JohnFitzgerald

I'm struggling to think of a single use for such a cab. If you're not playing with PA support, fair enough, you need chunky backline to do all of the heavy lifting on its own without any outside help from a PA. But really, an off the shelf 8x10 or 2x15 from any high street shop does that job. Or if you've moved on, buy a nice modern cab like a Barefaced or Baer, or the like. If you really must build your own, you'd go with Bill's expertise and build to his design. It's not just a nice box to hold 'any' speaker. If, however, we're playing with PA support, a monster cab is more of a liability. All of my recent gigging has been with my 2x10 Hartke 1410 which has a fullsome 140 watts. The PA does the rest. The newly acquired Markbass combo will now do the job. (I've actually gigged with a PJ Bass Cub, sat on a stand as a nice DI box, meaty floor wedges and the PA doing the rest. Sorry for being so negative, but I just don't get it.

Holy thread revival Batman !! In the great gear merry go round the TC amp lasted maybe a year, then made way for a Hartke 1410 for a bit. That's now been sold and the Markbass JB player school is coming tomorrow. Let's see how that goes.

My Status Energy 4 string cost me £150. Do I win ?

An Afterburner indeed. My budget might run to a squier version, but I don't imagine that would come with the fanned frets.

I had the immense good fortune to borrow this last weekend. Lovely bass and so easy to play too. I'd get one, but... Borrowed from a very humble member of this here forum who I won't name to save embarrassing them. Suffice to say, it was an honour for which I am forever grateful. [attachment=159169:10155580_10152395777006004_1439948733_n.jpg]

Anything Ashdown. Dull lifeless and uninspiring. Any time I have to use one, I need to do far too much with the EQ to end up with any degree of clarity. Mud aplenty, but clarity no. Markbass on the other hand. Turn it on, touch nothing and there it is. Instant clarity, depth, mid. I've attempted to make Ashdown work so many times, but I just can't.

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1395584009' post='2403907'] Wooden necked Status basses are some of the best value basses on the used market. Looks good. [/quote] Without a doubt, they are indeed. Thankfully, they retain that sound.

Needing a few little tweaks, a new EQ pot, new balance and tone knobs. That's about it really. Plays great and reminds me why I liked them in the first place. [attachment=158380:WP_20140322_006.jpg] [attachment=158379:WP_20140322_004.jpg]

Saw that myself. Given I scored a JV Precision recently for a decent price, I can't begrudge you that bargain. His description was rubbish though. Hid it well.

If you like your time signatures odd and irregular, your Mellotron sounds present and correct, your bass pedals Taurus and you guitar and synth solos aplenty, The Peel tomorrow night (7th Dec) is the place to be. We're on along with Pallas. If you make it along, say hello. I'm on bass with Comedy Of Errors.

I'd go with the TC as above. Well, actually, that's what I did do. Others haven't had as positive an experience as I have, so it seems, but I love it.

I should add that in my opinion personal tone makes a huge difference. At our gig last night the bloke in the other band had a R*ck*nb*ck*r played with a pick into an SVT 8x10 stack. It was all top and bottom and he was at knee buckling volume on stage. His level through the PA was pretty immense too. Certainly, it was all louder than I'd ever want to be. Nobody could hear him, he couldn't hear himself, but everyone complained that the bass was too loud. No mid, all top and bottom. On its own, sounded immense. In a band, too loud, but inaudible. Thundering through you, but you couldn't hear any notes. I was quieter through my backline, I was quieter through FOH too by a considerable margin. I could hear myself fine, people in the venue could hear me too. Tone has a huge influence on audibility. Ashdowns have never delivered for me in this regard. Too much bottom, not enough mid. YMMV.

Back to the question, if I may. My old Trace stack was 130 watts. It was a 1x15 and 2x10. My current TC BG250 is, rather unsurprisingly, 250 watts, that's into a 15" speaker. Which one had the capacity for being loudest ? The one with the Big stack of speakers. 130 watts was more than sufficient to make the speakers do what they had to do. No question about it. The Trace would have blown the TC clean off the stage. The watts were no more than part of the equation. Now, having said that. Is the BG250 loud enough for me on stage ? Without a doubt. If I buy a TC 250 watt head and a 2x10 and 2x12 stack, will it be louder than my 1x15 combo. Yep, it certainly will. Buy speaker capability, not watts.

I'm still very happy with mine. I ask no more of it than it neutrally amplify the tone I put into it at a reasonably loud stage volume. It seems to have no issues doing that and I very much appreciate the light weight. On our bill last night, the bass player in the other band had an SVT and 8x10 cab. With a state of the art line array EV pa there, who really needs that ? Not me, that's for sure. I feel for you though, if you've invested belief in it doing the job for you and it lets you down. Confidence is shattered at that point.

I have one of these and love it. It does what I need an amp to do. I have no interest in having an amp that goes louder than this and wouldn't want the job of moving a bigger amp these days. With the gain set just short of the clipping point and the master at half, it's just right for me. The PA can do the job of making it loud enough for the audience. To me, it sound pretty neutral and lets the bass have its own voice. Suits me fine. Occasionally, I'll use an Ashdown ABM and 6 x 10 at the rehearsal room, it sound horrid and unfocused in comparison. If anything replaces the TC for me, it might be a head from the same range and possibly a 2x10 or two, but as it is right now, I'm a fan.

See you there David. Heading down tomorrow

I'm glad you guys have have had largely positive experiences. Just goes to show you that my experience maybe wasn't typical.

I'll be at the above with Comedy Of Errors next Saturday, 23rd November. Great line up over the two days. It's described as a Prog Extravaganza. I'll let the genre police decide what it is We're on last band on Saturday afternoon. Anyone who happens to be there, please say hello

I'd be delighted to be found wrong, but the ones I had my hands on today missed the target by some distance. As I said, hopefully the pukka ones are more representative of what a German one is really like.