6v6

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1376920047' post='2180845'] this sounds very likley to me as i have owned two basses that did exacty this. Two basses with Bartolini pre amps & a Zon Sounus [/quote] Really??? I've never heard of any audio preamp working like this - surely if the pickup overloads the input it just distorts a bit? This is called "clipping", where the output of the preamp saturates due to reaching the limitations of the power supply rails or other circuit limitations - e.g every mixer I've ever used has an LED "clip" indicator, which tells you to turn down the input gain a bit. Imagine what live shows would sound like if the entire channel cut out every time the sound engineer let a channel clip momentarily?! Completely cutting out sounds like a fault or a total preamp design fail IMHO. I'd try replacing the battery, then wiggling the cable in the jack, and if that doesn't work consider taking the backplate of and gently prodding the wires to provoke the cutting out, it could be an intermittent internal cable, or a dry solder joint on the preamp PCB.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1376527657' post='2175640'] I've not found a residue with purple meths. [/quote] Me neither, I think it's a widely believed myth tbh as I've heard several people say it. You could also probably use surgical spirit, isopropyl alcohol, but IMO you don't want any of this stuff near the finish, fretboard (or particularly plastic parts) as you could find a nasty reaction happens (especially if you e.g have a nitro/cellulose finish on your bass) I'd probably take the strings off, clean them with alcohol or soapy water and give the bass a clean with a damp cloth and some polish, lemon oil on the fingerboard if it's rosewood. Anyway, there can't have been *that* much blood surely? You're making it sound like some kind of gig-horror-movie

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1376245323' post='2171266'] I've used a Markbass rig before and did like the sound, although it was a much bigger rig. I was thinking along the lines of the Phil Jones Briefcase or Markbass micro to be honest. I also like the idea of a promethean or clone. I've used the same rig for over 30 years, so don't actually know much about modern amps! [/quote] Maybe it's just me, but I think the whole "must have 500watts" thing is overstated, particularly for small pub gigs in a folky/acoustic band with a mature/decent drummer who knows how to control dynamics. I've used a 120w Hartke kickback with a folk/rock group for gigs and it's fine - if the venue needs more I just DI into the PA and use it for a stage monitor. I also gigged with a guy using one of those 10" Promethean combos, and I couldn't believe how loud it was - it filled a medium sized pub with a blues/rock band and occasionally loud drummer with no problems at all. However as others have said, a 12" or 2x10" Mark Bass combo would probably be perfect if money's not a big object.

Why would anyone spend this sort of money on a bass and not look at it first?

If it's only for the vocals, you could get away with a single powered speaker on a stand, some of them even have enough gain to allow you to plug a mic in directly without a mixer. We got some speakers from the Mackie range, and for budget applications can recommend the TH-12a, it sounds nearly as good as the SRM450s we have for mains (the TH is used for foldback), but is much cheaper, and much lighter. [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/mackie-thump-th-12a/44795"]http://www.gak.co.uk/en/mackie-thump-th-12a/44795[/url] IME/IMHO these are infinitely better than the budget PA-in-a-box type systems you linked - I've tried a few of those, and they are invariably underpowered, sound muffled and basically are not a really good giggable long-lasting solution. I'd also echo others cautions against joint ownership unless you know the guys well - my previous band split after we'd jointly bought the SRM450s and some stands etc and it was a PITA getting agreement about who kept what and who owed what to whom. If I did it again I'd say each person buy one powered speaker (e.g drummer/bassist buys a speaker and a stand each, the singer buys a speaker for foldback and a mic/stand), then each person brings their stuff to each gig which saves one person having to store and transport it all, and if the worst happens and the band splits, you've got a useful monitor/keyboard-amp or something which can be sold.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1375227122' post='2158672'] Basses are getting relatively cheaper over time . Fourty years ago a new Fender bass would have cost the equivalent to about £1700 for cash . A comparable current American Standard Fender is at least £500 - 600 cheaper than that at the moment . [/quote] Surely the comparable modern equivalent to a 40yo Fender is one of the AVRI models, which are, uh, about £1700 for cash?

