Sold.

Marshall MG100DFX (100 Watt amp, 1x12 speaker, effects loop) in very good condition, only one owner, not a scratch on it. The original cooling fan was noisy, so it's been upgraded with a quieter fan. Included is the foot switch, and original box if needed.

Clean/crunch modes on the clean channel, two different overdrive channels, and the famous FDD (Frequency Dependent Damping) switch, which, when switched on, emulates the dynamics (responsiveness) of a valve amp.

Here's a link to the manual for a detailed list of features:
http://pdfstream.manualsonline.com/e/e0a5ca46-59b4-35d4-3d0d-f6f51139103d.pdf



Based in Pretoria.

Haha! I saw the subject line and jokingly thought:

When your gear sounds like a steaming pile of doodoo... change your strings!

It's happened to me many times too, you start playing and think "I'm sure my amp used to sound better than this" - then after a string change, all is good again. I play my strings long past their prime... things need to sound pretty bad before I make the change. Bad habit...

V8 - Thanks, I tried the SHB-1 VST, and it's really good! I mostly used the TSE-BOD (A Sansamp DI simulator) before, and I now prefer the SHB-1. I agree with you on the Guitar Rig impulses, they really are its weakest point. It's still great for quickly browsing through amps and effects, but once you figure out what you want, there's probably a better, (and often free!) VST available.

I also agree with you on the RTL - I don't notice it in particular (playing guitar), but I feel like I have to concentrate harder when playing through an interface, and I'm sure that has something to do with the RTL. It's possibly part of what I'm missing about playing through a bass amp.

Flippie, Peter, Sakkie - Thanks, I'm going to keep a look out for a second hand +-100 Watt Hartke or Ashdown with a 12" speaker!

I'd also like to hear some suggestions. I have a bass already, and had a bass amp for a while. Playing through studio monitors (with guitar rig and other equivalents) is all I'm doing at the moment, but playing through the amp gave a much more powerful (and defined?) low end, which made playing a lot more fun. Would adding a sub be as good as a dedicated (yet beginner level) bass amp?

Another Trooper cover, of a different kind...


Getting a little more serious again:

If you already have a home laptop or media PC, you could consider getting a cheap(ish) interface for it and running the output to your hifi. Considering that you mentioned a "studio" you've probably already considered this - but just in case you hadn't...

It would cover everything on your list (except maybe the 10 Watt requirement, depending on your hifi).

It's not quite as convenient as just switching on an amp, but as soon as you start adding backing tracks into the picture a PC starts to make sense.

Link isn't working at the moment
But I hit play on your other trucks - good stuff!

"Dadayum Drums Outed" reminded me of 90's Smashing Pumpkins (when they were at their best).

More!

ajdebeer wrote:

ParadoximA wrote: Nice! I wanted to buy one of these (second hand) just last week, but it looked too much like a scam. Where did you buy it from?

I bought it from myself haha but the only place that I know that got stock of this guitar is marshall music on their website

http://www.marshallmusicdirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=53_54_64&products_id=743

I hope you gave yourself a good deal... Cool thanks for the link!

Nice! I wanted to buy one of these (second hand) just last week, but it looked too much like a scam. Where did you buy it from?

It's interesting that you got a USA model here, I would've thought those would only be sold in the USA initially - may I ask where you got it?

I got it through Andries at The Fret Shop (Musica Instruments at Atterbury Valuemart) - I'm not sure where he gets them from. I just opened my guitar up to take a look, and it is a Free-way switch, but it's on a rectangular board that looks quite different to the switches they currently offer (I got mine a few years back) - I'm sure the new range is more reliable.

peterleroux wrote: I've been wondering about these- cool idea, but it looks like murder to solder

...and they won't necessarily fit in the old switch's cavity - I had to remove a tone knob and put the switch in its place (of course I could have enlarged the cavity, but I didn't want to do that).

I've got one - the first one I put in gave problems, so I got it replaced for free. The replacement is now giving problems (sometimes the neck pickup doesn't engage on the first try). I can't remember the brand that I'm using - if anyone's got a reliable 6 way toggle, let me know what it is!

That said, when it works, it works really well, and it's great to have all the extra options on a single switch!

The answer is 10 000 hours:
10,000 Hours of Practice

But, not really:
Ditch the 10,000 hour rule! Why Malcolm Gladwell’s famous advice falls short

Nitebob wrote: I don't see how not giving money ensures that he won't stay a beggar.

In even simpler terms then - I don't have an infinite amount of money to give away - so since I can only give a finite amount, why not rather put those Rands into a system that could work, rather than a system that definitely doesn't. Is all I'm sayin'.

EDIT -
"system that could work" - ie CHARITY that HELPS PEOPLE.
"system that definitely doesn't" - ie STREET BEGGING.

Sean - the point made here is not that you shouldn't give because some beggars are con artists. The point is that giving money to a beggar just feeds the habit of begging, and insures that that person will always be a beggar. Giving money to a charity that helps people get back on their feet seems like a far better option to me.

I'm talking about the general case - obviously there are unique situations where it's obvious that someone needs some immediate help.

X-rated Bob makes a good point about acknowledging people. I do the same. If someone approaches me, I will look them in the eye and greet them, hear what they have to say - and when it turns out that they're begging, I'll politely tell them "sorry". Many appreciate this, while some try to take advantage.

Personally, I will ALWAYS give to a car guard (like it or not, it's often a necessary service - they're not beggars), I will SOMETIMES give to a beggar posing as a car guard (but rather a loaf of bread than money), but I will NEVER give to someone standing at a robot, as they're just creating a dangerous situation and I won't be a part of keeping them there.

This article isn't about South Africa in particular, but it covers some points that do apply here:
http://intentious.com/2013/11/18/should-give-money-homeless-beggars-poverty-street-giving/

From the article:

"Organized begging is one of the most visible forms of human trafficking—and it’s largely financed and enabled by good-hearted people who just want to help ... these children aren’t allowed to keep their earnings or go to school, and are often starved so that they will look gaunt and cry, thereby eliciting more sympathy—and donations."

"It’s a devastating pill to swallow, since enslaved children who return to their captors without money might be beaten, tortured, or worse. But by giving them money, we only encourage the cycle, finance a horrific business model, and put future children in grave danger. When we give directly to children, we hurt more than we help."

I don't know if the typical South African street kid is a "slave" or "captive" belonging to a greedy organisation, but in many cases they are expected to stay out all day/night, and take the money back "home" and give it to their families or community. Regardless, it's not a system that's ever going to improve their situation. If they were ever given enough money to completely turn their lives around, they wouldn't be allowed the opportunity.

My basic point is that a donation is more likely to make a positive difference if it's given to a charity that knows how to use it to improve the situation in the long term.

Terrible timing, given that all the metal heads should be at Wolmer Fest for the weekend.

It's really a long time since I thought about this...

For more string length beyond the nut, I agree with you that you probably need to bend the string further - but I think you may actually need to apply more force to get the same pitch increase (assuming the string is moving freely over the nut and not getting caught). I'll get back to you once I've had a chance to think about it!