BigRedX

As others have said output power of your amp is no real measure of loudness. You'll probably get better results by having better designed cabs with more efficient drivers in them.

If I didn't use my expensive basses at gigs there would be no point in having them.

No. For me the whole point of practicing is so that I can play the songs at a gig. Therefore I use the bass I'm going to be playing on stage. Otherwise IMO it's not practicing, it's just noodling. Edit: in the days when I only had two quite different 5-string basses - one which my main bass and one which was a spare in case I broke a string at a gig, I would try and do a rehearsal every month where I only played the spare bass, just to make sure I play all the songs properly on it, and I hadn't written a bass line that was only playable on my main bass.

Poor old Ashdown still thinking that these kinds of rigs actually contribute to anything the musicians or the audience hears.

IME 99% of the factory presets are useless for any real-world band situation and at best simply starting points for a sound that actually works with the rest of your gear and the overall sound of your band. When I get a new multi-effects unit the first thing I do is to wipe the first patch location and load it up with my default effects selection - usually EQ, drive, chorus and delay. I'll adjust each of those until I have sound I like, and then take the device to the next rehearsal where the sounds are further adjusted to suit the general band mix. This is then my "default" patch for that particular band and all other sounds that I need will use this patch as a starting point. All final adjustments are made when we are rehearsing the songs when they can be appreciated within the overall band sound. This is why technical rehearsals are important if your sound is any more complicated than simply plugging your instruments into you amps.

If it's just for backup and you like the sound of your main amp, why not get another one the same? Anything else will sound different even with the same cabs, and you'll probably be disappointed. For me the whole point of a backup is that is tis a like-for-like replacement for whatever I currently use and doesn't require any adjustment in order to get the sound I want.

In my other band both guitarists use multi-effects pedals going into amps, and IMO are constantly fighting against the sound of the amp imposing self on the patches they have carefully set up at home on their multi-effects. Plus every time we do an equipment share gig and they have to use someone else's amp the relative volumes of the patches can be all over the place if the amp they are using doesn't replicate the same clean valve saturation of their usual combos. I've been trying for ages to get them to ditch the amps as it would result in a more consistent sound and would be less gear to have to carry to gigs, but they seem too stuck in their ways plus I get the impression they don't fancy having the tweak all their patches to make up for the lack of amp.

One of the reasons why I got rid of all my big traditional guitar and bass rigs and got a Helix plus FRFR is that the same single setup is suitable for both guitar and bass duties. I'd be looking whatever Line6 unit with amp and cab sims fits within your price range. One thing to watch though is if you use feedback or speaker-driven sustain you will need a traditional amp on stage. Your little Vox might be just the thing - run from a separate output on whatever multi-effects you get and NOT mic'd up - if you can find somewhere suitable;le to put it where it won't mess up the on-stage or FoH sound.

But as EBS_freak has mentioned, your brain along with the fact that you have two ears for direction and distance location is very good at compensating for latency/delay caused by sound coming from a physical distance. It's not so good at compensating for sound being delayed by other means and even less good when that sound is being piped directly into your ears with either no ambience or artificial ambience.

IIRC if the body has any depth to it, it will be hollow, so probably relatively lightweight. However it will be "changeling" to play. There used to be a rather battered Wandré guitar hanging up in one of the music shops in Croydon. This was in the days before there was any easily found information about them on line. Unfortunately it had gone by time I was able to go back with the intention of making a cheeky offer for it.

The performance royalties alone must add up the a decent amount. Another reason to be a songwriter and not just a musician.

A rare and collectable bass in what appears to be very good condition (certainly compared to a lot of examples I've seen in the past), so the price is hardly surprising. BTW Travis Bean guitars and basses were essentially neck-through as the aluminium part extended all the way to the bridge.

