fretmeister

I can’t stand locking jack sockets. If anything they give a higher load on the wood possibly causing cracking - especially on front mounted sockets. At least putting the lead through the strap moves that stress to the strap and strap button area where the wood is thicker. All basses should have slot load bridges. I hate having to feed the strings through the bridge, especially if taking strings off but wanting to keep them for future use.

Only your hands can do this. No body else can. All you can do is play as many as you can and see what feels comfy and doesn't get in the way of how you play. I play 5 strings mostly. I know that a 48mm nut is too wide for me, and that rules out a lot of instruments. 44.5mm is a narrow 5 like on a Stingray 5 and I like that a lot. The feel of my 45mm nut bass is hugely different to my Ray even though there is only 0.5m difference. The neck profile is very different and the bridge spacing is larger meaning the strings splay out more as I play up the neck. The Ray is quite chunky in the hand and the Marleaux is much thinner, front to back. If the Marleaux was as chunky as the Ray I don't think I would like it - but it's slim and easy to play, just in a different way to the Stingray. Get to a good shop and try as much as you can!

Helix. But I've recently been experimenting with my Tech21 dUg straight into a powered PA cab too.

Lovely! Hohner really were a great brand. Awesome value for money.

Does no one just draw the settings on the amp anymore? Stickers and a pen?

I doubt it, but I’ve never needed to turn it up that much either. Gets over a loud drummer and 20 odd piece brass section without breaking sweat.

I went with a pair of Barefaced One10 with mine. Sounds great. Lovely and chewy and thick and articulate too. Great for jazz and big band, as well as rock,, metal etc. and so very light weight.

That’s quite an extreme EQ setting!

I use mine in a big band playing swing and jazz. It’s a great amp.

I tried the dug direct into my Yamaha dxr10. sounded great. Definitely giggable. Really loud too.

The routing does not compensate for pickup weight. Pickups are way heavier than the wood removed for them. having routed my own sr5 I know this intimately.

The Fail is still a shitrag, but it has a new editor who used to be from the Mail on Sunday. The MOS was an entirely different paper. The DM will change - some readers are already complaining about change in direction despite the new guy only just starting.

That's excellent. How big are CB's hands though? No wonder he doesn't have any trouble!

Possibly, but a pickup doesn't weigh 1.2 lb! Even the really heavy EMG MM5C (five string) is only 0.8lb

Sterling Ball's video claiming they were coming in at about 8lb is looking a bit inaccurate!

I use my kitchen scales! Very accurate and go up to 5kg That would be a MASSIVE cake!!

I've played some of them in my educational trust gig. Good fun. The film though - it skips over completely what an chocolate starfish PT Barnum was.

The SS is very good. But I still sold it for a Cali76 Compact Bass instead. The SS has a warm sound - a hint of old fashioned valve-ness about it, rather than the cleaner Cali or Empress. I think the Empress Compressor is my favourite but the form factor of a wide pedal with jacks still on the side annoys me. Don't forget that Darkglass has their new compressor that has replaced the SS too. Not tried one though.

As long as there are people who think they can hear the difference between battery brands the boutique pedal market will remain safe.