Merton

Yup. The valve stage has also had a big tweak, it gets more grit and overdrive than the older series. I thought it was a wonderful amp when I used it last week!

I own an ABM500 EVO, and last week rehearsed with an ABM600 EVO IV. I was an astonishing difference. I love my 1999 EVO but the IV was on another level. If I hadn’t just signed up to the 2019 gear challenge @Sibob has presented us with then I’d be having serious wallet trouble around now!

Ooooh. But I’m on a gear buying ban for 2019 and will have three new basses (all already in gesteation) anyway so I don’t need this too 😂

Very cool!

Nope, Mike’s been busy with family things and Christmas! I’m in no huge hurry so it’s all good

Made Mrs Mert watch this just now after reading this thread. It was brilliant, you get the impression Matt Goss hasn’t had anyone say “no, that’s a stinky poo idea” for a while. It was like David Brent does rockstar. Amazing.

I have to say the combination of woods you’ve chosen is quite superb. It’s very subtly understated but oozes sheer class and quality. Really love it more each time I look at it. A lot of Alan’s basses do that to me but this is right at the top of the pile

Absolutely stunning. Bet it sounds glorious too

Glorious!

Love Robert De Leo’s playing. Spent a lot of my younger years trying to play like him but not really getting what he was doing. I’d like to think I’ve learnt a bit since then but ... This is awesome

They’re great aren’t they. Really love mine, it’s so easy to make it sound good. edit - obviously the only way to make it sound good is make sure someone else is playing bass instead of me 😎

Here it is! As you can see Mike’s also added a stain to give an idea of how the bwb will look

Lovely!

Sorry only just got round to replying! I used a Barefaced Super Compact and/or One10, both of which have been absolutely fine with other amps in the same band and venue setting. Unfortunately the Elf just always felt on the limiter and I had no real dynamic range left or, dare I say it, heft from the lower register. I’ve used the GK MB200 with the same band and cabs and had no problem, likewise a 30W valve head. That being said I did manage a loud rock band gig with it and my SC with no PA support, it filled the bar fine and I suspect Joe Public had no idea. To me though it sounded very squashed and not really my thing. Perhaps I’m too demanding with my EQ or (and?!) I hit the bass too hard but for me it was close, but not quite there to make it a keeper. I think inretrospect I also like dialling in a little grit to my tone so of course needed an external pedal (in this case a SansAmp) to get the desired effect - the onboard dirt was too much. I’m much more content with my Ashdown RM500 now - though of course that has more than double the RMS power supposedly

Mike’s cut the scratchplate. Here is the single ply black option, we also have a three ply bwb version to see which works best with the finished article:

Yep. I really wanted to love the Elf but even in a relatively quiet band it was always on the limiter. Great idea, not quite there yet (in my experience).

So Mike received the pickups from me (finally, haha!) and has finished the work routing them. He’s done a quick mock-up with the bridge and controls in place to check how it all fits... pretty perfect methinks 😎

Let me know what you make of the headphones. I have a pair of wired M-Ears and was wholly underwhelmed at first. All the ear bud sizes supplied were useless -they kept falling out and to top it off the sound was terribly thin and lacked any bass. So I bought some nice memory foam ear buds and lo and behold they sound quite marvellous now. And don’t fall out

Love these basses, I’ve owned four and wouldn’t hesitate if I had the money. I had the very last “real” Groove ever made, a fretless with a wooden neck and refer having to sell it to find other “grown up” things a few years ago. Rob made three more after this with a graphite neck but they don’t count @AndyTravis has the valuation spot on I think

Pure and simple passive, vol/vol/tone. Hipshot Kickass bridge and (IIRC) Hipshot ultralite elephant ear tuners

At long bloody last! Good news

No idea how you missed it, it’s not like you’ve been busy fettling your own bass builds is it 🙄😜😃