JTUK

I took him an old SM400 which had been knocked to the ground at a gig and that has been the only issue I have had with it for nigh on 20 yrs..( so far.. ) He told me he wouldn't have designed the input stage the way they did, but was very impressed with the components used and the general lay-out. There was an element of truth about weight as he was a bit of an iconic designer of 60's gear and so was not the youngest and I guess he couldn't lug around 20 plus kgs of amp onto his bench but he saw many many valve gtr amps and he was NOT a fan of certain marques through the sheer build. He said he wouldn't have one if the paid him. I was thinking about giving him an old Selmer combo to rebuild but I doubt if it is worth the time and money it would cost. Anyway, I generally believe him when he talks about amps. Back to the OP... and this is important...what sort of resale would you get from your end choice?

[quote name='Algae' post='1123748' date='Feb 11 2011, 12:27 PM']The Ashdown MAG are the cheaper range solid state heads. Mine is an ABM which is higher spec with a valve preamp so may justify the neo cab , a MAG certainly doesn't.[/quote] Sorry my mistake..didn't take too much notice...I think it was an EVO 500/600. It was supposed to be 600watts [url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=6"]http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=6[/url] This looks like it...but not sure on the models generally, and this likes what I am often given.... I'll take note of the MAG/ABM config next time. Thanks

[quote name='Algae' post='1123609' date='Feb 11 2011, 10:14 AM']Mmmm lots to think about there. Thanks folks. So if my Ashdown is not in the premiership should I be thinking about upgrading my head too to go with the neo cab ?[/quote] I wouldn't do this in the first instance..get used to a new piece of kit first. It may well be that you don't like the sound of the Berg for what you do or want. My beef with Ashdowns, generally, are that the amps need work to get a sound. I played one of their better amps..a Mag 500 thingey..? and it was a bugger through pretty clean cabs. I hated it...as I knew what the cabs could sound like. That graphic slider thing was a PITA and I never got a clean sound from it. I prefer amps that respond to a flattish level..on the dials..and then you can see what to boost and the less playing around the better. gone are the days where I will want to be fiddling with this parameter or that... just plug in and play and a knotch here and there for the room. I have also used Ashdowns where I was getting a decent sound, but most of the tweaks I do on the bass pre, so don't need to go around in circles finding it on the amp. There cabs are big and solid but nothing special, IMO, but they may be quite a few people's ideal sound...YMMV..!!

If it were me..I'd get the classic rock sound sorted with the amp..and then palm mute the strings for the dub stuff..and maybe thumb the line with attack rolled off. It is a tough ask to cover that range of sound, if I understand what you are after, properly.

Alex from the Gallery sent me a La Bella super step A string as a seperate which I am very pleased about as he has rescued a new set. The other A string broke at the bridge after about 3 hrs of playing..so brand new virtually.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='1123546' date='Feb 11 2011, 08:35 AM']Played at Whittles in Oldham last night - first gig for 4 fookin' months and it was a good'n. Whittles is a rock/metal music venue so they gave us a slot on Thursday night to see if we went down like whaleshit (my band plays folk rock) and we stormed the place. Got a lot of great feedback and a few Shuker droolers too. The only downer was the sound man and his assistant, setting up was like pulling teeth, it took them nearly two hours to get a crap sound but it was getting late so we had to live with it. There wasn't enough channels for my bass so I had no PA assistance but had enough beans in my LM Tube/Epifani UL410 to cope fine. Didn't take kindly to the sound 'assistant' who wasn't as old as some of my underwear telling me to turn my bass down twice - the second time it was..."turn your bass down now please". I don't normally hit girls but she came close (just kidding).[/quote] We get very good compliments on our sound generally and it has become a bit of a feature as we don't normally use PA support, but the worst sound we have had recently has been when the venues soundman gets to play with his PA. I mean, what is it with these failed musicians ? to be fair one of those PA rigs redeemed themsleves at an outside gig but if you have been round the block a few times, sometimes the soundman's kid gofer takes some patience.

Also, not sure the Ashdown is upto taking advantage of the Berg but again, you may make the decision in context. If it were me..I'd be trying to get my amp fired up into the cab and then go from there.

From this distance, I would expect the Berg to be by far the better cab...but you are going to have to hear it, I am afraid. Either may or may not work for you. All people here can do is post their thoughts but you have to answer the question, ultimately.

Maybe..I am more curious how and why these 'great' basses get sold on. If they were that great they'd stick around longer...?? But for the OP..if the basses hold their value through a few exchanges they may be fairly priced..??? but anyhow, you can desire a price, whether you achieve it is another thing. FWIW, I think most transactions, afaict, are not profiteers as such which makes it a good place to buy/sell, IMO.

Tubes....?? it would be down to whether the premium you pay on the Matamp is evident in the build quality. I would suspect it is... as some of the better U.S valve makers ship out the places where production costs are lower..so with that ethos, I'd be thinking they are cost-cutting elsewhere as well. Whether this manifests itself in to a tangible thing, I don't really know.. Maybe a tech who has worked on these types can detemine otherwise. I do know that my amp tech, who is an old skool 60's designer, is scathing about the innards of some top marques and some of them would be the direct competition you may be considering.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1122564' date='Feb 10 2011, 01:18 PM']Agreed, neck pocket gaps are over-rated as an issue IMHO. Most of my Fenders (young and old) have had a small gap and I very much doubt it had any affect on the bass' sound or playability (although I cannot of course prove that). Big gaps are different (I sent back a 2009 MIA Jazz with a whopping gap you could squeeze a coin into) but small gaps no biggie[/quote] ok..that is one POV..and if it isn't a deal breaker to you, then ok....but I am with G here, £900 should at least make these things be put together well enough. We must be talking CNC here so I don't get it at all..!! But, for me..if they can't get the basics right.and this applies to so many other pieces of kit as well..then why trust them to get the unseen bits right. If it is beyond makers to do that for the above sort of price, then fair enough...but I can't believe it If they can't match up a neck joint, I'd be thinking that is some old hacket job operation they have going on there Having said all this...I talked to a luthier who sold direct and he said that his £1500 bass would be way too good a match for any bass made on a production line and some of them came with £2500 plus price tags back then. For a start, his direct prices did away with the retail mark up. Having seen these basses..he was as good as his word.

