Osiris

As has already been mentioned, the TC Electronic Spectracomp is ostensibly as simple as they come. And it's a fraction of the cost of the ones you've listed in your original post too! But it's not a one trick pony either, if you use the free TC Tone Print app, you have access to a load of different compression types so you can reconfigure the pedal in quite literally a couple of seconds. There's also the option of some PC editing to craft your own compression tone print but with some 50 or so parameters to configure it can be a bit daunting! I was so impressed with the Spectracomp that I ended up getting the Hyper Gravity which is essentially the same pedal but with 4 control knobs instead of 1. You can assign any parameter (or up to 3 at once) to a control knob so that the pedal works exactly how you want it to. For example I've set mine up to work as a 3 band combined compressor and EQ with what's effectively an adjustable high pass filter. But you don't have to do anything like that, the tone prints give you more than enough choice. From the ones you mentioned, the Cali is great, do believe the hype on that one. Personally I found the Aguilar TLC utterly insipid, one to avoid if you're looking for any sort of tonal enhancement. Another simple but excellent compressor pedal is the Boss bass limiter, which is a compressor and limiter in one. The cork sniffers might not approve as it's a Boss but they're simple to use and sound great. Just keep the Enhance dial very low or even off! If you're considering just a boost pedal, you can't go wrong with the TC Electronic Spark Booster, either the small one, another small pedal with a single control knob that gives a transparent boost. There's also the bigger one with has a 2 band EQ plus some low gain drive if you want it.

If true, clearly Line 6 aren't in total agreement with their own marketing https://line6.com/hx-effects/ 😝😝😝

Wise words. I do the same so I know what to do when I need to tweak things on the fly. And it's not difficult either, a very simple and intuitive interface on the Stomp, the only difficulty being knowing how to get the best out of it but that comes with sinking the time in and experimenting with different options.

Assuming the HXFX has the same various EQ choices as the rest of the range, you have the option to round off your drive tone with one of those and/or an IR. As has already been mentioned there's a number of EQ settings online that mimic speaker profiles.

But isn't the idea of the HXFX that it's an effects unit (there might be a clue in the name somewhere 😉) for people who are using it through a traditional rig? In that regard it makes perfect sense as well as keeping costs down for those who don't want or need the amp & cab models.

Same here, I've been A/B'ing the new compressor on my patches and am probably going to swap it out on 3 of my 4 gigging patches. I just need to hear it at volume with the band before committing, but that could be a while! I'll likely stick with the essential 3 band comp model for one of my basses where I use it more like a combined comp and EQ as it seems to flatter the tone of that particular bass. The Xenomorph is also a lot of fun, someone mentioned earlier about using that as the basis for a DIY synth patch and I can see that working a treat. I need to play with the Red Llama a bit more, it sounded a big boxy when I briefly tried it but I suspect that its inherent mid bump didn't play too well with the slightly mid biased IR that I'm currently using.

I've fitted a set of 4-in-a-line tuners to a 2+2 headstock before and I had no trouble with it. The ones being replaced were the big elephant ear style and I fitted a set of smaller, lighter weight ones. The only issue, if you can call it that, as @fleabag said, is that the heads on the D and G strings turned the opposite way to those on my other 2+2 bass but that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Maybe, but let's be honest, we'll all be buying them for the artwork alone.

Good shout, I'm a bit ham fisted though so somewhat reluctant to start gouging holes in the bass, but I might give it a go if I'm feeling brave 😃

Thank you, I really appreciate it.

There's been mention that the PBXN is a deep pickup, if yours isn't currently installed in a bass would you mind taking a quick depth measurement, including any protruding magnets, please? I'm thinking of sticking a PJ set in my cheap and cheerful bass.

You can use any latching foot switch with the Magellan 800, I've used 2 or 3 different ones with mine and never had any problems.

I think your intonation might be out. By a couple of meters.

Could this ideal for her? (Shameless sales pitch!)

Don't knock it until you've tried it 😀 I've been playing since the mid 80's and my basses have been getting progressively smaller in recent years, it probably helps that I'm not exactly a giant of a man either! But shorter scale basses are so much easier to get around on than full sized ones like a jazz or precision. The Mikro is 28" scale compared to the more usual 34" scale (15 cm shorter, meaning the first fret is 15 cm closer to your body than on a regular scale bass) and it makes 34" scale basses feel very cumbersome indeed. But even at 28" it's still bigger than a regular 6 string guitar, albeit only just! And no, this is not a hard sell! Another one to consider is the Ibanez Talman TMB30, which has a 30" scale neck. I've got one and admittedly it's had a couple of hardware upgrades, (but still no more than an extra £50 spent on it) but it has seen off a couple of basses that each cost 10 times as much. Admittedly it looks a bit daft, some might say like Barbapapa (ask your grandparents 😀) but the neck is sublime and it has an array of usable tones for different styles.

That's bringing back a few memories for those of us who have changed nappies on our kids in our time. 🤢 🤮 And why have they used burnt fish fingers for pickups?

I forgot to mention F holes. An ashtray built into a bass is of little use to me.

You could always treat yourself as a belated birthday pressie and let us know what you think. Don't forget some white socks to wear with them 🤘

Sunburst of any description Tort scratch plates Sunburst + tort = wrong2 Gold hardware Millions of controls on active basses

I'm a pathologically miserable bastard at heart and can't usually tolerate twee, mawkish or generally upbeat music, but this little ditty never fails to put a spring in my step. It also happens to be arguably one of the greatest songs ever written concerning transvesticism after the consumption of a shed load of Jama, a subject that is close to all our hearts.

That sounds like it could possibly be nerve damage especially if the fingers are weaker than usual. I have similar symptoms in my left wrist caused by years of cycling. I don't do any stretching exercises before playing but what works for me is a neoprene wrist strap, this is the one I use. But if it is a damaged nerve it's worth getting it checked out by your GP, although that could take a while at present.

This is my favourite PiL era Jah Wobble tracks, the bass on this has a simple but massive groove. And here's a Covid-19 Buy One Get One Free offer, The rhythm guitar on this is actually a distorted 6 string bass according to Peter Hook's Unknown Pleasures book;

While the hipster chap in this picture may be considered cool by some, I think we can all safely say that that guitar most certainly isn't 😃

He'll no doubt spawn a whole generation of imitators.

This makes my eyes bleed.