Al Krow

So we've got to the 2000th post on this thread! 🥂 🍺🍸🍹🍻 I.R.A. / Initial Response Acceleration Much vaunted and Yamaha charge a lot of money for doing it, but does it actually do anything? Here's what Yammy have to say about it: "If you've ever played another guitarist's instrument and not been able to get the same sound, it's probably because you are playing a different style than what the guitar is used to. After playing the same guitar for years, the guitar adapts to the guitarist's playing style. It takes time for a new guitar to adapt to your own way of playing. Stress found between parts like finish, woods, body, neck, fingerboard, nut, bridge, etc., must be released before all of the parts can resonate together as an instrument. It takes time and a lot of playing for this to happen. Using IRA technology, stresses like those between the finish and wood are release by applying specific vibrations to the completed guitars. Once this treatment is complete, the guitar responds accurately to the guitarist's performance, and produces sound more easily. It also shortens the time needed for the guitar to adapt to your playing style. And it delivers excellent sustain." I'm loving my P35 and kinda can't explain why I prefer it to my otherwise excellent previous 735A, 'cos they have so much in common e.g. woods, pups etc. Maybe I.R.A. does do something after all?

Haven't you taken that one out of the trash yet Andy - it's been there since Saturday?! Not gonna be great if it rains. Just sayin' 😁

I don't think the Helix does poly synth, but I'm happy to be corrected if I have that wrong.

Polyphonic synth!! Does Helix even come close to doing this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtsTFgQh6UE Love to hear this demo'd on bass.

That is a really good price. The case by itself must be worth around £70 so he's effectively selling a BB 414 for £120.

@WHUFC BASS excellent post! Couldn't agree more. But there again, I'm also a WHUFC fan, so I guess we are pre-disposed to think along similar lines 😂

Can't remember if there was any change in the pups / electronics between the 414/5 and 424/5 (I'm kinda thinking not). But I totally get what you're saying about the sound being huge on these basses. The 425 is the most ridiculously punchy passive bass I've played. It's kinda like a Ford Mustang. The 1025, by comparison, is more refined / a bit less kick-you-in-the-stomach than the 425. I guess more of a Jaguar XFS, but certainly not bland 😀

Yup, good shout. And certainly with a 5er would also reduce any tendency to neck dive.

I guess they must have used different and more dense woods in the "2" series than in the earlier "1" series. They also went down the laminated neck route in the "2" series from a single piece neck in the "1" series - which may have had some impact on overall weight?

That is amazingly light - I think @gobasserk was saying something similar. Having said that my 1025 is only 9.4 lbs and definitely feels lighter to wear than my NE2 and P35 which both weigh in at a fulsome 10.2 lbs

@sykilz that vintage white is just lovely and the lighter fretboard wood works really well in terms of complementing the finish - I actually think I prefer it to the darker fretboard on my (also vintage white) BB 1025. Out of interest, what's the weight of yours?

That's helpful confirmation thanks i.e. more noticeable on the B1-4 than MS-60B for both of us.

Could be waiting a little while for one then Woody I was very happy to fork out £85 to get one of the first of the B1X-4s to come out over here, and it's worth that price alone as a headphone amp and super easy-to-use tuner with its triple light indicator. The GE 300 is a pretty serious investment (£700 or so I believe) - so I defo won't be stumping up that until I understand a (LOT!) better whether it's any good with bass and particularly whether its filter and synth engine sounds good and tracks well.

Interestingly I don't notice the same amount of "digital noise under the notes" with my MS-60B - is that also true for you @JohnDaBass with your MS-60B? Anyway I'm really glad I spotted that the MS-60B has got a few effect sims that Zoom have not yet released for the B3n / B1(X)-4, like the bit crusher, and took it off the FS. So that's both been brought out of retirement and gone back on my home board, while I think about where to head on the multifx path next. I've also realised that if I return my B1(X)-4 I'm going to need a new headphone amp as none of my other pedals have aux in or headphones out and neither do either of my amp heads. It's actually worth the entry price as a headphone amp with a bunch of effects thrown in and, in my case, I don't notice the digital noise at all through headphones. Similarly it's not going to be an issue at all at rehearsal and gigs with the rest of the band in the mix! Other than this one digital noise point, it's such an excellent versatile piece of kit. Hah! I think I've just persuaded myself it should definitely be staying!

