three

ahh...thanks for the clarification - I didn't know this (and to be honest, I didn't spec either of my basses but find them supremely easy to play and endowed with an extremely useable range of essential and classic Fender-type tones)

I'm not sure if the sunburst counts as a custom shop but it was certainly a custom order - bound and pearl dots J neck with a Lollar pickup installed at the factory

And very impressive it was too - from what I remember, there was an SVT and fridge rig

Unless I’m going nuts, with Musical Youth outside the town hall in Birmingham - maybe around 2015?

Congratulations on the acquisition - fantastic amps! I use a DB750 in a Rhino foam sleeved 4u rack. It’s an excellent case and isn’t too deep - it’s also not ridiculously heavy, though of course, it’s not lightweight. They’re around £140 from Flightcase Warehouse. I’d strongly recommend - great, quick service and delivery too. You’ll see here that mine’s on a wheeled board - also from FW

What an absolutely staggering bass - one that I've had the great pleasure of seeing and hearing in action!

I've been using these for the past 3 or 4 months on Fender type basses and I'm really enjoying them - I moved over from exl220s (40-60-75-95). The difference isn't massive but the lighter gauge is preferable for me and there's plenty of bright twang if that's what you're looking for. I've been shopping around but picked-up a few sets at about £18-19 including shipping

Ahh, Trace - to me still some of the best gear out there (love the classic Trace tone) and at the prices that these go for now, it’s a no brainer. Always know there’s going to a great bass tone when I walk into a venue and see a Trace stack

it's a very big question...as awesome as reputation and price tag? To some they're mythical beasts, and I suspect many of us haven't seen one up close, let alone played one. To others, over-priced, overly-ornamented and a bit of a dinosaur - early innovators but disappeared into some cosmic, highly esoteric hole. Trying to be as objective as possible (I've owned six and retained three but played many more), for me each instrument feels very different. Woodworking is complex and beautifully executed and quality of finish is the best I've seen anywhere (I've owned Fodera, Wals etc. but not a Ritter). Ergonomics can be err... idiosyncratic. There's a rigidity or stiffness to most instruments and they tend to sound quite oddly dead unplugged (there are reasons for this). The house tone is present in most models but you'll get more of this and more versatility the higher you ascend the price scale - I'd say you're generally buying-in to the characteristic tone from around the signature models and up. In the SI and SII models, this reaches its zenith. The basses are generally not that easy to set-up and some notable builders and techs don't like to deal with them. When set-up properly (and of course, to individual taste), they can play remarkably well - certainly as well and better than anything else I've ever used. On the downside, I find most Alembic body shapes uncomfortable on a strap and only really play them in a sitting position. Some are also very heavy. Adjusting the on-board controls takes some getting used to. There's also some nonsense talked about Alembics and a bit of a negative cachet (as with any expensive brand). So... to return to the original question. Yes on both counts for me though with some caveats. These aren't magical instruments but they are beautifully crafted and thought-through in a (wholistic) way that doesn't appear to be the case with most basses (or other instruments for that matter). To add a question, is this the transcendent bass and end of the search? Well, I've been playing my US Lakland PJ a lot more than my Alembics recently and it fits most situations perfectly. And it's not fiddly or uncomfortable in any way

Ahh, my favourite amp - a monster classic. I note your gain and master levels. These are capable of crushing volume (running at 4ohms?)

I suspect that you’re absolutely correct here and the OT is a key ingredient in the sound. After trying the pre/power combo in the studio, rehearsal rooms and even in the lab, I had to conclude that it’s a sound that really doesn’t work for me. I play Alembics and the fur/distortion is not something that I welcome. Not everyone can hear it, and some that can find it desirable. For me, sadly not and the transients from the db750 are pretty impressive. For anybody with an interest in experimentation, there’s a Hellborg 500 on BC for £200 at the moment and I think that Thomann are still knocking them out new at £500. The distortion-transients compromise isn’t something that works for me... and I really tried to love the Hellborg power amp

Thanks musicavenger, an interesting point. I tried every permutation - soaks, warm-up etc. But the distortion remained. A few of us found the same thing - my 500 is now gone (I bought a new 2x250 and it did exactly the same thing - so that was returned). I’m now using the power section of a db750 with a Hellborg pre - wonderful (in terms of my personal tone goals)