Low End Bee

[quote name='Zoe_BillySheehan' post='522186' date='Jun 23 2009, 11:16 PM']ooo classic rock mag, well done! Welcome to basschat! Z x[/quote] Thanks. We're totally blagging it. It's hysterical. We out voted a band of 17 year olds from Liverpool who had 7,000 odd myspace 'friends'. We get on the cover CD soon too. And Hello to Born 2Be Mild as well. I'm sure I will like it here. Otherwise I'll take my ball and go home.

OK I've been out of the loop on what gear is about for a looooonng time. I've been playing through a cheepie Ashdown Electric Blue 180 that i bought for £180. I got it about 3 years ago before I had serious intentions of gigging. I wasn't a big fan of the sound so I've just been sticking a Sansamp programmable direct into the effects send and using it as a mini PA in effect. Anyway. Last night it expired in a buzzing, smoking heap. It did me well at lots of gigs and had no trouble being heard over two noisy guitarists. So I guess I got my moneys worth. I love the Sansamp but want to keep it for recording. I'd rather not have any pedal action and just plug straight in. I want a replacement that will: Handle pub gigs OK. Have an XLR out for the bigger gigs. Not kill me shifting it in and out the motor. Get me an old school overdriven sound (JJ Burnel for a reference point) Maybe have another channel for the 2 or 3 less noisy songs we play. Not be over complicated. Be under £500 ish. It doesn't have to cover a large sound spectrum. We don't do covers. I'd be happy if it did one sound really well. I'm using a Precision with the S1 switch (which I've never used) and play with a pick and no effects. I'd really appreciate any advice. I've got a Monday deadline.

I saw them a couple of times in 78'ish. I still have a copy of the 'Bulletin' single somewhere that's a fine bandwagon jumping slice of quasi punk. The violin is terrible and magnificent at the same time!

Stumbled across here after last nights internet marathon as my amp has transformed into a smoke machine (Bugger) and I was looking for tips on a replacement. Anyway I started playing bass as a young (13) punk in 1977. I was in lots of hopeless and hopeful West London bands until I retired at the age of 21 disenchanted with the mostly dreadful way I felt music was going in the 80s. Fast forward to 2003 and I started playing again for fun at home. Getting back up to speed. In 2006 I met up with some other middle aged rebels and we formed Magic Ship. We're doing OK and gigging regularly (and getting paid!) playing 100% original material. We've released an album. Been on the wireless, headlined the Half Moon a few times, won a Classic Rock Mag 'Battle of the Bands' competition and are generally having a right laugh. It's never too late. I play pretty much the same way as I did back in the day. I can only get on with precisions and play with a pick. Can't do fingers or slap. Like quite a lot of overdrive too. Aren't these Sansamp jobbies great? I got the 'Low End' nickname when I worked as a Saturday boy at Maurice Placquet's music shop in Shepherds Bush. The full story is not entirely bass connected. But that's a story I take to the grave. The 'Bee' bit is my lifelong Brentford FC affliction. Anyway I'm sure I'll be bugging you with many stupid questions from now on.