Conan

Nice gesture, and a nice cab! I used to have one of those... heavy as hell but a really nice tone - punchy but with lots of bottom end. I'm after a cab - and probably a 4x10.... but my need is not great. Any of you know a young lad or lass who is looking to upgrade from a combo? This cold be run as an extension cab with a massive increase in volume... and it will look cool too!

Great! More confusion!!

Crikey! That's just showing off! That Ibanez is just like mine! He's asking a hell of a lot for it IMO....

Damn! Why is it that just as I think I am getting things sussed, someone says something that confuses me again!? Just kidding! It's all good advice guys - keep it coming!! BTW, @chris_b: What's the Thunderfunk like? I was looking at their website last night. What a lovely piece of equipment (oh, and a stunning price-tag too! Are they worth it?).

That's fascinating! I never knew that! So why do so many people used stacks with mixed cabs - particularly a 15 and four 10s? Why does nobody tell you this useful stuff? Well, apart from NOW I mean....

Sounded like you were describing me! Except the drum machine bit, I never could get the hang of those things... I know Einstein's theory and Darwin's theory, so I think I'm doing pretty well don't you?! I sometimes think that if you know too much about what you're doing, the spontaneity will go - but of course I could just be saying that to make myself feel better about the fact that I know NOWT about music theory!!

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='697025' date='Dec 31 2009, 10:48 AM']BTW, I'm in Corbridge with a MarkBass Little Mark II head running into a Barefaced Vintage (2x15"). If you want to try it out at some point in the New Year (a bit snowed under at the moment... almost literally...), I'd be more than happy to meet up for an A/B against your Ampegs. We might even be able to rope some other locals in for a mini-bash. I got together in August with warwickhunt, wateroftyne and The Bass Doc (the local legend that is Howard Satterley), and it was a real education in amplification tastes![/quote] That sounds like a great idea! A lot of you guys will be gigging at weekends I guess, but I'd certainly be up for that. Its also nice to touch bass (!) with some other players, having dropped out of the scene a bit in the last couple of years... Thanks for the offer

[quote name='xgsjx' post='696969' date='Dec 31 2009, 09:33 AM']A good solution to the MB & GB heads looking too small is to put it in a 19" rack (you get lugs for this) with a tuner or FX unit or whatever floats your boat.[/quote] Good call! You're speakin' my crack-a-lackin' language!!

[quote name='jamesbass116' post='696689' date='Dec 30 2009, 08:29 PM']i paid for the majority from gig money, obviously my main bass (the MIM) and the amp were presents from my ever supportive parents! James[/quote] Crikey! Your band must get well paid! I've been playing for nearly 30 years and don't have a collection like that!!

[quote name='51m0n' post='696472' date='Dec 30 2009, 05:02 PM']really he's got some simply phenominal gear...[/quote] Such as?

[quote name='51m0n' post='696472' date='Dec 30 2009, 05:02 PM']Until you've done that you're really just playing a guessing game IMO....[/quote] Yup - that's certainly what it feels like at the moment!! Warwick is a long way though...

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='696322' date='Dec 30 2009, 01:50 PM']I'm based not far from the Toon and I'm using Aguilar 1x12 cabs but unfortunately I don't have any gigs coming up in or near the city centre, so it'd be tricky for you to hear what is possible with a pair of 1x12's and no PA support (I'm assuming that's the style of gig you'll be doing initially). My next nearest gig to you is in Blyth in mid January if that is any good? [/quote] Blyth is OK - I'm in West Moor BTW, I only put "The Toon" as its a reference point to people from anywhere outside the area! What kind of stuff does your band play?

If it ever leaves Scouseland and makes it up to the North East I'd love to give it a try!! And I promise I will pass it on quickly too!

[quote name='Hamster' post='695857' date='Dec 29 2009, 07:40 PM']Maybe you could give an idea about your budget?[/quote] That kind of depends on which route I decide to take! There are many options, but if I decided to shift the Ampeg gear and I can move my two basses (and get good prices for everything!), I could be looking at having about a grand to spend... However, it doesn't seem to be much of a seller's market at the moment so I'm not holding my breath! If I sold the two basses, even for moderate prices and the ampeg 115, I could probably justify the Big One... must get myself on the BareFaced list to have a try of one of their cabs!

The Trace stack was great when I was in my twenties and even thirties, but now I'm into my forties it's just too damn heavy and bulky!! If I add to the Ampeg collection with another big heavy cab I will be back to square one! I must admit that I like the look and rep of the BareFaced Big One.... Anyone advise me as to how well it would partner the SVT200-T? Or would I be better with a more modern head? The MarkBass and GB ones are highly rated but I can't help thinking that they are so small that they just look a bit silly perched on top of a big cab!!

