ossyrocks

I like the flexibility of heads and cabs. I have two MarkBass 102P's and a Barefaced One10. For heads I have a TE Elf, an LM3 and soon a vintage Bassman 50 head. I can adjust my setup using any permutation I need, and also have a backup head if I ever need one. Rob

I read somewhere about his approach to recording bass lines. I can’t remember exactly but he used to pare back and pare back until he was left with just the minimum notes to carry it. I’ll have to try and find the info. Yes, awesome player, saw him with Clapton in 1983 at Edinburgh Playhouse.

I must have watched the film a dozen times in my late teens and early 20’s. Me and my mates were real devotees, and used to quote lines from the film all the time. I later went on to form a soul band in the 90’s and we did quite a few of their tunes, Shake a Tail Feather, Gimme Some Lovin, Hey Bartender, Messin with the kid, and I’m sure there a couple more. In 2013, in a pinch myself to see if it’s real moment, I was lucky enough to be in the support band for a tour with Steve Cropper with The Animals, starting in Paris. I couldn’t believe it when we got the gig, I was beside myself with excitement. We often shared a dressing room, and I became his wine gopher and had to pop out to local shops to keep the dressing room stocked up. He is a lovely guy, very open, loves a good conversation, and has some great tales to tell. I still have his number in my mobile! On a separate occasion, we were on before Booker T at The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival and again shared a dressing room. His guitarist borrowed a guitar off us and used my amp. Looking back, I have been incredibly fortunate to meet these guys. Rob

So, the dots arrived this morning, 8 days after purchase, from the USA, not bad. The instructions are clear, fitting them is fiddly, especially getting the placement just right. These are the smaller ivory dots and are exactly the same diameter as the existing inlays, so positioning is crucial. The kit says you get 12 dots, but I got 14, which was good as I wasted 3 of them. The result is better than I expected, they look good, can be clearly seen, and hardly felt. Here’s some pics. Rob

Update on my experience. I took it out for the first time today, jazz band rehearsal in a local pub. I never noticed the fan, and it was frickin marvellous with the Barefaced One10. Rob

LITTLE MARK 58R "This amp features updated 4 band EQ section, the new bi-band limiter......" It may not be a fully featured compressor, but I bet it sounds alreet.

I have a couple of 102p traveller cabs, and I’ve used a 12 combo a lot at rehearsals. The traveler cabs definitely have the edge over the single 12 combo for me. They are also less awkward to move. My vote would be the 2x10 and the gnome. Also, bear in mind the 2x10 traveler cabs are not all the same, I have an Italian one and a later Indonesian one, and the later one is significantly lighter and easier to move. My Italian cab is a lump in comparison.

Boom! Right there. Pots? Who cares about pots.

They don’t exactly stand out do they. I can see where Fender were coming from with the reissues, but I still think your 60 year old dots look more distinct than my six your old dots! Lovely bass btw, congrats.

Thanks for all the input. I’ve looked at all the options suggested and I’ve gone for these above ^ in the first instance. At first I tried to find them in the Uk, to no avail. But if you do buy direct from the US, they’re only $6.90 and postage to the UK is free. I’ve gone for the smaller ivory ones as they are the same diameter as my current dot markers, the 1/8” ones might be a tad too big and look a bit odd. Anyway, I’ll post an update once they are here and fitted. Fingers crossed. Rob

This is definitely worth a try, thanks.

Ok, a few days in now. It’s a really great bass. It’s tight and punchy, plays superbly well, it’s well balanced on a strap, not too heavy, I really like it. Apart from one thing……… the side dot markers on the neck. It has them, but they are very indistinct, so playing in low light requires more concentration over my left hand positioning. I’ve googled it, and it’s an issue with these AV reissues, lots of people are having the same issue. The question is, what to do about it? I love the bass and I want to keep it. I’ve been in touch with a luthier and sent him pictures. Right now I’m contemplating have the side dots replaced. What do you think? Rob

Finally got this in my hands yesterday. The sale was agreed a week ago, but we needed to arrange a meet up. 2016 American Vintage ‘63 Reissue in faded sonic blue. The tort guard is a Fender guard but not the original, however the original is included. 8lbs 15 oz. It had La Bellas on it, but really heavy ones, so I’ve swapped those for some La Bella 760FLs. It needed a truss rod tweak to reduce the relief even after fitting lighter strings, some saddle adjustments and the pickup height. It’s now playing really well, very low action with no fret buzz, and sounding great. It has a piano like clarity unplugged which is really noticeable compared with my other basses, very resonant. I’m get used to the wider nut width and I think it will be fine. I’m really looking forward to taking it to rehearsal next week. Cheers, Rob

ok. I've had some time with this little amp now. Whilst I love the sound of it, and its compact size, the fan noise is a bit too intrusive. How loud is your fan? I've had search on the net and it seems some are quieter than other according to various comments I've seen. I've also had a look at the fan itself, and it appears to be a standard thing used mostly in cooling 3D printers. There are various replacement fans available, some of which claim to be almost silent. Has anyone replaced theirs? Cheers, Rob

Similar. I play a lot of blues in practice, and I’d love to find a blues band, but this band is contemporary jazz with a sax and trumpet. I want a really clean, smooth, rounded tone. I play with my fingers and try to play lightly. I use a P bass with the tone rolled all the way off. I think I need the LMB-3 to iron out some of my inconsistencies on faster stuff like The Chicken by Jaco. (I sound nothing like Jaco btw!)

Thanks for that. This is pretty near where I’m ending up being. Rehearsals are starting up again next week, so I’ll see how I get on with it in a band setting.

My first board. Compared with all yours mine seems very “old school”. It’s functional though, I don’t need much. Rob

My better half bought me a Christmas Elf. Not had much time with it today for obvious reasons, but what time I did have was very interesting. How can such a tiny thing be sooo loud? It’s not just that, it has great tone too. It’s going to be my main amp, with the One10, for the jazz band I’m rehearsing with. Rob

I just have been a good boy this year because Santa (MrsRocks) has been very generous with me.

There’s a pic of mine up there^^