msb

The front is black.

Welcome. Enjoy.

When I had a G&L L2500 I’d change the battery about every three or four years. It worked in passive if the battery died.

I plan to move several amps , maybe a bass or two. I’ll probably just put that towards an amp or two I’m curious about. I like to think of it as a curious mind.

I’d only change them if I broke a string , or lost a winding. I have some flats that are ancient. Some rounds that are ancient too.

It was funny when I bought it … I posted in a forum that one was on the way , and Jule contacted me , and said he must have misplaced the order , but that he would make everything good. I told him I had found a used one and that it was in transit. He said I could have kept him going for a couple of weeks.

After looking at them for several years I broke down and found a used one in the US. That was about a year and a half ago. With the exchange and duty it wound up costing more than I anticipated , but I have no regrets whatsoever. I am a believer. I usually run it into the effect return of my Forte , and that’s changed from a transparent hifi amp to a wonderful old school tube warmth. Monique is a beautiful thing.

I have a Forte too , the first version with the compressor instead of the drive. I’ve found it to be a simple transparent power brick. A great hifi sounding amp. But I’ve been running a tube preamp in front of it , a little boutique rig called Monique , made by Jule. I use the effect return input on the back so Monique is the tone stack , and the Forte now sounds like a big warm tube amp. For gigs I use Berg cabs but for rehearsals I can easily get back with a little BareFaced One10. I’ve heard so many great reports about the Elf that I’d probably snag one if I saw a reasonable deal.

Thankfully Herself looks upon most basses as art objects. No problems bringing a new bass home. And most amps are not that big , but she’s not crazy about any more cabinets showing up. She doesn’t understand the appeal of a black box. Although she does refer to my Bergantinos as Lamborghinis.

Welcome aboard ! You’ve put together a lovely sandbox.

A friend picked up the first version of the RB400 when it first became available. He was a mentor , and when he first showed me the amp he was incredulous that such a small package could have such tone and be so loud. It wasn’t too long before I picked one up , it was the second version with the detachable power cord. You could easily pick it up with one hand! That was astounding. The first thing I noticed was the tone. It never failed , despite the drops and bumps. There were times I cranked it , but it gave me all the power I’d think I’d need. It did everything. It was the most reliable amp I’d ever seen. I have sold the two RB400 amps that I owned , they are both still in use. And still have a classic MB150 combo and a tiny MB200. I did blow up the 150 and loved it enough to get it fixed. And the fan on the 200 got clogged up and stopped working , things got hot , fried , and there was another repair. They both work perfectly today.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Musicmasters.

gorgeous stuff

I’m in the house band for a Sunday blues jam , and just recently was informed I’ve been doing it for twenty eight years. … shameless

Eastwood Classic IV , I once owned a Rivoli , and sold it , and regretted selling it. So when an Eastwood hollow body popped up on kijiji I had to snag it. Since this I’ve picked up a big hollow body orange Gretsch and become completely smitten by it. Funny how things turn out. I’ve been a big Dano aficianado since the first Korean reissues appeared. I became known for my love for Longhorn basses. So when I heard the DC bass was going to become available as a shortscale … well I jumped. I replaced the metal adjustable bridge with a wooden popsicle stick styled bridge. I think they sound better.

I picked up a big orange hollow body Gretsch , and some suggested I should check out the ThunderJet. It took a little time to track one down , but it exceeded my expectations. Beautiful thing. Not heavy. And a little Gibson LP DC Jr. Another beauty. Still listed on the website for some reason , but has been out of production for a while now. I hope they make more , I keep suggesting these to friends as a great little shortscale bass. They’re getting harder to find.

It was a touch brighter. Not a huge difference.

I bought mine new , and must have run it for close to twenty years. It was never in a rack or case so it was constantly getting banged around. Probably the most reliable piece of gear I ever had. And people frequently commented on the sound. Possibly the easiest thing to dial in. I had a tech friend clean it out a couple of times. Nothing was ever replaced. When I decided it was time for a new amp I was originally thinking of a bigger GK , but my amp tech suggested that if I liked the 400 so much I should really get another. So I found the IV version on kijiji for a great price. The quarter inch line out on the model#2 was noisy (my only complaint) and the IV had a balanced xlr out , and they slightly bumped up the wattage. I liked the IV too. It was eventually replaced with a 900 watt StreamLiner. Another classic.

I had the second version with the removable power cord. Used it for years , was incredibly reliable despite being dropped and banged around. Every seven or eight years I’d get it cleaned out. Replaced it with the IV version and then replaced that with a GenzBenz StreamLiner. That RB was much easier to dial in. Never let me down , it was bulletproof.

Bergantino make great gear.

Yup , we always make a point of making sure everybody listening to the same reference. the same thing happened

One surprising thing about the 51 reissue , it has the most lively G string that I’ve ever played.

I love the 51 reissues with the rocket shaped covers. I think I got the first one in Canada.

It’s amazing what a little maintenance can do for tuners. I was set to toss the tuners on an old UniVox HiFlier , but after a clean and lube they worked like new. Made me wonder how many perfectly good ones get tossed.

a spare I should sell a couple