Dingus

There are a myriad of smaller speakers to choose from, and if you're looking to buy secondhand then there is almost so much choice as to be overwhelming. One thing to consider is the compatability of any prospective speakers to your amp ; if you want to turn them up loud then you will need some speakers that are reasonably easy for your NAD amp to drive. Most bookshelf speakers should be fine, but if you can look at the spec for any particular speakers then ideally they would be 8 ohms impedance with a sensitivity over 87db, or 6 ohms ideally with a slightly sensitivity. As for brands and models, some of the smaller Mission speakers such as the 760i or 780 are old favourites of mine and are well worth a punt if you see them cheap, or else something like Tannoy 603s or Tannoy 605 are a solid used buy even though they are from 20 years ago. Some smaller floorstanders will still work in a small room , and if you see something like some Rega EL8s at a sensible price they have got nice meaty bass and you won't need stands.

It's difficult to say what's causing your dissatisfaction with the sound of your sdystem without actually hearing it and being able to swap componants and listen to the difference, but if I were to hazard a guess I would say that your speakers may be the guilty culprits. Rega turntables , with a decent cartridge and set-up properly ( a prerequisite for any turntable ) sound great, and yout NAD amp may be a bit long in the tooth but it was a fine budget amp in the late 80s and there is no reason why it shouldn't still sound enjoyable now. What's more, unlike a lot of budget amps nowadays, it has got a very good-sounding phono stage input so if you listen to a lot of vinyl then that is big thing in it's favour. The Arcam Alpha One CD will probably sound perfectly respectable in your current system, which leaves your speakers as an obvious choice to start trying to change things. Speakers in hifi are are a funny old thing in so much as they can make the biggest and most immidiate difference to the sound of any system, but at the same time they are a slave to what is going on further up the signal chain. From what you describe it sounds like you you would like some more detail and definition in the sound. Is the sound you are getting now too boomy in the low frequencies to hear the bass guitar properly? If so it could be the positioning of the speakers. It would be handy to know what size room they are in and how they are positioned. Big floorstanding models such as your Celestions benefit from being sited in free space with a couple of feet between the rear of the speaker and the rear wall. It is also critical to position any speakers well clear ( preferably at least a foot and a half) of side walls to prevent them sounding boomy and indistinct. Big speakers are generally designed to work best in bigger rooms, and if you are listening in a smaller space or a room where you can't position the speakers appropriately then you will never get satsfying results regardless of how good the equipment is. It may be if you have a smaller or awkwardly arranged listening room that you actually get more satisfying bass response and detail from some smaller speakers that are more appropriate to that space . As I have said, I haven't heard your Celestions so I cannot pass comment or judgement, but having had a quick Google I would say that they appear to be typical of a lot of less expensive speakers on the market nowadays here they are a lot of box for the money and designed to work as front speakers in cheaper home cinema setups rather than as "proper" two channel audio hifi speakers . I am not saying this to denigrate your Celestions but just to describe how the market for speakers has gone in recent years as struggling manufactures try to maximise the appeal of their products to bigger marketplace . Most ordinary folks nowadays want to buy a home cinema setup nowadays rather than more traditional two channel audio systems and the sound quality of a lot of speakers on the market has suffered as a result. Would it be possible for you to borrow an alternative pair of speakers from somewhere to try them as a substitute for your celestions so you can hear if they make the kind of difference you wish for? A lot of specialist hifi dealers will let you borrow stuff to demo at home,, or if you have got a friend with some suitable speakers to compare. That might be a good place to start. With the turntable and electronics you have already got with the right speakers you should be able to get a sound you enjoy far more than you are doing now.

