Shaggy

Never seen a Vox logo in that script, but who knows - looks old, and the headstock looks right from what's visible

VW-Fest at Margam Park (South Wales) - pouring rain, in a huge tent but more mud than Woodstock. Happy crowd, soon had the place bouncing. But why is it always a free bar when I'm driving????? Back there this afternoon for another show (4 gigs altogether this weekend! Missus not impressed )

(Edit; We're not "The Blims" - they were on after us & kindly lent us their drum kit to save faffing about)

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='263165' date='Aug 15 2008, 03:39 PM']Had to back a guy called "Mr Methane".

Our band backed him on TV whilst he lay on his back, farting into a microphone to "Bye Bye Blackbird".[/quote]
I remember him from "Eurotrash"! Wonder if he's still doing the same act?

For me - playing in a band backing a troupe of lap dancers. Best practice for not looking at my fretting hand I ever had.............

Some great shots here!
Here's a few should be familiar;

Only just seen this; really impressed, although genuinely gutted about the amount of grief you've had with it. My fault for the misaligned bridge; pure impatience on my part!
Congrats Shockwave, hope you iron out the glitches, she's a real beaut already and potentially even better!

Looks a real nice one otherwise, especially with all its hardware (if original) You just can't beat 3TS / maple on a Fender!

I think the most famous Vox player apart from Wyman was in the Banana Splits! I posted on BW ages ago wondering who the bass player was (The crazy pink elephant thing?)
Here’s a couple of pics of a (over-) restored Wyman bass, one of Bill’s actual bass, and a couple of the guitar version I’m fixing up at the moment. Cool looking and a reasonable player, but horrendously complex ‘60’s electrics. Never tried the bass model but I’d imagine they’re fairly nasty. Short scale too? Surprised Italia haven’t done a take on it.

Thought this was a tennis match from the thead title..............

Hmmmm....PM'd

A stetson. Don't know why, but I do.

How does this compare tone-wise with the standard SVP-pro, PP?

Somebody recomended using the dishwasher in a similar thread a while back - haven't tried it though

One bump before I decide to keep it!

What's the body wood out of interest? Looks like yew, v unusual on a bass. Lovely classy looking bass anyway!

[quote name='Shockwave' post='242005' date='Jul 17 2008, 06:26 PM']Thought the forum could do with a feel good thread.

I have been going from one amp to another very recently. I find one realise i dont like it very much, Go onto the next. They play second fiddle to my bass spending, And i try to get as much as i can from very little money ampwise.

I allways seemed to end up with cabs/amps that have had problems or incorrect ohmages, I have had more then my fair share of amp failures.

However they are now all gone

My rig is now complete.

Its a Marshall 3540 Bi-Amp. Peavey 1x15 2x8 Bi-amp cab.

The amp is one i am very familiar with, i had the 200 watt 3520 version for a while and i loved the sound, a good mix between a funk/rock sound. And one can be picked up fairly cheap, They are criminally underrated and have a very clean tone. One would say "Transparant" But only if you want it to be!

Anyway, I liked the 200 watt so much i upgraded to the 400 watt and couldnt be happier!


The cab is amazing! I took out the black widow and put a 500 watt eminence into it. Bi-amped the Treble to 2x8's and the bass to the 15 and it sounds so amazingly clear, This is the first time i have experienced Bi-amping in the flesh. Its bloody brilliant. Every naunce (and mistake) Comes through and cuts the mix.

I heartily endorse Bi-amping. And with the peavey cab it gets around the nuisance of carting around 2 cabs!


You should try it with a stereo bass thru 2 channels now Shockwave! I briefly tried it with the Ovation; neck pickup channel clean and bridge pickup channel with a bit of delay/chorus. Lovely massive "wall-of-sound", but TBH I couldn't be @rsed doing it live, especially as most bass amps are only single channel.[/quote]

Try; [url="http://www.harrowaudiohifi.co.uk/products.asp?Make=WAL"]http://www.harrowaudiohifi.co.uk/products.asp?Make=WAL[/url]

I paid £500 for mine last year, but it was modded (EB-3 pickups and Bartolini circuit) - Gibson basses are always undervalued as they don't have a reputation for them and did make a few real dogs. The RD's were their very best basses however IMO, and fantastic value if you find a nice one.
I know EvilLordJuju was looking to trade for one of his duplicates (fireburst and black) recently - try him?
Worth tryng before you buy though - probabaly the heaviest production bass ever built! Also 35" scale I think. You need either the original case or a T'bird one too.
Lovin' mine mind, my main bass in the rock covers band at the moment.

