Dan Dare

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1499420952' post='3331438'] Don't entirely agree with this. A lot of us have come from practice amps to the gear we have now and owned a lot of different gear in between. I've had everything from small combos to 8x10 rigs and so I like to think I can offer some valuable advice. My current rig is best for what I do just now but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. OP is simply asking for a "better sounding" practice amp that won't break the bank. Personally I'd be looking at GK, Hartke, Fender, TC or even Line 6 for a step-up from your current practice combo, with a 2x10" or 12" speaker depending how loud you want to go. Hope that helps. [/quote] My tongue was partly in my cheek when I posted. However, I stand by my point - that the OP simply must go and try what is available (and within his budget) to get areal idea of what will suit him.

Nice. Dangerous shop, BD. They just give you something nice to play with and that's the budget right out of the window. Enjoy the new toy.

Most things would be an improvement on your practice amp. You really need to go to a few shops and try some stuff out. Don't listen to us. We all suffer from confirmation bias and will recommend what we have.

House backline often seems to belong to someone whose arm the organiser has twisted. I've occasionally been asked if people can use mine. The answer is always a firm no. If I take an old rig I don't care about, there'll be moans. If I take my good stuff, I'll be constantly worrying that some idiot will damage it.

[quote name='ribbetingfrog' timestamp='1499184521' post='3329797'] I sometimes wonder if I'm a freak amongst bass players, I love new, bright strings and boost my mids religiously. Everyone on basschat seems to be opposite. [/quote] You're probably just a bit mutton Jeff...

It crops up in various far Eastern countries and has a variety of names.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1499354062' post='3330969'] Looks like a koto to me. [/quote] Sure is

Buyer pays via PP. "Shipper/courier/whatever" collects. Buyer contacts you to claim item faulty and reclaims money via PP. You can't prove it isn't faulty because you haven't got it, so you're left with nowt.

Let's think about this for a moment. The "original" key was simply the one that suited the artist who originally recorded a song. It isn't set in stone and there is no law that states a song must be performed in the "original" or any other key... Songs may well have been written by the composer in a completely different key to the one that they were recorded in. All the talk of singers "not being able to sing" certain songs is nonsense, I'm afraid. Peoples' voices - particularly the ranges of those voices - are the ones they were born with. Vocal training, etc may help them to be more versatile, but It is inescapable that they will be able to sing more comfortably (and therefore better) in certain keys. As musicians, it's up to us to adapt to them, so that the performance is as good as it can be. Try doing session work and insisting that you will only play songs in certain keys. You'll likely get little work (and certainly nobody will call you twice).

I used pre and power combinations for years. Flexible and fine sounding, but big and heavy. My nicest rig had a BBE pre and between one and three RSE power amps. Went lightweight due to advancing years and general decrepitude. Still have the power amps - use them to drive PA monitors.

Precursor to TE? Worth an email to Mark Gooday (now running Ashdown) to ask if he knows anything about it?

My '72 Jazz. Had it for almost 40 years.

Not too bad a price for a reasonable bitsa. I assume it's all Squier, apart from the neck (although may just be a decal).

No problem. Many amps are rated at peak power - i.e. the wattage they can deliver for a few milliseconds - and most good quality speakers can handle well over their rated power for short bursts (I'd say your Mesa will - they use decent drivers). Provided you don't go mad, you should be fine. The speaker will protest if it's under strain, so you'll get an audible warning before any damage is done (always assuming the drummer/guitarist isn't deafening you to the extent that you can't hear it...).

[quote name='Danuman' timestamp='1498594471' post='3325795'] I'd like to echo the positive statements above. In general the sound engineers I've encountered have been knowledgable and pleasant to work with. In the end we all just want to run a good show. The technical nature of their specialisation I suppose leads some of them to be a bit set in their ways, but I bet bass players are no different! [/quote] Agreed. Many soundmen have also suffered their fair share of players with less than perfect kit and can be wary as a result. That onstage sound that some players like, fed through several thousand watts worth of super clean PA system, can be pretty grim at times.

Weeley, in 1971.

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1498593391' post='3325787'] You need to be wary of most people with really nice gear. I always wondered years a go how people in my factory drove new BMW's until i heard of PCP. Obviously not all, but there will be a few with nice gear with maxxed credit cards. [/quote] Some of us are just ancient and as a result, have accumulated decent stuff over the years. You start with a cheap instrument and amp, sell it when you outgrow it, add a little money and get something a bit better and so on. Repeat a few (quite a few) times and you have your so-called "dream rig". All it takes is time.

[quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1498389526' post='3324213'] I think your guitarist needs to be a bit more savvy when it comes to ensemble playing. [/quote] If only they would...

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1498518613' post='3325262'] When I've said I can smell burning, our guitarist would always say it's probably his fingerboard. One day, I'll surprise him with a bucket of water [/quote] May not be enough time to fetch a bucket. Just use what comes to hand...

Have to agree with others above. Not having wet dream kit does not adversely affect "musical progression and creative expression" in the slightest. Your Cort and Line 6 (400w? My first amp was 50w) is a thousand times better than what I started out with. Any halfway reasonable modern instrument can be made into a very respectable playing tool with a decent set-up. At the age of 63, I'm fortunate to be in the position of being able to afford (within reason) what I like. However, I'd swap it all to go back to being in my 20s again, even if it meant going back to being skint. The excitement of discovering music, learning and playing it with friends and figuring out how it all worked was so exciting. I certainly didn't feel "held back" by my instrument. It did the job and that was what mattered.

If you don't want to spend loads, I'd have a look on eBay for a used Peavey PA power amp. You can bridge it to power one cab or use it in two channel mode to power multiples. They're reliable, plentiful and not expensive to buy used.

I'd seek the advice of a violin repairer, not a bass/guitar specialist. Try Google for people in your area?

Class D heads tend not to have such stiff power supplies - no large reservoir caps - so are more susceptible to shutting down when the power supply sags. My PA sometimes doesn't like generated power. It will just cut out as the safety circuitry kicks in, but it's annoying.

I've got an old rack mounted Drawmer that I've had for ages - used to use it with the PA before I got a digital desk. Works well - close to state of the art in its day. You can get them cheaply off eBay.