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I will. But it's really less combative than it might seem. The necessity for using compression is borne out of the laws of physics and well-recognised good practice in sound engineering. It's not something subjective, like whether a new set of strings makes your tone sound 'better'. It's proven by the measurable behaviour of sound traveling through air. All quite dull and predictable, really. The short story is that every bass player should use a compressor. Because the bass guitar is an instrument capable of producing extremes of both low and high frequency energy, and there's not a cat-in-hell's chance that anyone can compensate for that by 'good technique' alone, least of all during a live performance. This is why 100% of sound engineers apply compressors to bass, to compensate for the 50% of bass players who apparently don't. Ultimately it's not essential. Just like changing your strings regularly isn't essential. But the question as to whether it's beneficial has been answered long ago, which is why I find threads like this a little tedious (no offence). Compression is complex and very different to the majority of other FX we apply to our instruments, where we plug something in and turn a dial until we hear a noticeable difference. And I think that is partly why it confuses some people and leads others to believe that it's a case of the Emperor's New Clothes. What I find odd is how this confusion seems most prevalent amongst bass players - the very people who stand to benefit most from compression. You just don't get threads like this appearing on sound engineering forums. Instead, you just get endless debate about 'which compressor is best for bass'... and that's just as tedious! Anyway. Next time I record some bass I'll post some clips of the dry signal and the same signal (at the same volume) run through a compressor - and also both again in the context of a mix with other instruments - so you can hear the difference. Until then, my advice would be to cease tilting at windmills

Did Anyone Notice or Comment When You Switched Your Compressor Off? The proper question would be, "Did Anyone Notice or Comment When You Switched Your Bass Off?" Blue

Should we not do the same for:- If you played a wrong note Got the timing wrong Used flanger instead of chorus Kicked some form of distortion/overdrive/fuzz on in a song you wouldn’t normally do it I take it if only 1 person notices that’s enough, or does there have to be more than that...... I have to say IMHO this survey misses the point of how you use compression and so won’t really prove anything either way

Pleasantly I had an opposite experience last night - I've been getting increasingly fed up with the others in the band having lower standards and saying we'd "nailed" a song as soon as we could mostly play the right notes at the right times, always at the same pace and volume, and because there was no communication - none of us were even looking at each other while we were playing. I thought we sounded clumsy and boring, but the others seemed to think it was good enough. I've had words about it, gently, a few times to no effect, and last night I was ready to say if they didn't raise their game I'd be off out of it. What I actually did was to pick one song that was crying for a dramatic change in dynamics in the middle, and asked them to give me a short bass solo at that point - just the main riff played twice high and staccato, and then twice low and slower with sustain. Nothing fancy - but because it was my solo, the others didn't have to worry about making the change with me, they just had to pick up the slower beat when they came back in after it. And they had to watch me so I could cue them. As soon as we tried it, they got the point, and we ended the night with everyone happily agreeing that we'd taken a step up and would continue that way. Very glad I didn't throw my toys out of the pram. And credit to the others for understanding and agreeing quickly and positively.

I’ve gone stereo bass!

Genzler magellan sounds like a starting point?

A Viking chicken of war

Not really interesting. Just evidence that we bass players are perhaps deserving of being viewed as the ‘slow learners club’ amongst musicians. PS: when I can be arsed, I’m going to post a thread explaining the necessity of compression with some audio clips to help illustrate; just so this topic can finally be taken out back, shot in the head and buried for all time. Until then, as you were.

If it's anything like the V3 500 (350W without an extension cab) it'll be bum-hurtingly loud and won't need an extension. Unless you're playing very big rooms, of course. In any case, you'd think Fender would have matching extensions in the pipeline?

Those are uglier than Fenders. Which is not something I say very often.

I left a band once after a blazing row at the rehearsal rooms in the coffee machine area, stormed off back into the room, packed my kit...and then had to go back and ask for a hand getting my Ampeg 810 up the stairs and into my car. This is why lightweight cabs are the way forward...Flouncing Ability is an often-overlooked plus point...

https://www.gumtree.com/sellerads/1290211564?page=1

Thank you indeed, I really do appreciate your words greatly! Can I quote you for my ‘testimonials’ on my FB Page? You’ve hit the nail on the head. I love doing these reviews and I feel lucky I suppose that I’m allowed to say it ‘how it is’. This one for example I chose to do a technical review because so many others had focussed on the simple stuff online. As it happens this and the HyperGravity Mini are two of my favourite compressors. My Nova Dynamics being the third! Cheers, Dan

How about a bit of the late great Donny Hathaway?

