Quilly

4 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Are the Electra models as good build quality as the California series. Just wondered if a VS4 might be a cheap way to go with making pick up mods.

Dave

The vs models are nearly the most expensive California model…don’t ask me why . I wouldn’t have done this to a new VS but I’ve had that one over 10 years 

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

Yes your bass it just surprised me how much the colour had changed. I honestly wouldn't have expected it.

Like what you've done with it. Its definitely got me thinking.

Dave

Yeah I wouldn’t buy a p style bass again with an active preamp. I don’t miss any “power” with the current set up and it definitely has more of that classic bark. 

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

What i find strange here is that the body colour under the pickguard is different from the visible bodywork. How is that even done. Surely they don't spray it with the guard on.

Otherwise i'm loving this project and i'm now wondering if it would be worthwhile buying a VT4 just to do a similar job. I love playing Sandberg basses.

I like the Godin idea with the 4 position switch and PJ set up.

Don't know if you can get a passive humbucker at bridge position that has split coil option as that would give more variety.

Dave

Are you talking about my bass? Yeah I think the colour just changed over time due to UV sun exposure, what’s under the pickguard is the original colour .

46 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

A bold move that, Quilly - well done 👏

Thanks , I replaced the pickup a couple of years ago as I felt the stock one sounded a bit flat.  Although it sounded great it didn't sit perfectly well with the preamp and It was very noisy at low volumes. When I measured the resistance of the pickup it was twice that of the stock Sandberg one ! . I wasn't really using the active circuitry at all and I found myself preferring the sound of my Fender Precision bass (but the Sandberg is a nicer bass to play).  It was bugging me for a while until I eventually snapped and pulled out the old soldering iron ! Couldn't be happier now. 

I do have an active Sandberg Basic and I think the electronics and PUP work really well on that bass.  

16 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

If lightening the body by stripping the active stuff out has left you with a touch of neck dive, you can just fill the cavity with lead 😄

To be honest I think the old fashioned pots and capacitor weighed more than the onboard preamp !  

51 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Nice job, couldn’t you just put a cover over the compartment or a battery box just to fill the hole 

I suppose I could but I kinda like the bare bones look...its like when Malcolm young had the one Pup in his Gretsch and let the others blank. ... I know weird.       

So I did some surgery on my 2010 California VS, removed all the active electronics, replaced it with decent pots a new scratch plate , copper shielding, new caps and Lollar overwounds (total active to passive conversion basically) Different beast altogether now, it did leave a bit of a hole in the back where the battery used to be but as the cavity is nicely varnished inside I’m not too bothered. Can’t put this bass down, loads of character. 

On 28/03/2024 at 17:34, fretmeister said:

 

 

I've changed the pickups in every Sandberg I've kept. Aguilars if it's passive, EMGs for active.

 

I suppose they are just the sound in my head.

I've already changed the Pickup in my California VS for a Lollar overwound and it added so much more character to the sound, in the process of replacing the preamp for a decent passive harness with decent pots and caps.

On 29/02/2024 at 22:05, BassBunny said:

Not sure if this would be of use but Ashdown have a couple of Hayden Amp sleeves in their clearout sale. 

https://ashdownmusic.com/products/hayden-speakeasy-head-sleeve

Thanks for that , just bought one !

8 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

Very well thanks, I was just playing through it this evening. The build thread is here.

 

And yes amp building is addictive - I think I’ve built 7 since my first Modulus 5E3 kit. Unfortunately valve amp kits for bass seem to be few and far between. I also built (not from a kit but from design I found online) a bass head based on a Marshall JTM45 but I’m not so happy with that one - think I’m going to turn it into the guitar version!

I’d like to put together a 100w plexi style bass amp with 4x EL34s I can’t imagine that’s too complicated? It’s the cost of the actual cabinets I find a bit ludicrous. Almost the same cost of all the innards ….for a wooden box essentially 

I know this is an old thread , but I just built a tweed 5e3 amp and Im jurs itching to put together a bass amp, I just can’t see that many bass kits out there apart from modulous. How did your amp turn out ?

