Al Krow

!! Is that a whole new genre for nerd rockers? 😁

Which one?

There's one in the FS, right now 😉

Looking at what Herr Quatschmacher ('HQ' from this point forward) is managing to do with the FI, it will also certainly out-do the SY-1 in terms of overall synth capability just as it does the C4; the SY-1 is for me, however, unrivalled in terms of its flawless tracking, ease of use and consequent fun; it's other usp is that it is completely poly. Being £75 less than the C4 and almost half the price of the FI (new) doesn't hurt either! So with the FI, C4 and SY-1, we bass synth pedal users are suddenly finding ourselves spoilt for choice!

That's quite an important insight Dave. Given everything else really positive you've said about the bass in terms of loving the tone, really positive feedback from your band, playing it for 5 hours continuously when you got back from hols recently etc etc., sounds to me that getting some fret 'dressing' done to lower the frets may be the win win for you with this bass? Best speak to someone with a LOT more expertise on this stuff than me, though! Someone like @Andyjr1515 for example.

+1^^ Also really loving the sound of my (in my case, mid-range) Spector! I've yet to gig it, but at 10.1 lbs that should be very manageable given that my staple gig bass is the amazingly-good-bass-for-the-money Yammy BB1025, which is also 10.1 lbs and hasn't thus far caused me any grief in terms of 2 x 1 hour gigs. A decent wide strap has gotto be key here, and adding these JFT pads which cost £10 around my straps to provide additional shoulder cushioning, has been brilliant.

I guess the neck finish and whether satin or gloss must be very personal and affects us each differently, otherwise there would be just one neck finish that everyone would be demanding! In terms of the necks, the shape is identical for the 735A and the P35 and I do find the Yammy necks to be very comfortable to play. Having had both the 735A and the P35 at the same time for a couple of months, in deciding which one to keep the finish on the back of the neck was just not a deciding factor at all for me. But I know that the original owner of the BBNE2 in my possession did mention that he found the gloss neck finish too 'cool' on that to work well with, if I remember correctly, the moisture from his hands when playing. And I certainly have had a couple of basses which were just not particularly comfortable to play for me in terms of their body shape and weight distribution - a Warwick $$ and more recently a Squier Bass VI. So there are definitely factors at work at the minutiae level that are likely unique to us individually, like our own body shapes and whether the bass sits comfortable when standing vs when we are sitting - which is another point that Dave has raised but not mentioned by anyone else on this thread as far as I can remember in relation to Yammy basses. There's clearly no substitute for 'living with' any bass to see if it works for us!

Good review John, thanks! Staggering what value the Yammy BBs deliver when they are able to hold their own with basses such as your Berg which, new, are perhaps double the price or more.

Ah so that's why I've ended up with it! It's still super light - unlike me doesn't seem to put on any weight 😀😂

@Kev in which case, recommend you give the Boss SY-1 a quick spin at some point. You may be pleasantly surprised. Really loving mine and, as well as the quality of sounds, flawless tracking and fantastic arpeggiator, the ease of use is a massive boon.

@HazBeen Thanks for that mini review. Out of interest: - how does the tracking compare to the FI, is it broadly similar or tighter? - what is it that they both bring to the party that makes you feel you need both, rather than being able to manage with just one?

You're welcome. Haha, yup the KS won't be being made available for loan anytime soon!

I can see that you're going to need to spend some quality time in the company of a P35, 'cos from everything you've just said in terms of tone and wanting to get back into 5ers it could be just what you're looking for. I happen to know a narcissistic BCer who might just be prepared to let you borrow one for free for a couple of months...

Simples. Keep 'em both. Fender and Yammy. Yammy and Fender. Job done. And then play your 425 😉

Totally agree. What confuses me a bit is that Dave is still loving his 425, which isn't going to be a million miles from his P34 in body shape.

@GisserD are you after a 'pure P' bass or happy to consider PJs as well?

Did you just make that video private? Lol!

Are you completely sure about that? 😁

Are you talking basses or D class amps now then?! 😀

Why do I find myself invariably agreeing with everything you say Mr 196? Must be our age... 😉 We similarly never do more than an hour long single set, although we often do 2 x 1 hours during the course of a gig. Weirdly I actually notice the weight more at home when practising than during a gig. Guess I can put that down to the adrenaline kick + fun of playing live. I do enjoy the lightness of my Ibbys which are a delight to play over a long set. But equally would love not to be denied the opportunity to play some wonderful heavier basses. Currently trying to square the circle by exploring double shoulder straps to lighten the load on the put-upon ol' left shoulder.

I went for an used Gruvgear Duo Neo. Be interested in following this thread as the Slinger stuff does look good, but didn't seem to be readily available in the UK?

Ah shame. I've substituted with another by her (Anoushka Shankar). Ravi did have some very talented offspring didn't he?! E.g. the wistful Ms Norah Jones

Here's what it sounds like in the hands of the daughter of probably the most famous sitar player of all time, playing a piece that her father wrote to play as a duet with Yehudi Menuhin. [EDIT - blocked video] Let's see if this one works (it's a different shorter piece) ...

Excellent review, thanks Andy.

@Andyjr1515 - just quoting from part of your full post as there were a couple of "takeaways" that immediately jumped out at me, which I suspect may well be of interest to other folk, and which I've taken the liberty of highlighting. Have to say that in the over 2,500 posts we've had so far on this thread, I don't think anyone has made these points with such clarity - so thank you!