Sean

I've been looking at LFSys lately as there's one thing on the website that really resonated with me and I need to understand more. It says on the About LFSys page, and I quote, "The lightweight amps were great but the cabs proved a disappointment. First, my (highly regarded) compact cab regularly ran out of steam when I needed to play really loud and second, more importantly, I struggled to hear what I was playing when I was standing close to the cab. Which was more often than not." This is my biggest issue gigging. I've been using one of my (no tweeter) TWO10s vertically on an 18" high platform (alu workbench) and a Gramma isolation pad so I can hear it but the guys in the band are wondering why I'm so loud on stage when we're setting up and soudchecking. When I come down to an acceptable stage volume, I can't hear my rig very well, I just hear the room (but obviously on a lag). I'm between 3-8 feet in front of it depending on venue and where I stand. Now, the "really loud" isn't an issue for me, the venues are pubs/clubs/marquees and I never need the second TWO10, in fact the folding aluminum workbench has replaced the second TWO10 as that was being used as a shelf in some cases. Is a Monaco going to meet my need to hear myself better on stage and if so, how does it do that and why doesn't the TWO10 do it? Also would it still need to go a platform? The guys in that band are "a bit wary" of me having the cab raised as they've never really seen that before.

Deviating slightly from Tonerider but heading to a solution, I recently went through a little project where I needed/wanted a very specific tonal quality from a pair of pickups that I had to have custom made due to the configuration. I approached a few pickup makers and chose Laverack Guitars, they make Toltec pickups. Lee, who owns the business was able to interpret what I wanted tonally from a phone conversation and nailed it. They aren't expensive either. He does a range of J and P and will wind exactly to your spec or desire for very reasonable money indeed. Customer support is of the highest quality too. He has an eBay shop but always approach direct and have the conversation. https://www.laverackguitars.com/

I'll be taking at least 3 big old valve monsters (with valve power sections) to the South West Bass Bash and if anyone has an 8x10 they could bring along, we could do a VAV initiation for a small donation.

You beat me to it, Chris. These VAVs don't know what they're missing. And a valve pre-amp with a Class D is like Guinness Zero (I knows, I got one).

I don't have a No.1 per se, they're all favorites for different reasons. With the "drive-time Rock covers" band, I use a pair of Spectors (a Euro 4 and a Euro LX 4) that have the same pickups, same pre-amps, same set-up spec, same Eb standard tuning and same strings. It's run/standby redundancy. They're tools, albeit very pretty ones, to do a job. With the "obscure covers" band, I use a Spector Euro 5 LX with a BBP35 as backup, although I would like to find a Euro 5 or NS5CR. All four are absolute peaches but they get used out in the real world. I have basses that don't go out at the moment but that's mainly because they aren't what I use in these bands. They've all been gigged in the past except the one Spector and that's just because it's new and I haven't taken it to jam night yet.

That'll sort it. Probably double the cost of the pickups but...

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I've just got back in from seeing SatchVai Band in Wolverhampton. Two words... Kenny Aronoff. I've seen him a couple of times before but I swear he keeps getting better. He can do it all. It was like like 2 hours of some guitar blokes and Marco Mendoza keeping Kenny company while he wiped the floor with 99.99% of other drummers. And he's 72 and as fit as a butcher's dog. The people I went with said that the guitar playing was decent but then again, I wouldn't have thought Kenny would have played with anybody shoddy for a minute 😉

It's a Mesa thing. I've searched and searched and can't find it but there was an article or some written explanation by Randall Smith about why they did it that way. It used to annoy me when I gigged my 400+, Carbine M9 and Walkabout. The explanation made sense from a tone point of view but was in practice, nothing but an inconvenience. I ended up using a DI and that just killed the whole point of having the Mesa as a gigging amp. Only the band could hear it. I still love Mesa amps, though but it'll be a GK Fusion 550 behind me on Friday evening.

That's so positive to hear, Steve. I've had a similar experience with my new band recently. What rig are you playing the Euro LX through? I'm back where I was 15 years ago playing Spectors with HAZ preamps through GK heads into modern quality cabs.

Simple rock covers band board. A pedal snake covers all connections: instrument chain to amp, send and return loop and 9v power. They all sit on a PedalTrain Nano. Right to Left: 1. SFX Microthumpinator (essential, wonderful, genius). 2. Korg Pitchblack XS Bass tuner (novelty over-priced trendy bass-specific tuner) 3. Origin Effects DCX Bass (always on posh tone enhancer/drive, sparkle box). 4. Origin Effects Cali76 Compressor (always on posh compressor) 5. TC Electronic Chorus (uses TonePrint Duff Chorus but dialled down a bit. Used for quite a lot of the set).

Let's compare notes.

Right then, I'm going to play it that way at full rehearsal next week and see if I get a reaction. I'll let you know.

I've played that song for years and it's one of those that in the verses I improvise. A bit different every time. My band are all over any harmonic anomalies and no one ever says a word.

I bought an Ibanez from Graham and it was an excellent transaction throughout. great comms, everything up to scratch. Another great Basschatter.

I've never before had a rig that has a sound that gets so many positive comments. I've got some amazing amps full of bottles that I love dearly but a "proper" 😉 Spector into a Cali76 then into the big GK Fusion 550 through a Barefaced (or two) is where we've got to.

Subtle but Handy Mod for Older Spectors One of today's little jobs on the bench was to address a very minor niggle that some of us have with older Spectors. I converted a Euro 4 and a Euro 5LX so that they now have captive brass ferrules and machine screws holding the rear cover on instead of the old self-tapping wood screws. I put a 3mm drill through the holes on the cover and used a sharp countersink to give the countersunk screws somewhere to sit. I drilled out the existing screw holes to 3.5mm to accommodate the ferrules and popped them in with a deadblow fretting hammer (total overkill but it's a lovely tool). All done.

How close are we to helping the OP in making a decision on what to buy? 😉

There you go.

Stuart Zender on this video. Fabulous. What an influence. At such a young age too. What post-Jamiroquai should we be listening to? He really dropped off the radar. Well as far as I could see.