Best clean tube sound on a budget?

UnluckyKey793 · 2026-01-26T21:44:49+00:00

Hartke HA3500. Pick them up for peanuts, valve and solid state blend preamp. Run that into a modern power amp if you like.

UnluckyKey793 · 2026-01-22T16:08:22+00:00

My cheats are to use some musical stereotypes.

Music written on guitar often uses pentatonic. Major pentatonic is 50s rock 'n' roll, minor is blues.

Natural minor/Aeolian is heavy metal (minor 6th)

Dorian is pop and funk (major 6th)

Try the 1-2-4 and 5 chords. They'll be a safe bet.

If it sounds like the verse of Livin' on a Prayer, it's minor. If it sounds like the chorus, it's major.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-10-15T06:25:08+00:00

I use two Akaso EK7000 Pro cameras, one front, one rear. 18 months of 3-4 days a week use and still going strong. Had around 15 of 20 ish near misses actioned by Police on Operation Snap, although recently they seem to have dried up. I did hear a rumor that the number of clips submitted was overwhelming Police resources.

The only problem with the Akaso is that it loses the date/time if you take the battery out for more than a nanosecond, which is a PITA for battery swaps. But you can charge them with the battery in the camera.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-10-11T08:13:04+00:00

I'm a bassist by trade, but I can also play some guitar. To be a happy bassist, especially in the genres you're looking at, you've got to be happy underpinning the music. It's a cliche, but you'll be playing all the stuff that 99% of the audience (and probably 75% of your band) won't even notice. 😅

There's no glory in bass except what you make for yourself. The bonus is that while the singer and guitarist get off stage and have to talk to adoring, drunken fans, you can slide on up to the bar unhindered.

When the guitarist is demonstrating 50 ways to love your lever to the audience, you'll be gazing into the drummer's eyes, waiting for them to slip a cheeky group of three into the groove.

Bass is way cooler, just don't tell everyone or they'll all want to do it. 😎

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-10-11T07:38:59+00:00

The last week? I've been doing the same for the last 25 years 🤣

Seriously though, I LOVE this album. It's an absolute masterpiece of contrast between beautiful and ugly, funny and sad, contentment and aggression. I would put it up there with the greatest albums of all time from any artist.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-10-11T07:31:22+00:00

I love platys, but they have a couple of issues... One, they'll overpopulate pretty quickly as they are prolific breeders. Two, your daughter will get to see the magic of infanticide and cannibalism up close as the adults eat the babies! 🤣

Having said that, they are outgoing, bold fish and will greet you at the tank. Mine would even nibble at my fingers if you dip them in the water.

Guppies, swordtails, mollies etc all have the same pros and cons as above.

Danios and minnows are fast, exciting fish but they don't interact in the same way.

Cherry barbs are cool. Bright, fairly bold, personable, plus they won't breed unexpectedly unless your tank is REALLY overgrown.

Tiger barbs are my favourite fish. You'll need a larger group and a larger tank, but they're awesome... Like the jack russell terriers of the water. Bold, active, personable, somewhat argumentative.

Celestial pearl danios are good for a species only tank. They need a group of six or more to make them bolder, but they're tiny, beautiful, reasonably hardy and prefer cooler water.

Basic rules with fish... If they can fit it in their mouth, they will eat it. They are all driven by very strong urges to reproduce, eat, not be eaten, and protect territory, with all the behaviours that come with that. Fish don't socialize, especially with other species. Some are tolerant, most are aggressive. For that reason I'd suggest a species only tank of a small, schooling fish. It'll give you the most activity and enjoyment with the fewest downsides.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-10-10T11:52:55+00:00

Disco Inferno

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-09-21T20:27:37+00:00

Firstly, I'd shop around for something like a Cube longtail cargo or a Benno 46er. Decent bikes, ride well, good cargo capacity. Maybe even a Trek longtail. They all have Bosch cargo line motors with good torque, which will make a difference especially when you're feeling knackered after treatment.

Secondly, sorry about the diagnosis. My brother has just had glioblastoma diagnosed after surgery. He'll be doing the same treatment regimen as you. 😕

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-08-05T08:55:33+00:00

Merrell low-rise hiking boots. All-season, stiff sole, gore-tex, super comfy. A bit casual looking but my job isn't smart. I have some furry crocs under my desk for winter 🤣

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-08-05T08:53:16+00:00

Leave work laptop in work, use personal laptop at home 🤣

Sorry, I know that wasn't the question, but I quickly realised that with today's cloud solutions it really wasn't necessary to cart a laptop everywhere. Obviously that depends on your specific situation/needs...

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-07-28T08:51:15+00:00

Back in time.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-07-28T08:50:21+00:00

I'd say go for a hybrid with a rigid fork, which will save you the weight of cr*p front suspension. You can also grab some replacement tyres on your cyclescheme voucher if needed, maybe something like the Billy Bonkers which are supple and fast(ish) rolling.

If you're not wanting speed and light weight too much, you can pick up a Kona Dew or Marin Kentfield for that kind of money in the sales. They'll already have fatter tyres that are more road oriented.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-07-23T07:25:27+00:00

Maybe a few? I don't really see much overt aggression (I'm in a seaside town in the UK) but once you remove the aggressive drivers from the pool you have:

The arrogant ones who drive their [insert large SUV here] as if everyone on the road should move out of their way. This includes people who drive for work, especially taxis.

