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This is a semi silly question because I’m sure it’s all opinion. So I get on weird kicks and lately I’ve been playing a few vintage peavey bass heads. I typically use an SVT or a Mesa prodigy but those old Peavey heads have a soft spot in my heart. Anyhow… I’m thinking about using one live for one of my acts and got to thinking that I usually D.I. From the back of my amp. My head has a line out and a preamp out but they are both quarter inch. If a run one to a Neve D.I. box will it improve my sound quality or am I just wasting my money buying a 200 dollar D.I. When I already have a radial? Any experience and thoughts would be cool. I’m pretty good at chasing that “perfect” tone that doesn’t exist.

I heard him a bunch with Michael Moore in the late 70's/early 80's at Eastman.
This album (below) was my intro to both of these beautiful musicians.
IMFO, and I'll fight you.
This:
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JQ does it again

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I am not sure which forum this is best in. Mods advise...

When practising over headphones, using a DAW and modellers as VSTs what I miss over an amp in the room is the sense of location and separation. Has anyone tried using HRTF/spatialisation software to 'place' their bass in the room in a specific virtual location?

Ultrahsort version of the story: Should I get a 3-way switch or a blend knob?

Longer version:
It's time to change my Yamaha BB's. Most of them have Volume-Volume-Tone (which I absolutely despise).
I'm going to change to Master Volume, Tone, and.....something else.

I've come to the conclusion that my favorite pickup configuration is a P/J.
And 95% of the time, I use both pickups on full. The only time I ever change is when I'm getting a buzz or hiss from the jazz pickup, then I switch to "full P".

Since this seems to be a binary choice, should I just change to 3-way switch? Or have a blend knob?
Is there much sonic difference between the two? Is there a significant advantage to having one or the other?

The main disadvantage to a blend knob--it "confuses" me when I look down at it, and wonder "which is which? And which way do I turn the knob?" Maybe I'm just stupider than average, but I like the super-duper simplicity of the 3-way switch.

Hey all...
Here's a new one...I plugged in a BRAND NEW, straight from the factory, out of the carton GK MB200, and POW! Literally almost turtled myself....familiar smell. Not me; the amp! Power Amp go boom. Anyone ever replace one before, and was it difficult? I did some snooping, and found the power amp here:


This ever happen to anyone before? And, YES, before y'all comment to " Send it back", as I already did... I explained the situation to Sweetwater, and they took care of me, 100%. Replaced, free of charge!
I would have a qualified tech do this.

I normally play through a carvin 4x10 bass cabinet. It sounds great. I have one small club where the space is limited and I have to lift this 96lbs cabinet about 5' feet high, then walk a bit to clear an obstacle that's near a customers table. Then when I leave I have to lift above the obstacle and set it down without taking out a customers knee. To reduce weight has anyone ever use two 2x10 stacked? if so do you think the sound will be compromised not being in one cabinet? any recommendations?

I like the look of quirky old short-scale basses. Old models from brands like:
Univox
Vox
Hagstrom
Eastwood
Goya
Kay/Teisco
Harmony
Mosrite
Ventura

I know it's dangerous to generalize, but some TB members have owned a lot of these. Could anyone shed light on the pickups found in these basses, especially if they're from the 60s-70s? I'm thinking they might be cheapo single coils, prone to 60-cycle hum, but I could be wrong. Any info appreciated. Some example pics:

I need some recommendations on a pedal. I am looking to replace my Darkglass Anagram pedal. The pedal is just outstanding. I only used it at my Church and we play Contemporary music, so I end up not using the anagram's full potential, so I am going to just moving to a simple preamp pedal that has DI, EQ, Compressor and Overdrive. I found out the following pedal on Sweetwater, any recommendations witch one is really good? or if there are other pedals not listed, please let me know.

Electro-Harmonix Battalion Bass Preamp and DI Pedal
Gallien-Krueger PLEX Bass Preamp Pedal
Darkglass Microtubes Infinity Preamp/Distortion/Audio Interface
EBS MicroBass 3 2-channel Preamp Pedal
ISP Technologies Beta Bass Preamp Pedal

How can Fender release a "Vintage" series bass with a basically unplayable bridge?
I'm talking about the American Vintage 60s Hot Rod Precision. According to Fender it was built in only 2013/14. Apparently it's scarce but not exactly rare. It's the first time I've ever seen one.
I'm what you may call a Fender "fan boy". I know there are better basses out there but I really like my Fenders as much as anyone ever could.
But what ever designer ever included the Fender Hi-mass bridge must have been high on something else.
I should have been suspicious because even though I have not seen a lot of these basses they often have "upgraded" bridges.
The string spacing is atrocious and can not be adjusted. The E and G strings are miles from the edge of the fretboard and the string spacing sucks. It was hardly playable for me.
However, I took it to one of the best (and funniest) luthiers in town (Dave's World of Fun Stuff).
Check out the videos for better explanation from Dave.
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In Part II Dave changes the bridge.
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I just can't understand how this could get through quality control. After all it is an American Vintage model.
That been said after the bridge has been updated I can say this is absolutely wonderful bass that plays like a dream. The pickups are the loudest non-active pickups I have ever encountered and the Ash body is beautiful.
It's a weird conglomeration of various bits and pieces from all points of Fender bass history. The only thing I don't like is the clay coloured fret markers and I find the tug bar useless but that is easily remedied. I've just got a thing for odd-ball Fenders but I do like them to be at the very least playable.
I've included photos of the removed Hi-Mass bridge and the last picture in the series is not my bass. I included it to show the poor string spacing.

