11GTCS said:
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Sabian came to be as part of the “divorce” settlement between Robert and Armand Zildjian and are made in the old “K” Zildjian plant in Meductic Canada. If those are the B20 versions they’re made with the same alloy as your Zildjians and should be more or less the same in terms of resistance to cracks. If they’re the B8 versions the lower tin content tends to make them a little more brittle.
Or you’re a metal beast playing with war clubs. 
Yeah, these are the cast B20 cymbals. I have a tendency to crack cymbals because I hit hard and play heavy stuff most of the time. I've been out of the game for a while, but this era of Sabian was great. I found that they generally had more dialed-in sounds vs what Zildjian was offering at the time. Pure coincidence that these ones cracked.
Here are the 2000's era Sabian and Zildjian equivalents:
AA = regular A Zildjians
AAX = A Custom
Hand Hammered = K Zildjian/K Custom
I really dig the AAX/HH lines. For example, my 13" hi-hats are a HH Regular Hat top and a AAX Fusion Hat bottom. They are a custom matched pair that I matched myself after looking for nearly a year for the right sound, and are similar to the popular K/Z hats Zildjian used to offer, except the Fusion Hats have holes drilled in them near the bell for a faster attack. I'm on the lookout for an old pair of AA or AAX Regular Hats as a "New Beat" equivalent for about $50 less than the Zildjians.
I have no brand loyalty with cymbals, but I've only owned Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, and Wuhan cymbals. Paiste uses a different casting process, and I kill them near instantly. The Wuhans I've had were cheap Chinese cymbals, and those didn't last long, either. Everything on my kit now has been in service since around 2004, so it's just time to replace some of them.
Tony Sestito said:
11GTCS said:
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Sabian came to be as part of the “divorce” settlement between Robert and Armand Zildjian and are made in the old “K” Zildjian plant in Meductic Canada. If those are the B20 versions they’re made with the same alloy as your Zildjians and should be more or less the same in terms of resistance to cracks. If they’re the B8 versions the lower tin content tends to make them a little more brittle.
Or you’re a metal beast playing with war clubs.
Yeah, these are the cast B20 cymbals. I have a tendency to crack cymbals because I hit hard and play heavy stuff most of the time. I've been out of the game for a while, but this era of Sabian was great. I found that they generally had more dialed-in sounds vs what Zildjian was offering at the time. Pure coincidence that these ones cracked.
Here are the 2000's era Sabian and Zildjian equivalents:
AA = regular A Zildjians
AAX = A Custom
Hand Hammered = K Zildjian/K Custom
I really dig the AAX/HH lines. For example, my 13" hi-hats are a HH Regular Hat top and a AAX Fusion Hat bottom. They are a custom matched pair that I matched myself after looking for nearly a year for the right sound, and are similar to the popular K/Z hats Zildjian used to offer, except the Fusion Hats have holes drilled in them near the bell for a faster attack. I'm on the lookout for an old pair of AA or AAX Regular Hats as a "New Beat" equivalent for about $50 less than the Zildjians.
I have no brand loyalty with cymbals, but I've only owned Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, and Wuhan cymbals. Paiste uses a different casting process, and I kill them near instantly. The Wuhans I've had were cheap Chinese cymbals, and those didn't last long, either. Everything on my kit now has been in service since around 2004, so it's just time to replace some of them.
Maybe try some Meinl stuff? The Classics Custom Dark series is pretty cool overall, I think it's B12 too which gives it a very interesting sound, cheap compared to Zildjians too.
Supposedly if you hit hard you want thinner cymbals because they dissipate the energy and are more springy.
In reply to Antihero :
I've heard good things about Meinl from a lot of drummer friends. They were just starting to get popular when I was actively gigging, so I missed the boat on them. Will definitely check them out.
I am sorta weird, since I roll with 3 18" crashes. They all sound different and compliment each other well. The 12" Z Custom "Splash" I have on my kit is more of a mini-crash. I also have a couple 10" splashes I'd like to get on this thing.
