Shaggy

That takes me back - I had a 1978 poo brown one of those in the early '90's, when I was broke but needed a cheap 4 seater. Plus was that with the leather and walnut it really did feel like driving a tiny Jag / Roller - minus points were too numerous to list, not least the hydrolastic suspension regularly leaking out so you'd come back to your parked car to find it listing to one side, looking at you like a sad but ugly dog. The rusting body held together with filler and glassfibre patches would have probably gone on forever, but one day the driveshaft fell off. I now have a 1982 Triumph TR7 convertible (harvest gold with beige tartan interior....) - will I never learn? Back to the OP - I know nothing at all about Mr Hall, but have owned 4 Rics (only one now, but a keeper - a '72/73 FG 4001). I'd say Harley-Davidson are a better comparison - they stuck with basically the same agricultural, unergonomic, fairly primitive but iconic design for their entire history - but it does what it does so well, and somehow just outcools the rest.

Hell of a bargain, and they're superb p/ups. I'd agree with itu above that it's generally only 2 of the 3 coil switching options that get used, and as far the Nordstrand Bigman goes I''d say that's certainly single coil / both coils parallel. However, having done a bit of searching on Talkbass etc before wiring up mine, a popular 3-position switching set up for boutique MM type pickups (especially when in a single pickup bass) is single coil 1 / single coil 2 / both coils parallel. Apparently a noticeable difference between the 2 coils. Might be worth trying if you're using the microswitch.

Post some before /after pics here when done - sounds like you had a good score on the Nordstrand pickup!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Pedal-Amp-mini-micro-switch-double-pole-choice-on-on-on-on-on-on-off-on/370621677722?hash=item564ac6009a:m:m66MhJB9hRi9WyPwIyDvmmQ. + a dab of black enamel?

I literally just fitted a Nordstrand Bigman 4 to my Warwick Streamer Jazzman, and wired via a 3 way microswitch (conveniently there anyway for the original MEC MM humbucker) for parallel / single coil / out of phase. Very definitely worth doing; single coil (effectively a Big Single) is probably my favourite setting, although parallel gives that lovely big phat Stingray punch. If you don't want to drill, there is the integrated switch pot option as MoonBassAlpha suggests

Lol - like, yup that that's the truth....

I guess so, and you could hardly have two more different bassists Was what me?

Ah, but does it play like butter? If commercially successful, I foresee a "scratch n' sniff" limited edition......

Thanks for clarifying, Ashdown - makes sense given JJB's grittier core tone MK model is a great amp, the "harmonic emphasis" control is the most useful built-in effect I've found on an amp

Definitely a marketing opportunity for cat-owning bassists there! Yup - I've an old Trace 1x15 and 2x10 taking up space, but can't face letting them go for peanuts.... That's so cool! I'll def try to catch you next time you're down. A range of potential basses you could play if being closely authentic, but I'd really hope it would be the old Ovation Magnum (below) - plus the '70's satin suit of course Last time I was in Swansea Cranes (to pick up a Davidson mandolin sent over from their Cardiff store) they had several 1960's Gretsches and a couple of old Gibson guitars in plus a Wal bass - I could have spent ages there. The only PMT store I know is in Cambridge (where I have family so go over regularly) - nothing of interest there whatsoever....

Indeed; I used to frequent Cranes and they always had nice vintage stuff as well as new. Swansea has had a succession of music shops come and go, but at least it has a fairly healthy live music scene. You tour far afield casapete - what's your band?

Lol - when the sun shines (which isn't often), there's no better place on earth....... Unfortunately the junk shops and second hand musical instrument shops which every town used to have a couple of, have all but gone

I feel your pain - I did get a pre-EB MM Sabre for £400 (with a spare neck too), but the 'Ray would have been an even better score.......

Picked up a late 1970's Fender Bassman 135 head in a local junk shop for £50 a few years back. No output at all, but a reasonable guess was it was just one or more of the valves needing replacing - which turned out to be the case. More recently found an early '60's Broadway semi-acoustic 6-string with dual Fenton-Weil pickups in another junk shop (I can't resist passing one...... ) for £30 - in a bit of a state but restored into a nice guitar (it's somewhere in the Guitar porn thread) Absolutely mint USA Peavey Classic 30 (all valve) combo for £90 in a Crack Converters

It's all there bar the pickup and need for re-fret - wouldn't take too much to get it sorted, but price is way off the mark given the condition and respray

As I'd thought then! Thanks for responses above.

I hope this isn't a thick question, but does anyone know how the Ashdown Mark King signature (MK 500) and JJ Burnel signature (JJB 500) amps differ from each other? Other than the obvious MK being painted red and JJB being black; specs and features for both look pretty much identical from the online info - the JJB 500 is supposed to have a unique transformer, but given that both models have identical weights and power outputs I'd guess even that is similar. I've recently acquired an MK 500 head in lovely nick that I'm very pleased with - quite a departure for me as I've always had all-valve or hybrid heads.

If you're comparing them to the Sunns and Acoustics of the same era then they were probably pretty cr@p. if you were a teenager in a late 1970's punk band (as I was) they were affordable, decently (or rather indecently) loud, and looked cool. Loved mine at the time.

They repeat their programmes ad infinitum, so it'll be round again before too long I recorded it - will watch later. Programme synopsis was: "1973 Doc. Stars Cat Stevens, Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, Otis Redding, Rod Stewart, Pete Townshend & more. Vintage film footage from the hey-day of London's rock and roll scene" Some might say a few years past the hey-day, but those cats were still cool, man.....

Good score - looks fab, and very like the original EB-0 (below) Cant see you getting much work done today then......

One of my all-time favourite bands, and criminally underrated Which didn't answer your question, I know.......

I woke up with "My sweet Lord" clearly running through my head on the morning I learned of his death - sounds too corny to be true, I know - but it is..... For me - Ian Curtis, mainly as I'd only seen Joy Division play a month or so earlier, and it's still the gig that has moved me the most

Ditto for me! Top BC-er, and great guy to communicate and deal with - thanks fella!