Just wondering about the benefits and hassles associated with pickups that require batteries.

Thoughts??

Squier VM "Jaco" style I got as a backup. It's an ebanol board that came fairly scuffed up and I've sanded it now and then and in general but it has:

* One bad buzz on 4th fret on the E string
* Less bad buzz 10th fret on the G string.

Should I sand it some more, whole neck, which is a bit of a faff, or are there any short cuts?

Action is 1.5mm 12 fret E string, strung with TI Jazz Rounds. Small amount of relief.

Thanks in advance.

Hello i bring into you a great piece of internet wisdom.
Like many here i been having joint issues, i started suffering from fibromyalgia couple years back and have constant pain thru all of my left arm.
This, with a heavy heart, has deterred me from playing the instrument we all love.

Bass is heavy on the shoulder and for me the scale is too long for it to be played sitting down in a comfortable way (Believe me i tried) Shoulder strain equals arm and hand/wrist tension, i was all tensed up and having a really bad time, needing to take multiple breaks with my band and actually just tried quitting altogether and just singing and playin synths.

But we needed the bass of course and i couldn't turn my back on it, so i got to thinking. Thankfully this whole situation made me rethink my technique and all the things i thought were "proper posture" and started adjusting it to my body instead of the other way around. But that is a matter for another post.

I remembered these kind of stands from some multi instrumentalist videos where a guy would hop from keyboard to guitars and other things and the guitar was floating, suspended. Tryin to find how these contraptions were called was an oddyssey on its own- But in vain i realized it was impossible for me to buy one not even because they are expensive, but no such thing exists in the local market. Those of you who know me are aware of my countries situation and many have helped thru the years. to start my bass journey and to keep going. I'm Eternally Grateful.

Well so being the tinkerer and DIY enthusiast that i am i just knew there had to be a way to build this. I found a couple ideas of varying complexity, each more involved. Don't get me wrong, they were doable and i was happy someone had thought of designs for me to expand on- But all this changed when i found the following video: Login to view embedded media
A single straight mic stand.
That's all that was needed. I was skeptic at first too but my enthusiasm for such a simple and ingenious idea rushed over me. Of course i had been overthinking it once again. A mic stand and a shoestring, nothing more!!!

I have tried this on band practice yesterday and i have to tell you, it works just perfect. I used the simplest method with the regular mic attachment and while it takes a bit of tinkering with it, bass stayed put for like 3 hours, it was a really bizarre experience playing and then letting go and the bass just staying there suspended in mid air. And the relief.. that was exhilarating. My hand was freed up to just focus on the fretting, the pain was (mostly) gone. I can't put into words how happy i am and i needed to share this with you all in the hopes it can help you too.
I will be building my own attachment like showed in the video so its even more firm and i think this will be the way i play the bass from now on. As fun as it is strappin it to the body and moving around and dancing with it, it is not worth the pain and i dont see myself doing it ever again not for an extended period of time at least.

godspeed

I am looking for a luthier or company who will make a good quality custom 32”-scale conversion neck to fit a full-size bass body—in this case, a Warmoth Custom-T that I already have. Warmoth only offers a 32” neck to fit its smaller “medium-scale” body. The stock offering from Lowe Custom Guitars is not what I would prefer, and apparently Mr. Lowe does not do custom work. Jeremy Kirsch has closed his shop, and Musikraft isn’t interested. The Allparts neck specs are not a fit. Freestone Guitars’ website does not currently offer a “custom neck” option. I’ve even contacted an Italian company which seemingly could do the work, but they don’t ship to the U.S..

So…is there a luthier or company around who would be able and willing to build a quality conversion neck—meaning not needing alot of futzing, plekking, and other work to achieve a decent setup? In brief: Telecaster headstock, 11/16” nut, 9.5” radius, Slim C shaft. The rest of the stuff (shaft wood, frets and fretboard, tuner holes, etc etc) can be discussed if there’s a shop out there somewhere.

Thank any and all of you, in advance, if you have recommendations.

So, early 40s, but my back is getting worse and worse. My doctor is recommending surgery and moving my upright to and from rehearsal spaces is becoming a pain. Therefore, I'm considering selling an upright bass and buying an electric upright. I figure all my gigs with upright are plugged in through a PA system, and I'm using either a Full Circle or Realist so it almost doesnt matter what bass I have so long as I can play it (still questionable, but a topic for another thread).

