Quilly

Probably a lot like the basic , I don’t think Sandberg do different neck widths . I reckon it would sound a bit like the VM4 you have with just the M pickup with a bit more warmth and the pick-up is more central in the body. This is just a guess tho.

I’ve a 4 sting version in natural ash I bought last year from a German music store . I had a stingray in the past and I really wanted something that could recapture that tone. The basic does it in spades but feels more comfortable and that headstock makes the bass a lot “tidier” . The 3 band eq makes this a really versatile instrument.

I changed out the Sandberg pickups on my VS California for overwound lollars and I couldn’t be happier with the change , bass sounding much more aggressive and driven

Surely there are good Japanese or Eastern European cellos ?

Yes even 'consumables' like strings, leads, valves (if you're into that) etc have become very pricey.

Its almost a year since I purchased my last big item, more from lack of playing than me exercising any restraint or anything 😅

I owned a CTM-100 in the past , great amp but I think I preferred the tone from the Little Bastard / CTM 30.

Found that my Sandberg basic strung with flats is an ideal bass for acoustic sessions, always tight and focussed never wooly .

I'm still in but I keep seeing things I 'Need'. A couple of months ago it was a Fender Mustang bass, then a fretless, then a shorty stingray, now its a new high power class D amp. The gas generally subsides though. 😅

Maybe it’s possible to design some sort of failsafe that if the power section doesn’t see a load it shuts off and just leaves the preamp values on? I’m no engineer and I’ve no idea it that’s possible .

I understand Ampeg have some sort of function for their 20 and 50W tube amps that allows them to be used without a load, dont ask me how they do that.

I dusted off my Ashdown Spyder and a fender precision that I’m barely playing for a loud rehearsal last Sunday for the first time in ages. I’m doing mostly acoustic stuff so this was a welcome change , it felt great, as good as having new stuff again.

I think a small footprint 100w all valve head somewhere along the lines of the Ashdown little bastard in terms of size should be a commercial success …if competitively priced. Don’t see why you couldn’t fit 2 KT88s in there without overheating. Martin if you could ask them to add a dummy load function where you can run the head on its own that would be amazing 🤩

I think this is the hardest part or the year , spring , when you’re bored and what new gear.

I also bought a telecaster recently and had sleepless nights wondering was I in or out of the gear abstinence program 😂

Used my elf “rig” yesterday for a very tight corner in a cafe yesterday, not enough room for even a second Pa speaker. It was a life saver.

Pity they don’t do covers for the 1x10 cab, got one made up from Roqsolid

Yeah they want 2 grand for it 😆

Yeah I think

Yeah it’s an updated version of the LB-30, CTM-30 with the same valves arranged horizontally, a few extra features in there also. Sweet bass amp

I got one from a Dutch classified website shipped to Waterford a few years ago - €250. Just needed a re-valve and its sounds fab. I've often got great gear in EU mainland classified ad sites. You might have to do some trawling but there are a lot of Little Bastards out there. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204080651854?hash=item2f84279e4e:g:JpkAAOSwwoxjDfzF&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwFMUH%2B4CNvUS93jjxRLAO6rY1QSDPkiuobTFBMAMIJi3Ww7Az1vHGUSJ1Pg77tggcbKZzKw%2FqJOjDFgMOKntD1c8PThR1mVsKLE05GFDE4x%2BpY9YhhDJfbnVyOJtDUzUxI1De7ZErlnSZTjWVhCVEb0FFgBFb7kYKyLkGXHf2TQ2UrS0pSNphx6cDLifTwlUo5FS1y0%2FJi4ZkFxGGOg62vHyZwOQPzNxU0OiYhiDSTqNuJJgJf2SJmdaNm%2B46fxekw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9yL7sPZYQ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225463901009?hash=item347eb21b51:g:B7cAAOSwInFkAHXR&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwDR2Fm13mgyptYfo8QCv9EsTE0zMgfkHe4MSVFoPErmD3Ncx0rco7jjhssdRZKTuGLz1CozErH5WZDZBY40uk6sh20nt9Z9defPkhUcsfn4ZIBrnrajEAHSvkfQs0%2FAqU7Ta6FPNwIlhV3Em%2FYTkCMRb%2FZr8aDKufIwN0pxm%2FOStW01U763jU%2BphTNKINVm4pesgjJTrl%2B8%2Fqviel3UHH3fPk%2ByczqCOFhkaBaGez2C3EwzJbceqO1Rdjib4nLY3mA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9yL7sPZYQ

Threw my “gear bag” in the corner a few times not realising- there’s a bass amp in there . Lucky nothing negative happened

My only “complaint”’about the elf is that it’s so small sometimes I lose it 🙈