Conan

[quote name='Jamesemt' timestamp='1382559066' post='2253760']Best sounding previous setup was Genz Benz Shuttle 312 with a 2x10 extension cab but I feel I was missing something and would possibly like to try 15s.[/quote] Not sure what you thought you were missing, but if it was bottom end there is no guarantee that 15s will give it. That is more down to the design of the cab, not the diameter of the speaker(s) in it. More bass usually involves a bigger box to house the speaker, which also makes it heavier - making your goal of a light cab even more difficult to achieve! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

[quote name='Jamesemt' timestamp='1382559066' post='2253760'] I've a dodgy back so Peavey stuff is out. [/quote] [quote name='thunderider' timestamp='1384004712' post='2271779']ebay.....80s peaveys...very cheap very loud...[/quote] In terms of "bang for your buck", amp-wise- a second-hand Hartke LH500 would fit the bill perfectly. Even new they are around £250 Very loud but also very clear. Getting a loud cab that is light? That is a real problem. What do you call "light"? Neodymium drivers do not come cheap (although some are cheaper than others). As Hamfist said, try to sell some of your other gear (or maybe look for trades - your bass for someone else's neo cab) and get your budget up closer to £400 for a cab. That will (almost) bring you into used Barefaced territory (if you are lucky!). Or if GAK have any of those 212s left (at £379). But you don't have a lot of options at your price point - not if you genuinely want a cab that is loud but light.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1383931639' post='2271021'] I'm interested in your reasons for replacing your compact with a GB neo 212 (other than the fact that their going cheap at the moment)? I hear great things about compacts. [/quote] To be honest, the main reason is the demon GAS (helped by the excellent offer at GAK). I love the Compact but just fancy a change. It is going to a good home! I was used to a BF Vintage, but traded it for a Compact as I was finding the size (not the weight) of the Vintage a bit much for what I was doing. I guess I considered the Compact a bit of a downward trade as I [b][i]really[/i][/b] liked the Vintage. Not that the Compact is in any way substandard (it isn't!) but I kind of missed the larger size of the Vintage. Silly, I know. At some point in the future I may well get another BF cab as I think they are great. But the grass always seems greener on the other side doesn't it? Sometimes, after playing the same gear for a while, I just fancy a change (I think I already said that!). I may well regret it, but such is life.

I used to use mine just on the odd track as an effect. But now I'm finding that I like the sound so much that I pretty much leave it on all the time! I don't use much "drive" on it, and yes, it does scoop the mids a bit - but it just adds a lovely smooth zinginess which I like. Great unit and not as flimsy as some people say. Although it depends on what you are used to I suppose. For around £20 (the price of a modest set of strings) you just can't go wrong. Which reminds me, I need to change the battery before tomorrow's rehearsal!

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1383928096' post='2270967'] Well, I have to say, Vapor Trails is much better. And I'm listening to the original release because I can't find the remixed version in full on Youtube! But the songs are clearly better, even if the mix is dubious. [/quote] Get the new one. Seriously! Buy it on Amazon for sick squid and it is instantly available on your SoundCloud player! It is SO much better than the original...

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1383841407' post='2269874'] Opinion duly reassessed. I might continue the experiment tomorrow and give Test For Echo a shot. [/quote] Have you tried the new remixed Vapor Trails? I used to really struggle with that album, and now it is one of my favourites! Some really great melodies on there, and now you can actually[i][b] hear [/b][/i]them thanks to the new mix!

[quote name='HazBeen' timestamp='1383837264' post='2269806'] A 115 cab is fine, but personally on it's own it will struggle to give enough oomph and clarity.[/quote] You've never used a BF Compact have you? I can assure you that lack of volume (or "oomph and clarity") is not an issue. At all. Ever. (Well, as long as your amp is 250 watts or more...). They are phenomenally loud cabs, but still deliver a very clear tone (if that is what you want).

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1383771485' post='2269003'] He could do with changing his hairstyle too. I vote for the back cover of Grace Under Pressure-era mullet to make a comeback .[/quote] Yeah. Good call.

