Paul S

Aha! I'm ahead of you on that one, at least. It is hard to oversell the barefaced kit, IMO. I have a Compact and a Midget and those two purchases have been the single most significant improvement in my sound. And overall health of my lumbar region. Either, on its own, is superb. Together they are the mutts.

Well, I just did the transplant. You are right - even a technophobe like me could manage it in 5 minutes. The trickiest bit was finding an allen key that fitted! In all the excitement I forgot to look at your post and hence didn't have a look at the original 3 valves - the one I have removed says JJ. On the basis that I should quit whilst ahead I won't take the cover off again but, with the amp switched on, I can see through the window at the front that the middle valve says Ruby on it - the one on the right doesn't so I guess it is different? My wife is at work, so I was able to give it a bit of a run just now, having first noodled around before the change to keep the sound fresh in my mind. OK, not at gigging or rehearsal level but loud-ish. My impressions are *exactly* as you have detailed. More useable volume without distortion, even if the actual volume is decreased. For my purposes - classic rock rather than metal - I have more than enough of an edge to the sound so the loss in gain is not a problem. W ith a P-Bass fitted with SDP-1 pups it gives the same warmth to the tone and glassiness to the highs that it did before, but as you have greater sweep before the distiortion cuts in it is more controllable. The change is more noticeable wiith my SBMM SB-14, which is aggressive as heck with massive output - I used to find I had to dial off the gain a lot but, as with the P-Bass, there is now a greater range of useable space on the gain control. So - a huge thank you, 4strings, for getting me a tiny step further towards 'gear nirvana', whatever that is. And to Mr Foxen for getting the valve off to me so promptly.

I have recently parted company with a band I helped start 4 years ago for this very same reason. It all started off fine, we were a democracy and all decisions were joint ones. But gradually things changed - latterly everything had to be done the singer's way, all the suggestions made by other band members were vetoed if it didn't fit into his particular template for what we should do. He'd had a few promotions at work and seemed to carry this sense of self-importance into the band. As we were setting up at our last gig he again spoke to me like an office underling - once too often - and we had a major row over something totally inconsequential just before playing. I threatened to throw him off the fire escape, as I recall. Which, with my back, was only ever an idle threat He made it known afterwards he didn't want me in the band and, as he is a pretty good front man, I got the push and the others stuck with him. Which actually saved me having to quit. It seems a shame that four years have gone down the swannie, plus I got to be fairly good mates with the other band members and despite assurances all round that we will keep in touch I am sure this will dwindle in time. But, well, that's life.

Sounds like it would need to be a trial and error thing, which would be an expensive error if it didn't shape up! Nowt wrong with my Mighty Mite neck on the bass I have in mind, so maybe I'll leave it. Ta

How does the weight of a graphite neck compare to a wooden one - say, maple with maple fretboard? I am concerned, possibly unjustly, that a graphite neck might make a lightweight bass neck heavy. If not, well, it is tempting...

I do it whenever I listen to music or even run through a tune in my head. But I always air bass fingerstyle yet play with a pick.

John made me a wiring loom for an Epiphone EB0 I am pimping. The usual excellent service! Cheers John.

I bought a valve from Oli. Superfast and efficient - arrived next day, despite the vagaries of xmas post. Cheers Paul

Thank you!!

Now yer speakon my language...

I have speakons but tempted to keep posting as I need a new tow rope.

Bump for tomorrow's gig. If you fancy a bit of UFO, Van Halen, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Chickenfoot, Black Country Communion, Iron Maiden...

For sure. I like the idea of a more useable gain. I do use it for what I do, but having it toned down a bit sounds ideal!

Hmm, I have just sent you a PM....

Is this an easy thing to do for people (ie - me) who have never before even opened up the inside of an amp, let along fiddled with it? It sounds like exactly the thing I should like to do, but am hesitant to try.

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1355245013' post='1895880'] I love the Quo as well. Both old and new but I reckon the present line up kicks the a*s of the old line up. Rhino and Matt are a great rhythm section. [/quote] Nowt wrong with this rhytmn section, circa 1972 [url="http://youtu.be/c_OV_M7Hqyo"]http://youtu.be/c_OV_M7Hqyo[/url]

Lord yes, I first saw them when the album Piledriver was released, around the time of Paper Plane as a single. 1972 +/-. Queens Hotel in Westcliff - there was a vacant spot in front of the left hand PA stack that I stood in. Rob Young's harmonica did things to my ears from which they have never recovered! I saw them maybe 5 or 6 times in the next couple of years - the entire Kursaal in Southend was bouncing up and down - the floor, the seats, the balcony, everything. They were bloody good back then - a fresh new sound full of energy.

I have Ki0gon working on that as I type! Stock tone pot does very little so far as my ears can tell, too.

If this clip is anything to go by I quite like the sound of it, even if it isn't a Gibbo-a-like! [url="http://youtu.be/OFB9o9agOsA"]http://youtu.be/OFB9o9agOsA[/url] I'll check out the place you mention (just sent an email, in fact) - thank you! - at the moment the cheapest, new, is Thomann at 89Euro delivered.

Indeed, they aren't cheap, either, and the neck dive isn't too bad.

Don't like the idea of surgery. Thanks. The bridges are expensive, aren't they! There is one on here a secondhand but still £75. Which is only a little bit less than I paid for the bass! Did you bother changing the tuners for lightweight ones?

To answer myself - looks like the DiMarzio DP120 pickup is the one, and the Hipshot Supertone is the bridge. Anyone done this and can recommend the changes?

I have just acquired an Epiphone EB-0 and used it last night at rehearsal. To my surprise I like it an awful lot in terms of how it feels and general wearability. The neck dives a little but no more than some I have. Overall I find it lightweight and comfy and I like the look of it, too - very rock and roll without being flashy like, say, a T-Bird. The major issues I have with it at the moment are a dodgy jack plug and, particularly, very weak output from the pup. First port of call is to have a chat with Ki0gon for a new wiring harness. But also the following: I am thinking a better pickup - but any recommendations as to what different makes/models give what tonal options? Maybe when funds allow I will change the tuners to lightweights - anyone know which model number? I've heard the bridges are weak - this is fine at the moment but what would be the usual replacement? And has anyone fitted a J. East P-retro to one? Any help, advice is appreciated.

Can anyone help me out here? Tender Surrender. Easy track, bass-wise. But I cannot fathom out a particular sequence of chords - my ears tell me one thing, online tab another. Both are notoriously unreliable. First bit - yes, A, D, E. Then again, A, D, E Then C, D, E Then the problem - D, G, C, F - does the F go to F#, then up to B (as the tab tells me) or does the F go to G then C (as my ears tell me) before returning to E. Ta.