Dan Dare

Oh dear. I realise that. I think you miss my point.

There's a simple answer to all this. Don't buy an item if you don't like the seller's terms or don't want to collect it. Too many entitled people about, expecting everything to be delivered to their door.

The seller is not a player, despite the "I am a semi-professional guitarist" claim. No player would describe it as "Crafted in Japan". Probably looked up Jags on t'internet and doubled the first number he found.

Close. Diplomat.

Used has to be the way to go. If you don't mind the weight, there are some very decent old school class A/B power amps being sold cheap on places like eBay. I wouldn't touch a £100 new power amp with a 10 foot sterilised bargepole. £100 retail means wholesale price is £50, which means price at the factory gate is around £20. It's going to be junk.

There is a solution to that. I find it worth being a member because I get back more than my sub's in reduced insurance costs.

A lot of people don't realise we have to physically play instruments and sing to create music. They think what we do is the same as someone shoving a CD in a slot or picking a number from a playlist on a laptop. They really are that unaware.

Agree with la bam. Hard to beat a nice used Ashdown for bang for your buck. Reliable and solidly made, too, so should stay the course.

Talk you out of buying a BB2? OK. DON'T BUY THE BLOODY THING!

A bike? You were lucky. We had one wheel each off a roller skate we found and travelled 50 miles to work on it every day. Kids these days don't know they're born, etc, etc.

That's a beaut'. I'm nicking it. I like to ask them which accident they are calling about, as I'm old, my eyesight is failing and I'm always driving into people. Gets rid of them in double quick time. Had a slightly odd one the other day. Usual tripe - "This is Peter (spoken in a heavy Indian accent). I am calling from BT about your internet connection. It is being used for illegal purposes. Ve are going to help you solve the problem. OK?" We went through the usual - my telling him he didn't work for BT, that he was calling from a boiler room in Mumbai, that he was a scamming little toad and would he mind p1ssing off, etc - at which point he, obviously wishing to appear cool, Western and hip, started dribbling on about how he was "smoking a joint" and other nefarious nonsense. When I laughed, he hung up. Sad little git.

Shops and Amazon are not private individuals. If you, as a private individual, don't want to ship something you are selling, you are quite within your rights. No ifs or buts. All the listings I have seen in which sellers offer to pack an item for the buyer to arrange collection of are those which specify collection only. You are not compelled to buy something from them.

Check out Justin Johnson from Texas. He plays one.

Just the thing for a quick tune whilst sitting outside your cave, dressed in animal skins and watching your missus gut and cook the archaeopteryx you've just brought back from the hunt.

Doesn't look to be in bad nick. Remove the detritus and you have an Indonesian-made (which means it came out of the Cort factory - a good thing) PJ for 50 squids. Good buy for some lucky person.

I get my insurance through the MU. Worth asking them for a quote if you're a member.

Absolutely right. In the good old days (buying via Exchange & Mart, etc), if you wanted something someone was selling, you went to their home, tried it out and bought it if you liked it. People have become used to being able to click on something they wish to purchase and have it arrive at their door a couple of days later. That doesn't mean private individuals are obliged, far less compelled, to deliver things to you.

Oooer

I like Laney stuff. Considering it's British built, by real people earning real wages as opposed to children in Far Eastern sweatshops who are paid in sweets, it's very fairly priced. It's also solid and well made (and not the lightest as a result, but that's not the end of the world). Whether it will be better than your Puma is something only you can decide. The bar is certainly set pretty high. At least the Puma is made somewhere other than the PRC if you decide to keep it. Have fun.

I had an idea you might feel that way. Cornford amps were definitely not yer average run of the mill offerings. I think I'm right in saying that the designer is now involved with Victory. Their amps are over your stated budget, but would be worth a look if you do decide to push the boat out a bit. If you like the Junior, you can replace the first preamp valve to tame it and give more clean headroom before it goes into breakup. I used a lower output Phillips ECC83 (which I got from Watford Valves), which does the job nicely.

All of the above illustrate why the drummer needs to check the tempo with a metronome, app or whatever before giving the count. I find it hard to credit that a anyone would argue against doing so. It's the only way to guarantee you start at the correct tempo.