DBerriff

I think some of you are confusing personality type with [i]disinterested[/i]. The staff are very interested in bass-related issues. Perhaps people skills are not as great as they could be, but then neither are mine. You need to deal with what is in front of you and make it work to suit your requirements. I'm still surprised we have Bass Direct at all, given the huge cost and risk of setting up such a business.

Happy? Ecstatic!

I could not find one in the stores, but it doesn't matter as I have just bought this from Embra and it could easily have passed for brand new: Rather good it is too. I played an SB-2 for a few years before moving to 5 strings, and sold it 2 or 3 years ago. Guess what? I have been missing it so when this was listed, I weakened. I am familiar with the quirks of the model and know how to get the pickups to work for me. I prefer the neck on this: 1-5/8" and 7.5" radius. The traditional radius immediately felt natural. Now, the sound. Has Paul Gagon been tweaking the pickups? It has the weight and clarity I remember, but more clarity and more controlled bass. So I am a really happy bunny. A beautiful, pristine bass added to the fold, and one I know I can use. So if you are looking for a USA G&L, I can only encourage you to keep looking.

With a recent purchase, and a few items to sell, I had better open this up.

I now have a beautiful G&L SB-2 thanks to Embra. Apart from my dithering it was a totally smooth transaction (what I mean is that I had to wait for my other half to digest and accept that here I was, buying yet another bass). Personal delivery of the bass to an agreed meeting point was an unexpected bonus. Top marks for a helpful, honest seller.

I found the BG250 2x8" struggled with my BSX EUB, having insufficient input gain. It might be that your Eastcoast has a hotter output. It should then be ok for acoustic gigs but I quickly found it was not up to big band rehearsals. As a reference, the SWR Workingman's 10 I had coped a lot better until the amp failed.

The only PJB I have heard recently, sounded pretty good with an EUB through it. It was in a small pub though. Does it have to a combo? If not I will back up the suggestion of a Barefaced One 10 with whatever head takes your fancy. It is what I use for big band rehearsals.

I too have found Marcus helpful, and Mark has always friendly although clearly very busy at times. It difficult balancing all the factors needed to run a business and impossible to get everything "perfect". I have not really had any discussions with the other young lad in the shop, although he has always been polite. My personal feeling is that I would rather deal with people who know their subject, even if they are not natural salesmen.

Some companies go well beyond what is strictly necessary in looking after their customers. Hipshot helped me out when I found a problem with one of their bridges on a Roscoe bass. I am grateful and impressed.

I can vouch for the build quality of the Magellan 800. It sounds good to me too although I have only really used it clean. If you want an amp with a bit more attitude then the Darkglass Microtubes 900 is worth a look, as it effectively has a couple of Darkglass pedals built in and uses the same power module as the Magellan. All these heads are excellent in their own different ways; it all depends what mix of budget and features you are looking for. I thought I read that the Aurora had been discontinued?

Have no doubt that Doug and his team provide great support for their products. You are buying into a philosophy that is worth being part of, and you will know what I mean if you have watched the video of Doug discussing the design of the 900.

I have owned a few G&L basses and I can confirm they are excellent, practical instruments. I was foolish enough to sell my 4-string basses when I moved to 5, otherwise I would not have had to start buying G&L again when I realised I missed the simplicity of 4 strings. If you want to know why they are scarce then I think it is the old story of buyers playing safe with a certain known make. As jezzaboy implies, they don't realise that the L in G&L stands for Leo, as in Leo Fender. The other problem is that the Tribute range is too good. I have a Tribute JB-2 and a USA MJ-4. The MJ-4 is undoubtedly the better bass but I still find myself gigging with the JB. I bought them from Drew at The Great British Bass Lounge. If you have not looked at his Facebook page recently, then you should. He discusses the current state of the retail market for basses.

[quote name='Veils' timestamp='1476709812' post='3156487'] Definitely not in the right price range. I don't even think they're made as well as they used to be. I wouldn't buy one of the newer shapes, they look kinda ugly in the pursuit of individuality. Just a personal preference, I'm sure they still tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people [/quote] First I have heard of them not being as well made as they used to be. As I am thinking of buying a new Sandberg, can you comment further?

If I want minimalist I take a Korg Pitchjack, plugged into the amp Tuner Out socket. That is not going to work with the 900. For gigs a stomp box tuner is worth the extra complexity imho so it is not a problem. Any design is a set of compromises as Doug has made clear.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1476454830' post='3154496'] Right chaps.... Anyone know of a good bag that will fit it properly? [/quote] I have a Gator G-MIX-B 1212 and it fits in that with a bit of space to spare. 1212 means the bag is 12" x 12". The depth is about right at just under 3". This might not be what you mean by "fit properly", though. The only problem I have with the Gator bags is that the cable pocket is a bit small. It will take one or two short Speakon cables but that is about it.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1476426158' post='3154112'] The VMT with the gain low is lovely. It has a warmth to it while staying clean. [/quote] I must try that. Warmth suits this old man. Regarding the discussion on power handling, for my needs I would rather think of it as good thermal management. At the power levels where I will use this amp, it is going to stay cool and should have a long and reliable gig life.

We were unlucky. During transit, the gain knob ended up compressed against the footswitch button. Packing the amp the other way around will stop this happening in future.

It might well be a typo. The specific ICE power module used gets good reviews, so I think these numbers are all a bit academic. My point was that I do not need to blow up any speakers during my intended usage. All is good, and it all goes much louder than I actually need. I am pretty certain though that I am not the typical Darkglass user. Big band jazz will do nicely for now; my cover-band days are just a memory at the moment.

I have been trying it out through a BF Super Compact as it is less coloured than the One 10s. It all sounds rather good to me. I am building up the confidence to gig it this weekend although it will be a big-band gig - so no microtubes engine mayhem from me this time around. Edit for Kev. I use the One 10s for home practice, rehearsals and the occasional gig. One is enough for a 16 piece big band rehearsal with drummer; I have only ever been asked to turn it down. Having two of them is a bit of a luxury. The finish on them is immaculate in my opinion, including the Tolex finishing. As for power management, I am very careful. Alex says up to 500 Watts with care for the One 10 and so the 900 on the 2 Ohm setting should be safe, as you have suggested. The Darkglass manual specifies 350W into 8Ohms in the "2 Ohm" mode, as opposed to 450W in the standard mode. I will use the SC for the gig as I want a clean sound with plenty of mids. The 900 Low and Hi Mids look really practical and simple enough to be gig proof (in that if it can go wrong it will go wrong). The SC at 8Ohms is specified to be good with amps from 150 to 600W so no problems there. I notice the Microtubes 900 is rated at 900W into 4Ohms and 450W into 8Ohms, standard setting, for 2 minutes max, at 20%THD. That suggests a good power supply, not that I have any inside information; normally the 4Ohm power is not quite double the 8Ohm. Or am I reading too much into this. All I know is that it goes louder, through my cabs, than I can take without ear protection. That looks a lot more complicated than I meant it to be.

Snap The LEDs in action:

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1476365528' post='3153675'] It was my gain knob. Doug is sending me a replacement. [/quote] Same here.

Check to see if the front of your gain knob has been marked or damaged. It is probably just pushed up hard against the faceplate.

Was it your Gain knob that was damaged?

Dispatched.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1476215047' post='3152454'] Oooo "Preparing for dispatch" Woohoo! [/quote] Oh yes! Looks like I ordered just in time.