JohnnyB

The Sinatra collection on Reprise, "The Very Good Years." "Fingerprints" by Larry Carlton should have a warning: "Use of this CD could result in a severe drop in body fluids."

Early in the year, I thought I was done and had no intention of acquiring more gear. But then in June I poked my head into the bass room at my local GC and saw this: It was a special GC run of 32" scale fully hollow basses with genuine USA-made TV Jones Thunder'tron pickups. Every time I play this I get compliments from the audience for its tone and sense of "bounce." I traded in a 5-string I never bonded with + $120 to take this $799 unit home. Then 3 months later I stopped in the same GC to see if my trade-in was still hanging on the wall (it was), but the sales guy showed me this: One of the very last USA Guild Pilot basses made--1994. This is a Pilot Pro with both active pickups and on-board preamp plus gold hardware that's held up remarkably well for 17 years. Quartersawn neck. I had no intention of adding another bass. But they tagged this at $99.99 and it played and sounded like a dream. When I posted about that Guild Jimbilly responded that he had a friend who had a fretless Pilot to spare. It took about 2 months for the guy to find his bass under a pile of stuff in the closet and another week or so to remember to bring it to Jimbilly. Then a virus struck me and it took another couple weeks to get up the strength to make the drive (90 mi. round trip) to pick up this 27-year-old beauty for $200 w/case: And to my surprise, this turned out to be THE ONE. It has fantastic neck stability (quartersawn), great contours plus the best balancing bass I've ever played (along with the fretted Pilot), and a sweet musical singing tone. I could be happy with this plus the Gretsch (and add in the fretted Pilot for backup) and never miss my other 3 basses. Oh yeah. And we brought this little girl home from a shelter for $50 on Dec. 2. Meet Biscuit if you haven't already:

Quick! Keep a box of tissues handy lest you stain somebody's nice blue dress.

I used to have a living room with a slider plus four windows that were nearly floor to ceiling (actually, about 1' in from each). I treated the windows with mini-blinds. When you want all light you can make them practically disappear, and when they're deployed they block most of the light. It was also our TV room. There are all kinds of window treatments that nearly fold out of sight and totally darken the room when deployed. It's worth doing if you want to move up to a 60-70" plasma or LCD/LED TV. You could even make curtains of black corduroy mounted on spring-rods so you only put them into the window frames when watching TV; roll'em up and put them in a closet when you want the light and the view.

First of all, if any of you are interested in 3D HDTV, make sure you preview a plasma 3D against LCD before parting with your money. For those unconvinced of whether plasma or LCD is better, their 3D versions clearly favor plasma. In fact, if 3D really takes off, it could provide plasma a second chance to take over the flatscreen market. It's that much better. As to your question, the Panasonic I got is exactly what you're asking about. It's a 2D with 3D trickle-down. Specifically it has the same 600 Hz fast phosphor technology. This technology leaves more off-time between images. The extra off-time helps resist burn-in, increases projected life from 20,000 hours to 100,000, and makes the unit run much cooler. I got mine on a sale at Costco for $999, but at Amazon's $1364, it's only $136 more to go to the equivalent 3D version. And if you want even better 3D, Panasonic offers the GT and VT versions, which are more expensive but simply stunning in either 2D or 3D. Still, the 2D TC-P60S30 is a stone cold bargain and incorporates the advantages of 3D TVs in a 2D.

No, it's not just you. This is a well-known limitation of any LCD-based TV (including so-called LED models). The first generation LCD TVs (up to around 2007) had a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This has dual limitations: 1) It's a slow refresh rate and isn't good for action; 2) if you want to get the best out of Blu-ray, you need a TV that refreshes at some multiple of both 60 Hz and 24 frames per second (fps). Film is shot at 24 fps and many/most Blu-ray transfers shot on film have 24 fps output. That's why the next generation of LCD TVs raised the refresh rate to 120 Hz--it's compatible with both 60 Hz and 24 fps. More recent up-range models have a refresh rate of 240 Hz. Plasma TVs operate at 600 Hz. Of course they're better at action, and any HDTV that can do an even rendering of 24fps (e.g., 120Hz, 240Hz, 600Hz) will render 24fps Blu-ray sources without judder during panning and action scenes. Like I said, I got my 600 Hz 1080p fast-phosphor 60" plasma HDTV for $999. Amazon offers the 3D version for $1299. Control your room lighting, do a proper setup, and this is the best deal out there. Also, plasma life has risen from 20,000 hours when I was shopping in early 2006 to 100,000 hours on this model today. If you watch 10 hours a day, that's over 27 years, and who knows what we'll be watching on by then.