[quote name='Matty' post='239384' date='Jul 14 2008, 06:10 PM']edit: what sort of weight is this bruiser?[/quote]


There are weights given here; [url="http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/bassman_super.html"]http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/bassman_super.html[/url] but they must be for the combo versions. It's a bit under half the weight of my SVT if that's any help! Certainly not mega heavy. They did put the transformer at one end of the chassis for some reason, so they carry lop-sided using the strap handle.

[quote name='Matty' post='239349' date='Jul 14 2008, 05:31 PM']do these go down to 2 ohms?
Willing to post at all?[/quote]
(1) No - says minimum load 4 ohm by the speaker jacks
(2) Yes, for cost - but I will be driving through the fair county of Bedfordshire in a fortnight or so en route to E Anglia! :brow:


Edit; you have a very scary avatar!

My second bass (circa 1979) was a Columbus Jazz copy – OK in its way, but not a patch on some of the better far eastern copies of the time (Maya, Kimbara, Antoria etc) – body made of plywood, neck some sort of cheapo mahogany, and near zero-output pick-ups.
Wonder where it is now?

[quote name='cardinaljay' post='238696' date='Jul 13 2008, 07:30 PM']You don't have any Bassman speaker cabs at all? I'm ideally looking for a matching 1x15.[/quote]

No, never had one - in fact when I was gigging with this I put it through a big old H/H 2x15; did a cheat by sticking some silvery cloth with a Fender logo stencilled on the front of the grille! You do see the cabs around, mind, and they look good with the older Ampeg cabs too.
Cheers for the good words!

Fender Bassman 135 all valve head, USA-made (of couse!)
Silver-face / light blue graphics with red jewel power-light. These were made between 1977-83, exact date unknown, but serial no is; A880070.

All-valve, rated at 135W, but those are LOUD valve watts; I’ve heard quieter solid-state 250W-ers, and the Bassman 135’s have got substantially more grunt than the 100’s.
2 channels; bass & normal. Controls; volume, bass, mid, and treble EQ on each channel, master volume, “deep” switch on bass channel and “bright” switch on normal. On the rear; Fuse, mains voltage select switch, standby and power switches, 2 x speaker out (min 4 ohm) jacks, line out jack, output tubes matching and hum balance trim pots.

One of the great iconic bass amps; Trace Elliot copied their V-series preamp from it. They're known for having a fat but clean, almost hi-fi sound, in fact won't overdrive unless really pushed hard. It’ll do the old-school rock-blues sound to perfection, but so much more too.

Had it since around 1986/7, changed the power valves at the time and gigged it 100% reliably for the next eight years or so, retired it since then. Finally got around to changing the power valves (20+ years old!) only last month and she's sounding sweet. I’d guess the pre-amp valves to be mainly original as two of them are “Fender” branded, but they still seem to be doing their stuff.
Aesthetically I reckon this is the classiest-looking amp ever made, and nice and compact for an old 135W valve head (much more so than a Marshall, for example). The normal channel feature is great for players doubling on bass/rythmn, or as a back-up if your guitarists amp happens to pack up mid-gig! (yes, happened to us twice ).
A crap time to be selling I know, and would far prefer to keep it, but my GAS has gone psycho recently and I need to replace squandered funds!
Best collected due to the weight / fragility of valves; I'm based in South Wales just N of Swansea, but work at Bridgend (further E) just off the M4. PM any interest!
PRICE NOW £300

Some great stuff here. Four of my personal faves I haven't spotted but might have missed, soundtracks to;
"Cal" (Mark Knopfler best music he's ever done, and way better than Local Hero)
"Metropolis" (Giorgio Moroder, with great guest vocalising by Freddie Mercury, Pat Benetar etc)
"Paris, Texas" (Ry Cooder)
"Pat Garrett & Billy the kid" (Bob Dylan)

PM on the way!