There are no 100% reliable wireless systems. Even the very expensive "pro" models that require paid for transmission frequencies are prone to problems. As has already been said the 2.4GHz systems are definitely to be avoided now as they are competing with far too many other devices for bandwidth (every audience member's mobile phone for starters). Right now 5GHz systems appear to be better but expect them to get less reliable as more devices start using this frequency. I used to have the Sony device mentioned previously in this thread but stopped using it after a couple of instances where the transmitter pack mysteriously changed channels mid-performance breaking the connection. On both occasions I noticed that the PA mix was being done wirelessly using a tablet - whether that was the reason I don't know but I wasn't prepared to risk it again to try and find out. Right for both my bands now all mission-critical connections on stage are done with wires.

I've had two signature basses. Firstly a Yamaha BJ5B which is the Terry & The Blue Jeans (well known Japanese surf band) signature bass. It was a limited edition of 50 instruments and the only way to get a 5-string bass with the SBV body shape without having something custom made. Unfortunately for me, other than the shape it had nothing in common with the SBV as everything else was taken from the TRB2. And combined with the fact that it was by far the heaviest bass I have ever owned, it was sold on when I had my big clear out of unused instruments. I currently own an Eastwood Hooky Bass 6. I have to admit that I'm a big fan of Peter Hook's bass playing, but I wouldn't have this bass if it wasn't for the fact that it's the only Bass VI with a suitably wide neck for my playing style. This is now my main bass with one of the bands I pay in and I can see myself keeping this until I can either get a Gus Bass VI made with the same neck width, or I no longer have a need for a bass VI of any type. I don't have a problem with signature instruments, apart from the Eastwood Hooky, the signature instruments that I have been interested in have been down the specifications of the instrument itself, and most of the time I have zero musical appreciation for the musician with whom they are associated.

Gimmick band with one decent song. What do you expect?

Warwick Black Label Tapered 135 B. Bass goes direct into the PA via a Line6 Helix. Also lowering the pickups on the bass side has helped with note definition.

Actually for one band my stage wear doesn't have any pockets. Luckily this is the band where I play all the songs with a pick... Currently the spare picks live on the shelf that holds the computer. However I'm hoping to be able have the confidence to move it somewhere off-stage.

While conventional wisdom says distortion goes near the front of the effects chain, there are no hard and fast rules, and if an unconventional effects order gives you sound you want then it's the right order. This is one of the big advantages with a modern programmable mug;ti-effects unit in that the effects can be in any order of your choosing and be completely re-ordered for the next patch, and called up at the press of a footswitch.

Never had any problem switching between pick and fingers. However I mostly use a pick that produces a very similar tone to my fingers and I use a multi-effects with a separate set of patches for each song. For me the choice to play with fingers or a pick is almost always down to feel rather than sound. The biggest problem these days is finding somewhere to put the pick when I'm not using it now I have dispensed with having an amp and cabs.

If you really wanted a Fender Japan bass, then why not go to Japan to get one? Not only will you get to try before you buy (a prerequisite for any Fender bass IMO), you be able to go to the shops that won’t deal with “weird foreigners” on line, plus you get a holiday in Japan.

Thick enough so it still has sufficient structural integrity when the fret slots have been cut? Paging @Andyjr1515

You could always open the control cavity up and have a look at where the wires go. That will tell you what the controls do even if they have been modified from original.

Time for a technical rehearsal IMO. This is where the band concentrate on getting the sounds rather than the notes right. You'll probably find that whole band will benefit from this.

Until recently I have never used reverb on any bass sound be it bass guitar or synth, simply because it ends up making what should normally be a fairly rhythmic part sound unrhythmic and indistinct. I use delays quite a lot, but always matched to the tempo of the song either by MIDI sync or a tap tempo function, and unless I'm using dotted 8th note delays they are always relatively low in the mix compared with the dry signal. However I have recently completed recording a new song where I ended up using a massive reverb sound on the "bass solo" part. Admittedly the arrangement drops down to kick drum, bass sequencer and a low-level keyboard pad at this point in the song so there is plenty of sonic room for all that reverb.

I suppose it depends on what you consider the important characteristics of a bass are. Is it the body shape or the elements that go give it a characteristic sound? Most "Thunderbirds" made since 1976 are simply thunderbird shaped basses that have little in common otherwise with the original Gibson bass of that name.