He's gathering his references. No worries. I lost about 3 hours of my life to watching the Seahawks this afternoong Back to topic: At the end of August I bought a 60" Panasonic Viera PLASMA TV. Here's the thread. LED TVs are actually LCD displays with the addition of LED back-lighting or side-lighting. The Samsungs are backlit. Of the non-plasma displays, I like the LED/LCD Samsungs and Sharps the best. The LED/LCD displays that are 3D (even for 2D) look better yet. What's cool about that Panasonic I bought is that it uses the same 600 Hz refresh and fast phosphor technology developed for 3D, but without paying the 3D price. Plasmas refresh 2.5 to 5x as fast as the LCD-based displays, so they're better for action. Plasmas are also better for shadow detail and subtlety. LED/LCD work better in a brighter room. Plasmas often don't look impressive in big box stores because they haven't been adjusted for the light. The "Standard" setting is dull as dishwater to qualify for the EnergyStar rating; the "Cinema" setting works very well for just about everything. If you can darken your room and adjust the picture, plasma 1080 puts out a great picture. I got my 60" 600Hz plasma for $999. Every time I turn it on it puts a smile on my face. About the cheapest you'll find an LED/LCD of that size is $1500-1800. If you don't go plasma, I recommend LED/LCD, preferably from Samsung, Sharp, or Sony, and the 3D version if you care to pay the extra, because the 3D displays look better on everything.

Hmmm. Four total posts and he joined HFC the day Daddy's died. No opportunism here, nope, none at all. Just another well-wishing fellow retailer.

Another great bass value out there is the Guild Pilot. Some are fancier with figured maple tops, but many are solid color boltnecks. Admittedly, I got mine below market value and I don't know what Blue Book is on them, but I see them at tree-fiddy pretty often. These are USA-made Guild basses from the Westerly, RI factory. They all have top rate hardware with a cast Schaller bridge, I'm pretty sure most if not all have quartersawn necks, they are very ergonomic, nicely sculpted, well balanced, and sound good. The Pilot Pro has active pickups and an onboard active preamp, making for very clear, articulate sounds that nevertheless don't sound "hi-fi," but are instead quite musical and can sit comfortably in the mix. On eBay there are completed auctions for USA Guild Pilots at $299, $161.50, and $305.54. Here's mine:

Not long after I'd acquired a Gibson ES-335 Studio, an economical version of the lifelong guitar of my dreams (in 1998), I stumbled across a used ASAT very much like this (like-new condition with pearloid pickguard), but in Lake Placid Blue and with rosewood fretboard. About $400. Previous owner had lined the control cavity with copper foil. This thing was a rock'n'roll machine that would light up any amp you plugged it into. I bought it because it was a like-new USA G&L and the price was ridiculous, but after that the ES-335 sat on the stand gathering dust until I sold it. The ASAT was eminently more playable. It felt good to play, playing effort was rewarded with a great range of sounds, and this spurred me on to try harder and be more inventive in my playing. ASATs look so simple but work so great.

Gauge isn't the only factor in tension. Different string designs have different tension at the same gauge. Hexagonal core has a higher tension than round core. Stainless wrap has a higher tension than nickel, with NPS (nickel-plated steel) and alloy 52 (iron/nickel) in between. I have a Newport and liked a variety of strings on it, but when I put Elixir 11-49s on, it really came alive. I think you'd be happy with 11-49, perhaps with NPS-wrapped hex core. That should give you plenty of snap-back.

Aaaah. This brings back memories for me as well. Until I read Bill's post, I didn't realize how much I miss playing in a pit band. In high school I was one of two percussionists for our pit orchestra in "Music Man." Then, 11 years later, I had the good fortune to be the drummer in the first production of "Ain't Misbehavin'" after its release from Broadway to Palo Alto Theaterworks, fleshed out with musical theater majors from Stanford U. The orch was made up of a monster set of musicians, some of whom were soon to join the Clark Terry big band and others to be the house band for a Caribbean cruise ship. Show bands are a great experience because the music is so intrinsically involved with the action on stage, timing couldn't be more crucial because you actually contribute to the emotion of the moment. It makes you wonder sometimes how much the audience reaction is based on the line delivered onstage vs. the timely whack of a splash cymbal (or guitar chord).

The G&L MFD ASAT Classic bridge pickup. I'd give you the link, but G&L's online store is down right now.

