M@23

I had to sell a bass that I really loved (a Yamaha BB) to fund mine. It does suck, and I really, really miss the Yamaha. But, it was a neccesary evil. The SL's really are very good though. It's a very tight and punchy jazz bass. Balances really nicely with a great neck and sounds great active/passive. Only downside is that I can probably never gig a 5er over 3.2kg again 😂😒

Do it! Love mine. I've been spoilt by it though! I need a backup, but need to accept that it's likely to be much heavier.

Well, that lasted all of Wednesday 😂 Congrats on the Flea.

Glad to hear things have turned a corner Nick. I've got a hankering for a Stingray 5, yours looks a beaut. Funny, recently I was reminiscing about my old sunburst US Std P bass you bought a few years back... Wondering where it ended up.

I agree with all of that. But you can't be accused of having an ego if you get asked something "play something to show us you can play", then play something you wouldn't do over an Ed Sheeran tune. But, I wouldn't go to an audition that asked that of me anyway! I'd never ask it either, as an band leader. It probably shows that they don't know how to assess the things that actually matter. Or, they dish out loads of solos; and bass/drum solos on function gigs are cringe, but that's probably an argument for another day 😂

Truth. Being able to change key of a song you already know is also invaluable. Especially if you want to dep, knowing the numbers system is more helpful than being able to tap like mad! But, yeah, Hit Me I guess, or a Level 42 tune.

Nah, it's just convenience. Having a ground lift, and at holiday parks/festivals and clubs there's always an XLR ready. It's just easier. If the Stomp were to go down on a gig, then I've only got to switch one patch cable and I'm covered too.

Helix Stomp! Mine has been a revelation. Sent to the desk (via Riadial DI, though that's not 100% necessary). If monitors aren't supplied, or not on IEMs, I use a Headrush, via an aux on the desk so I can set my vocals/bass and whatever else I want in my monitor mix.

Can you hook a bit of tooth floss or fishing line down the back of it?

I had a mk1 V7 5, and it was very good. Good enough that I sold my Sadowsky, the bass it was due to play backup to. Realised that I preferred 18mm string spacing and genuinely loved the sound of it, active and passive. The only downside to it was the weight, which is why I sold it. I really want to try a mk2. I hear about the tuners and bridge complaints, but I never had any issues.

Same as @Chiliwailer, the Stomp has changed the game for me. A close second is my Sandberg Super Light. Travelling, loading in and out and playing is now far less of a chore. No bad purchases, though I'm really not a fan of the Dunlop Nickels I put on the Sandberg. They take the wooden spoon by default.

Anyone seen these: https://m.thomann.de/gb/thomann_safecase_90_e_bass_bag.htm?o=12&search=1573302769 Which looks to be based on: https://www.musicarea.cn/?post_type=products&page_id=14096 The Thomann one looks pretty cool. Been case shopping, but ignored the Thomann one. But actually, it looks smart. Anybody seen one, or heard of Music Area?!

Where was that one? Holiday Park? I could've put you up!

Hadn't thought about one of those. I had one of the shaped interior ones housing a Sadowsky and it was great. Looked alright too 😁

That's good, thanks, they're probably front runners, I had SKB with my fenders and always liked them. Do you k ow which model yours is?

They're great, I'm moving my Fusion Urban on because I need a case to whack in the back of a strategically packed van. The Fusion is fantastic, but I need something that can be stacked a bit more securely.

Which hardcases are people using with their Sandbergs? The Fender/SKB stuff looks good, but the smaller body Sandbergs may shift in transit?

I'm trying the nickels, I like the sound and tension. They're very coarse/rough on the fingertips though, compared to D'Addario nickels I normally use.

You'd be best placed bypassing the amp's pre by going to the return of the effects loop. Using just the power amp of the combo and your Stomp for the preamp. But, what's drawing you to that setup, if you already have the Stomp? There's little point paying extra for the Stage 800 when the Stomp offers lots of the same features. If you want a combo and to use the effects of the Stomp, the Rumble 500 would be better. I had that 800, it was really good. But now I use the Stomp direct to FOH, and use IEMs or an active speaker for fold back. Much lighter load, and I get a better representation through my FRFR of what's going to front of house. Much cheaper option if you already own a Stomp too!

They're nice things to have around, especially from your fine collection!

I'd love it back. Absolutely LOVE it back. What a bass 😩 I think it'd be great with flats! Interested to hear your thoughts on the Duo strap too!

1. Have been meaning to get a second for a few years...