brensabre79

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1387559630' post='2313408'] Fixed [/quote] [url="http://youtu.be/pl3vxEudif8"]http://youtu.be/pl3vxEudif8[/url]

I had EMGs with flats on a fretless for a long time. The bass was horrid to play, but it came with the EMGs (gold EMG P pickup) and it sounded awesome. I ended up using it on lots of recordings because I could just plug straight into the desk and always get a good sound. I whipped out the EMGs to put in my Bitsa p-body, j-neck. Now that sounds awesome too, but with rounds, not flats.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1387473966' post='2312450'] Unfortunately its specs are quite the opposite of those needed. if the OP wants a worthwhile driver he needs to spec match it as close as possible to the Delta Pro 15. If he doesn't care how it sounds or if it will last more than three notes that's a different story. [/quote] Thanks for clearing that up Bill, I thought it was a Delta Pro but it's not. [quote name='shippo' timestamp='1387470720' post='2312385'] I'm not selling this, its just going to get used as a home practise cab, which is why I dont want to spend that much money on it. I know how much these are worth brand new, but they are simply not worth 2nd hand what they used to be. (£500 to £125 is a depreciation of 75% which is pretty crazy if you think about it.) I'm not trying to have an arguement with anyone here, I just need a "Cheap and chearful" solution please. [/quote] Sorry, didn't mean to pick a fight, I've been on the Barefaced thread and some of it must have rubbed off I don't think you're going to get a much cheaper fix than £70, but it turns out that's not the speaker you want anyway.

Assuming it has not been stripped or refinished at some point. Your OLP maple neck will probably have a lovely coat of Polyurethane (poly) varnish on it. So beeswax will be useless. Pledge / Mr Muscle is not good on Nitrocellulose (Nitro) finished necks as it melts the varnish a bit making it sticky. You should be OK with poly though. Beeswax polish is good on an unfinished neck, but you're right, on a varnished neck it will just add a coat of wax. If you want to be extra careful you can get a proprietary 'guitar cleaner' from a music store. Personally I'd just use any multi-surface polish on a poly neck - it's almost impossible to remove chemically.

I can't believe I looked at this thread again... but I did. This all seems to have become rather personal and completely off topic. I've no beef with anyone on here, including manufacturers of products (shed built or otherwise), who have been kind/stupid enough to join in. But i don't think anything in the last few pages is helping anyone (except the Anchorman quote - that made me laugh). For those who own and enjoy the cabs in question, if you have any problems with them I recommend you go speak to the manufacturer before posting on here in future. I did, it got solved quickly and quietly. For those who don't like 'em. fair enough. I ain't gonna go around slagging off your gear choices, so please leave mine alone, I'm very happy, I hope you are too.

[quote name='shippo' timestamp='1387469569' post='2312365'] Yeah, cheers man. I'm just still not sure its worth spending £74.39 on somethings thats only worth £125. [/quote] Well it's not worth £125 without a working speaker driver. The value to you is what it will cost to replace. If you can sell your cab for £125 (minus the replacement driver cost), you'll have about £50 towards a new cab... which won't get you very far. So I would replace the driver, and you'll pretty much have a brand spanking new Ampeg cab, which are going for about £500 at the moment... EDIT: in fact, I'll buy it off you for £50, replace the driver and sell it back to you for £250 if you like. Half the cost of a new one

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/400617627560?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95&ff19=0"]Here's[/url] one under £70.

It's well known that Slash's 'Appetite for Destruction' signature Gibson Les Paul was a copy, by Gibson, of a Gibson copy. i.e. the guitar he actually used wasn't even a Gibson! I'd never buy an instrument because it had someone's name on it (in fact quite the opposite). I have a tendancy to mod every bass I get to my own preference anyway so it would be a waste of time!

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1387449729' post='2312006'] I can honestly say that the only replies I've had to adverts placed anywhere have been from weirdos and time wasters . All of my musical contacts have come from (real not internet) networking, meeting people at gigs, open mics etc. [/quote] And I think thats still the best way. Get yourself to jam nights and things. It's a snowball thing, I moved 250 miles and didn't know anyone, found mostly time-wasters on gumtree, went to a few jam nights with my best chops and now I have a nice little network of good players who are also friends.