If I remember correctly, those Mission 700 series were a very different dessign to the 75 series and 77 series , and had a completely different design drive unit and cabinet. They were as you correctly point out, bloody awful sounding speakers designed for the burgeoning trend towards rave and indie music where kids wanted big and loud speakers at an affordable price. They had front-ported cabinets to enhance the bass response and ended up sounding boomy and recessed in the midrange. Perhaps ( or almost certainly, in fact) the marketing strategy you describe was a major contributing factor to Mission going "tits up" ( a technical term I learnt at business school) despite having enjoyed a preminant position in the world of speakers for so long. It's such a shame because as you rightly point out, the made so many terriffic sounding speakers over the years . such as the 753, 752, 751 ,780 and even the 760i that had such a fine and enjoyable sound ( providing you could live with the Mission sound with that bump in the treble) that gave a taste of the high-end to the common man . I think they began to lose their way a bit when Henry Azima who was the real driving force behind the companys sonic and commercial success went his own way . It was him who designed the Cyrus stuff as well.

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1351783089' post='1855348'] I'm not the bass player in this pic i'm the singer in red. Our band goes thru bass players like spinal tap goes thru drummers. That is our second bass player Bobby the Slag! [/quote] Makes sense.

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1351769893' post='1855096'] Here's me [attachment=122480:LordSausage.jpg] [attachment=122482:lord3.jpg] [attachment=122481:lord2.jpg] [attachment=122483:lord4.jpg] [/quote] Does you're Dad know you are going out in a skirt that short?

Wowser, Wowser, Wowser! ( Actually, not that wowser , because I don't like the colour and they will almost certainly be too heavy, but nevertheless...). I like to think that I can make an ordinary Stingray into a Tony Levin Signature model by wearing a swimming cap , a stick-on moustache and pretending to be much cleverer than I really am . In the privacy of my own home I can just about get away with it. Ernie Ball have now done more Music Man Special Editions than Status Quo have done Farewell Tours. No doubt these will go like hot cakes.

I like to think that Mrs Dingus is still at that stage where she gets up every morning and gives thanks to God that she has bought the winning ticket in the Love Lottery . She always knew from the beginning that she was opting for a decorative nancy boy rather than one of those "go out and do something useful like earn a proper living " kind of men and she understands that she has chosen good looks over practicality and accepts everything that goes along with that , including my delusional ideas about playing the bass. She would actually like me to buy more stuff ; just the other day I overheard her on the phone to a friend saying that she would " like a man with with bigger equipment". I am looking forward to her excited reaction when that 8x10 cabinet I have just ordered turns up!

When you say that you want to change the sound of the bass, how fundamentally do you want to change it? I suppose that different people have a different idea of what is the defining characteristic if the Stingray tone , but for me it is that springy, zingy upper -mid / lower treble coupled with a very noticable scoop in some of the low mids. Add in the big bottom and slicing treble available and you've got the sound of a Stingray. Musicman Stingrays have got a very peculiar frequency response ; that's why they sound a bit wierd compared to most other basses . Adding an East preamp ( be my guest) may offer some extra tone shaping options or a slightly different flavour to the sound, but my bet is that it will still leave your bass sounding like a Stingray. If you want your bass to sound like another type of bass i.e a Fender or Warwick or a Ken Smith then I fear that you will be dissappointed.

[quote name='MilkyBarKid' timestamp='1351552347' post='1852655'] Sorry to go against the grain but I've got a nad 3020 somewhere kicking around and I think it's positively awful, I was never too impressed by cyrus either. I have a early 90's ion obelisk with Epos es14 speakers which I think was a magical combination - there aren't many amp/speaker combinations where you can actually hear the notes on a 5 string, rather than just a thump. [/quote] Another cult amp and a classic speaker design that is , I think , still in production today. . Richard Hay who was behind Ion now has a company called Heed that makes an updated version of the Obelisk.

That was ( is ) a fantastic amp! It's a true minimalist design to optimize sound quality, will sound great with your airport express , and what's more, if you ever want to use it in a proper hifi seperates system with a decent c.d player ect. it will easily be good enough for your future needs. The Cyrus Straight Line was a very highly regarded amp when it was current , and like all Cyrus stuff it is British -made and built to last. The case is made of a specific magnesium alloy specially damped against vibration to help make it sound as good as possible and the internal components will typically be of a very good quality. If you ever have any problems with it give Cyrus a call and they will probably still be able to help. Another benefit of buying British.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1351439981' post='1851199'] Pickups used to be wound by hand and now they are wound by machine. I guess that would make a difference. Pete Stevens, from Wal, told me that when the UK went metric the sound of their pickups changed due to the different size of the copper wire. [/quote] Do you realise that by sharing this fact with the world that you will almost certainly be helping to create a market in pre-metric Wal basses? When this little snippet of information reaches Talkbass then the price of the original authentic-sounding pre-metric Wal basses will rocket.