Agreed. There's that and the fact that Fender have at no time referred to them as V4.

Hey guys! I can vouch for Wilcock, myself and Fretless Bob have helped him (it's a one man operation) develop his models to what they are now. He does have a clear idea of what he wants, so things like different pickup combinations don't really happen, but, he enjoy's working with people on their ideas. Also, he's trying out the B90 pickup in a new Wilcock bass. I'm looking forward to that...

It's evil - if you play sat down the lower horn has a bit that stabs you in the leg whilst the same feature on the upper horn sticks into your sternum! My stepdaughter reckons it looks like a chicken.

I used to have one of the Aspirations - great bass for the money - very versatile. I still have my Jazz Custom - anytime I have any questions I'll fire a question off to Chris or Laurence (have both their email addresses) and wait for their response - normally within 24 hours. Great customer service.

There was a programme on the recording of Pet Sounds BBC4 last night. CK was spoken of very highly and it was great to see her at work and hear that great pick sound straight from the desk.

Good luck with that

I haven't had a chance to play the 2x HD112 stack but the 112/210 combo will definitely sound very different. I like to combine 12" with 10" speakers, I have the impression the frequency spectrum gets some kind of "wider" and the mids get stronger. I like to play a stack of a HD112 and a Epifani 110 too.

The pickup chambers need some care. There will be less than 5mm thickness under the chamber so precise measurement and cutting is essential. Many of you know that I hate routers and I hate using routers. But for a flat-bottomed deep chamber, it's almost unavoidable. So personally, I use the router for the least number of operations. I start with defining the depth and corners with a drill: Then make a relatively shallow hog-out with a forstner bit: I then straighten the cuts around the outline with a sharp chisel down to the depth of the amboyna top. And only then do I use a bearing router. I use a very short one so I can safely tidy the sides of the existing shallow chamber before I start cutting the chamber bottom. So again, I basically use the top as my template - I know that is not the usual way but all I can say is that it works for me and I've massively reduced pickup routing c**k ups since I started doing it like this Then, using the bearing trimmer against the tidied up chamber sides, I just deepen a couple of mm a time to the required depth. And here we have the chambers with the sub-5mm thick bottoms: And the inevitable mock-up. I may well use black pickup rings on the finished article - but I happened to have these gold ones in the spares box so they will have to do for the mock up: As always, folks, thanks for looking and for the ever encouraging feedback.

What happens when the electronics go on the blink, once the warranty is over? Or 5 years from now Fender no longer provide downloadable updates for these amps. The problem with the amp and guitar/bass business model is that amps and guitars have a very long lifespan. If you get a guitar or amp you like, you probably won't buy a new one for years/decades.. Successful manufacturers always make sure their products are obsolescent within a few years, so that people have to replace their phone, car, computer, computer program, operating system at regular intervals. Maybe Fender are getting in on the 'built in obsolescence' bandwagon, with these type of amps. How many of them will be out there and working properly in 5 or 10 years time?

My dad worked for Mike Oldfield when I was young, I've played on his kettle drums!

SSD dives and a lot of RAM - at least 8GB

Yep, I’m very impressed with my Electra VS4. As Cuzzie says, their customer service was pretty damn remarkable considering the company had received zero money directly from me. I couldn’t believe it. The evening that I foolishly snapped my g string tuning peg I emailed Sandberg asking if I could buy new tuners Direct from them, and Holger himself replied about 4am simply asking “Where do you live?”. I told him my address and a little over a week later I had a shiny new tuner through my letterbox. As far as the quality of the bass itself, I have zero complaints. Yes it’s Sandberg’s “entry level” line but the whole bass looks and feels top notch. If you didn’t know it was the entry line and someone just handed you the bass for a blind test you’d never know. It’s just rock solid, well finished and lightweight too! I have one of the older Electras in a lovely satin tobacco burst with the classic precision shape from before Sandberg changed the body styling. Picked her up for about £350 which I’d happily spend again to be honest. I’ve spent a little under £150 on mods done at The Bass Gallery - got the replacement tuner installed, had the neck “satinized” (I prefer satin necks to gloss) and got a passive tone knob added to the existing 2-band EQ stack. Oh and I put some La Bella Black Nylon Tapewounds on it which I’m absolutely loving. The bass is definitely a keeper. I just wish they did the Electras in 5 string versions too!

