Dan Dare

Just don't get this "owned by (insert famous name)" guff. It's a mass produced instrument. The magic was in JJ's fingers and brain, not a piece of wood with bits of metal stretched along its length. JJ would have made magic with a Satellite copy. The only good thing is that a famous player's family sometimes gets to make a bit out of these sales. Other than that, it's bullshit.

No. The one I got had the Fender 'F' stamped in it (was very cheap, so I figured I'd take a punt - not a disaster that it wasn't up to the job). The one you highlighted looks of decent quality.

Need to watch the fact that some of those 'Fender' neckplates on eBay are made of very thin metal. When you tighten the bolts, they bend and the corners dig into the back of the body, as I found when I tried to fit one. So I bought a proper Fender one and it was fine.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1494667395' post='3297684'] ..and a complete PITA to carry about. [/quote] Should they rename it the Lugabout?

Class D watts have to be smaller than tube watts, in order to fit in the smaller amp case. Simples

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1494503146' post='3296523'] Having a lifelong developmental/neurological condition, being referred to as "retarded", "backward" "wrong in the head" & other lovely, confidence building terms all through my life by family, teachers & people I worked with, nearly being institutionalised by my mother when I was a child because there was "something wrong with me" - Those good enough for ya? Probably not. [/quote] I'm sorry to hear about it. However, it isn't reasonable to expect (and certainly not to demand) that the rest of the world walks round you on tiptoe because some people have been unkind to you.

To answer the OP, if you can afford it, have a look at the baby AER.

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1494366969' post='3295488'] PJB gear is very good quality and transparent sounding. Debatable if the Double 4 (75w) or Cub (100w) would have the volume to compete with a guitar amp or drums. I have a Double 4 and it is surprisingly loud for the size, it's stupidly small. Sounds great too. Not the cheapest of options though but suits me for home use perfectly...... At the moment [/quote] You'd need to add a power amp and more speakers to a Cub or Double 4 to do that. My Flightcase (twice the size) didn't complete with drums and guitar. Lovely sound, but not enough wellie. I sold it and got a couple of PJB C4s, which are fine with a suitable head.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1494433780' post='3295974'] As is not giving a f*** about whether somebody has good reason to be upset or offended by something it would appear. [/quote] So what's your "good reason" then?

"Taking offence" is becoming a popular hobby these days, sadly.

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1494431150' post='3295936'] I think you'll find it's actually hugely offensive. [/quote] Oh dear. How sad.

You can only earn what people are prepared to pay. It's a buyer's market in most areas.

No such thing as a standard rate anywhere, really. Depends on so many variables.

Doesn't bother me. I'm a basstard.

The EBS tone is quite distinctive - tending towards the bright/punchy end of the spectrum. Reidmar probably the best lightweight option if you like the sound. Mesa Subway head worth a listen for that style of sound, too, but expensive.

Watford Valves have some of the old high impedance Celestions that Trace used originally. Ask their advice.

Jack's Instrument services in Manchester. Excellent and quick. Not cheap, but good value for the quality. Google will find him.

Don't do it, captain. She cannae take it. Remember that, even if it worked for the fingerboard (and it's a very big 'if'), the rest of the instrument would be likely to be adversely affected by the damp/humidity.

As Rhys says, I very much doubt you'll find mandolin strings long enough and most, apart from some very light sets used by classical players, are roundwound, anyway. I'd look at jazz guitar strings.

My bass was in tune when I bought it . That does me.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1494122496' post='3293445'] Yep, one of my fave sounding cabs, just a shame they weigh the same as a small/medium sized planet. [/quote] The Peavey 8x10s are something else, too. The rehearsal rooms I use has a couple and the sound is spectacular. You couldn't really carry them around though.

Agree with Bill. If you find something you like, but want more of it, buy more of it. To make an informed decision, you really need to try some different options with your head and instrument. As you've found via your experience with BF, what suits others won't necessarily be your cup of tea, so treat our suggestions with caution. A visit to a well stocked shop or two looks to be the order of the day. I'd add Epifani to your list, but that's just my preference. Also, if you use a MB head, you ought to try their cabs.

In case you or he are tempted to open it up and take a look, don't. Valve amps often run on very high internal voltages (4-500v not uncommon) and worse, they're DC, so if you touch the wrong thing, you're likely to meet the man in the sky with the big white beard.

Made a mess of entering my previous post (my comment ended up in the quoted bit). Pedals won't handle speaker level signals. They are intended for instrument level signals, which are usually measured in millivolts. The best way to balance two unequal speaker cabs is with an add-on power amp, plus active crossover or graphic/parametric eq with which you can control/adjust the feed to the power amp. Can get a bit pricey and involve several extra boxes.