Japhet

If you use effects as sparingly as you say I'd go for an older Zoom B3. Plenty of stuff on there to keep you happy and not out of pocket either. A lot of the other stuff seems like overkill to me.

I'm putting together a pedal board using cheap components as a bit of an experiment. Some have been very good and others haven't. In the 'good' catagory I'd put the Valeton OC 10 and FR 10 which are an octaver and a preamp (both sourced for peanuts on ebay). I'm also quite liking the TC Mojomojo and the Mooer Hustle. I also got hold of a Zoom MS60B off the forum which does all sorts of stuff. I had a few noise issues and so picked up a new Vitoos ISO4 Plus power supply for under £30 which seems to do a good job - for how long is anybody's guess though. I think brand loyalty will keep a lot of people buying boutique stuff but I'm not sure a whole load of people would do too well in a blind comparison test with stuff that costs a fraction of the price. I think that the way TC have slashed prices probably indicates that they were charging what the market would bear but have noticed the quality of some of the cheap competition and have moved to protect their bit of the market before they lose it altogether.

I put it at the front of the chain where it acts as a buffer/boost. It pushes the drive pedals primarily but it also adds what I can only describe as a 'plumminess' to the tone. I don't really have any means to record anything though.

The point being that a whole load of people don't know what the bass does, but would sure as hell miss it if it wasn't there. I also think that we, as bassists, often search for the right sound for ourselves but it makes very little difference to a large percentage of the people we play to.

In my experience (playing pub rock mainly), 85% of punters have no idea what the bass does, 14% are aware but not bothered and 1% appreciate and understand that you don't get a good band with a bad bassist or rhythm section. My anecdote about this; Playing a crowded and lively pub, one of the punters was heckling and wise-cracking constantly. At one point he shouted out 'What's the bassist there for anyway?' So, I replied 'I'll tell you what mate, I'll drop out during the next song and you'll find out'. So, half way through She Sells Sanctuary, I dropped out and the others carried on to the end. It sounded crap, as you'd expect and got the crowd reation we expected. Then the singer asks 'Do you want bass in the next song then?' which got a big cheer. He then says 'Well, you better start being nice to him you muppet' pointing at the original heckler, which got a big laugh. Occasionally you'll get a punter come up and say ' Great stuff mate, people have no idea what you do but there are a few of us who do' which is nice.

I have one of these too and I've recently discovered the Valeton FP 10 which is a buffered preamp/boost pedal. It replaces any low end loss on pedals like the Hustle and sounds fab on bass. The only thing I've found with the Hustle is that it's a bit 'gainy' and prone to feedback issues but it's just a question of reigning it in a bit and I've found it works quite nicely when stacked with something else. I have it running after the SVT patch on a Zoom MS60B which sounds pretty good.

Just kept an eye on ebay in case anything good came up. The OC 10 had a Buy it Now price so I had that and I bid £22 on the FET preamp and nobody else did. They're both great pedals.

My advice has nothing to do with music, or guitars or amplifiers or joining bands but it is probably the most important piece of advice anyone can give you, and it is; Familiarise yourelf with the deadly affliction known as GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) can strike at any time but the chances of it becoming deadly are greatly increased by regular visits to websites such as Basschat. Once it takes hold, it is almost impossible to shake loose until divorce, banckruptcy, social alienation and homelessness have been achieved. Early signs are constant visits to the Review and For Sale sections, or Ebay. You may find yourself uttering the peculiar sentence "Yes Dear, I can absolutely understand why you need those shoes, that new dress and the handbag". This unfortunately means that you have been infected and will say anything to divert attention from your own addiction. Looking for places to hide new acquisitions is another key indicator. As of now there is no known cure so please, take heed. Sadly though, in your case it may already be too late since you have found Basschat so early in your journey.

I've been putting together an experimental pedal board using relatively cheap components (probably got too much time on my hands). I found a couple of Valeton pedals on ebay in the last couple of months and have to say that they are both fabulous. First up was an OC 10 octaver which is a copy of the Boss OC2 and it does a terrific job of capturing what that pedal was all about. Cost me £40. Second up is a FP 10 which is a copy of the old Boss FET preamp pedal which I nabbed for £22. Presumably meant for guitarists but it is stonkingly good on bass as well as I found out at a full volume rehearsal last night. Absolutely blown away by the tone and clean boost on tap, and both pedals are buffered too as an extra bonus. I've not been a fan of Boss pedals in the past but these 2 are keepers. In fact, the FP 10 sounded so good the guitarist has nabbed it for a tryout.

The ability to keep the beat would be bliss though. Drives me nuts when our drummer constantly slows stuff down and it's hopeless trying to drag him along at the right speed.

I like the sound of this lowly Squire Classis Vibe and love the way this bassline builds up from very simple to a classic walking line.

If you're still after a buffer, have a look at the Valeton FP 10. I've just picked one up off ebay for £22 and at home volumes it sounds lovely. No reason to think it won't be good at gig volumes either. Here's a YT link (only guitar) but you'll get an idea of how nice the tone is. Demo starts about 1.50 in.

Must spend a lot of time sitting in lay byes sifting through that lot to try to find the appropriate album to fit the mood. I have 6 CDs in the autochanger and normally swap them at the weekend.

Physical product for me. I still miss reading the sleeve notes on an LP on the bus on the way home from the record shop which was never an option with the micro print on CDs. Can't imagine reading anything on a kindle. The drummer in my band has something like 1000 albums on the mp3 player in his car. Can't see the point myself.

I don't practice much on bass apart from learning new songs for the set list, but I do enjoy learning how to play stuff on guitar, mostly from Youtube tutorials.

Signed. I blame Simon Cowell.

The 'loud' guitarist I mentioned further back in the thread had a 30 watt Marshall Bluesbreaker at one point and 'Holy Mother of God' that thing was loud. I'd imagine an AC30 at full chatt is quite something, not that I'd want to be anywhere near it.

Would be a great addition as long as it's adjustable and defeatable. An inbuilt noise gate wouldn't be a bad idea either in my opinion.

Played a gig once where the guitarist blew a cone in his cab. At the time I was using an Ashdown 4x8 and 1x15 cab setup so he had the 4x8. It sounded pretty good actually with a few tweaks on his JCM amp and pedal board.

We usually ask the audience to tell us if there's anything wrong with the sound. We have a few 'followers' who are pretty well clued up as well which is handy. It's often difficult to get a handle on the 'out front' sound from on stage and the sound always changes as the places fill up (hopefully). I've played with some stupidly loud guitarists who maintain that they 'can't get their sound' without a cranked Marshall JCM but luckily the guitarist in my band of the last 8 years plays through a 25 watt Marshall Jubilee which sounds great at sensible volume. I think that micing up drums can be the top of the slippery slope into volume armageddon. An unmic'd kit is plenty loud enough for your average pub gig (and a bit more if your pot basher has a single eyebrow).

Exactly how I do it. Everything kept separate and easy to use.

To a woman wearing all black who had a really loud, raucous laugh 'Don't clap like that love or I might throw you a fish'.

Also, 'We've had a request, but we're going to keep playing'.

Aren't there examples in every genre of music that each of us likes or hates? Jazz covers an immense spectrum of music and I don't see how anybody could dislike all of it.

I use an Ampeg Scrambler as an 'always on' pedal which I like. Plenty of drive and a clean blend to maintain the low end. I also have a One Control Hookers Green on my board which is a cracking pedal. I've heard good things about the Caline Orange Burst on the really budget end of the scale as well but not actually tried one.