Rayman

Ok.... well after pulling them off, and replacing them with my usual EB Super Slinkys..... I actually prefer the mystery set. The Slinkys are SO bright, a sound I used to love, but as I've gotten older, I prefer a less bright tone.... The EBs will mellow, but.... I may need to rethink my string choice for the future, thinking maybe DR Sunbeams again, after many years off them.

I don’t recognise this brand of strings, but I really like them…… black barrels, silver wraps, feel like Nickel… Any ideas?

Yamaha have been my #1 brand for years. I’ve had many, many of ‘em over the years, everything from MIJ BB3000s to MIK RBX170 and everything in between…. And at ANY price point, they are consistently amazing. But while looking for something to partner up to my awesome IGB68, I happened across this absolutely immense ‘04 MIK TRB1005. Once again, Yamaha have absolutely blown me away. This thing is beautiful. I wanted a similar feeling bass to the Aria, 3 band EQ, similar neck…. and this thing fits the bill perfectly. I knew with the first note, that it was my sound. Loads of tonal options, lovely low action, it’s perfect. I’ve been on a bit of a tonal journey, with tapes on old school instruments, and as much fun as that was, I feel much more at home with these. They’re not quite up there with my old Kinal MK5, but honestly they’re close, and between them, and my Sunn Mustang, I think all angles are covered for now.

Yeah, I was the first bidder at £70, but missed out while I was out yesterday.

This is one of my latest tracks... I'm doing everything except bass and drums on this.... and the female vocal is my ex.

I’ve always admired players (there aren’t many) who have just one bass, they know inside out, and use for pretty much everything. So many of us have multiple basses, and I wonder how many of them you can truly get to know with so many choices? There’s something very cool about having just the one, and learning how to make it work in all situations. I’m not sure I could commit to it….. I love my Starfire and my Sunn (another one on the way)……. I have the Integra 5 ( which I’m thinking of defretting) …… but I really don’t want anything else…. the collection is actually getting smaller rather than going the other way, and in fact I’m thinking of selling the bass I said I’d never sell (see another thread) my Hohner B bass, as I’m only using the Sunn and the Starfire. Could I end up with just the Sunn???? It does everything I want…. Not sure I could commit to that.

Absolutely loving this DeArmond Starfire short scale, fitted with tapes, it's a total funk machine. Lovely low action, and a surprising range of tones depending on where you place your fingers. It sounds amazing with a palm muted pick. I'm trying felt picks to protect the tapes, but it has more attack with a regular pick and sounds big through this TCBG250. I've never been much of an effects guy, but on a whim I bought a Zoom B1on, and man, there's some very useable presets in there.....

Although my first love is bass..... I've been the front man since I was 15.... these are the metal band I was in during the 80s, did Radio 1 sessions at Maida Vale etc.... fun times. Check out the look......😆

I had one, I bought it for my ex to learn on….. the relationship ended, I sold it. However, while I had it, I really loved it. Great tone and nice to play….. but, wrongly stated specs is just ridiculous. Like Lobster and Bully Bass said…. Just tell us they’re single coils? It’s fine! They sound great. All very odd. A bit like the lobster claw thing.

So I figured that a Starfire with tapes, would sit well next to the Sunn, also fitted with tapes. I was right. Just got the Starfire back from a little electrical overhaul. Bish bosh, job done. They sound awesome, and I'm slightly turned on by the looks.

Funny how one bass, for no tangeable reason, can do that. I'm my case it cost me less than a hundred quid, it should be crap, but it's beautiful, resonant and comfortable. It makes me cringe about the tens of thousands of pounds I've spent previously. So crazy, and proof that you don't have to have deep pockets to find an absolute banger. I just hope that the Starfire that's coming in is good enough to back it up.

You know, the one you reach for most of the time, it might not be expensive, it might be expensive, but it's the one, out of all of them, that just feels like home. You might have a bunch of choices, but there's always your mate, that just feels right and makes you smile...... Me, still the Sunn, it shouldn't be that good, but it just IS. What's yours?

All I can add, is that having had 3 MIJ Fender Marcus Miller jazzes….. I always preferred the passive option. It was nice to have active options, but they always sounded so much better switched to passive, to me.

Gretsch Thunderjet. In black, looked absolutely stunning, but sounded a bit lame. I just couldn't get a sound I liked from it at all. That was 20yrs ago, and my taste has changed, I'd probably love it now.

As my username suggests, I was a devout Stingray fan when BC started. I haven't had one for some years now..... I would like one again ..... AAAAGGGGHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO

I turned up with a metal band in the 90s to a small pub, by the time we'd unloaded the gear including a massive PA, the frightened landlady said "I'll pay you if you just go home". We did. She did. Never even got to test the decibel meter winking at us from the wall. 😆