fretmeister

Depends on volume requirements. My little "combo" is a Tecamp Puma 300 with a Barefaced One-10 cab. But then again I play with an orchestra and with woodwind ensembles. I've not tried one, but if I wanted something bigger then I'd be trying out the Tecamp 2x12 combo.

I used to gig with a Bass Pod Pro XT and that was great. The Ampeg models were excellent, but lots of the others, like the old Hiwatt guitar heads were really useful too The most fun was using things that aren't really for bass anymore- like the Fender Bassman combo. You could use a combo now, but the power output and speaker fart-out would be a problem with a loud band. But with the Pod XT I could set the tone how I wanted and then let the dirty great Yamaha power amp I had do the heavy lifting. The mixing in some direct clean was the icing on the cake. The Helix will allow a 4 way parallel signal, so that could be mixing 4 amps together with separate EQ blocks, and again it won't matter whether the models are for bass or guitar, it will only matter whether it sounds good to the player. It's the sort of kit that makes rhythm guitarists redundant!!

Alas it doesn't seem possible for any complex software based product (in any field of use) to be released without bugs anymore. Playstations, iPhones, etc etc. All have endless bug fixes. Doesn't put me off anymore - but I will wait for a few months so any stability issues are fixed. I can't see the price coming down quickly though - the only competitor is the Fractal and that's already much more expensive. So there's no real need to lower it.

Some of the guys at thefretboard have received their Helix's. Good reactions so far. I've been asking loads of questions about routings and using existing pedals with them to see if it would do what I want it to do - and it seems the answer is YES! I might have to see what I can off-load - it is quite a lot of cash at about £1050 but that is really only the same as a half a dozen £160 pedals and yet can do so much more.

Sandberg VS4 passive. Nicer neck shape IMHO, great balance, and built superbly.

What a brilliant pedal! I actually got it for guitar use as I'm having a bit of a Hendrix / Trower obsession at the moment, but it's also brilliant on bass. It sounds like a proper univibe and even does the speed ramping thing when the pedal is held down. And the Toneprint preset beaming thing with a phone is witchcraft! It's one of those bits of gear that makes me play differently and get out of a rut. I haven't tried the full editor via PC yet but I've seen it can change everything, the max speed of the ramp, the acceleration rate, the tone, everything! I may well have to explore some of the other Toneprint pedals too. I quite fancy the editing abilities of the Reverb models next.

Harvard prof Stephen Pinker book " The Blank Slate" gives an over view of recent research of what is innate and what is learnt. Good book and very interesting.

Mex basses are built in Mexico by Mexicans USA basses are built in the USA by Mexicans. P basses are the simplest design in all of bassdom. I struggle to see the benefit of USA ones these days as the "inferior" ones are so very good now.

My favourite brand!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1445243190' post='2889775'] Shameless plug here, but I'm going to list a Marshall Jackhammer this evening. It would be £23 Inc post, if you're interested. Btw I am a fully paid up member. [/quote] Brilliant pedal (I have 2) - but it's not a fuzz!

The Darkglass has just bumped my Empress off my board. They are both amazing, but there is something about the Darkglass that I like better. Hard to put my finger on it though. Now I'm in 2 minds whether to keep the Empress or move it on so I can free up some cash for something else. I seem to be craving a Univibe even though they are not generally known for use on bass. Anyway, you can't go wrong with either of them.

Marshall ED1.

Weird! EBMM say all their 5 strings are 17.5 (I realise I said 16.5 up there by mistake)

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1445028512' post='2888356'] The Sterling Sub 5 has 15mm spacing [/quote] 16.5mm from string centre to string centre.

I'll have a look tomorrow.

Can you read dots? If so I'll have a look in my paper files at the weekend. Sure I've got it somewhere.

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1401194019' post='2460965'] Check out the Tecamp Puma 500. Honest wattage and modern tone. Also it is a plug and play amp with a very intuitive EQ. The Tonehammer is a very different beast, has oodles of power but is rolled back on the highs and is more about vintage tone. As always, if at all possible try before you buy [/quote] This. I recently got a Puma 300 and it's great - the TASTE control, combined with the EQ is brilliant. And it is only 2.2 lb. And no fan. Brilliant amp

There is always the lighter Berg CN112 I have the OneTen and it is very capable. The low B on my Marleaux is amazing with it.