I think whatever headphones you get the trick is to listen to a *lot* of familiar music before attempting to mix on them - then even if they are a bit coloured, you'll get used to what sounds "right" on them. I had really good results over the years mixing on some old Senheiser HD270s, which get *terrible* reviews, but I could mix consistently on them because I was very used to them, I'm not recommending you get terrible headphones, but hopefully you get the point Since those broke I've tried mixing on AKG K550s, AKG K702s, HiFi Man HE400's, Beyerdynamic dtx 101iem's, and tbh I've not had great results on any of them - the best (most transferrable to other systems) results have actually been with the IEM's, but that's again because I've done hundreds of hours listening to them while working whereas the others not so much. That said, for full size closed-back cans, the K550's sound pretty good for the money IMO.

[quote name='spaners' timestamp='1375044535' post='2156172'] Mr Foxen . I take it you have found some relatively inexpencive all tube bass amps. I have looked several times but could only ever find the LB 30s. are there others I have missed ? [/quote] There are lots, my personal favourite is the later Traynor YBA1's - they have a lift of lid so you can easily mod them without taking the chassis out. You could also consider building one from scratch, which is a good way to learn and keep costs down (particularly if you go for a basic hammond chassis and no fancy engraved plates etc)

Ibanez SR (or maybe ATK if you want more classic looks)

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' timestamp='1374904515' post='2154577'] Or they could be offering a fellow musician a great deal?! That's why we do! I've had people in our workshop who paid an arm and a leg for work on their bass that was shoddy at best! it's not the amount you pay, it's the man / woman you pay it to that makes the difference! There is nothing worse than being over charged for rather average work! [/quote] Well "mates rates" which seems to be what you're implying is fine, but the OP's question seemed to be more about standard/realistic prices for a decent setup from an established/experienced tech or luthier, but I fully agree paying over the odds for average work sucks. Paying too little and getting below-average work is just as bad tho IMHO: If the setup includes a full fret-dress/re-crown/polish and a really thorough clean and setup of the instrument, I know the work involved is at least an hour, probably more if the frets are really worn. So if you're routinely paying a lot less than about £50 for this, then one or more of the following is probably true (ignoring mates rates): - The tech is inexperienced, therefore cheap, job may be shoddy - The tech is experienced but rushed the job to keep the price down, job may be shoddy - They are not covering their costs (won't be around next year when you need another setup) Ultimately if you can offer a really good fret-dress/setup for less then great, but IME most places (which stay in business) charge a realistic amount which covers their costs, not to say all of them do a great job, so I guess going on recommendation is the only way to be sure. Edit: spelling

If you're expecting any fretwork (fret-dress/polish etc) I'd be very wary of anything under about £50, as it probably means it'll be a rush-job and not very good. I've always paid about £50 for a full setup and fret-dress, and if the frets are OK I just do it myself, as others have said it's really not that hard other than fretwork.

[quote name='MarlonLoHo' timestamp='1374702276' post='2152274'] i was in a shop the other day playing a vintage fender jazz bass from 1975. i fell in love with the thing but its just too pricey, I've been looking for other basses to play and not so keen on the american standard jazz basses and other new fenders. i was thinking any one new any cool j-bass like alternatives (sadowsky,sandberg etc...) my budget is 1500 pounds. [/quote] Shops are overpriced. If you have £1500 then you're already in the ballpark for a mid-late 70's Fender (e.g there's a '77 on here for £1500), so if what you really want is a vintage Jazz, I'd say either hunt down a private-sale late-70's one, or save a bit more and find a private-sale mid-70's one. Nothing new will be the same as a real vintage instrument (maybe from some of the relic'd stuff might get close, but IMHO a lot of that is overpriced and too-far overdone with the belt-sander) - if you want new I'd suggest the AVRI stuff, but new it's around the same price as a real 70's Fender (e.g ~£1800 for an AVRI '74 jazz)

