CameronJ

Bloody hell. You’d expect better from the likes of Martin and (perhaps to a lesser extent) Gibson. I’d be pretty devastated in your position with those instruments too!

I’ll be gone for a while to self-flagellate

I’ve been intrigued by these Sadowsky Moderns myself lately! There was a lovely green one for sale here recently but it didn’t hang around long. I really love the shape.

I realise this is heresy but… Ordered on Christmas morning and hopefully arriving tomorrow.

I’d strongly recommend checking out a Yamaha BB735a. Very well made and great pickups/preamp combo. Obviously quite different from both the Spector and the Sadowsky you were looking at @Bilbo, but definitely worth a look nonetheless.

These basses will sound very different…is the sound in your head more of a single coil or a humbucker vibe? Also, both have 2 band EQs and no passive tone controls - presumably you’re fine with that? Personally I’d get down to BassDirect and try both basses in person.

Dare I ask what the guitar is that you’re thinking of parting ways with?

First thing that comes to mind is a Jazz bass with a John East J-Retro (not the deluxe)

Very tempted to go for that deal myself. Although (and I realise this is blasphemy) I’m strongly considering getting myself an electric guitar, so maybe best to get the original WAZA Air as that is probably a better choice for both guitar and bass compared to the WAZA Bass which won’t be that great for electric guitar? Arghhh…

Agreed!

That is 🔥 Definitely making me wanna learn this line!

I’m sure they’ll sort it out quickly - my experience has always been very positive with them. Most notably a situation in which I had purchased (and activated) the wrong software and they bent over backwards to help me deactivate my license in order to allow me to return & refund the purchase...which was entirely my fault in the first place. They’re easily in my personal top 3 music retailers of choice.

Thanks! They are La Bella LTF (Low Tension Flats) They have become my favourite flatwounds!

I may have missed it somewhere in the thread but does anyone have any issues with the transmitter in active basses? I know some “bug” type wireless transmitters don’t behave well with active electronics!

Can’t wait to read more of your thoughts! That compact Darkglass setup looks very tasty by the way!

I’m a huge fan of Dingwall basses - I’ve had three in total and currently just own one. Phenomenal quality, innovation and attention to detail. In more recent times I’ve discovered Xotic basses and am a serious lover of them. I currently have two of their “XJ” five string jazzes and absolutely love them. Made in Japan, flawlessly built, a neck profile that is perfect for my hands and proper “sound in my head” jazz tones.

For me it’s pretty much a combination of what suits the music and what frequencies I require to be able to hear myself clearly in the mix. If I’m playing at home I more heavily favour the former. If playing live I tend to more heavily favour the latter. Having said that, on my passive basses I usually have the tone wide open as a starting point - my Dingwall Super PJ is a good example of this - but I rarely change strings and don’t typically favour a ton of high end in my sound as a rule. Unless of course the style demands it. On my active basses, such as my Xotic XJs, I find myself tweaking the onboard preamp controls and the passive tone control on almost a constant basis from song to song. The tonal options on these basses are incredibly broad which I’m sure puts people off (“how many knobs?!”) - but the passive tone knob and the 3 band preamp controls interact in a really intuitive way. It’s pretty much impossible to produce a “bad” sound out of them, crazy though that may sound to some.

I believe @Musashimonkey has owned one of these before…?

I’ve had their nickel rounds and really enjoyed them. Very reasonably priced, good feel, good tone. Zero complaints from me! I’ve been curious to try their flats for a while actually.