Beer of the Bass

Cheers for bringing attention to these; it looks like a really useful little problem solver and I can think of uses for one both with my electric and double bass. And it can be bought as a kit that's not too pricey, which suits me. I might have to get one...

Hmm, that is a good price - I'd be hard pressed to DIY a good 50 watt valve amp from new parts for much less. I shall be frugal and stick with my quirky old modified Dynacord though...

If you've got another amp around with 12AX7 and 6v6 valves, I'd be inclined to pop 'em in the phase inverter and power positions just in case that sorts it.

That's a shame, a lot of Hartke stuff has been pretty good sounding. I played a combo a while ago, not sure of the model name but it was basically the LH500 head in a 2x10 combo, and that was one I could use quite cheerfully.

A Guild/Dearmond Rhythm Chief 1000 with the fingerboard rod mount could perhaps work. It's another guitar pickup, but about the only one that mounts to the bass side of the fingerboard.

If anyone is considering the KNA pickup, it's worth mentioning that Thomann stock it (branded "Fire and Stone" for some reason), and it may work out cheaper than ordering from the US. I picked one up recently after my J-Tone wing pickup stopped working, though I won't have it out for a gig until next week.

Thinking about it, if you had the budget for it, it would be very cool to pick up a pair of the Adeson repro pickups and find a custom builder to come up with a nice lightweight short-scale to get that sound in a more dependable instrument.

I haven't seen one in the flesh, but the Bass Collection Bill Wyman bass looks like it might get towards that sort of character in a modern instrument. (Short scale, tiny body, pickup positions etc.)

I have done it, and it can work, but it is very drummer dependent. While people did it "back in the day", you really need a drummer who is aware of how they played in that era, or at least one with some restraint and sensitivity to the ensemble sound. A kick-heavy rock or funk approach rarely works with unamped bass!

I voted no, because I don't have any electric bass gigs at the moment, only double bass, often with the bow and sometimes unamped. I could do anything I do on electric bass on a 5-string Squier with a decent setup though.

The current R500h does look like good value for what you get, though not the most compact of it's sort. And I guess the graphic EQ might appeal to the guys who pine for their old Trace Elliots! I like that they used sparkly grille cloth too, superficial though that is...

I'm not intimately familar with Laney's range over the years, but is that definitely a bass cab? The basketweave tolex and cloth grille looks like a lot of their guitar stuff over the last few years.

I'm probably something of a luddite in these matters, but putting bluetooth in a guitar amp at all seems like a solution looking for a problem.

I'm hanging on to the Melos, it's just not coming out for gigs. I have two of them, one I was using and another tucked away waiting for me to refurbish it if I ever get around to it, both the silver-fronted cartridge based model.

Ooh, proper Hammond! I always like seeing those used live, as it seems to happen less and less often now.

A post-phase-inverter master volume (PPIMV) can work really well with this circuit to dial it down to lower volumes, though you lose the effect of the presence control at lower settings, and it's still not exactly the same sound as cranking it with no master. I built an amp for a guitarist friend a while back, based on the 1987 circuit but in a 1x12" combo cabinet. While the PPIMV is effective right down to practice volume, I'd suggest that it might be too much amp unless you're regularly playing very loud gigs. He's never had his above 50% on the master even in larger rooms, and it'll be even louder with a 2x12" or 4x12".

I'm concerned about that photo of the back. From that photo it looks a lot like the plates of the 6l6s are glowing red. This does not happen in normal use; it's usually a sign that the valves are drawing too much current and can lead to short valve life and sudden failures. Perhaps check in with the maker about that.

Only if the collectors in question are refuse collectors!

I have heard a pair of these, and I'd say that the screws are the least of their worries!

Ooh, there's a mapleglo one! I still won't be able to afford one, but I could definitely make good use of one of those.

I know there are a couple of basschatters who play there - have any of you noticed what their house guitar amp is at the moment? I have a late gig tomorrow on guitar and I'm temporarily without a car. If it's the same old Peavey as a couple of years ago I'd lug my own combo anyway, but I'm hoping they might have changed it by now.

I could see the value with certain fuzz pedals, though it's something I haven't got around to playing with yet (having few electric bass gigs at the moment). When running a DI with my Superfuzz clone, it takes a competent sound guy, a decent desk and a little time in the soundcheck to sort out the excess high end fizz that a tweeterless bass cab cuts out. A lot of my gigs don't have all of those things, but that pedal does exactly what I want when used through my cabs. I think I'd rather have a simple lowpass response rather than a more complex cab simulation though.

I'd be very tempted if my finances allowed (which they don't). I like the look and sound of Rickenbackers, and the slim-bodied proportions (I started on an Ibanez faker), but the daft metalwork and lack of an effective 5-string put me off, and the 4004 loses too much of what I like about the looks IMO. So this does tick all of the boxes, the walnut model especially.

Ah, I'd forgotten about this thread. I ended up with a Catalinbread Belle Epoch, which was the closest sounding thing I'd tried to my old tape echo. It behaves a little differently, since my old Melos got darker as the tape speed was slowed, and the BE is simulating the Echoplex which uses a sliding head instead (so keeps a consistent tone at different echo times). But the feedback sounds and modulation on it are spot-on.

There's a surprising amount of that, but also a lot of people buying and selling lightly used sets while they figure it out. It turns out that the ones I like (Thomastik Spirocore Medium) are kind of the industry standard for the styles I play, and my first good bass came with a set of them. I have tried out a few others, but it's always felt a bit pointless as it just confirms that these are my favourites anyway.