Al Krow

Pulling you onto this thread if I may, so as not to derail the other thread entirely! Must admit I'm not a big user of amp sims on any of the multis I've had thus far, which is why I've got the Helix HX, which doesn't have amp and cab sims, rather than the Stomp which does and, in any event, I'd be of limited use in saying how good e.g. the TE amp sim is given that I've not been a TE amp user / fanboy to date! But maybe one of the other B1(X)-4 or B3N users on this thread can jump in and say if they rate the Zoom amp sims. I suspect they won't be as close or as realistic as the ones on the Helix Stomp - I know that @dave_bass5 has both pedals. As a fyi - the amp sims on the Zoom include: Ampeg SVT, Ampeg B-15N, Fender Bassman 100, SWR SM-400, Aguilar DB750, TE AH400SMX, Markbass MINIMARK 802, EBS HD360. PS it does seem like the Zoom B1X-4 is the spiritual successor to your Zoom BFX-708 which I think came out a decade ago and is now described as a 'rare vintage guitar pedal' on eBay!

Cheers Stew, look forward to it when you get a mo.

Did Gretsch ever get back to you?

That was nicely done @wateroftyne - what did you guys record it on?

You gotta remember that Treebeard referred to young master Gandalf... It's all relative matey, as young master Einstein once said in his youf 😁

Given that several folk have already commented on this thread how well basses such as the £500 Sire stand up in comparison to the £2,000+ Sads, with the Sad edging it primarily on the pups / electronics but which are lacking in this budget offering, I would be gobsmacked if this Metro Express does anything other than dilute the brand. If it does in fact come out well in comparison then why the heck would you pay 3 to 4 times as much for the NYC? Sounds like a lose-lose strategy to me. Bit like a Porsche deciding it wants to get into 1.5 litre family saloons.

It's what the world needs right now, no question 😁

If you haven't got Sad pups or Sad preamp or Sad finishing. Well that bass is just going to be a bit...sad. But it's going to be hard to describe it as a Sad. And there's gotta be a risk to the brand if folk start saying "well I bought a Sadowsky and frankly it was a bit meh." No point telling them its not a real Sadowsky, they'll just say "that was the name on the tin."

So basically it's Sire without the knobs, right? 😁

Fair enough, that's only an intention to purchase right. You're back in. Fancy betting £5 that you won't go ahead with it? 😄

This is the one I would get: https://www.thomann.de/gb/sadowsky_metroexpress_5_21_hybrid_owh.htm?sid=d7286fb78e2b69203319b4603772a374

Blimey that's cheap (for a Sadowsky)!!

With @bassfan and @Maude gonners already, that does mean we have a £tenner in the kitty... I guess we could get one of these devices that young master krispn spotted for us on a timeshare 😁 https://www.kennysmusic.co.uk/yamaha-sessioncake-sc-01-mixing-headphone-amp-for-guitar-bass If anyone else fancies it, you qualify to join if you've not bought any new gear (as per the "rules" - see the OPs) since the 24th March.

That is wonderfully light! A key benefit from a chambered body.

Interesting point on the Sire weight. My sense is that the v1s were a touch heavier and the v2's seem to have addressed this. My P7 v2 is 4.4kg / 9.7 lbs which is very comfortable.

Fact is (and it can't be denied) the Sire has more knobs.

I've been turning my creative energies regarding new stuff to bits of gear that don't affect my signal chain. Like maybe getting this PG made up for my Sire P7. So what do you guys think - does it work / better than the existing deep red tort guard or just simply naff? Current: Proposed - oh and it will still be a 5 string PJ 5 er, just the limitations of the software editor, before you start accusing me of getting another new P bass! 😁

Don't you also blood*y start on the bassman pandemic platitudes! 😂 Just need regular updates on your bass build to keep us entertained. Before and after etc. etc. Apparently they cost less than a box of Magnum minis... and yes its covered by the relevant regulation cited!

Blimey - that's high praise! No noticeable hiss at all even with the treble dialled up? Haha - I'm not going to give you any odds on that being the case 😁

Agreed on both counts! That's definitely been my concern. To us save ploughing through 70 pages of the FRFR thread do you recall which FRFR powered cabs BRX recommends?

Ah that's useful to know. One of the concerns I've always had with FRFR is whether they would be able to match up to dedicated bass cabs in handling the low end, given that they're not tuned specifically for bass but operate across the full frequency range. But sounds from what you're saying that the Headrush doesn't have any such limitation, which is good to hear! Oh and in relation to your issue, I would recommend using an HPF effect in all your patches as 'standard' to tighten up the low end and get rid of low end boominess. If you're a 4 string player you could try cutting from 80Hz and if 5 string at 60Hz i.e. just below the first harmonic of the low E and B strings respectively.

If you're only going to be using a small fraction of the Helix's capability (to be fair that's true for many of us, me included!) maybe worth checking out this latest offering from Zoom? Amazing value at < £80 posted for a capable multi-fx with tuner, wah pedal, drum machine and looper included in the mix and which doubles up as an excellent headphone amp. I've got a Helix HX for some of the more sophisticated stuff e.g. parallel loops and high quality pitch shifting, but the Zoom is pretty nifty and I love the compact and very lightweight form factor.

@M@23 - Mark, that is a really really helpful comparison, thank you. As one of the pro bass players I know on BC and someone who does 250+ gigs a year (when we're not in lockdown!) it's always good to get your balanced views - as your bass is your livelihood. I note your very positive comments on the quality of the Sad as a recording bass - that ties in completely with what @TJ Spicer has been alluding to with the favourable reaction from his sound engineers. And obviously a ton of experienced bass players on this thread have been very complementary about the quality of the Sad sound in a band mix. Did you have a Sad PJ or J bass, and out of interest which Sire model did /do you have?

Ah the "pandemic defence" - like it! Dropped from the top by a drop pedal. Well there's a certain poetic justice in that.

Two valid get outs would work here: - the pups are identical to ones you already have. OR - they are different pups to ones you already have but won't feature in your signal chain. I'm guessing neither are true! But in your shoes I'd get the pups and just count it as a "worthy fail." On the plus side you will have lasted over a fortnight which is pretty commendable 😁 It does lack @bassfan's style in crashing and burning by getting a dream bass (when it eventually arrives). Now that's a far more spectacular way to call it quits than with the £50 pedal that he didn't particularly need, given the existing firepower on his pedal board, that took him down from the main GAC 2020 thread. The impressive thing is that you're both managing to make @FinnDavelook good! Pic of the bass with the new pups and a report of how it's all sounding would definitely be in order! Enjoy!