BigRedX

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1447881291' post='2911269'] I like the core tone of my bass but the output is quite low and doesn't drive the front end of my amp in the way I want it too. I'm looking for a preamp to boost the output without altering the tone too much [/quote] Can you not just turn up the gain on your amp?

[quote name='bassix' timestamp='1447923723' post='2911445'] I won't be moving too far musically from where I am now in punk, I've checked out what a few guitarists I like play and they seem to all be on Gibsons so I might have to check out the Les Paul and SG copies.. [/quote] The only thing I would say about Gibson (and similar) copies is make sure the copy guitar has the same type of construction as the original. That means don't go for a bolt-on neck if the original version of the guitar has a set neck. IME it makes a big difference to the sound and playability of the guitar.

Are you sure about the lack of self oscillation of the JP-8 filter? It's a long time since I actually played one but I'm pretty certain that if the slope switch was in the 24dB/octave position it would. That was certainly the case on the JP-6 that I owned. Back in the early 80s I can't remember thinking anything good about the Juno synths. The sound was always thin and weedy (and not in a good way IMO) unless you played chords with the chorus effect turned on. There's a lot of what I consider to be mis-placed nostalgia for the budget synths of the late 70s and early 80s. They may well have appeared on some classic records, but I can guarantee that if the people making those records had more money to spend on instruments, every single one of those cheap synths would have been replaced with more expensive (and probably US-made) ones. I've owned my fair share of these so-called classics, and I can honestly say that the only reason I used them was because back then it was all I could afford. Given the money I would have chucked the lot of them in the bin and bought a couple of Oberheim Xpanders instead and not regretted it for a second. I also think that people get unnecessarily hung up about specific synth sounds. When I started playing synths I was using a Korg MS20 and an EDP Wasp. Later when I had more money, and polyphonic and patch memory technology had come down in price, I replaced them with a Casio CZ5000, a synth with a very different sound generating architecture and design philosophy. However, the Casio could do the majority of sounds that I needed with ease and where I couldn't match an old sound exactly I was able to find something different but equally suitable in the context of the song.

Ever single electrical component from the pickup to the speaker will have some effect on the tone.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1447880068' post='2911251'] Could someone recommend an on onboard preamp that will boost the output without altering the core tone of the bass [/quote] Surely the whole point of a pre-amp is to colour the sound?

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1447797177' post='2910572'] I think it might possibly be explained by the love that still exists for the JX-3P and the Juno. People are still raving about them on synth fora and EDM fora, and describe how well certain characteristics of their sounds blend in the mix. Some even prefer a JX-3P above the JX-8P because of some of its sound. Sorry, can't be more specific, as I don't delve into posts along these lines. I just noticed a pattern of enthusiasm, especially in EDM circles. [/quote] Well having played all of them and owned a JP-6 I can't think of any sound that a JU or JX series synth might make that I couldn't have done with any of the JP series synths (except for the JP-4 which was a completely different synth to the other JPs). At the time (early 80s) I doubt anyone would have bought any JU or JX series instrument if they could have afforded a JP-8 or JP-6. Certainly none of the people I knew who had a JU or JX would have hesitated for a moment if they could have swapped their synth for a Jupiter.

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1447846562' post='2910857'] One standout feature of the J-Retro is that it can fit the battery under the control plate with no need to route a battery box. This is great if you want the ability to take your bass back to a stock passive setup at a later date. If that is an important feature, I'm not sure how many (if any) of the other pre's mentioned here can offer the same? [/quote] This depends on the body thickness of the bass it's being fitted to. I had to route out another 1mm or so from the bottom of the control cavity on a Squier VMJ to get the battery in. The clearances required are given in the specs so you can check before you buy if you don't have the equipment or skills to do this work should it be required.

As I've said before, a delivery service is only as good as its weakest link. I can't buy stuff from Bass Direct any more because they will only use APC the ship the large items and the APC depot in Nottingham is totally useless - one collection that never turned up to collect and two deliveries that stuck cards through my door when I was in, rather than actually deliver the parcels. IME unless you are shipping something fairly small but very expensive, UPS via Interparcel always works out cheaper than Parcel Force. And Interparcel's insurance does work. I've had to make two claims (over 5 years and several hundred parcels sent) and both were paid without any fuss. One was for a parcel that went missing, and the other was for an item that was damaged in transit. So insurance is worth paying for. What I will say it that you should make sure that anything you send is well packed. That means if you don't have a hard case for your bass then it needs to be double-boxed and well padded inside both boxes, and if you do have a hard case, bubble-wrap it and pad it inside the delivery box. HTH.

There's no future. It's all been done. You should pack in making music and sell all your gear.

These days it's very difficult to buy a crap new guitar. Even the entry level stuff is way ahead in build quality and playability compared with what was affordable back in the 70s and 80s. I have a Harley Benton Strat. It's a fantastic guitar for the money, although TBH any manufacturer who can't make a decent copy of a Fender design in this day and age doesn't deserve to be in business. I also have a Deko HB Barritone guitar. This has a design fault on the bridge (probably why it was sold as a deko) which means the string spacing is less than optimal, but even taking that into account the overall quality, playability and sounds (we used it on our latest LP) are just so much better than what you would have got for the same relative price in the past.

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1447836277' post='2910727'] This. Even if we are the support band I cant watch another band after we have finished. Thought it was just me. [/quote] This became very obvious last month when I went to WGW and watched a band who we have supported numerous times. I really enjoyed their set this time (before I'd always noted them as being vaguely entertaining but nothing really special), maybe because I hadn't just done all the tedious crap that we have to go through in order to enjoy those 45 minutes on stage first.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1447834399' post='2910703'] Why buy something without even trying it first? [/quote] Because, unless your tastes in instruments are very middle of the road, there is almost no opportunity to try before you buy. And even if you do get an hour or so on it in a shop that doesn't mean that you'll be able to cover every aspect of the instrument to ensure that it is perfect for you. In the last 10 years I have bought one bass that I tried in the shop first and out of all the basses that I bought over this period it was the one I kept for the shortest amount of time. The things I couldn't get on with only became apparent after a rehearsal and gig or two.

