Twanger

I love that demo. It's the simplest, most straightforward comparison of small amps I've ever seen. But OP asks about volume - the the volumes are set arbitrarily, so the demo doesn't really help. I know this is a semi zombie thread, but it interests me, so on I go. My feeling is that the Markbass would punch through better. It's has a middy sheen to the sound, which would probably work better in a gig full of ambient noise and other instruments than the PJB. But the PJB would sound better in a studio, being more natural and articulate. Now, has anyone actually got the experience which would prove me right or wrong?

This works. Not a difficult mod, if you can use a soldering iron. I did it nearly 20 years back, and it's been great. There's a schematic and a picture on talkbass (am I allowed to mention talkbass?). Have a look at the FAQ on their pickups forum. You don't need to ruin your bass by adding an extra switch - you can use a push-pull pot with attached DPDT switch.

I've been using a Tribal Planet gig bag for the past 15 years. Does anyone one know if they're still made? Really, really well made and tough.

Bass heaven - High powered amp you can carry with one hand. Bass hell - Fender twin for guitar in a small bar.

It amazes me how ignorant I am of such a well known brand! Thank you.

What bass is that? I've seen those headstocks, but I've never known what they were.

I have had TI flats (JF344s) strung through body on a Fender P and a jazz.

Ha! That would be fun! No, a band where it doesn't matter. I don't use a car. When I needed timber for a project at home in December I walked to the woodyard (it took half an hour) and had it delivered (it came the same day - and I paid for the delivery guy). I do my weekly shop with a rucksack - to the amazement of my driving friends. They offer lifts. I say no. I appreciate the open spaces in the country, but I do like living in cities, not least because of the freedom not have a car.

Exactly!

To clear up a terminology point - by "hobby" band, I mean one which costs you money rather than makes you money. It really is just for fun.

Well, motorised bands - don't worry. I won't be auditioning. But if anyone else has any stories of how they get their gear around on public transport, in a city, without exploiting the driving members of the band they're in, I'd love to hear them.

This country seems to be divided into car owners and non car owners! I totally get a working band requiring its members to have transport. But I don't get why a hobby player should be held to the same rules.

I can imagine a bass great turning down a gig because they're plugging into a piece of crap.

Sometimes the options are using the venue's stuff or not playing. When I was playing in Ankara, most bass players and drummers were not rich. A full rig might cost $1000, but in Turkey that was three months average salary - and if you could find one for sale. I remember a new Fender Bassman 350 watt 2x10 combo turning up in one music shop and all the bass players standing around it drooling. That was, at the time, the only actually usable bass amp on sale in the city. Mostly the amps on sale were Marshall B65, Fender BXR 100 or Laney RB3s. I don't know if anyone actually bought the Bassman combo. Sometimes a rich kid would import something really special, but the rich kids didn't play bass. You would be paid about a tenner for playing and get limited free beer. You used the house bass amp. It was the local economy. I would take my own amp in all cases other than two bars where they had good house amps, but for those gigs I would take my Sansamp and bypass the preamp stage. It was a different situation. All the bands on the circuit knew each other. They'd even swap personnel, and sub for each other when musicians were ill. All bars where music happened had their own FOH. Every single one. I don't know of any band which would take its own PA to a bar gig. I don't know any band which actually had a PA. It was a completely different context to one where professional, organised bands are transporting a whole setup to a gig for a specific contracted function. It was a cheap bar circuit. The point is that there are many different ways of playing, and many different reasons for playing. My semi-pro days are over, and any playing I do now will be purely for the fun of it.

Right where I am now. Edit to expand. I'm a bit surprised at the number of people who seem to think I'm freeloading because I don't drive. Look, I'm not saying no one should drive. I have my reasons for not driving, and I'm sticking with them. I realise that my choices mean I will not be gigging with a 4x10, but I'm happy with that. I started this thread because I'm interested in hearing about how other people cart their gear around by public transport, not to criticise people who do drive.

Another vote for Made in Japan. Another vote for Graceland because it is the best album ever made. "Happy trails" by Quicksilver Messenger Service. And, simply because it's survived on my mp3 player for over 5 years without getting deleted, and gets listened to a lot - Nazareth's greatest hits. Finally, because greatest hits don't count, John Martyn "Solid Air"

I lived in Turkey for over 20 years (Mrs Twanger is Turkish). UK Government does not consider the Turkish driving licence equivalent to UK one - and to be honest they're not wrong. So after 2 years back home it was invalid and I needed to do a test. Which I still haven't got around to.

That's really useful. Thank you very much. What trolley are you using?

I don't think it's an issue of selfishness. It's not selfish to choose to live in a village and it's not selfish to choose not to have a car. The reasons I don't have a car are that they're too expensive, too much hassle, nowhere to park, traffic jams, unnecessary for daily life, and I have never really liked driving - I am not confident behind a wheel and feel much safer and more aware of what's going on on two wheels. I also don't have a UK driving licence. I learned to drive while living abroad, and got my licence in a non EU country. My licence is not recognised here. The selfishness does not come in those decisions. The selfishness lies in what you expect other people to do about those decisions. I will not be playing in a band where I will be exploiting motorised musicians, so the issue doesn't arise.

OK, I wouldn't audition for a band which required me to have transport. I'm talking coffee shops. Vocals run through the guitarist's acoustic amp, and lights would be overkill.

The gig bag is pricey (but I have a tough gig bag anyway), but the rest of the kit is very affordable. Thank you!

This is the material point.

Not always sponging, no. People contribute in different ways. But I always feel guilty about having to be picked up. A personal thing.

Yes. Sponging off other guys is not on. I used to get cabs in my past gigging life, but that was in a different smaller city in another country.

I don't drive. I can drive, but I don't. I do cycle, but don't really fancy cycling home with a combo in a bike trailer. I may be doing the odd (low volume/ coffee shoppy type) gig in the future, and don't plan on getting a car. I live in London, so public transport is pretty good, to be honest. I have a Tribal Planet gig bag which works as a backpack, and I had thought of a suitcase trolley for the amp, but I wondered if there's anyone else in this situation, and how they meet the issues that arise...any tips and wisdom?