A lot of older hifi amps still sound great nowadays , for the simple reason that hifi manufacturers have known how to make good-sounding amps for a very long time , now. Despite the fact that the whole industry is geared up to trying to convince people that the latest thing is the best and everything that went previously is obsolete, the truth is that ( depending on the model, of course ) you can plug in a well-chosen hifi amp from twenty or thirty years ago and it will still sound as good now as it did back then. Anyone who listened to hifi back in the eighties will know that it didn't neccesarilly sound any less "hifi" ( for want of a better term) than it would if you listened to a new system today. A lot of the components were better made back then , as well.

It's difficult to tell how much the sound of the pickups change with time. How a 60s Fender sounds now is not neccesarilly how it sounded fifty years ago. I've played numerous 60s and early 70s Jazz Basses that had pickups that were quite frankly shagged- out and sounded weak , thin and microphonic due to the ravages of time. For some reason I think Precision pickups are slightly less susceptible, but there are still plenty that need rewinding or replacing. How the tone of Fender pickups differed from era to era is an interesting question and I know that some people think that stock Jazz Bass pickups from the early 70s onwards were more punchy , but that might be because of placement or the fact that they were newer and had therefore deteriorated less than their 60s counterparts.

I have never heard that particular Marantz amp, but looking at the spec . it looks like it was an entry-level model, and I'm sure it will sound perfectly adequate for your needs . As far as I know , you should be able to plug your airport express into any auxillery input on an amp that doesnt have a optical out. I'm not very well versed in the digital side of things when it comes to amps , but I think if neccesarry you can add an outboard DAC such as the fine and affordable range from FIIO ( company who specialise in affordable and great sounding computer audio devices and well worth checking out.) to an ordinary analogue amp and you will probably end up with a better sound overall. I do most of my listening nowadays via my p.c which is connected to the auxillary input on my Exposure amp ( a minimalist analogue hifi amp) via a FIIO E10 headphone amplifier /DAC ( [url="http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=39&MenuID=020302"]http://www.fiio.com....9&MenuID=020302[/url]) and I get a superb sound both via headphones and through speakers . The FIIO will almost certainly improve the sound you get through headphones as well as the DAC enhancing the overall sound from the airport express.Something like the Rotel amp ( a fine Japanes company with a history of making good amps) that you mentioned in an earlier post was available at a good price would be a good bet and combined with the FIIO or something similar might give you an overall sound that was pleasing without spending a fortune. You can also use the FIIO in other systems and it could be useful to you in the future . You will almost certainly end up with a sound which will knock spots off any mini-system ect. Any system is limited by the quality of the sound of it's source component, and computer audio/ipod has it's sonic limitations and so it's a question of making the best of the sound that is available from those devices . A cheap secondhand amp is a much better option than a new amp because you are going to get as good or better final results and as you say, it's only a second system for the spare room.

A Musicman Stingray is a very distinctive sounding bass that people tend to love or hate , and their isn't much you can do change it without changing the fundamental sound of the bass by completely changing the pickup/electronics , which would completely undermine the fact that it is a Stingray and ruin the resale value in the process. The biggest factor in making that bass sound so unique is the design of that pickup and , most significantly, its parrallel wiring. My advice would be to let a Stingray sound like a Stingray and use any upgrade money towards another bass to give some of the different sounds that you crave. Changing to one of the aftermarket preamps and/or pickups such as the Seymour Duncan or Nordstrand will leave your bass sounding fairly similar to how it does now as they are designed to enhance the typical Musicman sound rather than fundamentally change it

The NAD 3020 a lot of people keep referring to was a groundbreaking amp when it came out in 1979 because it was the first budget real hifi amp. It retailed for well under a hundred quid, sounded fantastic and lasted forever. More than half a million were sold by 1983 . NAD were ahead of their time in so much as they used a British -based design team whilst manfacturing a quality product under licence in the far east to keep costs down . You can pick up a 3020 for bargain prices and they are another classic amp that will give you a lot of satisfaction for peanuts.

