SimonK

Yes I visited PMT in Portsmouth for years and it just got more and more disappointing until it died a rather predictable death. Even a visit to Andertons is not quite as exciting as it used to be mainly because if I want to buy something I normally source it second hand, and while the boutique section is fun to have a gander at I don't think I would ever spontaneously buy something that expensive (famous last words!). I think the trick to bricks and mortar shops is to diversify. I like "Guitar and Beans" in Leiden, and as others have mentioned this is not the only coffee/music shop combination. My business plan would be to open a second hand musical instruments plus coffee (not second-hand!) shop, probably aiming to get 80% of the revenue off the coffee by making it a place for muso's to hang out, although it would probably need to be in a University town to be succesful. Having it big enough to run live nights and maybe have a small bar would probably be needed too. Sadly there is simply too much available on line for a traditional retailer to survive selling new gear anymore.

£75 each is reasonable if they work, or even as a source of replacement speakers for repairs...

This looks a bit Trace like. Cool cab finish!

...so after a bit of detective work I think the Tolex covered GP12 would have been from about 1995, and the carpet covered from 1998 onwards. I don't think I previously realised there was this much variation in the SMX series, but it looks to me that while the preamp stayed the same the power section started off fairly similar to the older Series 6 amps and then they seem to have moved to a newer power amp design. The faceplates are identical. RE the cabs, I suspect the non-ported one is an older series 6 as both the SMX catalogues I have (tolexed and carpeted) show ports on all the cabs.

I'm not convinced its a "totally different" animal - possibly only a couple years older with both being the very last UK manufactured?

You are absolutly correct, the similar one I saw is still on reverb for about £100 or more than I think it worth:

Surely the obvious comment would be to get a PJ bass if you wanted to cover both?

I saw this but passed - generally (in the UK) you can find a GP12SMX for less than £300, and a smaller cab like that for under £100, but looking at various forums it can be double these prices in the US or mainland Europe.

As a scientist I feel obliged to like metric more except for pints of beer and miles/hour. Thus said I was talking to a French chap about this last week who pointed out that given a litre of beer is quite a lot bigger that a pint (by almost three quarters), the Brits were missing a trick with our drinking habits!

Love this... I don't exactly hate changing my strings but can seldom be arsed (or want to spend the money) to - I think two of mine have eight year old strings on at the moment, although I did put d'addario NYXL's for this reason last time I did change them...

I have to admit my "dream" rig was actually the GP12 plus 1048 and 1518 cabs, and a Corvette 5, but the above is close enough due to bargains coming my way and also tastes at least altering a bit with time. The crazy thing is that my rig only cost £1300 in todays prices with the vast majority being the bass, whereas in the 90s it probably would have been north of £2500 in 90s prices, so well over £5k now! Apart from the weight benefit, I struggle to think of a £5k new rig that would be much better than this combination.

Yes I know I posted this picture on the Warwick thread a few weeks back, but I was just running through a few things this afternoon ready for taking the new (to me) Warwick Streamer 5 and TE stack out for their first gig together next week, and the combination just sounds like everything I have ever wanted. It's taken me almost 30 years to finally get the set-up I lusted over as a teenager and it's exactly as I hoped! Has anyone else done the Warwick + TE combination?

...so what happened today???

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226787499542?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250324084321%26meid%3D3429e40cdf604f38892cf4a9547f74fd%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D226787499542%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRPboosterAndUpdatedFeatures_BP%26brand%3DTrace%2BElliot&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3A2d7826ab1970ab13560ef8abffff85d8|pageci%3A38f944d7-3f32-11f0-b3eb-c6d89e18e4eb|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

Someone posted a "cheap first gigging amp" thread but then bought something within 48 hours so I didn't get a chance to show him this bargain currently on ebay (assuming he was close enough). Killer amp for the price!!

That was quick - less than 48 hours between OP and coming home with something! Mind you still gave me the opportunity to check out the most recent Trace Elliot bargains out there... as someone said above it is pro gear at beginners prices so long as you don't mind the age and weight (I will stick what I found on the TE thread instead of here now you have an amp)!

My 16 year old suddenly decided he wanted to try the old electric drum kit - perfect for the recycled Trace cab! I would have killed to have this in my room at his age!

My latest incarnation - guitar signal ends up in Marshall, bass in Trace Elliots, and all sorts of things switching in or out of the various signal routes including a couple different preamp choices for each. Needless to say this doesn't travel.

That's a much more elegant solution than in the OP - although somewhat more work!

Just saw this on facebook and can't help think someone has missed the point of pedals in that having the flexibility to changes things is the main draw. Nevertheless there is a bit of me that things this is otherwise quite cool, and I am aware that some touring musicians (e.g. Ed Sheeran) do something similar to reduce faff on stage...

Wow - eight year necro-bump!! I've only played a Jazz bass in earnest once, about twenty five years ago when I did a weekend of gigs in France after someone pulled out playing bass so I volunteered last minute and used what kit they could find. It was a black Fender US Jazz going into a bassman of some variety. I was really impressed and have kind of always wanted to get once since but never had the chance. They strike me as versatile not ever so flashy workhorses.

Yes I've been very tempted to get one of these, although they seem crazy expensive for what they are: https://www.thomann.co.uk/eich_amplification_bassboard_xs.htm

...and bringing it back to the OP, the point was not whether or not IEM's sound better (I have a horrible suspicion they probably do), but rather whether amps have a specific aura, or at least look, that contributes to live music in a bigger way than just sound...

That's a bold claim that probably hasn't been the case for most technology like this produced in the last twenty years. While I do prefer amps, it is very definitely not for this reason. I totally get and agree with this though. The IEM converts among us will claim that you can get the same effect, but as I said in the OP it is more than just the sound quality, it is the whole package of having the amps there on stage, the slightly different sounds as you move around, the visuals, and even the effort (dare I say sometimes fun?) to get them there and home again etc.

Ah that's what it was - I didn't get a chance to speak to him but could see he had something smaller than a helix at his feet. I think he had a boss tuner as well. Mind you his bass wasn't even on stage before the show and I was initially worried there wouldn't be a live bass player!