Wasn’t as much a fan of the white/white original pickguard and covers/controls. I’m sure there will be mixed opinions on the black but I’m digging it. I kept all the original parts that may have been removed or replaced. Lots of small hurdles to jump in this rebuild. Cranked the trem springs to deck it until I upgrade that. New pickups hand wound for me but more 50’s style at 5.6k. Frets leveled, crowned and polished. Action is really low. Original pots and switch kept. Stock tuners are great.
4 Likes
Are you keeping the strat trem or switching it out with something like a Floyd Rose? If you’re doing all that work to it, I’d think about putting a set of locking tuners on also, especially if you’re putting a more robust tremolo on. That is a beautiful shade of red, I just can’t get into the look of those SGV / SBVs. I agree, I dig the black pickups and knobs.
1 Like
Thanks! Probably just do a nicer Wilkinson trem with a big steel or brass block. I have a few guitars with Bigsby’s and I like that range better. Hard to be that subtle with a strat trem without extreme control (which I lack). I’ll have to record a demo and play the BB1200 along with it!
1 Like
Hell yeah! The 1200 is still probably at the top of my bucket list basses to own. Of the 5 basses that I’ve got now, 1 is not a Yamaha. Agree on Bigsby’s. I’ve never been a trem fan so haven’t really ever learned to use them but for what I want to play on guitar (My Bloody Valentine type stuff), I’m going to have to get over that and just learn to do the thing. I’ve played around with a few Bigsbys and find them easier to use.
1 Like
Love it. I am actually not a fan of the original SGV sound - the pickups are fine, I’m just not THAT in to surg, and it might be the ost extreme surf tone I have heard yet. I’ betting the new pickups sound great.
Keep the old ones though as it will fetch more with them if you ever sell it.
It’s cool, not everyone gets it. Some of us super-dig the looks, others don’t.
It’s a bummer for those who don’t, though, as they are also among the best made instruments I have owned and especially the basses sound incredible. I’d absolutely keep either of mine over my BB734a (as much as I love it too.)
1 Like
Kept all the old bits for sure.
1 Like
Ok, I need a guitar amp.
I don’t want a teeny one, plans only want to buy one. Don’t need one for playing out but want something that’s really really great but also fairly compact. High end as I don’t want to trade up later. Been getting away with playing via PC but now it’s time. So what’s the go to amp (I almost hate to ask this question lol)?
And….go….
3 Likes
Soldano SLO-100 and a 4x10
…well ok thats my dream amp
Actually - you could go for a 5150 though…
3 Likes
should have said combo only, lol
3 Likes
I would get one of the Marshall tube combos then like the DSL or JVM
@terb knows a hell of a lot more than I do though, I just use sims
2 Likes
Well, most combos have 12” speakers, not the most compact design and quite heavy as well.
For now, I have a Harley Benton TUB15, but I might have to upgrade at one point. One important thing might be to know what sound you are going after, i.e. what music you will use it for. Some friends like the Fender Blues Junior, but they are playing… blues music 
1 Like
This would have been my pick. Doesn’t Peavey make a 6505 (same amp, different name for reasons) combo with switchable power?
ETA: Is this like a jazz/blues sounds amp or a hard genre sounds amp?
2 Likes
I find the Fender Princeton 68 Custom to work well for me 
2 Likes
I just bought an Orange Crush 35RT. Less than $300/300 €. Love it. It sits perfectly on top of my Fender Rumble Studio 40. Same width but not as deep, giving me full access to the Rumble’s top controls.
4 Likes
Go to seems to be the Katana for a lot of players. It does a lot! Unless you want tubes, then you have to have the flavor conversation. Marshall, Fender, Orange etc. Hard to go wrong with a Blues Jr. for space and Volume. Oddly enough, guitars love bass amps. Those small Ampeg stack units sound good with guitar. Even a Rumble sounds great with guitar. If aesthetics matter… Fender Excelsior. And it’s a 15!
@howard got me looking and now I want this.
There’s also a 5150 combo amp
I’m pretty sure a 5150 is not what John is looking for though 
2 Likes
Yeah, I mean the 5150 was EVH trying to clone the SLO-100. And a 6505 would be great too. All of those (and ofc the Soldano) are gonna rip the cosmos wide open.
For me were I to actually buy an amp it would be a Marshall or an Orange. For guitar I would want a tube amp. Orange kind of sound like rounder, more blunted Marshalls to me but YMMV.
2 Likes
I have a Katana, and it’s pretty good
1 Like
I don’t think I’d buy a tube amp when I could just get a helix product instead, but if I ever own a tube amp I can’t see it being anything other than a 5150/6505.
2 Likes
Well I mean I am not going to buy any amp. Kuassa, NeuralDSP and IK have got me covered.
2 Likes