ossyrocks

Ooooh this is nice! Mike Long at ATB Guitars has just posted this on Facebook. '64 Jazz, Olympic White with matching headstock. My dream Jazz right there. For anyone interested (I'm not, it's waaaaay out of my price range) Mike is great to deal with. I bought my '73 P Bass from him. Drool..... https://www.atbguitars.com/1964-fender-jazz-bass-olympic-white-near-mint-ohsc

An unusual gig for me on Saturday night. The Sufjan Stevens Songs For Christmas concert at Lancaster Priory. Around 45 people in the orchestra, electric band and choir combined. Only 5 rehearsals which included one the night before and one the morning of the concert. It was sold out, packed with people. Lots of the other musicians had done it before, but it was my first time. Incredible experience, really moving and emotional at times. I used the Elf and the BF One10 which was also DI’d into the PA. I do hope I’m asked to do it again when it comes back to Lancaster. A pic during setup.

The Bergs are expensive new. but I bought it here for a decent price. I don't think I would have stretched to a new one. I am rehearsing and playing the odd gig. Today from 11.30 till 2.30 has been dress rehearsals for a Christmas Concert at Lancaster Priory at 7.30pm tonight. https://moremusic.org.uk/whats-on/sufjan-stevens-songs-for-christmas-at-lancaster-priory/ I'm home to get changed and a bite to eat then off out again. Full choir, orchestra and electric band. Seat of pants stuff as we've had just five rehearsals including today. For this I am using the Elf and the One10. I'll be DI'd into the PA tonight too. Not sure when the Berg will get it's first outing to be honest, first gig actually booked after today is early May next year, but more will come in. Rob

Ok, the decisions have been made. Elf: I’ve had this since last Christmas, it’s remarkable, I use it every week at rehearsal, and it slides into the pocket of my gig bag. No brainer, it stays, and it’s a handy backup. Aguilar: I thought I would like this more than I did. On balance of all factors, it was in the end my least favourite amp of the four. It has a baked in tonality as a starting point which I found myself trying to dial out. It would be a great rock amp I think. I just didn’t bond with it. It sort of made all my basses sound the same too. Mark Bass: This has been my main amp for nearly two years, it’s solid, reliable and always sounds good. I had some doubts about it on a recent gig, and felt it just didn’t have enough oomph. My fault probably, running just one MB 2x10 at 8 ohms on a big stage with nothing back in the monitors. But that’s what got me thinking about another amp. I do like MB gear, and I think it sits well in a mix. Every time I see a band using one, I think the bass sounds good. Bergantino Forte D. My first experience of these, and it feels like a step up from a regular amp. It’s lush, complex, breathy, open, powerful, and all round just better than everything else. It’s also very simple to use. It really brings out the character of each of my basses, my ‘73 Jazz has never sounded so much like a classic jazz bass, and my P basses just sound huge through it. The drive control does not affect the overall volume, it just adds that extra grit as you dial it in. I’m using it very sparingly, max 9 o’clock. This paired with a Barefaced Super Compact is what I’ve settled on. I can add a One10 too if I feel the need (usually used with the Elf). The Mark Bass rig has been sold already to a fellow forum member without advertising it. The Aguilar is in the classifieds. In writing this, I am aware that I lack the vocabulary to describe my experience. Talking about tone, is a bit like dancing about food. Anyway, there you go. Rob

A pic of the line up.

‘75 with a tort guard?

This is where I bought my ‘73 P last year. Mike is good to deal with. I would love that Jazz, but it’s way out of my price range.

Quite a bargain in the end! With all the extra costs, what will the buyer end up handing over to take it home?

I’m currently appraising my ampage. I have four amps set up on top of each other, on top of two cabs, and the aim is to decide what suits me, what to keep, and what to sell. The amps are, top to bottom, TE Elf, Bergantino Forte D, Aguilar Tone Hammer 500, Mark Bass Little Mark 3. Cabs are Barefaced One10 and Super Compact. At this point, the Elf is in no way demonstrating that it has inferior capabilities or power. Running at 4 ohms, with both cabs, it really is holding its own. This is at home mind you, but I’m not necessarily tickling these amps, I’m letting them go a bit. The stand out amp is the Bergantino, but that’s not surprising, it’s simply wonderful. But, I need to decide what to keep as a backup, and it’s a toss up between the Elf and the Aguilar at the moment.