I have an old American Standard bass that I love and has some sentimental value. I also have a Shen 150 which I bought for this gig because I bow a fair amount and the AS's fingerboard and bridge are pretty flat and a little harder for bowing. But, the 150 does play a little easier for bowing and looks fantastic with the violin corners. That said, I'd likely sell the Shen.

The question is which EUB? I'm likely to narrow my search to the Yamaha SLB 300 (maybe 200) or the Eminence. I like the look of both. From the videos the both sound fine plugged in, but I'd love to know which people like better for Arco and Pizz? Any reason to get one over the other?

Thanks for your help!

I get to play at a jam with guys are way more talented than me. We-play some songs i have never heard. We quickly go over chord progression. Fortunately one of the very talented guitar players I stand by will help me by calling out an unusual chord. A mega talented local talent guy comes in stage. Good personality. In a funny way He said I need Texas swing blues in A. Can’t say I heard of that beat! Turned out pretty good!

I am on the hunt for a cleaner, clearer, and more balanced tone wise 5 string. I want it to be different sounding than my Spector Euros and I am not interested in an American made Spector. I also want to go away from the typical EMG 40 soap bar pair.

Currently, I have four Spector Euro 5 strings. EMG 40 Pickups, EMG BTS and 18 volt Haz Lab setups. I like those for the following reasons:

1. Hipshot Ultralites installed on all of them
2. Longer reach to the 1st fret is comfortable with my long arms
3. I can wear them low and they balance well
4. 35" Scale, neck-thru
5. The Spector tone coupled with great midrange content.
6. Easy to play

I recently tried a used Lakland Skyline 55-02 with Lakland USA electronics in it. The single coil coupled with the Musicman style humbucker was a unique combination. Even with not so great strings, the low end was excellent, midrange was everywhere, and the highs were clear and present. I really liked the tone. BUT, the neck was super uncomfortable to me. I can't hang with 19mm string spacing. The Lakland neck felt like a surfboard and I was struggling to play with any speed. I could play slowly, but I was struggling.

Here is what I want:

• Something like the Lakland tone wise (Full spectrum)
• 16.7mm to 18mm string spacing.
• Contoured and rounded off edges. Heavier body, lighter neck (9lbs or 10.5lbs is OK with me) ( I don't want my forearm smacking the edge of the bass constantly).
• Chunkier neck (not thin like Ibanez)
• Lightweight tuners
• 5 strings
• 34" to 35" scale'
• Bolt-on or Neck-Thru (no preference)
• No Ibanez basses

What brands should I be looking at? If I go the custom route, who do you recommend?

The good:
Tim Carr is a great musician and he is a nice narrator. Clear, concise and pleasant.
The sound quality and video quality are good.

The bad:
The "bass player" looks, sounds and plays like he doesn't actually own a bass.

I don't know how many people are employed at Sweetwater, but maybe there's actually a bassist working there who saw or will see this video and wondered "Why the heck didn't they ask me to demo these instruments in a way actual bass players would appreciate, and in a way that would better resonate with them."

(This phenomenon reminds me of a LOT, if not the overwhelming majority of bass demos by Fender/FMIC, itself, btw...)

Come on Sweetwater!
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I found tutorials about setups that say to do the action before intonation. Changing intonation changes the action, so does it matter that much which order to do them?

I am disabled and recently had to cancel a gig because I could no longer haul my upright. I'm looking for an acoustic electric fretless bass that would come close to that sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I’ve been using a BBMP2 to create an awesome wall of sound to work the guitarist’s power chords. Sounds amazing on the gig even though the sound seems kinda meh by itself. I get it, sometimes it do be like that.

Now I want to modernize my setup, using the AfterShock to produce that sound (and hopefully others) in a 100% repeatable manner. Starting with some of the user patches online, I created an AfterShock patch that (in isolation) sounds pretty similar to the Analog pedal settings. But in the band context it utterly fails. It’s too bright or too thin or disappears it’s too bassy or too distorted or…

So I’m inexperienced at creating analog fuzz tones, but I quickly got one on the BBMP2. But after a few tries, I can’t get the same gravitas out of the AfterShock version of that sound. I know the analog pedal has controls optimized for its intended useage, and the AS is more generalized. But…

Am I just inexperienced, or is this a really difficult and subtle thing to so?

Here’s the knob settings:

:

My AfterShock patch:



Recordings of each
Clean:

BBMMP2:

AfterShock:

I just bought a Squier Telecaster Bass and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I've seen a lot of people complain about Squier, but where I live, a Fender would be ridiculously expensive.

What do you guys think about this bass? Have you had any problems with it?

I'm coming from a Precision-style bass from PHX, so honestly, I'm sure it'll be a huge upgrade for me anyway.

Aw jeez, the latest installment of the Who/Zak drama. The lad must be getting whiplash(not a movie pun, BTW). Just put the whole thing to bed, Pete, Rog. It’s all way past embarrassing in the first place, and has been for at least 10 years…