Dan Dare

That's interesting, Bill. I've noticed the sound of my PJB cabs is very consistent wherever I stand and, having heard someone else playing through them whilst sitting in the audience, it's also true out in the room. Now I know why.

You’ve pretty much answered your own question. If you want true full range, flat response (FRFR) amplification of bass at realistic performance volume/distance, you’re going to have to spend a LOT of money to achieve it. Please note that I’m not saying the following to show off or drop the names of high end manufacturers. £100 is not a lot to spend on a high quality compression driver. Have a look at products from companies that supply the pro audio market – ATC, Precision Devices, d&b audioteknik, Martin Audio and similar. Then take a look at the price of their mid and bass drivers. They’re what you’re going to need, in a properly designed cabinet, for true FRFR at volume. Then take a look at the cost of suitable amplification from the likes of Lab Gruppen, Powersoft, d&b, Martin, MC2, etc. Pro audio companies don’t spend the money on such products because they like to splash the cash. They do so because that’s what they need to get a proper result. The term FRFR has to be one of the most mis-used in audio. It makes me smile when I see a plastic box with a 10 or 12 and a horn that costs a few hundred quid described as FRFR. It might be that (just) at very low volume, measured a metre away, but crank it and expect it to give FRFR to people sitting 30 or 50 feet away? No chance. Have you measured your “ruler flat” cab? I’m not disrespecting Stevie, who knows his stuff. I am grateful to him, Bill Fitzmaurice and others who share their hard-won knowledge with us and help us to achieve good sound on a budget. However, I doubt that your cab is “ruler flat” and would be surprised if Stevie designed it to be so, given that it’s a bass cab and not a PA speaker. There are limits to what can be achieved with a couple of hundred quid’s worth of Eminence drivers in a DIY box, no matter how cleverly designed it is. That’s just a fact of life.

That's why you Di for out front and let the engineer decide what works in the room, which leaves you free to set an onstage sound that suits you.

That's exactly my point. I like a certain sound from my gear because it gives me confidence and makes me happy, which hopefully means I play better. I spent the time and money choosing my rig because I like the result it gives me. However, I have to recognise that what I like won't necessarily be best in context - type of venue, room acoustics, numbers of people in the audience, how it interacts with other instruments, etc, etc. I'm happy to give an engineer a feed from the DI out on my amp and to trust them to decide how to mix everything for the best overall result. Obviously, I will want him/her to have general regard for what I am trying to achieve (am I aiming for Jamerson, Chris Squire or Geddy, to name three pretty contrasting tonalities?), but how it sounds and works in the out front mix is his/her decision and I trust him/her to do his/her job. That, imho, is the best way to ensure an audience is happy. It would be different were I a solo player, but I'm not.

No. It's better to DI in that situation and let the engineer determine what works out front. What matters to us as players is the sound we hear onstage. That sound may not translate well for the hall in the mix.

Exactly. Try running your bass through your hi-fi. It sounds clean, but characterless and sterile. It would also be enormously expensive to amplify a bass to realistic levels whilst achieving a truly flat response.

I used an Ampeg 1x15 with a Peavey Black Widow in it for years (the original driver died). Sounded great. Sadly, some little scrote nicked it.

It depends what type of paint was used for the over spray. Odds on, if it was a DIY job, it was a rattle can from a car accessory shop, which probably means cellulose. That can be hard to remove without damaging the original finish underneath. I'd take it to a repairer for an opinion if it was my instrument. It would be easy to make it worse.

I used 2x10 plus 1x15 for many years and liked it. On the occasions when I've played through a 4x10, 8x10 or 2x15, I've been happy with the sound. Ditto 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12. These days, it's 8x5, 12x5 or 16x5 (I've become a PJB user). I like them, too. So I guess there isn't an ideal cab set-up for me. I find amps and instruments are much more important when it comes to making a noise I like. I do like an onstage rig and don't find, when I DI, that monitors alone work for me. Not keen on in-ears because they make me feel isolated from what's happening, no matter how good they sound.

If you are concerned, get a dummy load box (guitar players use them with valve amps when recording). Palmer make a decent one that isn't too expensive. Plenty of other makes available.

Some good advice above. A decent trolley can be a godsend, too, even with lightweight kit.

Hover the cursor at the bottom of the screen over the bar (red, with yellow marks denoting different sections) showing how much of the vid' has passed and click further along. It's bit hit and miss in that you cannot preview/find specific parts of the vid' but you can skip forward.

It doesn't sound like a simple matter of neck relief. A lot of rattle against the upper frets is normally due to the action being too low at the bridge end. You need to adjust the truss rod and the bridge saddles in tandem to ensure evenness throughout, aka a full set up. Doctor J is right.

Duplicate post

Nope. You want to sell something and you'll accept a trade, albeit reluctantly, if it's necessary to make the sale. You don't want to have to sell the traded item, but if there's no alternative, you'll bite the bullet.

Not necessarily, I suggest. Combine this with Sibob's reply (which which I agree) and you get the situation where someone will consider a trade but they'd rather have a straight sale. So they set a higher trade price to discourage trades or at least make it worth their while. They may not particularly want that something you don't want, but they will accept it provided doing so enables them to make a sale and they don't lose when they sell it on.

As you love your TE, I'd stick with it. Their combos were well made with a good sized cab', so nothing really to gain from switching to an amp and cab'. If you want more volume, I'd add a power amp and cab' and feed it from the pre out on your combo (assuming you don't mind the weight, which it appears you don't if you're carrying that combo already).

Don't buy on the basis of our (or anyone's) opinions. Try one.

EBS is good gear. Plenty of reviews, etc online - YouTube, etc. It does seem to be favoured by those who prefer a brighter sound. I had an EBS 350. It was powerful, reliable, well made and happy to drive a 2 ohm load. I sold it and bought an Aquilar because I found it a bit in yer face, no matter what I did with the eq and I prefer a more old school sound. If you like a more modern sound, they're excellent. Do try before buying, as always.

Me too. The first bass I really wanted was a J. I picked up a '72 in a hock shop many years ago for not a lot and it's been my main instrument since. I have flirted with others, but always come back to it. Sounds wonderful with D'Addario Chromes.

Like many, I carry spare head, DI boxes (take those anyway as part of the PA), leads and bits and pieces. It doesn't add up to much - class D amp and a few cables in a small padded bag, essentially, so no trouble to take it.

When someone asks to borrow my bass and gear, I ask for the keys to their car. They never agree. Funny, that. I mean, my stuff would cost about the same as the average used car to replace.

If you like the BF approach, a Super Twin is the obvious choice. It fulfils all your requirements - power, weight, height so you can hear yourself, etc - and is not overly pricey for what it does. BF are very helpful. I'm sure they'd be happy for you to visit (you're not a million miles away) and compare one to your old Compact if you give them a call.

When I started out (a long time ago), it was pretty much Fender or Fender if you played bass. A lot of the players I admired used them, so that's what I wanted. I've flirted with others and had a hankering for a Rick when I played prog', but always come back to the big F. J bass in my case, unless I want the full on Jamerson and then it's a P. Not very imaginative of me, I know.