[quote name='JTUK' post='695812' date='Dec 29 2009, 06:38 PM']sure, no problem. Never liked any Ampeg cabs I have used....... I have never been a fan of the Ampeg cabs.. Now, if they have upped their game these last few years, then fair enough, my experience of them could be a bit dated.[/quote] Thanks for that. I hear what you are saying. I think! So the amps are OK then? Might I be onto a good thing by hanging onto the SVT200-T (which seems to get good reviews and is apparently quite collectable) and moving the 115 on? I could then put the cash towards a cab or pair of cabs with higher power handling... This is proving to be more complicated than I thought! I sort of anticipated two types of response really - one saying "Ampeg is great gear! Keep what you've got and add another Ampeg cab!", and the other saying "Ampeg is crap - sell it on and get a ([i]insert favourite brand here[/i]) instead!!". Oh well. Still, its interesting hearing people's experiences and opinions!

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='695229' date='Dec 28 2009, 10:30 PM']If you don't like the sound of the cab you have, get a different cab instead. If you do like the sound of it, get another the same.[/quote] Sounds logical! Thing is, I won't know what other cabs sound like until I try them all.... which is why I was kind of hoping for some advice about which ones are "best" - but it seems that there are far to many variables and personal preferences involved for there to be a simple "best" option! Which is kind of what I feared in the first place! Out of interest, what do you mean by "might not agree sound-wise"? I understand that cabs made by different manufacturers may sound rather different, but can they be so incompatible?

[quote name='JTUK' post='695454' date='Dec 29 2009, 10:51 AM']Not a fan of Ampeg cabs myself...[/quote] That's cool. Any particular reason? The tone? The output? The mass? I ask purely out of interest (and noseyness!!).

Complicated innit? I was under the impression that if you didn't set a reserve price, then you had to let the item go for whatever the highest (or only!) bidder was prepared to pay? Surely then, not putting a reserve on it is very risky as you could potentially have to virtually give away a valuable item! On the other hand, an item is only worth what people are prepared to pay for it - so it kind of pisses me off when people list items for a certain price and refuse to go any lower. Why use an auction site? Just stick it in the local paper! Or maybe I'm just jaded as the two basses I listed on there just before Christmas only just failed to reach their reserves...

Feel as though I'm talking to myself here, but whatever!! Been looking at a Warwick WCA211 2x10 8 ohm cab to sit on top of the Ampeg 1x15. Any thoughts? Anyone got one of these? Great name, but what's the sound like?

[quote name='Mapas' post='695073' date='Dec 28 2009, 07:29 PM']how can i trust the seller, i mean, the amp/bass may have problems :S[/quote] That's the problem! If you're not sure, only bid on items that are close enough to you that you can go and see/try them!! Many of us have been bitten that way!

[quote name='Mapas' post='695060' date='Dec 28 2009, 07:15 PM']but, if i definitely need to buy one, i will may buy the used bass (140E) and an amp at a budget about 200E++++, do you have any amps to suggest me? up to 250E budget![/quote] Sounds like Ebay (or the equivalent in Greece) would be a good bet! With a relatively low budget you are going to find buying new limits your choice massively. If you are prepared to look at used gear then you can (as others on here have found) get some fantastic deals. Yes, you can also get ripped off, but that's where having someone advise to you becomes invaluable. There are lots of folks on here who (I am sure) would be happy to advise you on an item you'd seen online... Buying new is over-rated!!

I was hoping for a few more opinions than this.... but hey, it is Christmas!

If the Rotosounds are thinner at the bridge end, you're effectively lowered the action. That's all I can think of assuming they are the same gauge you normally use?

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='694423' date='Dec 27 2009, 06:04 PM']There's 'distortion' and there's 'DISTORTION'! Basically all amps produce a degree of distortion but what JL was referring to isn't the type you equate with overdriven guitars/basses that can either be an effect or an amp being mistreated/abused/dying. It's more a level of distortion that is very subtle and is produced as a result of the components used in the construction. Better quality amps use purer components that produce less distortion and newer equipment is generally better again. The form of distortion JL refers to is inherent in all amps and generally manifests itself as a softening of the tone which many of us like.[/quote] Yeah, I understand that. I always thought that Trace gear WAS at the top end of the market, and would therefore be constructed from quality components. It certainly was when I bought it! All that stuff about THD makes sense too, I was just kinda surprised to hear TE gear described as "distorted" in comparison to other amplification. Is that the case do you think? And if so, which manufacturer is regarded as producing the "least distorted" gear at the mo? Jack's comments would suggest that GK make less-distorting gear than Trace? Opinions? Not that I'm against a certain degree of "warm and fuzzy" distortion you understand!!