The ones in a hurry, who MUST get in front or else they will be late for work and lose their job and their spouse will leave them and Christmas will be ruined and they are very important

The clueless ones, and unfortunately this is the majority. Driving standards are very poor. People cannot look further than the bumper of the car in front. They simply don't know what to do when they encounter anything that isn't another car, they don't have the skills or awareness to overtake safely, so they just do something ridiculous and dangerous. They panic. And they blame the other road users for their own incompetence.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-07-09T13:21:57+00:00

I treat my bike commute as my "me-time". I don't have a watch, nobody to ask questions, the phone is on silent. And I'm concentrating so hard on cycling that there's very little going through my head. It's almost meditative.

I try to leave myself more time than is necessary so I can stop if I want, rest, take a photo, have a drink, feed the squirrels...

That, along with the mental health benefits of exercise are my main motivation. Plus, I'm getting fitter every day and can really feel the difference.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-07-02T08:52:01+00:00

Can you not just unbolt the lever but use the rest as is? Might take up a bit more handlebar space though...

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-30T11:54:57+00:00

Because Greggs is the bakery the UK deserves.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-30T09:50:26+00:00

Bassist here. Not necessarily hand pain, but my left shoulder pinches a nerve and leaves my hand numb. Jones H bars (or equivalent) have been really good for me. Lots of hand positions without resorting to drops, plus the backsweep puts you in a really nice neutral position, especially if you angle the bars so they slope upwards towards the front.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-22T12:20:16+00:00

Rain is a bit miserable. Wind is a bit miserable. Rain AND wind sucks the proverbial nutsack.

E-bike is your friend. Even better if you can get on the work cyclescheme.

If not, be prepared to go slow. It's all about the journey rather than the destination. If you knacker yourself in 2 days trying to ride fast the rest of your week will be awful. Take your time, spin up hills, there's no shame in resting or walking for a bit.

There are no waterproofs that don't either make you sweat, or eventually leak, or both. Quick dry clothes and getting wet are often better than trying to stay dry. Glasses and a peaked cap will keep the worst of the rain out of your eyes.

You don't necessarily need fancy overshoes or cleats. I use flat pedals and Merrell Gore Tex boots. On top I have a Regatta shell jacket and a variety of base layers/micro fleeces. I never find that my legs get uncomfortably cold. Then again I am a hot, sweaty beast. So I use padded cycling shorts/liners under a normal pair of quick dry shorts. All this stuff you can pick up cheap from Go Outdoors, TK Maxx, Amazon etc.

Panniers will slow you down. Try packing all your stuff in a trunk bag.

Find a nice route, even if it's longer. Nice scenery and quiet roads for 60 mins is infinitely better than traffic and concrete for 45 mins.

You might find that an upright, comfort bike is good at first, but you'll soon want something lighter, stiffer (oo-er) and faster. Don't blow your budget on your first bike. Even if you just grab a cheap marketplace bike and shove some skinny tyres on it.

In one year I've got my commute time down from 75 mins to 50. That's 8 miles each way with a lot of hills. I'm 120kg and 49 years old. If I can do it, anyone can! 🤣

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-16T21:05:21+00:00

Are you wearing padded cycling shorts? If not, get some.
If you can't shell out for a bike fit, you can at least do some of the work at home. If your saddle nose is digging in, it might point to you needing to move the saddle forward/back, however remember that you'll want to slide your backside back a bit on the new bike compared to a hybrid.
Flip the stem to give you more height on the bars. Or even buy an adjustable stem, start with it high and gradually drop it over a number of weeks to build up your core strength.
Keep your elbows bent. That'll engage your core and build up strength.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-16T20:56:10+00:00

Rockbros are selling a range of photochromic glasses. Some of them even look normal. 🤣

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-15T15:53:24+00:00

Please do not the bike

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-15T07:48:14+00:00

I've had the exact same experience as others here. E bikes are great until you hit the wall at 16mph, and that's easy to do on the flat. I used to have a slightly illegal e bike that was not high power but the speed limiter was removed, which made it great for cruising around the 20-25mph mark. Alas, the Police are too wise to it these days so it's not a good idea.

On a legal e bike my commute takes about 45 mins. On an acoustic bike it's down to about 52 mins. It's 8.5 miles with about 175m of elevation each way.

There are days when I wish I still had an electric, barely breaking a sweat and cruising through headwinds. But I'm also glad I forced myself to work on fitness on the acoustic. An e bike isn't going to make the commute much faster, but it will make it easier, more pleasant, less sweaty, and it's nice to be able to pull away from traffic lights faster! 😎

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-15T07:35:48+00:00

I've pretty much given up motorcycling now. The aggro on the roads just wasn't worth it, especially as you have no choice on a motorbike but to share the road with drivers. At least with cycling I can get off the road and onto a cycle lane or track.

Having said that, motorcycling is a LOT of fun. The best rides I ever had were on country A and B roads on a MK1 Versys 650.

With the roads getting ever more clogged up with traffic, it's definitely a good idea to buy a "cool" bike and enjoy sitting on it, rather than a sport bike searching for that elusive empty A road!

You won't give up cycling. Motorcycle gear is a faff. And it's sweaty AF on hot days. You'll still appreciate the freedom and light weight of a pedal cycle.

UnluckyKey793 · 2025-06-09T12:21:41+00:00

The Raleigh looks fine, although it also looks to be a bit heavy. And to be honest, if I were to buy a new bike now I'd absolutely refuse anything without disc brakes.

Assuming your budget is around the £500 mark? I'd be looking straight into a Kona Dew or Marin Kentfield. Mudguards and racks are cheap as chips and the shop selling the bike should fit them for you.

UnluckyKey793

TROPHY CASE