The Last Bass Outpost

The pro stuff that comes in 5gal buckets for use in spray rigs is much better than that.  Used the aerosol stuff myself on my first DIY pedalboard (w lid) something like 10 years ago and it wasn't that bad - local store brand.

Some Peavey stuff is even worse - coarser than 50 grit.

A few brands have used spray on finished but they really do vary in nature.  Sounds like the GK use a harder, brittler sort, I've seen that on a few things, can't remember brands.  Peaveys and EAs used a softer more rubberised sort that took shocks and bangs better.  Kinda like spray on truck bed liner.  Personally, I really like that stuff for ease of application/touch up and durability.

Oh, how I have missed her.  Paula has been just about the only bass I have used for a few years due to her congeniality with amps and supreme versatility (with the exception of Betty, who I used for one song in studio).  

Now that I have confirmed the above,  that Lucy will get along with modern solid state gear, I might just take her out more... depending on the setlist and if I am not bringing my (tube) rig, but using the house or opening band's rig (always something unfamiliar and solid state).  I just can't bring myself (yet) to take more than one bass.

I wonder if the sudden bloom of these things has anything to do with a perception, by sellers, that there might be increased demand due to the LP Recording reissue?  The amp is still cheaper than the guitar, so...

Never seen or played one, but these things always struck me as Standel-ish.  Except those didn't suck.  Just about as heavy, I would guess, though.

 lead free solder is required, and that that stuff doesn't work as well as the old stuff.

Not true - it performs (or should, never tried myself) better than leaded (both copper and silver are a very good conductors - better than lead easily).  

The issue is price and workability - higher melting point (easier to damage components, especially SMDs and PCB traces), lower flowability (lead becomes very fluid very easily, vs tin, silver and copper, which form lead-free solders) and I'm not sure if they have a eutectic (the alloy melts all as one vs lumpy; i.e. 63/37 vs 60/40 Tin/lead) lead-free formulation yet (there's no such regulation up here in Canada, so I still use 63/37 personally).  Obviously copper and silver are much more costy than lead as well.

In fact some audiophiles have been using lead-free 'silver solder' for years even before the new regs.

I'll probably get the hammer for this, but: Peavey.  
Fantastic Technical Support for their bass amps (and their MIA products in general).
Pick up the phone, they answer. Email, they respond.  Their website is great and full of support tools as well.

I don't think anyone will disagree about the reliability of Peavey gear (the level of support is something I wasn't familiar with, but good to know) - I've referred to them as the brick shithouses of the amp world here before myself (they really take a beating).  The issue with them is more the sound; not a good reputation, as they do have a specific colour to their solid state gear that may not be for everyone.  Their tube amps are really good sounding IMHO, and they also make some good speaker drive units (The Scorpion line for bass/PA is rock solid and good sounding, and the Sheffield 12s for guitar are also desirable).


As for my recommendation: I third for GK, especially the 400RB (200 watts) and related models (note, I have only used, and base my opinion on the old black and grey ones, the 400RB I, the new ones with the ovular grille on the front, the 400RB IV,  I have never tried, but I assume, until I experience/hear otherwise, that they are just as good, given the pedigree) are incredibly reliable and good sounding if simple/not many bells and whistles. They (either the old or new ones) are also dirt cheap (used on ebay - any version, I through IV, can be easily had for <200; the 400RB IV is available new for about $500).  Best bass amp value ever, IMHO, and solid as hell - most hourly rehearsal spaces around here are still rocking 400RBs they purchased in the 80s and that's a punishing existence let me assure you.

A thread for things we've played around with or discovered at practice or casual jams, I'll start.

...So I had to close my studio/venue (new kid coming, lease was up, not enough time to run it with the day job) a while back and so the band has been jamming at an hourly place until I/we find a new spot to call home.  This place stocks each room with modern solid state heads (GK, Ampeg, and at least one Markbass) and 4x10s (occasional 8x10).  This is the antithesis of what I typically use (I have an 8x10, but don't use it often due to huge/overkill for practice) which is a medium wattage tube (PA/Vocal) head  and a Musicman 115RH.

I have learned a few things jamming at the hourly with their rigs:

1) I am just not a fan of solid state Ampeg stuff (actually haven't used the tube stuff), or 4x10s (at least modernish ones).  I dig the Markbass, and I already knew that GKs were alright too.

2)  After a few jams of not liking my tone, or just taking too long to dial it in (diff amp/cab in every room) it occurred to me that the exact things about the amp/cab combos in there that weren't working for the Triumph (hyped midrange mostly) would probably work really really well with a mudbucker (in addition to solid state preamps generally being more robust when it comes to handling that 30K output).  So I took the EB3 to jam yesterday and, sure enough, that was a much better match (full mud; choked was not so great, I prefer that setting into tube amps).  Even though the EB3 was not ideal for every song, I was surprised at the number it really worked well on.  I did have to dispense with the fx a lot though (exacerbated speaker cab resonances).  I think I still would have preferred a 1x15 to the W ported GK 4x10, but the GK head was a good match.