acidbass

Highly recommend the EHX Micro Pog, I think you could get one used for £100 or so. Lovely up/down octave, quite synthy and very accurate.

I did 96 in total last year, probably the quietest year I have had in a decade or so. That reminds me - time to fill the diary with dep gigs!

Nice looking straps but the one I bought must not have been finished correctly, as it left dark stains on light clothing after playing a sweaty gig. It has since stopped however I'd imagine there are better options out there at the same price point.

Agreed. Not sure the £1k+ price tag of these Ashdown instruments will appeal to buyers - it's a hugely saturated market at that price point. Certainly a lot of PR needed and positive reviews in all major publications to develop the brand awareness of the instrument side of the business.

I've genuinely never noticed the weight of an instrument I've played - is it just me? I've owned maybe 10 basses in my lifetime and honestly couldn't tell you which was lighter than the others. I guess I'm lucky not to have suffered from back or shoulder issues for which weight would definitely become a consideration.

Vigier for me. The tone of their Passion IVs is simply superb.

Sounds awesome - thanks so much for the link! Most just sound like normal Jazz Basses and I have the following thoughts: Top 3: - Vigier 4 - can imagine that sweet high end on a 5 string, would buy instantly! - Ken Smith BSR 5 TN, super tight low B - MTD 534 24 OMG what a tone! Very Impressed By: - MTD Super 5 - loved how different this tone was, very synthy towards the end, surely Scott kicked on an octave pedal? - Hofner obviously - Yamaha Billy Sheehan - surprised how round the P tone from this bass sounded for a supposed ‘rock bass’ - stick flats on it and I would definitely bring this baby to sessions - Status Graphite - not my personal choice of tone at all but so remarkable! - Dingwall Lee Sklar sig - like a P bass on steroids! - Ken Smith Hadrien Feraud sig - loved the high end - Spector Euro LE4, loved the punch outta a solo P pickup Underwhelmed By: - Fender Pino - definitely not a £3,500 P Bass - Zon Legacy Elite 5 - sounded so thin! - Fodera Monarch Deluxe - a very pretty instrument but for £5,500 you basically get what sounds like a 5 string J Bass! - Alembic Custom - the pickup position surely to blame here for a very non musical bass tone

Hey Guys! Going to invest in a Line 6 Helix LT for live use after much deliberation about my sound going forward I mainly use IEMs but I do want some backline on onstage monitoring for that live feel and to keep the rest of the band happy! We always miss that onstage warmth when we don’t have backline. So...what backline or monitors are you guys using, do you like it, what should I be checking out? All life experiences and opinions welcome! Strongly leaning towards the powered 1x15 plus horn FRFR monitor wedge route at the moment - something JBL-ish maybe Danny

I've put together a rock band for a one off gig this NYE. I've known the other guys for 15 years and they are all top players, we pooled together to come up with a seriously exciting setlist of rock covers from the 50s to the 00s. Probably mostly mainstream-ish pub rock with the odd heavier tinge, a little punk, blues, classic rock, some prog leanings and general rocking stuff. Lineup is 4pc - bass, 2 x guitar and drums with 3 of us sharing lead and harmony vocal duties. Been rehearsing twice weekly for the past 6 weeks and the set is smoking hot! Very excited!

I used to be of the opinion that only humbuckers really projected a good low B but recently have heard a few tasty single coil Jazz pickup sounds. I guess it's instrument and player dependent.

I really love this type of gig! There’s maybe like 100 popular songs that could be called by a pub band, same in any genre I guess. I remember the first time I did a gig like this at age 18 or so, it was a chastening experience! After many years of doing it I am now confident of being able to step in and play a pub set in most genres, as well as throw in some backing vocals. Practice is key I guess!

John Deacon used a short scale P didn't he?

Live click track is the only solution. Sadly most drummers' weak suit is tempo - a byproduct of the Youtube generation where drum solos are more valuable than feel and time.

It was his work with Joni Mitchell that convinced me how good he was - never got on with his solo stuff.

IMO true bass is only achieved with 18" drivers in subs. My band currently uses Coda Viray line array stuff and the subs are 15s - you just don't get that earth shaking thump from anything less than an 18.

Kudos to being able to sit through 2 hours of self-indulgent soloing from the melody players! Jazz and Blues jams are notoriously noodley

Great track! I’ve been listening to it for years and actually never noticed those effects until this thread lol

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Ashdown have some of the best customer service around. If anything does go wrong, you are sure to have it sorted in super quick time. I also don't think they fail any more than any other brand generally. There's a certain amount of 'emperor's new clothes' about the whole Class D era in my opinion, hard to beat a proper old school bass brand.

Anyone who doesn't see the benefit to IEMs is a fool, get a new band Seriously though, best change I've ever made. I'd be lost without mine, particularly for vocals.

Can’t see this on their website for sale yet but I would be VERY tempted!

In my experience, I have never heard a 5 string Jazz Bass I actually liked. The low B string just sounds weak and floppy with a single coil pickup. I just don’t think they are capable of handling that low end without sounding muddy. I would recommend looking at basses with humbuckers 👍🏽

I don’t think Ashdown have any more issues with their gear than most manufacturers. I had an ABM500 head a few years ago which was built like a tank. I dropped it off a stage once and broke a few knobs/sliders, messaged Ashdown and had the replacement parts mailed to me free of charge within a few days. Top service really. Wouldn’t hesitate to buy Ashdown in the future

Nitro Olympic White here. I love the way it ages and changes colour

The fantastic Reo Brothers from Phillipines. As pristine a cover as you will ever hear. They have loads of others too, proper studio quality harmonies etc

I was chatting with Joe Dart over a beer after a recent Vulf show and he said these basses were going to go on general sale in the Fall - which I guess is American for Autumn? He also said that he put some electrical tape over the pole pieces of the pickup as he plays super hard and got a little bit of noise from his fingers tapping on the pickup. I thought it looked like felt actually, neither would affect the magnetic pull anyway. Going by the recent Vulf live videos, he has really worked out his sound and it’s like a Jazz bass bridge pickup solo’ed on steroids! Fat, punchy and warm. Very tempted!