I have just bought an amp from Jack. All good, recommended. Rob

I did gig mine a couple of months ago in a busy pub with full kit, guitar, sax and trumpet. I used a Barefaced One10, and that's it, no other reinforcement at all. I wouldn't say it was a loud gig, but it coped, and someone actually complemented me on my tone! I felt I had hit it's limit though. An additional cab would have been much better. Rob

Back in the 80’s a mate of mine bought a “half fretless” Wilkes. Fretted E and A, fretless D and G. I think he still has it! It was a lovely looking thing. Are they collectible, if so I should let him know? Rob

Now, the Forte D has arrived. This is getting interesting and complicated at the same time. Here’s the heads - LM3, TH500, Forte D. Cabs - MB Traveler 102P, BF Super Compact, BF One10. I’m slowly going through all combinations of the above, to see how everything compares. I’m not ready to say definitively what works yet, but the Forte D has upped the ante quite considerably, and it’s sooo simple to use. Also, the difference in character of each of these amps is quite pronounced. I am aware that I have some serious and expensive kit here, but that is the point really, and some of it will get sold on in order to keep what works best for me. Cheers, Rob

I bought an amp off Geoff recently. Great comms, great to deal with, excellent packaging. Highly recommended. Cheers, Rob

So, an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 arrived today. It’s been very interesting to play it through three different cabs and compare it to the Mark Bass LM3. It is much more of a different amp to the LM3 than I expected, much different. It completely threw me at first, but I’m starting to get used to it, and appreciate its difference. This exercise also highlighted the difference in tone between the Barefaced One10 and the Super Compact which I haven’t used until today. I thought the Super Compact would sound like a big One10, it doesn’t, it’s much more hifi/neutral, so I have to dial it in with the amp. More to do tomorrow, to appraise the new setup, and see what I think. It seems the LM3 has set a benchmark tone for me though, it’s just so chewy in the mids. Bergantino Forte D incoming too! I’m going to be busy. Rob

I’m intrigued by these. I do have first hand experience Steen Skrydstrup’s work. I’ve played and seen inside a couple of his amps, and another friend of mine had him build all his interface and switching options for his guitar rig and racks. Nothing he does is cheap, but it’s always top quality. Rob

Years ago a band I was in got booked to play a bike rally. Big stage, big PA, lighting rig, lots of people. We were 20 seconds into soundcheck when the power went off. They reset it, and it happened again, then again. I asked to see where they were running power from and traced a single long extension back to an outbuilding plugged into a single 13 amp socket. We got paid, but no bands played that night. Rob

@rwillett Rob, I would say don't stress over numbers of people, or indeed flyers. Word of mouth will probably be enough. If you get 50 folk turning up it will be too busy. 20 or 30 would be ample if everyone brought two or three things to look at and talk about. I've not been to a bass bash before, but I have been to guitar based small gatherings, and we had a drum kit and backline set up for timetabled jam sessions. It might be worth considering, although we'd have to convince a drummer to come along and be bored most of the day! Rob

Ahh, just seen that they have announced the dates for Ribble Valley Jazz & Blues Festival - Fri 3rd to Mon 6th May 2024. Chances are I'll be getting at least one gig at this festival. I played it this year, and now I'm two bands that could do it. Rob

A Sunday in early May works for me, I'll bring everything I have, but what that is by then is anyone's guess ha ha. I'm sure there will still be Barefaced cabs and a tasty amp or three, as well as my vintage Fenders. I live in Morecambe, so will be able to speak to Gary at Promenade Music about it closer to the time. We'll need to decide what we're asking first. Thanks for offering to sort this out! Rob

I would say a '65 Jazz too.

Didn’t there used to be a definition? I recall it was 25 years, but I could be wrong. In the early 90’s I bought a 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb. It was only 27 years old then, but it was considered vintage. I still have it! On the other hand I have a 1987 MIJ Fender PB-62 Reissue. It’s a great bass, and it’s 36 years old, but I don’t consider it as vintage! Rob