I heard Nate Watts endorse Hartke by saying that their amps don't fade under pressure. I've never played loud enough or in hot enough conditions to make any amp fade, you understand, so I just take it on faith from one of my bass heroes. Rickies seem suited to bi-amping. I read time and time again about the pups being significantly out of balance on some models. I suppose this is the best reason to separate the signals and process them independently. Secretly, I dream of building a Bootsy inspired five with independent outputs for each string AND each pick-up. I might limit myself to two pick-ups at first though. Just 'till I get used to tiptoeing through the vipers' nest of cable that I'll need.

I am learning Elvis Costello Pump It Up for rehearsal later, resorted to downloading the dots, every verse and every chorus are slightly different each time both in note choice and quantity of bars! I will simplify it a bit for the real world I think.

Just turn your volume down and smile and dance to the beat, while pretending to play the tune. That's what I do when I don't know the song ☺

mine as it stands now! A brief spell of unemployment forced me to sell my cali cb! but I got sorted and got myself another cog T16 a Mooer lofi machine and an MXR bass compressor. The your doom,sweeper and lofi machine are in the cog T65 loop and all in the wonderloves loop! it makes some very responsive synth sounds!! love it to bits

True Tone (One spot) CS6 under mine. It’s great.

On the slippery slope now - this is what I fell in to: http://

The back carve is pretty close to being done and the neck carve is also starting to get there. I've also recessed the control chamber enough to be able to cut the hatch shape, although - depending on how deep the electrics are - either the recess still has to be deepened or the hatch itself thinned a couple of mm. The swifts are also fitted in the headstock plate... ...and so, in terms of the front, probably the next job is fitting the bridge so that I can properly line up the pickup chambers before forstner roughing and then chiselling them out.

Okay, I am buying one... no more people wanting to borrow my bass. And apparently I will get used to how it looks anyway

You really are a funny old lot. The Fender Precision, and its stable mate, the Jazz, provoked pretty much those same reactions from the staid, fuddy-duddy bass players of the day when they were announced. I don't think many, if any at all, were saying 'Now there's a nice-looking bass'. The terms of reference were very different; folks had the idea that 'bass' meant 'upright double bass'. Now, it seems, 'bass' means 'Fender', and any deviation from the terms of reference seen as 'ugly'. As an object of beauty in its own right, I'd put up very few bass guitars; even very few instruments at all. Bongo, anyone..? Firebird..? Seriously..? Amorphous slabs of painted wood; nothing graphically exciting in any sunburst (maybe, perhaps, a violin finish on a semi-acoustic, if I stretch a bit...). Still, it's healthy, I suppose, to pitch tar and feathers on anyone trying to break the mould, but those wishing for innovation and progress seem hard to please, somehow. Yes, it's ugly. In exactly the same way, and for exactly the same reasons, as most basses are ugly. You really are a funny old lot.

How often have you run both cabs together? Was it at low volume? You don't have to sell anything. Just run 2 rigs and daisy chain them. Run an instrument lead from the send on one to the return on the other. So you'll be running the preamp in the amp your bass is plugged into and both power amp sections into their respective cabs. That will get you your extra volume from the second cab without risking any damage.

mesmerising what a voice Smokey !

I (belatedly) saw what you did there...

Only when he was pretending to be Carol Kaye on all those Beach Boys albums.

Lozz 196 - I think (someone may correct me) that Kaye was always a pick player, Jamerson never. I think the analysis is a bit OTT, but I agree with the overall idea that they both contributed to the final master. I would say the part from 3.15 onwards which he describes as being played by Kaye is definitely played with a pick and has a more regimented feel, and I certainly agree that Jamerson features again later on. And for those that think this is all a bit boring, well, this is a bass forum, so people who are interested in this sort of fine detail might just like to talk about it...........................endlessly!

this is what I sent to Jon:

Horses for courses