[quote name='rallyeluke' timestamp='1387393062' post='2311534'] Anyone have any idea how I can get that paul simon graceland bass tone? [/quote] congrats on the bargain fretless! The guys name is Bakithi Kumalo. The original was done on a badly warped Washburn, but I've seen him get the same tone from all sorts of basses. His technique is a little unusual as he's self taught, on an awful bass that nobody else wanted to play. Basically its the sound of the strings vibrating against the fingerboard slightly that gives that 'mwauh' sort of sound, he plays pretty near the bridge to get lots of mids too. Plus, on the record there's reverb and compression on the bass This might help you get started: [url="http://youtu.be/nAgd9Ijw6WI"]http://youtu.be/nAgd9Ijw6WI[/url]

Thanks guys, some brilliant advice here. I'm an all-valve noob, and a bit scared of them with all the current that's in them (probably a good thing!) so it's really good to know exactly what I'm doing before I get the soldering iron out. I'm thinking I'll attached the bias mod with wires to the PCB going to the chassis so it can be tweaked from the outside, along with some circuit tester jack sockets. Then I can keep an eye on it periodically without having to open her up

It's very likely the original tube is no longer made. It may have come from the US. The width on these valve types will vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, but you should probably look for a NOS Philips, RCA or Sylvania (make sure it's made in USA) as they will be more likely to be a direct replacement for what you have. however, the sleeve is probably not essential to the opewration of your pre-amp. Most people don't bother with them unless the valve is exposed. You will always get better advice from speaking to an expert. If it were me, I wouldn't pay NOS money - there's always a chance they are rubbish (especially off eBay). I would go to [b]Watford valves[/b], ask for some advice (by email if you prefer) and take delivery of a suitable valve safe in the knowledge that it's probably the right one for the job, it will also be tested. And even if it's not right you can send it back for a replacement.

I found this Bias mod tutorial for the 5150 amp. the circuit looks alarmingly familiar! http://www.gearo.com/Files/5150biasmod.pdf Now I understand what you're all talking about i can probably have a pop at this I would also need to get some bias testing equipment, aren't these simply adaptors that you put under one of the tubes to measure voltage/current?

Thanks 6v6. I think getting a tech to put in a bias adjust pot and some test points will be a good move IF the amp can go loud enough for me. I suppose first step would be to get a tech to take a look at how it is performing with the current valves in. So, anyone know a good valve amp tech in Sussex? Having checked the sticky, they all seem to be relocating, or no longer taking repair work! The guy I normally use had my old practice amp for a year before returning it to me unfixed so I'm not inclined to go there again!

Thakns 6v6 I'm not sure if the power tubes are knackered or not to be honest, 5 of them are the original Sylvania/Peavey Super 6 "Made in USA" and one of them is a random JJ 6L6 - which struck me as a cheap fix by the previous owner for one that had gone. I was told the post volume is merely an attenuator for the power amp and as such can be run at full for a clean sound as long as the pre-amp isn't distorting. I certainly found this to be the case, but ended up having to increase the pre to get enough volume, at which point it distorted - and not in a nice way. After about 3 weeks, Peavey Customer support came back with a very short email to say I could change the valves without bias adjustment. I could also substitute KT66 if I wanted to without adjustment - I'm not sure if I'll get any more clean power from these though...?

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bugera-BVV3000-Vintage-All-Valve-Bass/dp/B00BBZ622S"]this[/url] is about the best new all-valve amp you'll get for £750 It's a Behringer, but don't let it put you off, they are basically a classic SVT clone made with modern components. IF the valve life multiplier thing really works it'll save you a fortune in valves. I was and still am seriously considering one of these... pretty much anything else (Ashdown, Ampeg, Orange, blackstar etc. etc.) will be double the price (Mesa will be 3x the price or more!). EDIT: For a bit more, [url="http://www.hartnollguitars.co.uk/Eden_E300T_300W_All_Valve_Bass_Head_PDT_5106"]this[/url] looks pretty good Otherwise you're looking for something like what discreet has got - a solid used one that might need a bit of work. Sound City, Burman, Carlsboro, Simms etc. all made some pretty good gear back in the 60s and 70s. Although much of it is fetching a pretty penny these days, especially anything over 100 watts. Are you sure you want to go all-valve though? Great as the DHA is (I have one) with a solid state amp, it's not the same as a valve power amp, nothing is, believe me I've tried!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387283174' post='2310149'] I came to the same conclusion as you and have just bought myself a 1972 Burman MPA Pre and SL100 Powerpak Slave. I'm preparing myself for their arrival by doing weights for at least an hour a day... [/quote] Now thats a mans bass rig

Thanks! It's a non-adjustable bias, but as per my thread in the Repairs section, I might have to get this modded. It's reassuring that changing the power tubes (25 years old) will probably get me a bit more clean headroom. I changed all the pre-amp valves already, but point taken about swapping ecc83 for ecc81 - won't this just mean I have to turn the pre-amp gain up louder to get the same amount of gain though? I'm not really driving the gain stage much to start with, but with the post vol on full, I have to turn up the pre to get the level i need...

