franzbassist

Do you have any Thumpinators in stock at the moment Max?

Just fitted one to my Jack Casady, sourced through Skelf (Alan of ACG) through this very forum. Haven't given it a good workout yet so can't comment on any sonic changes, but there's a great improvement in sustain, plus the ability to adjust each string's height more comprehensively is a big plus for me. Recommended.

Interesting...

I've recently come back to Fender basses after years playing boutique basses (Wal, Smith, Elrick). It's been like coming home, and I'd take a battered, mojo'd to hell year of birth 1966 J or P that played superbly over a Fodera that played superbly any day.

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1327575029' post='1513486'] I was under the impression that the LB112 was 8 ohm, and the LB212 was 4 ohm. I believe the VS equivalents are all 8 ohm. [/quote] [quote name='basskit_case' timestamp='1327575064' post='1513487'] The 212 is 4 ohm and the 112 is 8 ohm. [/quote] Well, I stand corrected then!

[quote name='Dudgeman' timestamp='1327580309' post='1513599'] so whats the difference between all the brands..Is it a "get what you pay for" scenario here or will they all sound different.[/quote] A lot of folks say that different makes have different tonal characteristics. When I changed the JJs out of my LB for Mullards, for example, the tone warmed up a lot and was much more musical.

[quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1327576832' post='1513522'] Walbassist..beeeeeeyooootiful pair of basses! Walbassist = no Wal bass? perhaps your name is Walter. [/quote] Thanks! Yes, two amazing basses. Indeed, no Wals at the moment, but I am planning something with Paul which should see the light of day in a couple of years.

In the last five years I've hardly ever played a fretted bass: fretless is so much more expressive. My Veillette Archtop fretless gives me everything I need, although my recently acquired 1970 fretless P bass is giving it a good run for the money at the moment! [url="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6640536477_c723917895_z.jpg"][/url]

[quote name='basskit_case' timestamp='1327568014' post='1513342'] My 112, is in as new condition, with hanging tag and original packaging, anybody got an idea on price for it, there is only one sale thread for a 112 on Basschat and that had a price of £190, cannot see any on ebay. [/quote] Ah, the eternal question.... "how much is it worth?"! The cab that replaced the LB112, the VS112, seems to sell for £229, so I think £190 was a touch optimistic.... The LB cabs were made in limited numbers to go with the UK-made LB heads, so I guess they are quite rare. I'd love to have one, but it would need to be the 4 ohm version (which to be honest I thought all the UK LB cabs were?), and given how slow the market is at the moment now may not be the time to sell. Cheers Gareth

[quote name='Dudgeman' timestamp='1327540591' post='1513243'] I have done a touch of research and thought that was the one. Is it best to replace like for like or is there a better alternative? [/quote] The 12AX7 is rated at 100%, and there are various alternative ratings that give lower gain so stay cleaner longer, but they may also reduce output (admittedly that's less of an issue given the way the ABM is designed): there's a good explanation of this [url="http://thetubestore.com/gainfactor.html"]here[/url]. Likewise, the "Valve Drive" function in detailed the ABM manual. If you haven't seen it, it says: [left][color=#0000cd][size=3][font="GillSans"][font="GillSans"]This routes the signal either through a clean Solid State amplification section (control on zero) or through [/font][/font][font="GillSans"][font="GillSans"]a Dual Triode Tube amplification/overdrive section to add either tonal character, i.e. warmth with the [/font][/font][font="GillSans"][font="GillSans"]control set at 9 o’clock, a slight edge in the sound at 12 o’clock, through to an increasing degree of Tube [/font][/font][font="GillSans"][font="GillSans"]distortion/overdrive as the control is advanced to maximum.A Mix of these two amplification sections can [/font][/font][font="GillSans"][font="GillSans"]be achieved with this control. N.B.The degree of Tube distortion with this control will also depend on the [/font][/font][font="GillSans"][font="GillSans"]setting of the INPUT control.[/font][/font][/size][/color][/left] So, whether to change the valve gain rating depends on whether you want to change the character of the tone you get with it. Given the fact that you can blend the amount of valve you get from just a hint of warmth to some decent overdrive, if it were me I'd just go for another quality 12AX7, and as Pentode says, there are loads to choose from! You may find you change the tone by using different brands of 12AX7 alone...

[quote name='buff' timestamp='1327427921' post='1511089'] I so much wanted to love it, but the sound wasnt there for me. [/quote] Strange isn't it, but I guess it just goes to show how we all hear things in different ways. I think it's an incredibly versatile bass, far more than a Precision for example.

Hello all Resurrecting an old thread here, but I picked a JC up from Krispn before Christmas, who got it from Tredders, who had himself got it from Buff, so nothing like keeping it in the family! While I would agree these aren't the most ergonomic basses out there compared to some available these days, I have to say you get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck. My observations so far: i) The nut on this bass was poorly cut - way too high - so I reprofiled it to make it play more comfortably in first position. Much faster and effortless to play now, especially combined with a tweak of the truss rod to straighten the neck and a drop of the action at the bridge. ii) Flats are definitely the way to go! I've got La Bella 760FS on mine and they sound fantastic! iii) The pickup in this bass is a gem, and the impedance selector works really well (although the quality of the hardware on the bass is pretty meh overall...) when you combine it with the tone control. It's not a bass to turn volume and tone to 10 and just play, you really need to experiment to see what sounds good. iv) The Hipshot Supertone bridge upgrade solves neck dive totally. I'm only using a 2.5" wide strap and the bass balances perfectly. Cheers all Gareth

I'm keen on getting an original LB112 as well....

Is the truss rod as loose as it'll go? If not, loosen it (initially, no more than a 1/8 to 1/4 turn at most) and it should release the tension in the neck and remove the back bow. If it is as loose as can be adjusted, the bass needs some work

Thanks for the reply! I would take a picture but can't actually get it out of the bass! However, I think the spray with contact cleaner I gave it yesterday must have done the job, as another spray just now (using the long nozzle and firing it straight into the switch) has really done the job! Hopefully, problem sorted. Cheers Gareth