molan

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426848603' post='2722596'] Not yet. But it is on my "to-do" list [/quote] Cool I'm sure no-one here is trying to be confrontational or give bad advice. It's just that this amp shouldn't be distorting at such low gain settings so before you go through the hassle of selling it then it's definitely worth isolating whether the amp is at fault or if it's just a mis-match with your cab (which is rare but it can happen). If the amp is faulty then you'd probably need to get it fixed before selling anyway. I can put you in touch with the UK Aguilar guys to see if they can help but the first question they will ask is whether you've tried it with another cab. I'd make that the main priority. If it's really tough to test it as a standalone unit then you could possibly use the pre-amp only into another amp's power section and another amp's pre-amp into the Aggie power stage. That might show up if there's an issue in one or the other. Slightly fiddly and needs a patch lead between send and return feeds on each amp. I know a couple of people who use a high end pre into the Aggie power section like this and it works really well.

I really like a lot of these natural wood finish Ritters. They probably aren't what Jens is best known for but he does them really well and, relative to the high gloss finishes, they aren't major cost upgrades.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426847412' post='2722565'] To be fair, I'm not sure you've been keeping up with everything I have posted, and I haven't necessarily posted everything that I know! I have had a number of PM conversations with other members on here. Making public judgements from a position of partial knowledge (and potentially harming my ability to sell/trade something) is rather unfair I am fully aware of what I need to do to (try to) isolate the source of the issue - but I am also aware that it may not be as simple as that. If you are suggesting that I would attempt to sell something that I [b][i]know[/i][/b] to be faulty, then I am saddened. Have you read my feedback on here? [i][b]I[/b][/i] never said it was faulty - it was other self-appointed "experts" who did that. Please don't jump to conclusions without knowing the full story [/quote] Not meant to offend Conan so sorry if you've taken it that way. I have been following the thread so maybe I've misunderstood something. My take was that you've said the amp distorts at any setting of the pre gain control. I've tested one and a brand new, perfect condition one does not distort in any way at low gain settings. You really have to push it very hard to distort. From what I've read you haven't been able to try the amp into another cab other than your regular one? Maybe I've missed that bit somewhere. If the amp distorts at low gain then there definitely is something wrong with it.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426836615' post='2722410'] I traded it on here and as far as I am aware, the warranty is limited and non-transferrable. I have also been advised that there may be a capacitance/compatibility issue with the Big One, but I haven't been able to try his suggested solution due to the speakon only outputs on the amp and the fact that all my speaker cables are short and high quality...! Also, at the end of the day, I am frustrated by the interaction of the controls and suspect that this amp is just not for me. Such is life! [/quote] I don't really understand this Conan. Without isolating the problem you don't know whether there is anything wrong with the amp at all. It could just as easily be the cab. Also, if you sell an amp that already described as having distortion issues at zero gain then you won't get a huge amount for it because any new owner would need to get it fixed first. I'd get it to a shop and try it there. Any guitar shop should have the correct cables and any cab will let you find out if the amp actually has a fault or not.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426754517' post='2721483'] Used the TH500 again last night, and the result was much better So maybe the power supply is (at least part of) the problem? I still played the entire set with the gain set at zero. I find this perplexing!! Couldn't try the guitar lead as the amp only has speakon outputs. Couldn't try other cabs as I only had a speakon-speakon lead with me and all the other cabs had either jack or XLR inputs But maybe my ears are just getting used to the sound through this amp? It was still (what I would call) a bit distorted, but I'm starting to think that maybe this is just part of the characteristic tone of the amp. Some call it "warmth" or "vintage character" and so on - but I hear it as mild distortion! I'm still coming to the conclusion that this is not the amp for me... so anyone who is interested in one, form an orderly queue! [/quote] I tried one today, clean as a whistle with the gain wound up to around 11:00. Absolutely no distortion whatsoever. Still not sure if your amp is at fault or the speaker. Until you try it with another speaker you won't know for certain but it definitely sounds like there's an issue with the amp somewhere. I'm assuming it's out of warranty so you can't get it checked over by the UK Aguilar people?

I have a sneaking suspicion here may be another rather nice R8 in the UK very soon. . .

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1426706068' post='2721143'] Would you mind giving me the details of the three cameras involved ? I am soon to be upgrading and keen to see how various upgrades enhance picture quality potential weighted against the cost etc. [/quote] Original one was a Panasonic bridge type camera. Can't remember the exact model I'm afraid but it was about £225 - £250. We also had a little compact Panasonic with a Leica lens that took pretty good pictures. It's still kept in reserve. Also around the £250 mark when new. Having got on with the brand we liked the idea of the micro 4/3 cameras so bought a G2. Great camera, lots of lens options (including some Leicas) and pretty cheap on the used market now. Kept our eyes on the upgrades but didn't take the plunge until the G6 came out. Quite a few upgrades on this model and picture quality is noticeably better. It's not a super high-end SLR but I really like the combination of size, features and quality by the way - I've said 'we' because the G2 & the G6 were both bought in pairs so my wife and I have one each & we swap lenses & spare batteries etc

Interesting original OP but, in this instance, I actually don't agree I am a very average photographer but a serious upgrade to my camera a few years ago produced significantly better pictures. Last year I upgraded again, same make of camera but a major revision model and my picture quality leapt forward again. This has inspired me to take a lot more pictures and to spend more time working with my camera because I know I'm able to improve my results. Relatively speaking I'm a better cook than a photographer and, again, an upgrade to my hob a few years ago really improved my cooking skills. It's a ceramic job that gives me way more control over temperature and on delicate things, like fish and seafood, it makes a huge difference compared to my previous one. This in turn has inspired me to cook more complex meals and use more interesting ingredients and, ultimately, has made me a better cook So, in my household, higher end gear has made a significant improvement Not sure the same can be said bout my bass playing though. . .