I always thought with oil finishes you didn't want to seal as it's supposed to soak in? I guess maybe the same applies to wax but not sure. FWIW I had fairly good results finishing an ash cabinet by using stain (hand rubbed) followed by about 5 coats of danish oil - there is some sinking into the grain but the overall effect is quite good. One thing to mention is it is definitely much less hardwearing than paint/laquer (even more fragile than nitro), although it's fairly easy to repair with more oil. I'd definitely suggest getting a few scraps of similar/same wood and testing first, I had quite a few test-runs before touching the cab

I'd suggest using clear epoxy instead - it's less nasty to work with and as others have mentioned the polyester GRP type resins are mostly odd colours Not sure of the best source for it, but I used to use it for model airoplanes so you might try a model shop (ask for "wing skinning epoxy") or a chandlers as similar stuff is used for boats.

MarkBass Combo, maybe with a pedal for a bit of grit? I don't personally see the point of getting a 50w amp (unless it's a tube amp), you'll kick yourself the first time a jam/gig/rehearsal opportunity comes up in the future cos it won't be loud enough to play with a drummer.

[quote name='throwoff' timestamp='1368092343' post='2073010'] Some people just dont understand the second hand market, a friend of mine for long and complicated (but entirely honest and legal!) reasons ended up with 2 amp heads when he only paid for one. He sat on one for a year with it in the box unused and then decided it was an expensive thing to leave in the box as a spare. He put it on eBay for the EXACT price the amp was new on GAK, and it didnt sell for months as he kept relisting. His logic - It has never been used, it is brand new. Which of course is entirely true but it lost several hundred pounds value the second it left the shop. [/quote] This - I've lost count of the number of items (on here and elsewhere) advertised at too-close-to-new-from-a-shop prices, suprise suprise, they don't sell! Ultimately almost anyone would prefer to buy something new from a reputable dealer than pay 80% (or more in some cases!) of the dealer price to a private seller where they have no backup, no dealer convenience, and often no chance to try out or return the item. Whenever I buy new equipment it's in the full knowledge that it's probably lost 40% of it's "value" the moment I leave the shop.

+1 for Mark Bass, also how about the Mesa Walkabout Scout?

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1366802297' post='2057507'] What i do find funny is when a bass is advertised as "set up by a professional at £xx" and they add a bit on to the cost of the bass. Now that really is subjective and i really cant see why people expect others to pay that extra cost, unless the bass was set up for the buyer at request. [/quote] FWIW, I disagree - I personally would find a reciept from a reputable luthier for a recent fret-dress+setup a much better selling point that some fancy scratchplate or other modifications (which IMHO mostly *reduce* the value of the bass, contrary to most sellers belief AFAICT) The point being that it's somewhat less likely that you'll immediately have to spend £50+ getting it fully set-up, fret-dress, nut re-cut etc (even if you do have to tweak the action/strings to personal preference) - my experience of playing brand-new instruments (particularly Fenders) is that the stock setup is terrible and luthier attention would be required.

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1366293358' post='2050628'] Cheers Oli! Any suggetions on where to get turrets? [/quote] There are a few options, none cheap unfortunately, so plan your board carefully to avoid expensive mistakes (/me has made a few of those over the years..) In the UK: http://www.ampmaker.com/store/Turrets-tools/ http://www.bluebellaudio.com/ http://vyseamps.com/miscellaneous.htm RS also do several different types of turrets but check the dimensions carefully as I'm not certain which will be most suited to amp boards, e.g: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/crimp-tool-positioners-turrets-locators/2508828424/ In the US there are loads of other suppliers, may possibly work out cheaper than UK suppliers, not sure, e.g: http://www.turretboards.com/ http://www.hoffmanamps.com/ If you actually care about cheap then eyelets work out a lot cheaper, can be a bit easier to work with, and look better in Fender style amps IMO.