My bands new numbers CD..working through them. I have had to go with a few LIVE versions as the original recorded versions were woeful McCartney...WTF, what were you playing at... ?? even on my first few sessions when I was pretty raw, I couldn't have gotten away with some of that playing..!!! Some of the originals are unlistenable to me, I just can't do it.

No matter, the guy complaining can hear it....

I seem to have had more problemswith string batches, these last few months that I had for years...in factr, never known a period like it. Admittedly, I am trying out different brands but that doesn't explain a broken string almost straight out of the pack, the inability to wash them again and get a worthwhile result, or just not that inmpressive string resonance. I reckon my 10 years old plus DR's which I have restrung loads would perform better than some of these new packs. I wonder if they are cost-cutting the metals at the manufacturers and this is why the few..?? winders are affecting quite a few brands... just a wild guess..?? but something is a bit odd, IMV.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1122426' date='Feb 10 2011, 10:44 AM']Check out 4 Candles's seafoam green MIJ Jazz that he has up for sale on BC. Phwoar![/quote] yes..look fab..but the truth is none of us can pick out a bass for G..he has to find it himself. All we can do is post a few links or ideas and let it go from there. I really hope he finds one soon though or his wallet will explode.. If it were me, I'd want an active option on a passive bass... just to help out live without going back to the amp so some basic 2 way might be enough....but if you run these hard then you get the active sound that some bulk at.. I think they can be run without spiking everything..thinking classic MM here...!! The idea, IMV, is to run them without people knowing for sure, you are doing so..

Play better so he likes what you play. We ban drums from these home rehearsals as the purpose they serve is to get chords, keys, arrangements sorted, then we go and book a rehearsal room. I think the neighbour sounds reasonable, so I would respect his viewpoint and revise what you do. Band volumes in a house is unresonable and you are lucky if you can get away with it.. In your case, it doesn't seem that you can. Book a room

[quote name='chris_b' post='1122016' date='Feb 9 2011, 10:36 PM']There are a lot of great sounding speaker cabs out there. Just find one you like. It doesn't matter what the specs say.... what do your ears tell you?[/quote] This... Just get in your mind a few cabs that you like the look of and then try and get to hear them, The rest of the stuff can be useless twitter by and large.

I doubt they will have the kits and you will probably not get the replacement PAS type chassis you are after, therefore you may as well get new chassis and retune the cab.

Very hard to get PAS driver info. Companies in the U.S say they have replacement kits but I don't believe these are PAS so cannot be sure how well this works. It would certainly be cheaper in the U.S to mess around with their advertised options ..but not to get them over here, IME. Other companies might say they can recone...but then don't come up with the equiv spec/rating, IME. I contacted PAS/SWR company in Germany but again not cheap. At the time I enquired Fender were in the service loop but that was useless as well. If it were me..I would buy a cheap Goliath 4x10 ll/lll which will be a far better cab, IMV, for him, and then you can keep the old one.

[quote name='flyfisher' post='1115675' date='Feb 4 2011, 05:59 PM']My rounds have been on for about 3 years now, although I've been thinking about changing them for the past 6 months or so, mainly as a result of all the comments here about changing or cleaning strings regularly. I do rub them down carefully with a dry cloth after every rehearsal and gig though - does that get me off the hook?[/quote] ha ha...NO..!! Seriously, though, rounds need to be changed. There are degrees of being played in, IMV...and I prefer a 'live' sound, but after a few months they just feel awful....REALLY awful. That in itself is enough to HAVE to change them, IMV.

Wow...it takes me a bit of time to fall for a bass..but this one seems to have bitten you big time.. Best of luck with it. I think you are making quite a few jazz bassers jealous.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1119588' date='Feb 7 2011, 10:38 PM']I don't know if it's common to all Eminence neos but the 10" deltalite IIs I used certainly needed a break in period of a few hours bassy music before they started sounding any good. To start with they sounded as described by the OP.[/quote] Agree, this was my experience. I wouldn't say they weren't good from the off...but not as a successful swap that I thought it would be..it got better but still needed tuning

Keep it silver and keep it original. You also really need to get an old Ampeg 4x10 cab to go with it, IMV. As good as I rate Ag cabs, you need Ampeg cabs, pref uprated as a 200w 4x10 is no good to you, IMO.. to complete the look. Was that the state of the internals at that time..??? wow!!!

I agree you can't sit by and let them just happen...you need to go out and make an effort. We have 3 guys out of 5 that are prepared to do this. Lots of beands chasing the same gigs but newer venues trying things all the time. Even some of the classic places that went offline years ago to be restaurants etc ..are coming back with a music night. If a place has karaoke nights, then some of them must be suitable for bands..so you would think one of them would do this..??? karaoke nights round here are old hat...and have been replaced by open mics as every now and again you might get someone half decent. Some pubs...mischievously...have an audition night where you play for a few drinks, but no one decent just starting will bother with that...