Soledad

I declare I'm off topic now... but did I mention our band of quite some time ago, singer was good but an absolute nutter - got done for indecent exposure (and it was a fair cop). Not all, but some singers are a total PITA. I have a tale about David Coverdale (just pre Deep P) that further supports our joint case

Made some odd basses over the years, those Gibson blokes. How is it that the name behind legendary acoustics, the fine early mandolins, the Les Paul... could never come up with one single successful bass? I mean the EB2 has a certain charm, the T'bird is a conversation starter - but not one single smack-in-the -middle workingmans bass. Not one.

I can get that OK> sold, I may throw a set of Suns in but Fats sound my kind of thing. Plan a few sets shipped from the US - in for a penny, in for a quid.

Obviously a lot to choose from, and that's part of the benefit of going separates. Personally I'd look second-hand - that way you can sell-on and swap around at very little cost until you hit on a favourite. I picked up an as-new TC 250 for way under new price (thanks to BobbyD here) - I like it but if I didn't I could pass it on with only a small loss, like a tenner! Markbass do get good words, never tried one myself. Just enjoy the hunt and know it's like girlfriends - you likely won't marry the first.

Agree I'm afraid. I just went the other way. Good combos are quite heavy. I prefer the flexibility of separate amp/cab so I can make changes to either. Portability is easier I think - and designs are optimised, I mean a decent 112 or 210 say, is designed to be just that (you have 2 of them!). There are quite a few bargain used combos around and a lot have had bedroom use only, but the challenge is getting the amp and cab you want all from one maker in one box. Sorry, but I'd stick with what you have - keep one of the cabs and get one of the micro heads... go from there.

That is TASTY. Nice colour - looks dead original too? Just noticed they move the jack to make way for the 3rd pot. I do fancy trying a Squier P/J, the P bodied one whatever it's called. Could an owner tell me what to expect - do I get the split pup P sound, I mean P bass proper, then the added back pup of a Jazz... is it that simple, is it that good !!??

Reminds me of the truly awful budget basses around when I started playing (I mean frightful bad), and I'd have given a leg for absolutely any Squier - took me a long time to raise the cash for my first Precision. So we should judge in context - I think they are all shockingly good for the price, esp second-hand. I just wondered if some factory sources were consistently better. Seems not really, try before you buy is the message I'm getting.

On the deal price I'd almost consider the 115 - totally off brief as there's a reason I want to add the 210 to the 212 - the sound !!! At these prices I do think the 212 and 115 are really good cabs - excellent build, good drivers, HF in the 212 works nicely, not brittle* and with continuous variation of level, a lot are stepped flat, -6dB and off. * well, OK, it will actually remove the enamel from your teeth if you crank it full-up. Consider that a health warning

Read all the stuff on the DR site and I'm planning getting some sunbeams soon - keen to compare with my usual D'Addario 45-100s.

Just trying to get an idea of what's what in the Squire output. According to Wiki: "Squier guitars have been manufactured in Japan, Korea, Mexico, India, Indonesia, China, and the United States." I've seen serious players using a Squire bass as their worker, the day-in day-out bass. There must be some really good ones, and maybe some not so. If 10 was perfect, is Japan an 8, Indonesia a 6, China a 4... ?? (I have no idea, this was a random guess). Only asking cos I've seen an Indonesian 5 around, prob 15 yrs old. But a guide to the genral order of goodness would be very useful to many I think (there may be one out there that I haven't found yet, if so a link please).

well said ! The Jazz doesn't quite do it front pup only, or any other mix. Phil Lynott knew that

I saw one Brighton a week ago, £200. I do fancy a new one, never know how a used one has been worked. Really pleased with the 212 btw - good balance of depth but crisp n tight. I think a 212 and 1 210 would make a good pair, then a bigger head... never ends

yes, saw that! Just waiting on that 210

Now that's handy - just so happens I know someone regularly visits Houston. Could get a few sets shipped there. Question is which ones...

Recently been some v big price drops on the TC RebelStack cabs. I got a 212 from Andertons for 299, they have the 115 now for 279, but the 210 is still full price (499) which is annoying as I would get a 210 if it dropped. Are these about to be replaced? The 212 i got had previously been over 500 and I reckon it's a really good cab. I'm keeping an eye out for a price drop on the 210. Anyone know what's going on?

Never used them, but the OP gave me the impression they would be mega-bucks. Not too bad, a bit more than the D'Addarios I use but not silly money.. My question will be Sun, Fat or Hi... I don't need huge top, but wide range mids and the lower highs, plus crisp very tonal E. I'll read the DR site info, but any pointers? (I use D'Addario 45-100 nickel rounds). re: plus crisp very tonal E - hard in words, but clarity of pitch, not muddy or thumpy. Tend to like a fair bit of tension in the E and prefer 100 to 105 as it feels / sounds more dynamic - in theory I'm thinking a bit lower mass... but who really knows

Good work there! It's good to see actual ev outputs charted. It is counter-intuitive to me that the 2nd is of greater amplitude than 1st, If I overlay (in my head) 2 pure sinewaves an octave apart, then part of the time they are additive, so there are peaks where the 2nd's perceived and measured amplitude exceeds the fundamental. Is this what is going on here? Re strings, I noted somewhere above (sorry don't recall who said it) Fender went 34" as a compromise with a bottom E. No pre-sight of low B. My own experience with 5s has been mixed but often the B has been 'sloppy' and I've felt it needed more tension. There's a table here also (above somewhere) for equal tension Es and Bs (based on diameter ) but surely the tension depends only on core diameter and tensile strength, the wrap is there to add the appropriate mass. I am using a 100 E at the moment which actually feels a little tighter than some 105s I've used before. Sorry, bit all over the place here, but string diameter is not a reliable indicator of tension, is it? - the maker will determine tension by deciding core diameter and tensile properties.

Thanks all - It's worth a go for me I think. I often find I want that low D, sometimes the C. And broadly speaking the G is the string I like least of the std 4 - I suppose I emerged from the deep dark part of the lake, or summat

Did you mean to say this? I don't need to look up timbre or tone or much about fundamentals and harmonics. Regarding my point/question concerning headless v headed - the OP heading is 'clear B string'. It is not possible to consider or discuss the real-world behaviour of the string in isolation, the entire system must be considered. If it helps, the creator of physics agrees with me. Given the termination points of the string are really important parts of the system, my point is relevant to the thread topic. And you don't own the thread.

I'm inclined to guess that Hiram is closely associated with a Rickenbacker, in which case being in tune is not an issue But just to be sure, it's the parts of a halftone that hurt, if the shifts were exact halftones I'd be OK. Doea anyone actually use a capo on a bass... is it even legal?

Excellent, thanks all. Bearfist - hadn't thought of the nut! I'm thinking of doing this to a fairly modest bass, and I'd seen elsewhere here one of the makers formin a nut from brass. I think I could manage that and do a nut-switch - after all we could both do with one anyway. I'll report back but it may be a while.

Any particular issues? Checked string tensions off D'Addario site, on a 45 - 130 set the B is lower load on neck than top G so that should be OK. Bridge saddle adjusting far enough back? So far as I know, pups are just pups with a conductor cutting flux. Can't really see the active pre-amp being a significant issue. Thought I'd buy a 5 string set and try it, can always use the top 4 and go back to normal. Not on a posh bass of course, just in case. Has anyone done this and anything odd to watch out for?