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1387282141' post='2310123'] it may actually be an overall weight reduction as I'd not have to bother with my pedal case [/quote] Valve amp heads are VERY heavy (like 50kg+) The new Mesa Prodigy and Strategy are pretty lightweight. I have not tried them - too expensive for me - but on paper look like my ideal amp... a bit more than your budget though. You'll be looking at a beaten up second hand one for that price range. Or a Bugera . I'd be looking for about 200W+ Valve amp to compete with your 500w solid state and give you some headroom. the all valve SVTs are about 300w I think, Mesa Classic are 400w I have a 160w and it's not quite enough. Don't forget to allow for a service and replacement valves if you're buying a used one off eBay

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1387226575' post='2309665'] The Alphabass schematic you posted is very definitely fixed bias, as the negative voltage bias supply is shown. Cathode bias amps don't have this. [/quote] Thanks! I was getting a bit lost with the explanation above as I have no bias adjustment... So it's fixed & non- adjustable. [quote name='3below' timestamp='1387227183' post='2309678'] Start looking for adjustable bias circuits - e.g. [url="http://hiwatt.org/DIY/bias.gif"]http://hiwatt.org/DIY/bias.gif[/url] Thank you MR Huss, or other amp circuits. [/quote] Thanks! So I'll have to mod the amp to get the most out of the valves in it basically. One for an amp tech as it's way beyond me to start messing about inside a valve amp. I imagine that it's pre-set pretty cold to be very easy on the valves then? I posted in the amps section about this amp, I'm not sure how much more clean volume I will get from this by changing the valves and/or modding the bias circuit. Currently it's a little bit underpowered for my needs - I can just about get the volume i want, but its a bit too distorted at the loud end of the set. Which is a shame because I love the clean sound of this amp, I just need a little bit more headroom.

It is indeed. Except for the Phase inverter (12AT7) I think most bass pre-amps with a valve in have 12ax7/ecc83. Certainly all the ones I've owned, Hartke, Genz Benz, Orange, Carvin and this Peavey. My Markbass compressor pedal has an ecc81 though. I can get the pre-amp clean, no problem, but then it is not quite loud enough so I end up breaching into distortion to keep up volume wise towards the end of the set (we start quiet and finish noisy) I suppose I'm trying to find out if old, worn out valves will lose a bit of power and/or distort a bit more compared to new ones, or is it the case that they either work or they don't...?

Thanks Beer, so [i]IS[/i] this a Cathode Bias then?

I recently got hold of a Peavey AlphaBass. Built in 1989 it's an all-valve bass amp loosely based on the Mesa D-180, well a poor mans version they say... It's 160 watts into 4 or 2 ohms. I have used it for a couple of gigs, I'm loving the weight of the all-valve sound and it's got a lovely clean tone. But I've found that it's not quite got enough oomph. I can get it loud enough, but it starts to distort a bit too much - especially on the lower notes. If I back off the pre-amp volume to get rid of the distortion, then it's sitting just on the too quiet side of the mix. We don't play really loud either. My Carvin BX500 is usually on 1 master volume, maybe 2 for a big gig. I've got the Peavey all the way at 10 on the post volume control (apparently this is merely an attenuator for the power amp which is always on full, so 10 is the recommended setting once you have set up your tone. Now, the 6L6 power amp valves in this are all original Peavey USA rebadged Sylvanias from 1989. One of them has been replaced with a JJ, which may not be helping as it's probably not matched, but the rest are as old as the amp. I swapped the pre-amp valves already (3x12ax7/ecc83 and a 12AT7), and whilst the tone has changed slightly, the distortion hasn't. As an all-valve noob, can anyone tell me if putting in a brand new set of 6L6s will help me eek just a little more clean volume out of this thing or am I wasting half the value of the amp on valves when it's always going to be slightly too quiet? Should I re-bottle it? Or look for something else? Cheers!

Generally help for active basses because they handle the switching on of the battery. Some of the cheapo ones can fail, or make the audio circuit before the battery circuit resulting in a very loud pop through your amp (although you should always plug guitar in before amp). For a passive P i doubt there will be much different unless the one you have is giving you trouble.

Not sure if its the same bass as the one in the Fender forum was black...