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A question for our resident vintage fender experts please. Does anyone know what years Fender changed the knobs on their Jazzes from the 'standard' type ones to the strat knobs? Seems to be late 70's/early 80's looking at online pictures but does anyone know definitive years at all?

I bought Andy's bitsa Jazz in an effortlessly smooth transaction. Had a good natter about geeky bass stuff and the bass is exactly as described. Nae danger here

Saw The Twang in Manchester over weekend. Very good sound with their bass player sporting his usual Gibson recording bass through an SVT and 410HLF

So last night i took my ABM 400 to rehearsal where i used the inhouse (and knackered) ampeg fridge. Got a lovely even and thumpy sound with my flats loaded P bass but the only slight problem (and this may be the cab rather than the head) is that the G and D strings seem to get slightly lost and not have as much umph as the lower two. I spent hours at home previoulsy getting the pup heights right and will tinker again tonight but can any other ABM owners see any obvious issues with my settings here? Last time out i engaged the shape option but last night i had this off (i.e button IN).

if I remember rightly these were advertised as all valve but turned out to actually be hybrid, as such they may not need 'valve specialist' type repairers and maybe a local radio tinkerer could take a look?

One of the nicest heads ive ever played through the Mesa BB750!

A V12 head has already rocked up at crack converters! https://www.cashconverters.co.uk/shop/music-tv--video/musical-instruments/amps--stage-equipment/bass-amplifier/020800194571

To update after last nights rehearsal - i cant believe i didnt try the ABM's shape button engaged before! Using my P bass, Elites groundwounds and fingers i got a nice even thumpy tone with incredible depth but no mud. Only slight issue was when i changed to a pick the tone seemed to lose some of its 'booty'. Definitely a happy boy with the ABm tho. Still have the occasional GAS for a Spyder 550 but for now this old pre-ABM ABM will certainly keep my grin face on

I thought i would start a new thread after my previous one requesting suggestions for a tube based DI. Ive previously owned a few Ampeg SVT Tube DI's but they were sold after sitting unused. Typically i now have the need for a decent DI and the ampegs are impossible to come buy and have also shot up in value!. One such suggestion on my old thread was a DHA valve DI which themselves are hard to get hold of. However, i chance google search revealed a used one, in stock, at Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester for what appeared to be a bargain price and it was immediately ordered. Now i'm a simple man and very much like 'plug-in-and-play' stuff. My set up is a simple P bass, flatwounds into an old ABM. I like a slightly driven/valvey tone with lots of bottom. The DHA will be used mainly in the studio where rehearsals tend to be amp-less for me and i go straight into the desk/PA. The DHA will hopefully give me a little more control and also that grainy throaty valve tone. The only issue i foresee is the amount of knobs - as i say, i like to plug in and play and certainly dont like knob twiddling (!) so this box will take some getting used to. Buttons like IP and HP, Q and colour are already bending my simple mind but i will do some online research and try and track down some form of operating manual. The PSU should arrive tomorrow so ill get chance to fire it up properly. Id be interested to hear from any other regular users for hints and tips. In the meantime, here is the object in question...

So its arrived. Still waiting on the PSU so cant try it out as yet. Lots and lots of knobs to experiment with so any setting suggestions appreciated. Im love for a low gain growly valvey tone using a P bass and mix of fingers and pick. Looking forward to a good play with it. Thing i did well with the price for under £70 delivered

So, after trying to get a deep growl without the tone being muddy at rehearsal last night i accidentally engaged the ‘shape’ button (by engage i mean button out, ive always used my abm with the button in to iver ride the shape)…..holy moly! There’s that sound, huge bottom, growl on tap and a nice top end but no mud!

Will report back. I know it needs a 12v PSU with a decent MA rating (?) but is there also something about it having to be centre positive? Im a complete newb at pedals, all I’ve ever really had in my rig is a boss tu2 🤣

So to update ive stumbled across a ridiculously cheap DHA VT1 EQ DI that is currently winging its way to me. Need to source an appropriate PSU but looking forward to putting it through its paces

Bit of a trek but Roland Lumby based in Manchester is known locally as The Ampeg Whisperer. Often has a waiting list and every time ive been in he has loads of famous bands amps in!

Hot covers are very good, tend to be cheaper than roqsolid and their basic covers are more akin to roqsolids 'extra's' covers

I love Elites and was a regular user of both their flats and grounds. Only reason i switched brands as i always felt the E went dead much earlier than the rest and rendered the set very unbalanced. Their flats in particular were as close to perfect as ive found on the G, D and A - old school thumpy but with something going on in the mids. Would be interested to hear how you get on with the grounds going forward

Just wanted to post my thoughts on these after acquiring a set from old slapper of this parish. They were bought to replace what i assume are the original pickups in my 1985 Japanese 57 reissue bass. Nothing particularly wrong with the originals but they were just a bit...dunno - boring/bland. I was maybe looking for a little more growl or complexity in the mids but didnt want to sacrifice any low end. They arrived this morning and i soldered them in and fired up my ABM..... SWEET BABY JESUS AND THE ORPHANS!?!?!?!?! There is more of EVRYTHING and they sound positively HUGE. Certainly louder than the old ones but also a real beef or weight to the sound. Definitely of the vintage vibe (which obviously my flatwounds will help with) but just a glorious roar of a sound with no shrillness or thinness to it. Very impressed seeing the price they go for! Cant wait to try them out in a live setting with the band

Ive had pickups before i my P's where i feel like i needed another quarter of a turn to be available on my tone pot despite it being fully open. i guess one mans 'dark' is another mans 'muddy'?

Bought a set of Tonerider P bass pups with harness off John in an effortlessly smooth transaction. Nae danger here

So to follow up with a quick ‘just unboxed’ picture. An Ashdown ABM from before they were called ABM’s. Looking forward to firing it up properly