Stub Mandrel

I have 19, but the total spend is probably a fraction of what some BCers have spent on a single bass, and as I have= plenty of room...

Forgiven!

Shame on you! 🤣😂🤣

Playing by ear is not formally defined. Is it being able to pick up songs without a written guide? Is it being able to play something straight off from just hearing it? Is it being able to find the key and join in random songs? Is it being able to identify various intervsls by ear? Or all of these; something else; any one of these or a bit of all of them?

Decent rehearsal with the Fort Sons.

You obviously have no experience of a quality class D. Please believe me. I own and use both and it's bollocks to say the Trace has more heft.

I doubt it. I've measured my TE at full power with an oscilloscope. I couldn't measure distortion but it was very lose to 300W into 4R. The rail to rail boltage is consistent with that too. The THD on a class D is negligible. Obviously overdriving the preamps on both amps would eke out more power. But it's a sterile discussion. The Trace only puts out less than 200W into the 4x10 with no extension cab, but is still ample for my needs. My modern rig IS more powerful, but I dont actually need that extra power except on rare occasions (like playing on a football field with no pa support). I'm not knocking TE, but I really think it's nonsense to say you need the old iron.

The best ones have a block at the front to hold the kick in place.

Go for it! I went out for a £40 Kay!

I've come across bands that are musically awful*, but do well because they play what people want to hear and keep the volume down. *As in so bad it's almost painful.

I have a 300W 1100 combo, plenty loud enough for any gig IMHO. I also have a 500W Bass Terror through a GRBASS cab. I don't know how loud the modern rig is because it gets too loud for sanity if the master control is past 8 o'clock. I'm not saying Traces don't deliver, but in my experience class D has no problems delivering the goods. (And 500W RMS is lots more power more than 300W RMS, volume wise it's my very efficient cab that's making most of the difference).

Back at the Exchange with Bendricks this time. Still tough to get the sound right in there, and rhythm guitarist said I was too loud, vocalist that I was too quiet... I struggled to hear myself well. First set was very poorly lit and I could barely see my neck dots... that caused a few minor bloopers, especially compounded with mushy sound due to all the hard surfaces. Second set we got the lights over us switched back on. Audience modest, probably because of storm Amy. In the second set drummer ran for the loo! Lead guitarist started jamming Parisienne walkways (which we haven't ever played together) and I joined in and vocalist jumped on the drums. Audience loved it. Drummer recovered and we got on with it. Had a couple of encores which I played with a pick for an experiment , Rock and Roll and War Pig.

I have a 4x10 combo. Trouble is, my Orange Terror/GRbass cab suits blues rock and classic rock much better, so it's hard to work up enthusiasm for hauling it to a gig.

Slightly the other end... I just saw Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons who are finishing off a year playing 50 years of Motörhead sets to huge audiences across Europe with one if their "Welsh Weekenders". Tonight the biggest venue in Phil's hometown to a sold out 400 people. All credit to them there were two original support bands, both local (and very good). It's amazing seeing a band who can play Wacken bring their professionaism to a small venue.

Ultimately, the tone you prefer is very personal. But to me my Orange Terror doesn't lack anything.

I no longer believe this. I have heard and played through too many good class D amps. The Trace Elliott mosfet power amps are good, solid designs but there's absolutely nothing special or innovative about them, they are very basic designs. A simple differential amp taking feedback from a push-pull ouput stage. All the 'Trace Magic' is in the preamp design and the fact that the output stages were genuinely powerful. Class D is ultra faithful to preamps and most have headroom and power way beyond Trace designs.

The url is a nice reminder that it's pronounced 'hefner' like the playboy guy.

I started playing some songs using a pick for an originals band as it better suited some of the material. Lots of fast string swaps including some octave skips. In the past I've only used one for a occasional songs and never felt really comfortable. Hit the notes but not getting any character in the way I can with fingers. Sitting at home is one thing, took three rehearsals to be comfortable doing it in anger, and now feel like I'm getting my own style. Always more to learn.

Making it practical to use.

Would it be a sin to remove the gp11 preamp from my 1110 combo and marry it to a 500W class d power amp?

It's guitar not bass, but Peter Green's opening note on The Super Natural, of John Mayall's greatest album, A Hard Road. I think Gary Moore and Joe Bonamassa dedicated their lives trying to repeat it. Lovely bassline by John Mcvie too - blues but not a predictable 12-bar. One of my favourite songs.

I have tried at least one of this pair if not both. They are very lovely.

I rotate my practice bass but often end up back with my 40th anniversary Squier P. I try (often unsuccessfully) to gig one of my favourites and one of the others. I've managed to gig all my basses except the two Kay short scales, and one of those has done an open mic. Some have only done short sets or a few songs. My main bass from the early 90s got its first full gig (rather than one or two outings for the odd set) in 30 years last weekend. So I rotate basses slowly but do have my favourites.

There's actually a precise formula: Too many = how many you have now + 2 That means there's always room for one more...