I owned one for a year. It was worth the $279 I paid for it, but the prices and fancy permutations are not commensurate with the pedestrian quality of the amp. It's OK, you can get a fair range of sounds out of it, but I found that the speaker lays the same cardboardy coloration onto every guitar you plug in and every setting you dial in with the knobs. If you get a used one for $250 or less, it's probably worth it relative to other tube amps, but at the new price of $499, I'd definitely seek out a Traynor YCV series. If you pop in a better speaker I'm sure the BJ would sound significantly better. I also owned a tweed Pro Jr. Way fewer knobs, but a lot more fun amp. I sold a Crate Vintage Club 20 to get the Blues Jr., and although the 12" speaker of the BJ gives better low end extension, the Crate came with a Celestion Vintage 10 and the amp had way more "jump" to it. The BJ always sounded compressed, which is to say, boring, while the Crate VC 20 had a fast and vibrant dynamic response. I had gotten the VC 20 for about $130 (but this was 1997). Do you still have the Top Hat? I can't imagine considering a Blues Jr. if you have a Top Hat Club Deluxe unless you want something cheaper to play out with.

Monaco without a shelf is a $32,000 upcharge. The other $2,000 is for bringing back Charlie Christian pickups.

All on 180g or 200g vinyl, remastered from the original analog tapes (except Plant/Krauss is probably digital): The unlikely pairing of Plant & Krauss is crazy-good. No wonder--produced by T-Bone Burnett.

Ooooooooooooooooooh, baby! You made great calls on this one--natural top, P90s, gold hardware. Fantastic! Congratulations.

How likely a guitar will neck-dive is a combination of weight distribution and the location of the strap button. For example, a Hamer double cutaway or Les Paul puts the strap button at about the 16th fret. The Strat puts it at the 12th. That's the reason for the Strat's extended upper horn--for better balance. A Strat will be more forgiving of a heavy neck than a guitar with a strap button at the 15th-16th fret. By contrast, a Les Paul relies on a heavy body to avoid neck dive.

Quite a bit lighter, even though it sustains better. So mass isn't the only part of the equation! Better tone and lighter weight? Double win! - Austin The best bridges improve tone transfer via rigidity, not mass. Heavy cast bridges transfer the vibrations, but also absorb some of them. The rigid lightweight bridges (such as cast aluminum) do a better job of tone transfer without attenuating certain frequencies as much.

They are Fralin hum-canceling...stock wind Excellent! That's about as smart a P-90 as you could pick for that one. I remember playing a vintage Switchmaster (hollowbody with P90s) and it just sounded great. Great midrange attack followed by lush hollowbody bloom.

What P-90s did you pick for this monumental project?--and I mean that sincerely.

Right now you can get a Shure M97xE from Amazon for $54.95. Considering that the replacement stylus is $61.95 at best, you might as well get another cartridge for backup. Or if you would like a significant upgrade for the smallest outlay, replace your worn out M97xE stylus with an aftermarket hotrod stylus. I've read some very enthusiastic comments from owners. There are a few reviews or at least forum-based extensive user comments out there.

Here's a 1998 Top Hat Club Deluxe, which is near identical to mine except it has a Jensen alnico speaker instead of the original Celestion Greenback. It went unbidded at $777. The Club Deluxe is no longer made; it used 6V6GT output tubes. Top Hat still makes the Club Royale, which has an EL84 output stage. New ones are $2050 and stand up to boutique amps up to around $3.5K. And here's a blonde/oxblood Club Royale from the same time period in an active auction at your max price. It has the stock Celestion Greenback. These amps are from the period when they had GZ34 tube rectifiers. The tone and playing dynamics of these amps when the volume is at 6-8 must be heard and experienced to be believed. I could play my Club Deluxe at home with a Nanoverb in front of it at bedroom volume after the family went to bed. At jams with 4+ guitarists playing into 50w 2x12s this little thing would take over the room. It's about the same price as a modified silverface Princeton, but it is better built and has a greater volume and tonal range than a blackface Deluxe.

this. Cool, Doody. Something we agree on. Having owned a Top Hat Club Deluxe for nearly 13 years, and having played it against a Matchless 30 at 3x the price and some blackface Fenders at a jam, I'd have to say the Top Hat rises above pretty much anything suggested here. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but tone out the wazoo, clean grindy or dirty, and great response to playing dynamics. We're talking about a true handbuilt PTP wired all tube combo that is the equal of $2500-3000 boutique combo amps, but you can pick up a used one for under $1K. SpecialK, if you're still living in the area, you're welcome to stop by and try mine out.

Here's one that is half your price and available new: the Blackheart BH15-112. 15w via 2 EL84's, 1x12 speaker, pentode/triode switch to cut power to 7w. It would be nice if it had a headphone jack, but between the pentode switch and ability to adjust both drive and level, you should be able to dial in an overdriven sound at low level. Available new for about $450. A used Top Hat Club Deluxe or Club Royale would also fit the bill and they are totally boutique quality, but easy to pick up for under $1K used. Some versions have separate gain & volume, some don't. Mine has the single volume so I use either a pedal or NanoVerb at the front to attenuate volume. They are definitely loud enough for live venues up to around 200-300 and for open mic jams.