dannybuoy

There's a used Sandberg Basic up for sale on here, very similar to my own. Not quite as aggressive as a Ray but very much in the same ballpark, with a much skinnier neck and smaller, more comfortable body. Be aware that many two-pickup basses with a MM at the bridge have that pickup a lot further back than the typical MM sweet spot, so you may not get the typical Ray sound you're after.

It'll be a couple of weeks until I get to test it out at rehearsal/gigging volume...

Of course trying a cab out in a shop is hardly the best test, especially when both mentioned cabs were at either end of said shop! It could well have been room resonance making the SC too boomy.

Take my opinion on cabs with a pinch of salt! Last time I was a gigging bassist I lived in London, playing on multiple band nights or rehearsal studios through whatever random backline was provided, rarely using my own gear. Also I haven't ever played through what you might consider a boutique cab before. What I do know is that my current sealed Ampeg cabs do the business for me, but I was after a bit more thump, clarity and power handling, which the Retro nails. I went in expecting to buy a Super Twin, but the sound of it was not for me.

I've been looking at these BF cabs lately as well, so tried a few out at the Gallery today and walked out having put down a deposit on a 4 ohm Retro 210. They had it in stock but I didn't fancy lugging it home on a train with all my other shopping bags, so having it sent on! The Super Twin felt like it had too much unrestrained low end boom that would just overpower the stage sound. The mids and treble on the other hand were the opposite and felt very restrained like they wanted to stay in the box. By comparison, the Retro sounded perfect straight away. Just the right amount of bass, way brighter with growly upper mids, the notes just leapt out at me. I have a pair of Ampeg SVT210AV cabs at the moment, so the Retro was much closer to the sound I'm used to. I'm hoping the one cab can cover most of my needs volume wise. My main amp can go to 2 ohms if I need another cab, and my backup amp is a bit underpowered so could do with 4 ohms to squeeze the most out of it!

I bought an 80s MIJ Jazz Special PJ from Wunjos today after testing it out last week. Sounded better than any other PJ in Fenders current line up, including the Elites! On my way home I popped into the Gallery in Camden and they have a slightly different model with angled pickups as well as a P Lyte and a bright red Tokai Hard Puncher copy of the Jazz Special! Great prices on all of them too.

And buy soon, I meant I was almost there! Tried a few today. The 2024X was lovely, just like my 1025X with a better finished neck, and one less string of course. Still heavy though. The newer BBs sound very different, less scooped, tighter lows and brighter overall. They seemed only slightly lighter than the older BB line. I didn't go for one though, I picked up the 80s MIJ Jazz Bass Special from Wunjos instead, which kicked the butt of every single Fender PJ in the store and is very light to boot!

Yamaha store in London supposedly have a 735A in stock and plenty of other BBs including some 434s and 2024s. Hoping to try some out in there soon...

I tried a few comps last year to pair with a P-Bass and flats (going through an Aguilar Tonehammer to get a bit of flomp on!) and picked up an Effectrode PC-2A tube compressor. It has a real weight to the low end, or heft, as it's called around these parts, and it sounded absolutely perfect with that bass in that setting. It wiped the floor with the Diamond and Keeley in the little shootout I had anyway. Fast forward a year and I'm now using a hotter output bass with an aggressive playing style and have moved to an RMI Basswitch Dual Band comp, which has a much more tight 'active' sound to it, like you describe. This works great for my needs right now, but for more mellow/soulful noodling with the P, the Effectrode is a much better fit. I want to A/B them both with a few more of my basses first, but I'm considering selling it, so shoot me a PM if you're interested in giving it a whirl. Review here: http://www.ovnilab.com/reviews/effectrode.shtml

This isn't the first one I've seen - I think these were a limited run that the Lyte was later based on? It's just like this one: [url="https://www.talkbass.com/threads/fender-jazz-bass-special-circa-1984-87.716045/page-15#post-15343195"]https://www.talkbass...5#post-15343195[/url] And this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-FENDER-JAPAN-Jazz-base-SPECIAL-PJR-65BLK-Electric-Bass-w-soft-case-EMS-/152683140817?hash=item238c9fd6d1:g:E5wAAOSwrblZnIBx

Boost pedal would be my choice too, saves modding the bass and would make it easier to equalise the volume compared to your other basses. The TC Spark Mini looks like a good contender. Look inside the cavity though to see if there is a trimpot, some active circuits have a gain control you can adjust with a screwdriver.

Just discovered the Gallery in Camden have a few BF cabs in stock too. Might have to check some out at some point, I've been curious to find out if the Retro/Compact would have enough top end clarity for my liking...

Depends on the filter and the drive... A filter going into a mild overdrive / amp-sim, or a blended overdrive sounds great, as the peak accentuates the distortion. Like a classic wah into a distorted guitar amp. But if the filter is too extreme sounding it can overwhelm the drive pedal and sound bloated mess, sometime a blend helps there. Filter after drive is generally always good, but after heavy distortion / fuzz it can sound like more like a synth sound that might sound a little bit too electronica if you were going for a rockier sound.

Any idea if cab sims are included on the amp models for reducing top end fizz from the DI output?

I didn't know they were playing London tomorrow, assume it's sold out?

Isolated tracks for drums/bass/etc. This is good to hear as I have bought all their stuff from Bandcamp already!

I have a set of these waiting to be fitted to mine... http://www.eyguitarmusic.com/Thunderbird-Bass-Pickup-Vintage-Style-for-GibsonChromeNickel_p_2287.html

If I played bass in my pants and overheard a female audience member pointing at me and saying "Phwoar, I wouldn't mind 'im fingering me G string", I would be rather flattered.

Barefaced Retro 210? http://barefacedbass.com/product-range/retro-two10.htm

I think I've got one that was fitted to a bass but only used very briefly. I'll have a rummage later...

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1505912037' post='3375153'] Lol! Love it! Someone you know? [/quote] That's Este Haim, Queen of the Bass Face! https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=este+haim+bass+face&tbm=isch

If you want a filter for synth applications, I would say Manta, Moog, Xerograph, or perhaps the bigger 3Leaf units with the fx loop. I did a one-off gig at a friend's wedding last year that needed some bass synth so got an Octabvre Mini and Manta, and the pair did a great job. Not so sure I'll ever use those sounds in the band I'm in now, but I'll probably keep both around just for fun! When it comes to pure touch-sensitive expressive funk filters though, the Discumbobulator is my favourite. You'll know when you have found the one when your face goes like this:

The bigger version of the Spark has a gain control and is supposed to be a great subtle overdrive for bass too.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1505682593' post='3373575']Why bother with an EQ on your bass - there's a better one on your amp![/quote] Not if you have one of these there isn't!

An isolated supply will definitely help. Any 18V doublers, or pedals that have them internally can be a source of noise, as can digital pedals like the Boss Compressor and TC pedals. Also those EBS patch cables are prone to picking up interference from computers and lighting etc as they aren't very well shielded!