I'm surprisingly booked up in June already but if I'm free I'll come along and help Mick

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1426593686' post='2719582'] This made me smile, as my favourite line of his is this one, which goes up the dusty end with those double stops. This is a personal opinion, but I find myself listening to this looser, groovier incarnation of Weather Report more often than the Jaco stuff. [/quote] I'm sure this will have me branded as a heretic but I much prefer his playing with WR to Jaco's. I saw the Jaco incarnation live once and just found it all a bit over the top. I admired the technical prowess but found it hard to actually 'enjoy' listening to the music

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426589796' post='2719513'] It's not that BF cabs accentuate the mids, its more that they don't hide them like so many other big brand cabs do... [/quote] Just 'voting' with my ears rather than measured responses. I don't particularly dislike mids but when over-compensated for they can sound very harsh and brittle

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1426590076' post='2719521'] Nice attitude re playing style. [/quote] To be fair he did play a lot of lovely solo stuff higher up the neck later on in the session - just no 'money' up there

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1426588860' post='2719503'] Which exact ones have you heard? [/quote] Ones I can remember off the top of my head are the Super Compact (a few times), Super Twin, and Midget. Also heard one at the BassChat SE Bash in Autumn 2013 which was very mid-forward when demo'd through a MarkBass head. Can't remember which model this was but seem to recall it had new drivers - maybe the Super Twin.

I saw him at a clinic a few years ago and he was great. Railing a little at bedroom and YouTube players and telling people to get out and play with other musicians. Made a great speech about how there was no 'money' beyond the first five frets and that he'd never earned anything of note playing further up the 'board He played a great groove staying down low just to demonstrate

All the Barefaced cabs I've heard tend to have very pronounced mids so if you don't want these then you might want to look at other alternatives as well.

Not sure if this helps but we import Sadowsky Metro basses direct from Tokyo using Japan Post's EMS service. Costs £115 per instrument (£145 including UK taxes). They hit the UK really quickly but can be held at customs for about a week for clearance prior to delivery to a local Parcelforce depot. After that you pay the taxes, duties and an £8 service charge.

Maybe going for one really nice bass and a quality amplification setup will be more inspiring? We often get visitors to our shop who have 4-5 basses that they've gradually acquired and then realised that no single one is particularly 'calling out' to them so they've got a bit disenchanted with playing.

Although I've replied elsewhere one of the posts above reminded me about a friend who loaned out a nice Eden rig a while ago. One driver totally blown in a cab (maybe two), long delay to source replacement and no recompense from the person who borrowed the cab

The only one I've found that tracks really well is the MarkBass. Quite happy playing down low which works really well for that 80's synthy sound

[quote name='Gottastopbuyinggear' timestamp='1426141225' post='2714802'] That's a very kind offer - thanks! [/quote] We sold ours before I could weigh it! Have ordered another though I've spoken to Some people about this and have heard that an early batch of the Indonesian ones may have been heavier but they are all now back to the previous weight (which seems to be borne out in comments above) We should have the next order in early next week so will try to weigh that one!

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1426205984' post='2715779'] I did it once, GK 200MB combo strapped to the pillion seat, headless cricket bat bass, bag of leads, and sleeping bag all bungeed and cargonetted to the rack on my Tiger. Tamworth to Maidstone and back... [/quote] Slightly more upright position on a Tiger. I tried it on my old SV650 with clip ons - because my head was already tilted forward the neck, and headstock, was literally forcing me to stare down at the front wheel. Had to ride most of the way one handed with my body skewed sideways on the bike, lol.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426257665' post='2716258'] Thanks for contacting Aguilar Molan - but the answers reveal that something might have been slightly miscommunicated... 1) With the gain knob on zero there is still volume! 2) None of my basses are "superhot" - and none of them (other than my Status, which I haven't yet used with the TH500) have onboard preamps. The three I have used so far are all passive J basses I have tried all available combinations of gain and master settings. Gain on full and master on low gives distortion, yes - but not much more than I seem to get all the time! Gain on [i][b]zero[/b][/i] and master up high reduces distortion, but not by all that much. I don't use the "drive" control at all as I am trying to get a clean sound first before I colour it up deliberately! So thanks again for your input, but I'm not sure I'm really any further forward! [/quote] He's saying you can still get volume with gain on zero. However if it's distorting with gain on zero and master on a low setting then either there's a cab problem or something wrong inside the amp. Given how light the amp is I'd get down to your nearest guitar shop and try it through any other cab. That will immediately tell you if there's an amp issue

All the way from the amp's designer himself: "Regarding your questions: 1) Yes, the input gain doesn’t go to “zero”. To turn the volume off completely, turn down the gain knob. It was designed this way so head would have a great gain structure in the preamp and a low noise floor. 2) If his bass is superhot and he turns up his onboard preamp all the way, he could add 20 to 30 dB of gain to the input of the amp. That could cause clipping of the input stage. No damage or shutdowns; but it might sound more gritty than he wants it. In that case he may want to use the input pad switch. Also, he should be using the input gain and the master interactively to get the cleanest (or dirtiest) sound. Lastly, the drive knob adds gain, and hence distortion. For the cleanest sound he can turn the drive all the way down." Hope this helps