Beer of the Bass

I found that my end pin does the same with rubber walking stick ends, but the ones I use are just big enough to slip a 5 pence coin inside the bottom of, and that helps them last longer.

Hard to say from a photo alone, but it's likely that one valve may have been running hotter than the other. With an amp like this that's been out of use for years I'd really want to do more than visual checks before powering it up, like checking that the bias supply is present and correct on both EL34 sockets. But it might be wise to find someone who's familiar with doing this safely.

OTOH, the ability to correct the neck angle without major woodworking could be seen as a positive!

I have an Eminent 2, which is the same power amp with a four channel preamp. They're well built amps intended to run very clean. I found the original preamp a bit uninspiring on mine, so took out two of the channels and built a valve preamp in there. The power ratings can be confusing as this era of Dynacord amps had models with 2x EL34 valves at two different power ratings. The Bass King T and Eminent I were 40 watts, with the Imperator and Eminent 2 at 80 watts. The 80 watt models used a dual-rail power supply which puts around 750V on the EL34 plates. Because of the high voltages and unusual layout these might not be the ideal platform to learn on if you're not familiar with working on valve amps, so you may want to have it checked over.

I've patched up guitar speakers with a flexible glue and pieces torn from coffee filter paper. If you colour the papers with a black Sharpie first, and tear the patch so the edges are feathered the repair can be fairly discrete looking. And if it does change the sound a little, you have a good chance of not noticing given that it's the bottom driver of an 8x10“.

The ears could even be quite handy, if you were making some sort of utility box for a pedalboard.

I'm somewhat the opposite, I like the voicing and EQ design of the Ampeg valve heads, but so far I've not been all that into the Ampeg 8x10 cabs I've had the chance to use. And that includes using my own PF-50T and GK MB200 through an 8x10 or my own pair of single 12" cabs - the 8x10 sounds immediately bigger, but seems a bit indistinct at the top. I mean, I can easily work with it, but it's just not quite what I'd look for if putting together a rig from scratch. So if I had both the need and budget for a big rig, an SVT or V4B with alternative cabs would be high among my considerations.

I used one for several years, and it has a thick, solid sound that's easy to work with. It does perhaps lack a little clarity and detail compared to the KNA DB-1 pickup I replaced it with, but for some styles I could be quite happy with that sound. Mine developed an intermittent crackly distortion on loud notes eventually, and once I was certain it was the pickup, I dissected it to have a look. Turns out it uses an element made from a thick ceramic material which had cracked on mine. I'm sure no pickup is indestructible, but I'd be cautious about squeezing it too hard in the bridge wing.

I have one at 12lbs that I'll pull out now and again, but 3 hour rehearsals are no fun with it.

I didn't know John Peel well, but I do remember running into him, also at the Glen Morag.

That's a name that rings some bells - I remember Nigel Clark as a stalwart of the Dunoon Jazz festival (my hometown) through the 90s.

The speakon/jack sockets are dark green and have the word "combo" moulded around the outside of the raised circular part. In the case of a supplied cab that you can't check beforehand, I'd come prepared with speakon cables or adapters just in case.

Wasn't Godwin the maker of those Guitar Organ contraptions?

Have you noticed, when youngsters use the word dab nowadays they're rarely talking about sherbet, but some strange dance move resembling a poorly stifled sneeze? Although I guess sherbet dabs could indeed result in those...

I guess the guy with the website does call himself the Guitar Troll!

I can't imagine he'd be too chuffed at having his picture bracketed by Union Jacks as it is there...

TC have their Helicon pedals designed to work with vocal mics (with XLR in and outs) that would require a bit less faffing than a guitar pedal. A vocalist in my old band used to use one for dubby echoes, but I'm sure there must be a pitch shift/harmoniser in the range.

Should be a nice little amp for recording purposes and lower volume stuff! Regarding the cab, as far as I gather the double baffle cabs function like a more conventional ported cab with the same tuning would (though I've never seen a clear answer on what the port tuning was). So there could well be a simpler route to the same result.

I'm presuming polite, considerate weirdos and perverts are perfectly welcome here!

I'm thinking it might be a non-starter with standard pickguard material - most are PVC which will release chlorine fumes when heated, and in the case of tortoiseshell pickguards there's a layer of very flammable celluloid too. It could work with acrylic or similar though.

I'm not sure how I managed this, but as far as I can recall I found my way onto Finnbass first, and only found out about the existence of Basschat from there. Seems odd when you consider the relative size and activity of the two!

Sometimes a little too superior, I find!

Come to think of it, standing waves can definitely occur within a cylindrical chamber. Otherwise wind instruments wouldn't do much...

This is much more how you'd expect it to look - a guy in a back room with a bandsaw and a dumpster. Which does sort of confirm that making such a big production of the Firebird X destruction must have been an intentional stunt.

He's readying himself to drive that tractor over a neat row of Firebird X's.