uk_lefty

Looks good to me....

I like the chrome top knobs with black plastic round the sides. Reminds me of the hifi we had when I was a kid.

So this is becoming more of a blog/ review as I discover what this little amp can do, but people are reading it so I hope you find it useful. Last night was headphone practice time. I needed to sharpen up some sections of songs for an upcoming gig. That quickly dealt with I dug out an old mini USB cable and connected the amp to my laptop. Downloading the fender fuse software was quick and easy for Windows. Now, I am the kind of person without the patience to learn how to reprogramme a multi effect pedal so this is the test... Using the amp while hooked up to the pc was very easy and intuitive to bring in new effects and change cabs and so on, far more functionality than the amp controls alone. The only thing I couldn't find was how to record using my pc but that will come later... Still impressed with the amp. The effect sounds are not at all artificial but the real test will be playing this at band night next week. It has an XLR line out so hoping I can run this in to the PA. one worry is that, like the older zoom pedals, the great sound at home is rubbish with a band. So we will see!

So it arrived yesterday. I have it a twenty minute noodle, nothing comprehensive but enough to get a good first impression. I bought second hand so some of my gripes may be due to mistreatment by the previous owner... Low end rattle. The thing buzzes and rattles when playing the lowest notes. Could be speaker or cab, or could have been something else in the room so will try elsewhere. The SWR simulation is my favourite! Really nice clean bass sound. The other amp Sims aren't very distinguishable from each other to me, just different amounts of drive to the sound. None of them sound "artificial" though which was an initial fear. The amp is heavier, bigger and far louder than I was expecting! 40watts is more than you expect. Easily capable as a monitor or for acoustic type lower volume gigs. The onboard effects... They're ok. I haven't yet spent time with the software to tweak or completely swap out these. Nice to have them there to save getting out the effects board. Overall I'm quite pleased with it. I wanted a practice amp for playing at home and through headphones, it does that and can do more. I need to play with the software and recording capability but that's a bonus and not the prime reason to have it, though it is an advantage. I wouldn't pay £250 for a new one, but second hand they seem to go for around a hundred quid and at that price I think you'd be hard pressed to find more features.

We do the same. We've not yet failed to tie it up to something and it causes the absolute minimum of disruption.

I had a text like that when I was selling a pedal recently. I don't trust people enough with things like that.

Thanks. There's no way I could justify the full cost of a new one but it sounds like of you can spend the time with the software you can get a lot out of it. I'm keen to see what the recording feature is like too...

Well the only reviews I could find were all positive and I ordered a second hand one at a decent price yesterday. I'll put up a full review when I get chance to really get under the skin of it and use the different modelling effects and fender software

My band has had these for a while. The drummer uses them on his bass drum, I think the guitarist has given up on them though.

It's funny because it cost him more on the long run.

Unlikely.. he would have wiped out the discount and any currency advantage with all the fees he will have to pay, such as VAT (there goes the 20% discount), international shipping, import duties, and handling fees.

Spent an hour mulling over various things and just bought two sets of strings, including the tapewounds I've always wanted to try but couldn't justify the cost. Not too exciting. My guitarist got over excited, bought a pedal from the US and saved his 20%. He then has to pay VAT at 20% when it gets here, plus import duty, plus handling fee. Hard not to laugh.

Has anyone got or used a fender bronco modelling amp? I'm looking for something to use so I can practice at home without shaking the walls, but want a good quality sound. I could go for any second hand amp in the 15-60 watt range from a good manufacturer but I was drawn off on various tangents until I saw the fender bronco. I can't find any reviews on here and I was always skeptical of inbuilt effects in the old Line6 amps - they just sounded awful. But is this new fender amp a good home practice and home recording companion? Ive not had chance to try one and am looking second hand. Any and all opinions gratefully received. Also seen the fender Mustang guitar amp has a Bassman amp model... Wondering if that is also viable, would give me a guitar amp in the same package?

At seventeen years old I bought a Peavey bass amp with infinite power for a tenner. It was at my guitarists house and the previous bass player and owner of the amp had fallen out with him and wouldn't go round to get it. I went to college with the brother of the amps owner and he did a deal with me for a tenner because it needed a repair... That cost me fifteen quid. So twenty five quid for a beast of a gigging bass amp! I also played a Tanglewood p bass that was £150 new but got a Kramer five string fretless for £240ish new shortly after. That was over fifteen years ago now though.

I know the pound has dropped but for the price to go from 550 to 750 in a few months is a bit unrealistic. Being a buyer at a retailer I do understand currency movement. Just seemed like a big hike on just one product, whereas others move by much smaller amounts.

I always keep an eye out on new basses though I seldom buy. I raised some cash recently and have been looking a bit more carefully. Now, I expected a G&L Tribute to cost from £450-550 from looking around in the recent past. On Thomann they are now £750!!?! How has that happened?!

Like the many many YouTube bass lessons there could be some good similar resources for singers? It's on my list of things to do when I eventually have time to myself.

One of... The Amy Winehouse gig in Nottingham 2004 when nobody knew who she was so I didn't go, didn't want to go alone. Still kicking myself. Or the Cold Play gig (before they were really pompous) where a girl I liked from work came with me and I should have told her that I liked her - she knew but sometimes you need to say something! Or the first gig I ever played. Instead of trying to look like John Entwistle (bored) I should have got more stuck in.

There's a guy on the forum who collects Peavey's... Check the bass guitars section and there's a million new bass day threads from him with probably every single Peavey bass model there's ever been! He would know the inside track on these.

Personally I think any good hefty gigging amp is going to find it hard to be used as a home quiet practice amp. Unless you know you will always have a solid PA that can handle bass i would get a cheap second hand gigging amp, maybe pay a tenner getting an amp tech to service it, then if you really want a modelling amp for home use find one that fits the size and all other requirements. Sorry it's not the answer you're looking for but in my view you're looking for two things that won't come in the same package.

I'm kind of lucky in that there isn't masses of choice for a lefty, if I was right handed I would probably have more basses. I was very happy with just one bass for years, and it would be possible to go back to that. I think it's easy now to collect a few low-mid range basses but is it worth it? Would it not be best to have a "beater" and a "prized possession" and nothing else? I don't know. I'm still looking for the prized possession

Got rid of a cab that I was using, just because it was excessive having two fifteens at every gig and the Mrs hated them cluttering the spare room. I also have shifted some pedals, more may go, and got rid of one of my four basses. I'm tempted to get another bass but I don't know what I would get that wouldn't push out one of the existing three. Waiting until January sales to see if there's a bargain to be had but not holding my breath.

Hope you enjoy it! A lot of people think they're a bit naff but I completely disagree. It goes to show that when we had a photographer at our gig there were more photos of me with the Hohner for the last few songs than there were of the entire band over the whole set. They're also light weight and reduce the chance of smashing headstocks with the guitarists... Though that may only be us kack-handers!

Having owned, until very recently, a Hohner B2A I would recommend that over the steinberger. The Hohner second hand is far cheaper than the new steinberger and if you get one from the right period you not only get active electronics but EMG pickups too. They do sound fantastic, I would recommend GHS strings too. My only reason for selling was the string spacing was too tight for me to be making the change from the Fenders I play more regularly. My drummer did shed a little tear when I sold mine.

The EQ button is an on/ off so you can either use the eq or not. For example, if you're running a pre amp pedal then you'd probably want to turn off the amps EQ. I personally never bothered with the deep or bright buttons but others may use them. I guess I'm the amp marketers worst customer! I want it as basic as possible!