I haven't played many US jazzes, but my MIM standard J is lovely! Plays beautifully and sounds like a J should (IMO). Have a look on here first though, as there are a number of Fender Js for sale at the moment and you could get one for half the price of a new one!

I bought my Status series II brand new in 1986 because of it's modern sound and styling (among other things). It is rapidly approaching its 30th anniversary but still sounds as modern as it did in 1986. When it is a "vintage" instrument (does the 30 year old thing apply to instruments as well as cars?) it will still sound modern. I have no idea what I am trying to say here, but just thought I would chuck it into the general discussion.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1383822488' post='2269492'] I wasn't even really on the look out for a 212 to be honest, I only play small venues at the moment and my current rig is more than enough, but this is too good a deal to turn down... That's a lot of cab for £379... [/quote] Yup. Me too. I fancied a change, but I was perfectly happy with my Compact. This sale was perfectly timed for me. Now I just need to sell my Compact... damn the stagnant market!!

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1383829243' post='2269645'] I would love to go the Barefaced/Streamliner route as suggested but in reality its too much of a financial stretch. I wasn't actually planning on buying just yet..but there you go [/quote] I may be open to trades...

They are lovely and simple. When I had Trace Elliot of Ampeg amps I used to spend forever faffing on with graphics and tone settings... With my LH500 I may occasionally need a bit of a tweak to the bass or treble settings, but that's all. It allows me to concentrate on more important things!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1383756906' post='2268667'] 3 left chaps... [/quote] 2 now...

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1383766365' post='2268876'] Thanks, good advice as ever. I'm discussing needs with the rest of the band [/quote] Bizarrely, having decided to sell my Compact, I was complimented on my tone last night at rehearsal - by the SINGER!!! He said what a "lovely, rich" sound I was getting! Maybe I should keep it after all? Too late as I've already ordered one of the Genz Benz neo 212s...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1383744762' post='2268423'] I think this is a great way to send a bass because a long thin package is more likely to suffer damage than a squat, fat one. You're presenting less of a target and less surface area to the morons who will be standing on it and throwing it around. I recommend this method. [/quote] Totally! And as I always fit new strings to any newly-received bass anyway, the weakening at the "witness points" (whatever they are) is inapplicable to me. YMMV of course, and it is always preferable to communicate effectively with the buyer/seller to establish their wants and needs. If I was selling a bass to BRX, I would definitely leave the neck on! No problem for me.

Sometimes though, people buy a bass because it just feels (and maybe looks) right. The neck is the major component in that. Buy a bass with a great neck and you can easily change the pickups, tuners, bridge, etc to get a better sounding bass. But if it doesn't play well, I'm not sure that swapping in a new neck is actually a "modification"? More like changing the entire bass! (IMO). And while I agree with the point about the quality of your amp, sometimes upgrading your rig can expose weaknesses in your bass sound that you hadn't previously noticed. And in that case, a change of pickups (for example) might sort it out - especially if you don't have the funds to buy another bass as you've just spent them on the amp!

I'm selling a [url="http://barefacedbass.com/index.php?page=compact"]Barefaced Compact[/url]. It is a 1x15 in a small (compact, in fact!) box that weighs next to nothing but is extremely loud (if you need that) and very transparent - so you get the sound of your amp or (if your amp is transparent too) the sound of your bass. The only reason I am trying to sell it is that I just fancy something different! I don't think I'll get anything "better", just different. The Compact is an awesome piece of kit but it's biggest plus point is when, at the end of the night, you pick it up to unload. The first time you pick one up you'll be wondering (like I did) if it actually has a speaker in at all!!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1383725330' post='2268084'] As a buyer I would be somewhat disappointed if I received a bass with the neck removed without the seller OK'ing it with me first, and I'd definitely want a reduction of the selling price to reflect the time I'd need to put in to getting the bass back into a playable condition. [/quote] Yes, I think it is fair enough to check it out with the buyer first. Not sure it would be fair to expect a reduction in price though? It is a ten minute job to put the neck back on. In fact, I often remove the neck from a new bass anyway to check it out and clean it...