And strangely, the one that's lasted the longest is my 18" A Zildjian Brilliant Thin Crash. I am careful not to beat on that thing too much, but it does well as a crash ride when needed. That AAX Metal Crash was bought to be THE crash ride on the kit, and even though it's cracked, it still does admirably well.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Big crashes are awesome IMO, I have a 21", a 20"( the meinl) and a 18" on the set along with a 26" and 24" ride at the moment.
I really like the Meinl a lot, I think it was like....$149? New when I got it.
In reply to Antihero :
My A Medium Ride might as well be a crash. 
That has more wash than most crashes do! The guy at the drum shop I used to frequent was in an AC/DC tribute band and said that this is what he personally used to replicate Phil Rudd's cymbal hits on the intro to Hells Bells. That sold me right there.
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Can you braze the cracks with TIG and phosphor bronze?
In reply to Recon1342 :
You can braze, solder, or even weld if you have the skill. But you shouldn't. The heat kills the temper and stress in the cymbal and they don't sound anything like they're supposed to.
Cymbal repair is pretty much relegated to cutting/trimming. This also changes the tone, but with the right setup you can lathe and re-hammer them into something usable.
For anyone curious, look up "The Cymbal Project" on YouTube. A very thorough learning story.
Switching gears to stringed things...
SWMBO wants me to "create space" in my office, which means she wants most of my music gear out. She wants to put a chair in there where my amps are so she can sit in here and listen to records/play video games with me. She's also been on my case for a while about me ditching my huge bass amp that sits in our spare bedroom.
Right now I have the following amps:
Bass:
-Peavey Combo 115
-Peavey Microbass
Guitar:
-Peavey Studio Pro 112
I like all of these, but I get that they do take up a lot of space in our small house, especially the Combo 115. I haven't turned that thing on in over a year, so it's just sitting there.
Since I'm not gigging anymore and mainly playing at home, I'm open to downsizing, to a degree. I can probably get away with a small desktop amp for guitar, and I'm hoping to get a small 10" or 12" cab and Class D mini head for the bass stuff. If I need more down the road, I can always upgrade.
To SWMBO, an amp is an amp is an amp. They all serve to make noise, and no one needs fancy stuff. Case in point: we got my little nephew a battery powered Honeytone belt clip amp and she thinks that's more than enough. Spoiler Alert: it's not. It makes sounds, and that's it. I need stuff that actually can reproduce the sounds I want to make.
For guitar, I'm eyeing up desktop amps like the Positive Grid Spark, the various Yamaha desk amps, the Boss Katana series, and the Fender Mustang... stuff like that. I did have a Blackstar ID Core amp or a while, but it crapped out after less than a year. For bass, I'm thinking a small TC Electronic head would do the trick with a small cab. Trying to keep things as cheap as possible, so under $200 invested for each setup if possible. I don't mind buying used gear at all.
Anyone have stuff they like with this form factor that I should be on the lookout for?
In reply to Tony Sestito :
I'll sing the praises again of the little Fender Rumble amps. The 40w can be had for under $200, will keep up with a drum kit if pushed, and has a bunch of cool features built in. Less than half the total volume of your 115, and under 1/4 weight.
For guitar, under $200, it really depends what you want. I've had fun with the old Marchall MG combos. Cheap, decent tone, but lacking that sweet tube punch. The baby modeling amps from Headrush or Line6 are pretty good but nearly double your budget. My favorite solid state amp I've ever used was a Randall RG 75. Might be in range price wise, but it's a 112 combo so not exactly small.
In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :
My guitar playing will never need to keep up with a band, so I'm fine with a small form factor modeling desk amp as long as it does what I want it to do. For bass, I figured a small head and cab would easily be expandable. There's way more of a possibility of me jamming with others on bass, so if I needed more sound, a larger cab or just bringing my head to a space that has a cab would be easy. I'd LOVE to get a small Markbass combo, but those are way out of my price range.
I used to have a Marshall MG10 (I think) and it left a lot to be desired. Trying to avoid the small beginner amps if I can.
