dannybuoy

[quote name='GazWills' timestamp='1448552557' post='2916406'] same here - was trying to be subtle as I don't want customs to cotton on and this magic pedal buying option to disappear... usps priority shipping was only $18 as well! [/quote] There are several other 'magical' US stores, but Prymaxe have the cheapest shipping and almost always a discount!

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1448538237' post='2916222'] Be careful with buying from outside the EU, youre likely to get charged VAT+duty on them. This usually comes to about 1/4 of the items value (often after P&P). [/quote] Bought over a dozen pedals from this store, not been charged once. The Blueberry is on sale too, plus there is a discount code that applies to all non sale items.

That could change the recommendations somewhat, as some of the basses mentioned also have pretty tight string spacing (e.g. some Music Mans and Warwicks). 2 basses spring to mind for a wide spaced 5 string, the Squier Deluxe Active Jazz (none more black, very metal) and Warwick do wide neck versions of some of their basses, they are not that common but I have seen them crop up for sale second hand!

Is there anything you don't like about your current BTB? I've heard some pretty brutal tones coming from one of those when paired up with a Darkglass B3K / B7K.

I think he runs the OC-2 into the Mammoth into the Moog... Even though in my experience the Mammoth sounds quite thin unless connected directly to passive pickups. You want to use the same building blocks as a synthesiser basically, start off with your basic waveform (your bass), add octave(s) or other harmonies, then add filter and distortion. These basic units can be swapped around to run in different orders too. You don't need to use exactly the same pedals as him to get those effects either. E.g. a ZVEX Mastotron, COG or Aguilar octave, and Source Audio Manta would be able to pull those sounds off plus far more besides! He's JohnDavisNYC over on Talkbass, you could always ask him direct about anything specific!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OYeN9mAL4

Was the Zoom on its own power supply or shared with other pedals? I've found the Zoom units (and many other digital pedals in fact) to be hissy/noisy when on a daisy chain with other pedals.

I noticed the same thing about the pots. Switched mine out for a 500K stacked pot and added a Darkglass Tone Capsule (with another stacked pot for hi/lo mids, and a push/pull active/passive switch on the bass knob). Overall output level is slightly better but still pretty low - wish the pre had an adjustable overall output volume trimmer like some do! I've been thinking of replacing the pups too, was going to check out the measurements of the various Delano humbuckers and see if any 5-string Thunderbird pickups would be suitable. It's a great bass otherwise, a total riff machine when played with a pick and some drive!

I wouldn't say any of those are 'necessary' except the tuner and some kind of drive pedal. Depends on what music you're playing though! You are missing envelope filter or wah though!

I don't think they support charging the device, but the physical knobs are a plus over the Sonic Port.

If you want cheap with lots of things to try, the Zoom B1on / B1xon are cheaper than the B3 and have more fx (at the expense of less gig-friendly operation though). And I'm selling a B1xon in the classifieds!

Delano Sonar Xpure - no eq, just a pure clean buffer with up to 20 dB of boost: [url]http://delano.de/products.html?&cHash=ff3fe888c0&tx_smtdelano_pi1[cat]=2&tx_smtdelano_pi1[series]=11&tx_smtdelano_pi1[strings]=6&tx_smtdelano_pi1[system]=123[/url] Or if you want EQ, look at Audere, Glockenklang, or the 'flat' versions of John East's preamps. Not sure if any of these can offer a clean boost like the Xpure though.

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?

I've bought a few apps but don't have an interface yet - I've left it on purpose as the wife can never think of anything to get me for Christmas as I tend to just buy everything myself! I've been trying to decide between the following setups and am probably going with the Focusrite:[list] [*][b]Sonic Port [/b]- Cheap, good selection of I/O ports, but no gain control or physical volume controls and does not charge the device. [*][b]Sonic Port VX[/b] - Adds a mic that I won't use and charging capability. [*][b]Focusrite iTrack Dock[/b] - This has knobs for gain and line/headphone output level, charges the device, and is only £105 from Bax Shop. [*][b]iRig Pro Duo + Powerbridge pass through charger[/b] - This would give me the same plus Android/Mac/PC compatibility and a better form factor (no need to remove my iPad from the case, also would work with an iPhone), but it works out a lot more expensive. [*][b]Apogee One[/b] - Also expensive, paying for a mic I don't need, deceptively large, and I don't like it's flimsy looking breakout cable. [/list] One thing putting me off about the Sonic Port is a relatively small number of users complaining about headroom issues with hot basses due to there being no gain control. Anybody here ever found clipping an issue with theirs?

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1447800813' post='2910616'] UPS via Interparcel for me. [/quote] Most basses I've either bought or sold on here were shipped the same way!

I'd run it straight into the regular input since the Mark Bass pre is pretty much flat with all the EQ knobs at noon and the filters off. Also IIRC the fx return gets blended 50/50 in parallel with the dry signal by default on that amp (switchable internally), which might result in less overall output volume vs having the fx loop running in series.

D'Addario nickels too (well that's what came on my BB1025X).

Heard great things about em, at the rate I change strings I hope to give them a try before 2020!

That would've been my first port of call! Even though they are US based, you never know they might offer a free repair and cover the postage, or be partnered with a repair shop in the UK, where if you can't get a free repair, at least it'll be someone who knows the pedals well rather then some Joe Bloggs who's never clapped eyes on a Filter Twin before.

If it's constant background static and popping when you aren't even touching the pots it might be something else. Dodgy flux capacitor wotsits or flaky thermionic isolation valvotrons perhaps.

Have you tried contacting Aguilar?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1447402847' post='2907311'] The controls on my amp. [/quote] Oh come on, not everyone has EQ on their amp, some of us use an Orange Terror Bass!

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1447246639' post='2906048'] If you're primarily playing dirty and overdriven tones, the first thing I'd look for is the absence of a tweeter. Beyond that, I'd really want to try them all. [/quote] This. I use a vertical stack of two Ampeg SVT210AV cabs, which is too narrow for that amp, but just right for my Terror Bass!

[quote name='Andytre' timestamp='1447321910' post='2906631'] too bad its sold [/quote] Why, were you hoping to purchase it for $13,995?

Not sure what you mean by 'recording the drums through the speakers'? It's been a while since I dabbled with Sonar, but I've used crappy built-in sound with ASIO4ALL drivers set to 10ms latency, playing back a sampled drum track and recording a guitar into it and all went well. If you are using built-in sound without ASIO4ALL, install it and you will have a slider to adjust your latency.