Just finished a tweed guitar amp build (5E3) and am eager to get cracking on a 50/100w bass amp (Marshall plexi 1986 type). I’m finding the actual cabinets are as expensive as the innards ! Anyone know where I could get plans for the short/compact Marshall amp box? Maybe I could take to a cabinet builder or carpenter. 

I bought one a few months ago in place of my TE 110 elf and it’s a cracking cabinet. Lovely warm low end , you could mistake it for a 112 or even 115. Really sensitive cabinet with loads of punch . This is a great asking price 

1 hour ago, Suburban Man said:

Not sure what level of abstinence this infringes, but I've just bought a second-hand guitar strap - OK its advertised as a bass strap, but I reckon its really a guitar strap in disguise. Mea culpa, I didn't even flinch as I sent off the payment. 

To me this classifies as a "consumable" or "accessory" and not "gear" as such, now if it was diamond encrusted or made from something exotic like snakeskin you might be pushing your luck!  ...but I don't make the rules.. 

Just now, Merton said:

Thankfully my bank balance will not allow a purchase unless I sell things. Not sure I have anything I want to sell at the moment, unless anyone needs a kidney?

Jan is a bad time to try and sell anything, I was trying to sell a pristine P bass and no bites at all....which I'm slightly relieved by as its a cracker of a bass. 

4 minutes ago, Merton said:

I almost survived last year. I see no reason why this year can’t be that one step better 🤓

 

(Best not to mention I’m in Bournemouth this weekend so will be heading to Absolute Music to try out the Sandberg Lionel they have on sale…..)

Once you try a Sandberg you're in trouble. 

On 01/01/2024 at 18:35, Merton said:

I’m in!

That's funny 😂

9 minutes ago, msb said:

 I just picked up a Barefaced One 10 to use as a rehearsal cab , and it was everything they say about them. They’re hard to find in Canada. 

I have the Two10 and its as loud as I've ever needed. I toyed with the idea of getting a four10, but honestly there was no point, the Two10 delivers in spades.  

Great Cabs 

2 hours ago, msb said:

That looks like a great little rig!

Yeah, Ideal for small acoustic gigs and rehearsal, I was looking for something small that I could use with this amp and the elf amp I had. I sold the Elf 110 I had as it was just too small for the LB30 and not really suited to that amp. Got the Epifini last week on Reverb and its ideal, lovely warm tone from it, very efficient cab so it gets relatively loud. 

Really happy with this little 110 Epifnai / little bastard combo 😁

1 minute ago, PaulWarning said:

that's right, totally different animal, just wondering whether they've kept the Trace tradition of being very conservative with their power ratings

I've had a class D Ampeg PF350 and a TC electronics 250W class D amp and the elf 200W kicks both their bottoms so..yeah underrated loudage ! 

3 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

Going off on a tangent I know but, I've got a couple of Trace heads, rated 200 watts at 4 ohms, never run out of steam and our drummer is a bit of an animal, they only weigh 13 Kg, if the Elf is similar it'll be loud enough

I might be totally wrong but I think the old 200W trace heads were Class A/B and had stonking clumps of iron transformers driving the speaker so they might have more "heft" (there's that word  ) than the class D 200W elf. 

17 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

because it's Trace Elliot watts, they're a lot louder than normal watts 😀

I had an AH500-7 head once and it was an absolute beast of an amp, Even the 300W 1*15 combo I had was loud enough for all my needs. very heavy amps tho, the old trace stuff.

50 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

I use mine with a Barefaced Two10 (which they suggest is the equivalent of a "good" 4x10) in a band with drums, guitar and keys, and I've never got the volume knob past halfway, so I reckon you'd be fine.

Yep I used that combo myself and it worked really well. 

1 minute ago, BassAdder60 said:

Yep 4ohms min is the usual on most class D or A/ B amps apart from a few such as Aguilar, Mesa, Genzler etc that can go to 2.67 or even 2ohms !

I think the "BIG" Trace 1200W goes down to 2ohms.