 4 times more expensive I would still have one, even if I could only afford 1. Why? because they would be worth it to me. It seems there is a lot of either genuine of psuedo anti-feeling for expensive basses at the moment on here. Some basses are expensive, get over it, but dont slag them or the folks that make or buy them, off please. Its unnecassary and frankly a bit boring now.