That Spark 40w seems like a really cool piece of tech. They have been out for a few years now, and used ones are in range. Just worried about support with something like that down the road.
The very best tiny guitar amp I've played is the Vox Pathfinder, doesn't do metal obviously though if that's your thing.
Take a look at the Hotone micro amps, they come in a lot of flavors and have matching tiny cabs
I have this old Cort B4. First bass I ever bought, gigged with it for years, plays great, looks great. Has electrical problems.
For some time it has been acting up on occasion. The issue is something in the preamp. I've always been able to limp it along by switching off the onboard EQ. Well now the neck pickup has died. Coupled with the iffy preamp, I think it's time to start looking at rebuilding. We have the technology.
I don't want to just replace what's broken. The preamp and one pickup costs more than the bass is really worth. So im looking at options. I generally lean EMG, but maybe there's something else I should be aware of? Anyone have suggestions? I think I'd like to keep it active.
barefootcyborg5000 said:
I have this old Cort B4. First bass I ever bought, gigged with it for years, plays great, looks great. Has electrical problems.
For some time it has been acting up on occasion. The issue is something in the preamp. I've always been able to limp it along by switching off the onboard EQ. Well now the neck pickup has died. Coupled with the iffy preamp, I think it's time to start looking at rebuilding. We have the technology.
I don't want to just replace what's broken. The preamp and one pickup costs more than the bass is really worth. So im looking at options. I generally lean EMG, but maybe there's something else I should be aware of? Anyone have suggestions? I think I'd like to keep it active.
I don't have any experience with them but Dragonfire and GFS are mentioned a lot with cheaper active pickups. Not sure if they have what you are looking for.
Harley Benton thru Thomman has actives, but I hate the ones I have
I kinda impulse bought a concert tom because I stupidly didn't buy the smallest Street Can when it was available and the set needs one more big tom. I thought it was a silver wrap, but it turns out it's a metal wrap and it matches the other Street Cans. Here's a pic, it's too high because my high snare stand is too high. Also, it sounds spectacular too as a bonus
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Curious- how much would you want for the 115? Shipping would be brutal, I know, but I'm kinda looking for a used combo.
Recon1342 said:
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Curious- how much would you want for the 115? Shipping would be brutal, I know, but I'm kinda looking for a used combo.
A beginners guide to making the UPS folks rage quit.
Recon1342 said:
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Curious- how much would you want for the 115? Shipping would be brutal, I know, but I'm kinda looking for a used combo.
Pretty sure that thing would have to be truck freight! It weighs about 110lbs and is damn near impossible to move since it doesn't have the optional casters. Hell, I don't want to move it! If I sell, it would have to be local or a trade-in at the local shop.
I'm hoping I can just stash it in the garage for later when I have more room for a proper rig, but we'll see what happens.
Recon1342 said:
In reply to Tony Sestito :
Curious- how much would you want for the 115? Shipping would be brutal, I know, but I'm kinda looking for a used combo.
Guitar Center used site is by far the best option for big amps or cabs shipped cheap.
What are you looking for? I'll keep an eye out
In reply to Antihero :
Something ridiculous to plug the U-bass (that I'm not supposed to know about) into... I have lots of time, so no rush.
Recon1342 said:
In reply to Antihero :
Something ridiculous to plug the U-bass (that I'm not supposed to know about) into... I have lots of time, so no rush.
U Basses are awesome!
I look at gear pretty much every day so it's not out of my way. How do you think I got so much stuff? Lol.
Got a favored wattage range? Speaker size? Peavey stuff?
50+ watts, 10-15" speaker, brand doesn't matter.
Recon1342 said:
50+ watts, 10-15" speaker, brand doesn't matter.
If I see a screaming deal on something that fits that I'll post it
In reply to Recon1342 :
Well, I didn't think it would happen so fast but here's a Peavey Basic 112, 50w
Shipped to me it's $105 total, I imagine a little cheaper for you since you are further south.
Peavey
