Al Krow

Interesting comment on the subject by a TB'er: "They doubled the sample rate. By getting rid of a channel. It’s a monophonic device. I am doubtful that any of the ‘effects’ are going to sound significantly better. Some might actually suffer if they previously made use of the stereo field for movement. Perhaps they have concentrated on beefing up the amp models, which if you are trying to win a budget bass multieffects modeling war is probably a decent strategy." I take it from that they've simply tweaked the operation of the existing B3n / B1-4 chip set rather than gone for an upgraded chip with additional DSP, which would be disappointing.

I think there is metering on the larger Helix models. PS the compressor patch I shared for the B1-4 got positive feedback from fellow BC'ers, so you may well be able to replace your MXR M87 although, from memory, that is a super-transparent comp.

@Woodinblack Zoom have doubled the sample rate on the B6 chip vs the B3n / B1-4 chip. Do you know what that means in terms of DSP - is it broadly a doubling? And, if so, would the expectation be that B6 will deliver a significantly improved sound over its predecessors with the same effect sims (most of the effects on the B6 are the same as those available on the B3n and B1-4, with the new patches detailed in the link in my post above).

The other thing I spotted was this guy got a luthier to reduce the neck thickness (1.04) Seems like a decent mod to be doing - wondering if anyone else has gone down that path?

I decided to hold on to my Stagg EUB till I've gigged it a couple of times, first one of which could be just a fortnight away - ugh! 🙂, as it seemed a bit extravagant to be upgrading at this early relatively novice stage of my EUB playing life. Just came across this little tip relating to Stagg EUB's of using a couple of washers to reduce the body-rest handle nuts and reduce the vibration / noise from it.

Yeah @Sibobwrote the rules and I've summarised them several times. Which, of course, means everyone else has to follow them while we two go off and party.

Rumour has it, you've been going to the dogs for a while now.

I think that's where I'm falling down...the good intentions bit! As soon as a used Zoom B6 for a decent price comes onto the market I'll be onto it. As of now I'm technically back in with zero expenditure on new gear this year (following a return and full refund). So I guess I'm not really looking to abstain, just abstaining until the right opportunity comes along. A Peavey Cirrus would be very nice...but you may be safe for a while though, they don't seem to come up too often. It does seem a bit hit and miss. My Local was struggling to find bands to play (and not much in the way of responses to ads put up on their behalf).

You've got me thinking! The Cort A5 Plus is £350 less than the A5 Ultra Ash model; if the Bart Mk1 pups aren't to my liking then that would be a very decent budget to get some choice replacement pups put in. Still laminated neck through, lightweight, 3 band EQ, body through stringing, flamed maple top...hmmm, what's not to like?

I've bought and sold so many items on BC and it's a great marketplace. But what makes it even better is how BC'ers treat each other when something goes awry. The pedal I bought on this occasion didn't seem to be 100% happy with my set up, perhaps due to the particular PSU I tried it out with, but Chris was a true gent and totally cool with me returning it for a full refund.

Interesting point and must admit I had the exact same thought! My guess is that the mechanism is going to be quite different between the two, but if it delivers the same sonic outcome then that works! I've only used a sub harmonic generator a couple of times on an Ashdown Evo and tbh found it a little mushy, so kept it off. The Zoom digital emulation sounds really tight and punchy on the clip which is pretty impressive when dealing with octave down. Whether that stacks up in real life is another matter, but it was a bit of an "oh yeah!" sound sample for me! It's on this link - you'll need to scroll down untill you get to "New PreAmp Models" B6 | ZOOM (zoomcorp.com)

Well that's two thumbs down for Ultras from fellow BC'ers. Shame, but very useful to know.

Yeah I picked up a used CMD 121H a year or so back as a practice / back-up rig and it's a great bit of kit with that EQ hack in place. It's all down to MB cabs rolling off the high-end frequencies which gives them their characteristic warm sound combined with the older LM2/3 heads having a huge EQ gap between the high-mids centre point of 800Hz and the treble centre at 10 kHz. An EQ patch on my little Zoom B1-4 sorts it out pretty easily. The 121H has ooodles of headroom and you should be able to pick one up well within your budget. But maybe worth paying the extra for the AC 121 Lite (and also just still within your budget) - it's still one of the very best combos available IMO. Agreed about the build quality of MB gear. I, similarly, had zero issues during several years ownership and very regular use of my MB AC 121 Lite.

Just been checking out the 10 new amps / preamps / and effects on the B6. Zoom have helpfully provided sound samples for all 10. The one that got my attention was the new Super Low Preamp: "A ZOOM original preamp...SpLoPre is equipped with a bass enhancer, which emphasizes the low end of every note. With a Lo EQ and a negative one octave sound, a super low-end tone is produced." Had a listen to the Soundcloud clip for this SPLoPre and damn, it's good! Think punchy, tight, glitch-free octaver overlaying your clean. If you want your bass tone to hit your audience in the gut - this delivers it. Brilliant.

Must 'fess that I had my head turned by a Cort bass very recently. I'd always been slightly put off by their budget pups, but this A5 Ultra Ash model launched last year sports Fishman Fluence pups, which is getting a lot of Spector owners excited given its recent appearance on higher end Spector bass ranges. Hipshot Ultra Lites help deliver a sub 9lb weight; its tasty laminated neck through design, body thru stringing, and some choice woods all come with a price to match of > £1k, and you sense that Cort have decided to park their tanks firmly on several of their contract manufacturing clients' lawns! [Pics from BD website]

Any "proverbial audience" would love that funk!

MB AC 121 Lite will deliver 500W through its own single 12" without an extension cab. One of the very few combos on the market that doesn't need an extension cab to deliver its full payload: was designed specifically to do this by having an extended speaker excursion. Mine easily kept up with a full rock band without breaking into a sweat for several years before I went down the separates route. Should be able to pick one up used for the top end of your budget. A quality top-end combo. Ooops scrap that! - Just re-read your OP and spotted your point (2) 😁 FWIW: my issues with MB combos have entirely been dealt with by using a presence EQ boost at 1.5kHz and 3.5kHz - removes the feeling that there is a blanket over the cab! If I had worked that out a few years back I would have held onto my AC 121 Lite.

Awww that doesn't sound fun. Any decent paid gigs on the horizon?

For a single speaker solution, although I'd love it, I've yet to find a single 10" cab that can deliver enough volume, by itself, to keep up with a full rock band as backline. Plenty of 12" cabs that easily can. So a single 12" seems to be the cut-off for me.

However my Bo Selecta has been returned for a full refund without ever making it to my PB, so on that basis I should technically be back in as I've had zero new kit since the start of the year. Buuuut...there are several bits of gear that have caught my attention e.g. an entire pedal board replacement in the shape of a Zoom B6 later in the year. So the boss, aka @bassfan, has rightly said my heart's clearly not in this endeavour and I need to remain with him and many others out in the cold waiting for @AndyTravis to join us. It's only a matter of time.

I've had a couple of relatively detailed spec discussions with Jon over the years, lovely bloke! But he's never made me a bass. At what point did the contract become binding on both parties? Now you have paid the deposit does Jon have to provide you a bass? If you hadn't paid the deposit, would he have started work on it? You're out 😁

Apparently you also have the option of setting the looper pre or post effects, which is pretty neat.

Doesn't the Effect Board mode (see start of same clip) allow you to do that?