tografox

Levellers in Brighton, Keane in Battle, Roger Daltry's fish farm is just down the road, Shirley Collins, Paul McCartney near Rye for starters.

Have to concede that one - Ampeg SVT with an 8x10 is THE classic backline.

Ric - 50s design, thin pickups, rubbish tone with fingers (OKish with a pic) - Chris Squires - Precision for recording. Bruce Foxton - Precision because Rics impossible to keep in tune - look great/sound crap. Great look, great style - but if you want to play bass then stick with a P/'Ray!!! Every bass player dreams of a Ric - and every bass player goes back to a P after playing one!! Nuf said.

Well, its taken 20 or so basses and various amps, cabs and combos but at the end of the day there is only one bass sound... A Fender Precision through a valve amp (or, at least, a valve pre) into a 15 cab (or preferably a 2x15). I will concede that a Fender Jazz might be acceptable - and a 2x10 can open up that 15 tone a little - but basically what Leo got right in '51 is still right today! Kevlar body armour in place for all the comments that this post will generate!!

Try a MarkBass R500 - break up really nicely if you push them - AX7 pre tube - Markbass take on the SVT3. Its now discontinued and going for silly money (for what it is) if you hunt around - there's one on ebay for £599 - list was around £850. Thomann had them even cheaper but they've all gone

[quote name='phlebas' post='1111176' date='Feb 1 2011, 04:00 PM']I'm putting together a folk/jazz band - think Bellowhead meets Polar Bear or Led Bib. Anyway, have got drums, keys, vocals, frets and sax sorted and since I work at a school (in Hindhead/Haslemere) rehearsal space isn't a problem. Any bassists out there interested in playing some traditional tunes in a less than traditional way, please pm me or email me direct at [email protected] Ta! Thom...[/quote] Hi, Sorted or still looking? Bit out of your range - East Sussex - but interested.

Cannot recommend highly enough. Certainly pricey compared to other Markbass 15s (maybe they will see sense and bring the price down a bit?) but (probably) worth it. Tone is excellent, tighter mids and tops than the MB traveler 151 but still retains a nice bottom (sort of Kylie cab!). Definitely less muddy (IMHO) than the MB New York 151 - and lighter. Tilt-back design is a mixed blessing - where do you put the head? - but it is quite stable on its side with small/medium sized head on top. I use mine with a Club 121 (which is leagues ahead of the NY121 it replaced) and have finally found 'my' tone after working through other Markbass cabs, Ampeg, Epifani, warwick and Ashdown. Not cheap, but one of the best that Markbass have created so far - be even better if they made a combo in the same style/range.

Owned: Encore P (absolute dog - fell apart almost before it was out of the box) Westfield P (upgraded the pups - should have kept it - damn fine bass) Yamaha BB404 (quietest - and I don't mean that in a nice way - bass ever) Fender P USA (three of them - will I never learn?) Fender Jazz MIM (should have kept that one as well - upgraded everything) Tanglewood 'Beatle's' bass (too light and tinny) Musicman Stingray 4 (Finally realised I don't like maple fingerboards) Musicman Sterling 4 (Nice, but not a 'Ray, and it took me two to find out) Musicman Bongo HH 4 (Just couldn't find a sound that suited) Ibanez Artcore (Another one I should have kept) + various other mistakes! (flipped Epi EBO, several bitzas, Crafter acoustic - I could go on!!) Oh, and I almost forgot the Ric that was nicked! Own: Warmoth P/J - solid walnut, ebay MIJ neck of unknown origin, Wizard pickups (terrific workhorse) Warmoth MM fretless - walnut body, bookmatched walnut top, birdseye maple and ebony neck, Wizard pickup (total indulgence) Musicman Stingray 4 (the Daddy!!) Musicman Bongo HH 4 (so different to my first Bongo - great tone and very playable - 'Sunday best' bass) All lefties