I use an LMB-3, I think it's good for a relatively cheap pedal. As others have mentioned, the enhancer is poor, I leave mine set to zero. As a limiter, it works well, pretty transparently flattens out the peaks which helps a lot if you're going for a fairly smooth, even sound.

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1365508771' post='2040413'] This. I've never heard of a case lining damage a bass's finish before. Its normally when a curly lead is trapped under or on the finish for prolonged periods when the damage occurs. Keep it in the case, stop the UV attacking and fading the nitro. After this amount of time, it will be dying to crack!! [/quote] AFAIK the only part of the finish which will be nitro is the front of the headstock. Agree it will be safer in the case tho

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1365454853' post='2039954'] Some stands have their problems too! Something to do with the fumes given of by the rubber affecting the finish. Probably exactly the same thing as the case. [/quote] I don't think this is really much of a problem with '70s Fenders - I have a 1979 strat and it's a very thick poly finish which would probably withstand all but the most determined abuse

Without a lot more info (pictures, including datestamps, pots/pickups etc, weight, a credible opinion on how it plays/sounds, if the neck is straight etc etc), I don't think it's possible to give you an accurate estimate - you should take it to a respected dealer and get them to give you a valuation if you need an accurate figure for insurance purposes. That said, IMHO your £800 is too low if it is all original, in good condition, with original case etc - I'd say at least £1200 - look on various dealer sites, e.g andy baxter who's a well respected vintage dealer: http://www.andybaxterbass.com/guitars.php?cat=1 All the 1977 precisions on there are at least £1500, so allowing for dealer margins, I'd say a private seller might be looking at £1200-£1300ish for one which is in good condition, all original, not too heavy and plays/sounds good. FWIW I think ebay is a pretty poor measure of prices, since a lot of the "vintage" Fender stuff on there is dodgy, non original and/or poorly described. Also (as you noted above), a lot of the stuff in the classifieds here is overpriced (well the stuff which sits for months and doesn't sell is at least), so not a great measure of realistic prices (/me dons flame-proof jacket )

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1365112303' post='2035636'] During the debate on Talkbass about what is actually different about the latest American Vintage basses compared with the previous AVRIs to justify the significant price change - surely not just a re-run of sonic blue and semolina red paint etc etc - so I asked exactly this question - are the new ones nitro and the old ones not...........I was told the AVRIs (except for the 75 Jazz bass) have been nitro since the 80s. So I'm now confused!! [/quote] AFAIK all of the AVRI series have always been nitro - certainly the early 90's '57RI strat I had was. I believe the latest AVRI models have a somewhat more authentic/vintage correct finishing process (read an article in Guitarist a while back, December 2012, has quite a bit of info on what they changed), resulting in a supposedly thinner and more vintage-correct finish I think previously they sometimes used a poly sealer coat with nitro over the top (mostly defeating the purpose of a nitro finish IMHO), wheras now I think they've switched to using a finishing process closer to what the custom-shop do.

You're saying you want to put something in the tube socket which replaces the tube with a transistor? A quick google does throw up a SS 12AX7 replacement called the retrovalve: http://www.jetcityamplification.com/retrovalves/ But inside that there's likely to be way more than just a transistor and a socket adaptor, and they cost far more than a cheap 12AX7 IMO you're much better of just getting a few cheap/used 12AX7s, or even better measure all the voltages on the tube sockets before putting the tubes in to ensure nothing will go pop (disclaimer don't do this unless you know what you're doing) The other thing to consider is that typically tubes/valves are *way* more tolerant of (short-term) abuse than most solid state devices - put the wrong voltage on a transistor and it'll be destroyed in milliseconds, whereas a tube may endure problems like incorrect bias or excessive voltages for quite a while before finally failing.