Happy Jack

Very happy (and regular) Behringer user here. I've had all sorts of stuff over the years but the real clincher is the XR18 ... both my bands on stage are entirely built around that unit plus I've used it (successfully) as a recording desk. Biggest (only?) failure so far was - incredibly - last night. It's been so reliable over the last few years that when the PA failed to work it took me ages to actually check the XR18 itself. That was the point at which I discovered that the kettle lead had come loose in the socket, which is mounted on the side of the XR18 and therefore pretty much invisible when inside a rack unit. Doh!

Not sure why the sensitivity of the pickup would be an issue ... if your intonation is out (which is will be to start with) then the last thing you'd want is to have that 'disguised'. In truth, it doesn't really matter that much what your first DB is. If you take to the instrument, then chances are you'll be planning your first upgrade within a few months. 😂 My first was a £300 no-name Chinese DB (3/4 size). I had an introductory lesson with @Jake Bass to make sure that I had the basics right - how to hold it, what height to set it to, how to press the strings without straining my wrist, how to pluck properly, etc. - and played my first two DB gigs on it at local festivals with a steampunk folk outfit. Before the Summer was out, I had traded up to a £1000 Zeller which (10 years later) I still gig regularly with my rockabilly band. If you're anywhere near Burnham (Slough) tonight, come along and have a chat. We start at 7:30pm.

Did you not see Back To The Future?

Probably be cheaper to travel around the country, trying out the various strings on other Basschatters' basses ... 😂

I'm fascinated by that end-pin. Have you got links you can share?

My experience of the ACS plugs is - quite literally - that you forget you're wearing them. I frequently find myself tapping my ears to check whether or not I'm wearing the plugs. Sound quality is simply identical to playing with no plugs at all. They really are THAT good.

I tried this way back when but was actually pretty unimpressed. The in-ear units were Sennheiser and very good quality, but the leads failed far sooner than I'd expect. We're going back 10 years or more and it's entirely possible that they've improved in that time.

Denmark Street?

Loving the break angle at the nut for the G-string ... what could possibly go wrong?

No, it's made of tone plastic ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CNKK8G9?ref_=pfb_spv01_8f20b08913276af2692f8830860fa74a&tag=fbcmapntv-21&ascsubtag=pfb-NTA-P11-V01-O3-curazp-KDYWPF&fbclid=IwAR20oBjBA2A-HViVIkZqBcy40qN7OHX9qGfGSCydd4DQmxgCzCv-LnwFO3U

Paging @PaulKing ...

What was your signal chain last night? And did you go into an input that has a Mic/Line selector button or switch?

Because Avon basses are vintage. And rare. Vintage and rare. Therefore valuable. Very valuable. I know a good investment when I see one. Why even this piece of complete nonsense sold for 74 of your English pounds. I'm rich, haha!

I will cherish that image ...

Dost tha' mean a leccy kit, or a set of 'flats'? This sort of thing: https://www.gear4music.com/Drums-and-Percussion/Pearl-Compact-Traveler-4pc-w--Hardware-Set/2O8Y?origin=product-ads&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6s2IBhCnARIsAP8RfAhX-iPCYMXmhrgq7jY2SXaFDpzK2aimObLClIhmaFTow3ZwdY851iYaAoqJEALw_wcB I played with one drummer who was purest stinky-poo, but he had one thing that impressed me, and that was his set of flats - the perfect halfway house between a leccy kit and a full-fat acoustic set-up.

This ^. Absolutely this ^. I have my own rehearsal space (i.e. converted garage) and the two main bands I play in both rehearse there. Part of my persuasion technique was to buy a half-decent electric drumkit, since my space is not 'properly' soundproofed and I have close neighbours. Even the most Neanderthal of the many drummers who have played the leccy kit over the years have ended up really liking it, to the point of being prepared to gig with it at smaller/quieter venues.

It probably works for kittens too, but I'd suggest steering clear of the RSPCA.

This also works for mittens. 😗

I was SO glad when this monster finally died, and now you've gone and revived it. 😂 Anyone feel like starting an entirely new topic where everyone can bicker about whether PA cabs are any good for metal?

I forgot to mention that! I no longer need any foldback for singing ... with the on-stage sound reduced by 15dB and my own voice sounding (relatively) louder from the inside, it's WAY easier to hear myself and to pitch correctly. Win - Win all the way.

Of course the real way to check whether a Precision is genuine mid-70s isn't to find the receipt, it's to discover that it weighs 11 lbs. 🤨

Really hard to work out what genre you were playing, despite studying that photo really carefully. 😉