I did the survey although I light of some of the comments I ought to clarify my answers. Although I responded as a bassist, I also play guitar and keyboards and have been the main guitarist and/or keyboard player in bands at various points in my musical career. My choice of instrument has absolutely zero bearing on how I feel before, during and after performance. I do have increased hear-rste during gigs. It's because I'm excited and for me playing live is a physically strenuous activity mostly because I'm not content to simply stand there and play. My palms sweat. Along with the rest of my body. It's hot up there on stage especially in some of the outits that I choose to wear. It's all about the performance. If I do get nerves it never manifests itself in the symptoms mentioned in your questionnaire, but more a bad temper (although I'm much, much better than I was 20-30 years ago) and an inability to appreciate the other bands on the same bill because all I really want to do is get up there and play. HTH.

Interesting! And even more so that Roland haven't gone the analog route of Korg but have used digital modelling instead. However one thing really puzzles me. As someone who has had hands on experience of all the original versions of the synths that these are emulating and who has owned a JP-6, I really can't see the point of the JU and JX models as they only ever existed originally as cut down low-cost synthesisers for those who couldn't afford the fully-fledged JP-8. Especially now that all three modules are very similar prices unlike the originals which pretty much doubled in price when you went from a JU to a JX and again to the JP.

IIRC the stereo mixes of a lot of 60s recordings were very much an after-thought. Several days would be spent on getting the mono mixes sounding right and the stereo mix would be dashed off on the last afternoon.

I love silence. It makes my decision to play or listen to music all the more important.

AFAIAC Euro to UK mains adaptors are fine if you want to get a couple of your electrical devices working while you are on holiday on the continent for a week or two, but they have no place as a permanent solution for what is supposed to be a serious piece of musical equipment. My understanding of the legislation regarding mains powered devices being sold for use in the UK is that they must come fitted with the appropriate UK mains plug. If you by something from Thomann it will come either with a second IEC mains lead fitted with a UK plug or a proper adaptor that fits permanently around the Euro plug and has to be unscrewed in order to remove it. This is an acceptable compromise IMO (although I will always remove any Euro plug from a captive mains lead and replace it with a proper UK one). If DV247 can't supply equipment to the UK with a proper UK power supply or a permanent (screw fitted) Euro to UK adaptor, then they should be selling to the UK. If this had happened to me I would have been in touch with both trading standards and TASCAM by now. DV247 have had a chance to put things right. Now they deserve to be dripped in the sh*t.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1447593839' post='2908723'] I wouldn't have thought that a company like DV247 would be selling grey imports. [/quote] You would have thought, but I can't think of any other reason why something should come from a UK reseller with the wrong mains plug fitted.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1447400840' post='2907300'] I need to screen the lower chamber of the thinline telecaster that I'm building before I glue the top piece on. Any recommendations? Copper tape might be a bit awkward to fit so I'm looking at conductive paint. Any particular brands to go for or avoid? [/quote] I'd have thought that if you are going to do it before attaching the top, copper tape should be simple to fit. It's certainly a lot easier to connect to the earth side of the wiring than conductive paint, which you will have to do for the screening to be effective.

What you are told in advance can have little baring in what will actually occur when you arrive at the airport. The budget airlines all have strict guidelines about the size of carry-on baggage and will not IME deviate from this. While some people might have been lucky in the past, my advice is always to assume that you instrument will have to go in the hold, and then you won't be in for any nasty surprises.

Wall wart power supplies are at best a nuisance and having to use an adaptor with one because it's the wrong model isn't going to make it any more reliable. I was under the impression that UK consumer law requires electrical goods to be sold with the correct mains plug fitted, which means that at the very lest DV247 should have supplied a suitable adaptor with the device when they originally shipped it out, like Thomann do. However what they should have done is to supply a proper UK power supply with a UK mains plug on it in the first place. My concern would be that this unit is actually a grey import (after all if it was a legitimate UK model it would have come with a proper UK PSU) and that should anything go wrong with it the OP may find themselves having serious problems getting it put right under warranty. Personally I'd be getting in touch with TASCAM directly and finding out exactly what the situation was and if I didn't get a reassuring answer returning the device to DV247 for a refund.

[quote name='three' timestamp='1447418277' post='2907504'] I've never been a big fan of the J-retro as a unit (though I admire Jon's work in general). I prefer Sadowsky (available as a pedal too) for a J. I have an Agi OBP3 too - impressive but in a Spector not a Fender type [/quote] I spent a couple of hours at the Sadowsky workshop trying out his various basses. IMO all of them sounded better with the pre-amp off. Mind you I was playing through a very nice sounding and tonally versatile valve amp.

[quote name='rmcki' timestamp='1447417072' post='2907494'] But there so far away at least 2m... [/quote] When I'm playing, I'm too busy playing to be able to fiddle with the controls even if they are right there on my bass. When I'm not playing the amp is always near enough even on the bigger stages. TBH I find passive volume and tone for each pickup together with a selector switch far more useful. Set up a sound that enhances each pickup and flick between them using the switch depending on what you need on each song.

[quote name='rmcki' timestamp='1447362752' post='2907138'] Are there any alternatives you would consider? [/quote] The controls on my amp.

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1447399439' post='2907290'] just to muddy the waters a little, of those that do use compression, are you running active or passive basses? [/quote] Both. Why do you ask?