Totally agree about not previously noticing it until it was pointed out. Who invited @ped to poop on our party anyway?! 😁😂

Btw I do very much get the point your'e making and it's a valid one - we discussed it at some length on this previous thread at the end of last year. In terms of innovation I was amused by the slightly ironic comment from Music Radar reporting the EHX vs Mooer case, when at the end of their article when they pointed out that: "Both firms will be bringing new products to NAMM: Mooer looks set to disrupt the multi-effects market with the GE300, while EHX has stayed quiet on its new launches - aside from its own brand strings."

😂🤣

Hey Woody, yup Mooer were held bang to rights. The case revolved around Mooer’s Mooergan and Tender Octaver pedals, which included exact copies of the software used in EHX’s C9 and Micro POG. After almost two years of fighting the Chinese courts have awarded Electro-Harmonix a nearly six-figure judgement i.e. $500k if we take the middle of that range. But do any of us have anything made by Samsung? Samsung were ordered to pay Apple $539 MILLION after losing a US patent lawsuit. Then what about Apple and Qualcomm? Apple will pay Qualcomm an undisclosed sum as part of the settlement, which includes a six-year licensing agreement between the two. Apple tried suing Microsoft about Windows imitating their GUI (but lost). Fender tried to copyright the design of its iconic guitars (and also lost). They both clearly thought they had a case. Oh yes and the EU have just successfully sued Apple for tax avoidance (in collusion with the Irish government) and Apple have paid back $15.3 BILLION in back taxes. Ok time to avoid all Apple products, too, now then? All household names. All products we love. But I’m not really seeing too many 'pure angels’ in the commercial world out there, are you? I suspect that Mooer have learned their lesson – they know they will be very much on other folks’ radar. There was actually a lot of love for the Tender Octaver from bass players and considered by many to be a more attractive product than the EHX POG. Meanwhile I am looking forward to seeing reviews of how this new feature laden GE 300 stacks up on bass and whether its synth engine is going to be half decent or not.

Tbf they do seem to be moving on from that initial imitation-approach to now start coming up with some more original kit. This particular multifx will see them leap frogging Zoom and going head to head with Helix. It's certainly not going to be purely a cheap and cheerful price play. You may have noticed more than one bass maker pretty brazenly using Leo Fender's iconic design for their own brands, from time to time. And there have been plenty of cloned pedals too! At least Mooer have consistently tried to minitaruise some of effects they were cloning.

Thanks to OP for posting this. My Yammy gig bag is about 1/2" too small for the new series Yammy basses and I've been thinking about getting another one for that very reason. Just put in an order for the black Gator Transit Series bag, they seem to have a fair few of these still in stock and I got mine for £59 including P&P. https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Gator-GT-BASS-BLK-Transit-Series-Bass-Guitar-Bag-Black/1Y5Q

Check this link that Chris posted a few week's back:

Aha HX Helix - ok that's getting closer Well the B1(X)-4 has been my 'gateway' multifx and if it wasn't for this darned digital noise which ped pointed out and I've now noticed I would absolutely want to stick with it. The Zoom has given me a taste for how useful / fun / good a multifx can be. The Stomp (or any of the Helix family) couldn't get there by themselves, they weren't cutting it on the filter and synth front. This GE 300 just, however, might crack that final hurdle and I've got a taste for gigging multifx's now, thanks to the B1(X)-4. But it's early days - I've got no idea how good the GE 300 will be on bass etc. yet.

Oh that is indeed lovely! Which model?

Haha - you should have gone to Specsavers, Dave, it looks nothing like the Stomp! You'll be saying that a Cali 76CB and a Spectracomp look the same next! 😁😂