Aero make a version of their rather good Type 1 Jazz Bass pickup for the Mexican Jazz bass that has two equal -sized pickups such as those on your Yamaha that might fit. Emg also make a set for MIM Jazz Basses that are likewise both the same size ( rather than the bridge pickup being slightly wider as is the norm. on Jazz Bass sets).

[quote name='steviedee' timestamp='1351322830' post='1850005'] Potentially looking at a Cyrus 2 proper old school but it looks great. [/quote] The Cyrus 2 is a fantastic amp and a classic piece of British hi-fi, but be aware that it tends to have a forceful and forthright sound and earlier models can sound slightly harsh with some digital sources and it is an amp that can be slightly fussy about what speakers and cables you partner it with . This is because the amp was designed primarily for use with vinyl and in certain situations it can sound a bit strident with some digital sources such as early cd players from the late eighties or very early 90s. I am not telling you this to put you off it in any way - I would buy a decent used Cyrus 2 like a shot because I have always loved it's exciting high-resolution sound- and partnered with a balanced -sounding source ( i.e. one that doesn't have excessive treble) it should sound great. If you can get one for cheap then it's a great bet . especially if you like your music to sound intense and exciting. The Cyrus 3 that replaced it in around 1994 was optimized more for digital playback and is a slightly bigger and more powerful sounding amp , but doesn't have as good a phono stage as the Cyrus 2 if you were contemplating using your amp with a turntable. In any case , if you pick up a Cyrus 2 for sensible money it could quite easily turn out to be a very good investment that will give you a lot of very pleasurable listening. If you can add the optional PSX power supply at some point then it's performance improves very significantly. The Audiolab amps that a few people mention here are also fantastic British hi fi amps and are famously well-built and reliable. I bought a new Audiolab 8000A amp in 1996 and used it continuously for twelve and a half years before giving it to my Dad who uses it day in and day out and it has never had the slightest problem or needed any servicing whatsoever in over sixteen years . The only reason I didn't mention them previously is that I thought you would favour something compact whereas the Audiolab equipment is full-size and is housed in very weighty thick metal casing. If you would consider a full-size amp then Audiolab are a fantastic choice for a secondhand buy because of their reliability and great sound. Try and go for the later models in the black casing. The earlier ones in grey casing are optimised for vinyl rather than c.d. p.s Can I just say how old it makes me feel when you descibe a Cyrus 2 as looking " proper old school". I remember when these amps came out and everyone who saw them marvelled at how modern and futuristic they looked .

Great band and great bass playing , but some of those faces he pulls are more reminiscent of a poorly administered prostate exam .

If one of these Temple Audio amps appeals to then try looking for a secondhand Cyrus amp. They sound great ( although the newer models sound better than the very earliest ones for digital sources like you want to use , but any Cyrus post -1990 will probably trounce one of these Temple amps ). If you want compact size then Cyrus shoebox shape is hard to beat.

There are some fantastic bargains to be had on secondhand hifi amps. Hifi equipment holds it's value far less than bass equipment and for not too much money you could pick an amp from the likes of Audiolab, Cyrus, Nad or a plethora of other esteemed brands that will easily outperform current new budget models. You could try looking online or at the readers ads in the back of HiFi World magazine. Hifi is my other hobby, so if you want any advice on any particular items give me a shout.

To the best of my knowledge, tuning down your E string to D won't cause any damage to the neck of your bass, but be sure to retune back up to E before you put your bass away for any length of time ( i.e. a few hours or more ) to avoid any long-term problems that might arise from an uneven tension on the neck for prolonged periods of time.

If it's any help , with either the Lindy Fralin or the Lakland /Hanson pickup you can't really go wrong. The Lindy Fralin is a very decent vintage- style Precision pickup, , but the Lakland/Hanson Neo Punch is amazing with a unique and very appealing sound.