itu

Fine, please describe your rig in detail. I am also interested.

To the original question: SCF, like the Danish used to say.

True. There only few preamps that mix pickups: John East, EMG, Audere. Noll Mixpot is an active mixing component. Most of the other systems use simple blend pot which loads both pickups, and cuts high end. pickups - blend - vol - tone stack - output As I have said countless times, any part of this signal path can use battery powered buffers producing lo-Z ("active") signal. But any does not mean that every part is lo-Z. @Woodinblack wrote: "...active pickups were created so that you could use a smaller magnetic field which would have less drag on the strings, giving you a more pure sound of what the strings were doing..." The main point is, that with lower inductance (less windings in the coil, and weaker magnet) you get wider frequency response. Very high output pickups have stronger magnets, more wire, and narrow f response. @Woodinblack: "...active preamp (on passive pickups, like most basses) was made so that you could control the output impedance of the bass..." I think you are partially on the right track here. Yes, lo-Z output is good while transferring signal through the cable. If Z and noise were the most important things, we would have balanced line outputs in our basses. But I have seen just few balanced output systems in basses, like in Wal, Sei and Vigier. Alembic did quite many trials with preamps during 70's (they weren't the first, but very visible). As they used very low impedance (power hungry and high quality) opamps (NE5532/4 family) they needed external PSUs. I do think their main goal was to make a functional preamp with powerful tone tweaking options. On top of that the result had a lo-Z output.

I would suggest a looper with a headphone output + aux in. It's the ultimate training unit: you can hear your own playing instantly. The red one I have is probably an older Valeton looking like a Dapper.

A different gig today - Monday! Government evening party. We weren't in the best shape, although we had lots of rehearsals, and the setlist was ready two or three weeks ago. It wasn't the easiest place, somewhat reverbing, but the worst was that I couldn't hear others on the other side of the stage. Two long sets, quite some people. There was too much light, and people were a bit shy to get to the floor. But our singers were in very good mood, and made the evening.

Green is the basic colour that glows longest. While I worked in a watch factory, we tried to laminate up to 4 layers of strontium based luminous material to a plate. After UV activation the material glew around 75 hours (+3 days) in a completely dark room. That powder was even better than Super Luminova.

I have heard that people take a case, and maybe even a £50 bass along, and come back with a case - and a bass. Just heard...

A ferry, or train... an option?

But "Log" was Les Paul's g-word, not a bass?

Any pics? Any bass is "rare", as they are individuals. The term "rare" is more or less inflated: for someone rare means a colour that was produced only a small batch. Collectible, maybe, but does it mean the instrument is better, or even playable? If your bass sounds, and feels good, it loves to be played. Now go out with it and make the gigs.

That B required lots of string changes, before it started to sound similar than the other strings. I found .120 was the best sounding in a 35" neck. I use both, 4 and 5, and they are different animals. 4 feels lighter and easier, but as @franzbassist wrote, 5 offers different patterns, and for me Eb and D are easier than with a 4+detuner. In a band, where 4 singers want to change everything all the time, and winds want to go flat, a 5 works like a tool made for transposing.

I have found, that certain basses need certain pedals: the pickiest are fuzz/dist/ODs and compressors. I use three boards, and one is for the hi-Z (passive) bass. I selected the comp that works best with that fretless, which is Daring Audio's Phat Beam. It is by far the best pedal comp that enhances the sound of the bass. tce HyperGravity in two other boards is for active basses.

In short: Yes. Longer answer: You can replace pickups, or preamp, or both.

This is against my idea of finding the suitable sound for the song. I use both bass and pedals (comp, octaver, fuzz, reverb, parametric, synth...) to alter the sound to fit the music. From very dry, middle peaking crack to reggaeish dark and mushy depending on the atmosphere. Adjustments are there, and with pedals, bass, and hand position I change the character of the tone quickly.

As can be seen here, 18-19 mm string spacing is a must, as well as long scale (33.8-36"), and carbon (at least as an insert in the neck). Relatively flat necks are fine, whether thin or thick. I like some special shapes (Auerswald, Linc Luthier, Spalt...) because they look different. 6 strings are for g-word players, F-word basses (J,P) just aren't for me. Maple fretboards and light coloured basses look like the luthier left the work too early (Larry G's off-white Moon is an exception). Acoustic basses are mostly a joke, semi acoustics on the other hand...

Which preamp you use that has mixer instead of plain blend pot? EMG, John East, Audere, or do you have a Noll MixPot? (My single pickup fretless has just a step attenuator, and a coil switch. All others are equipped with some kind of a lo-Z circuitry.)

Ten bass brands: easy! Ten bassists, well now that you ask...

I would start from the simplest possible. It isn't easy to reduce the line to the bare essentials. Then if the song gives you any space, put some simple fills in there. I cannot see that a simple line would lack emotion. Yes, it can be played like reading a phone book, or you can dive into the music. Phrasing is so important. (Overplaying is so easy. How do I know? I bought a looper.) In Gimme gimme gimme Björn och Benny wanted to make bass and drums sound like machines. They managed very well: where are those few fills? Still the song swings, and there's actually quite a lot of stuff to play. Lost in music is "relatively simple", but that groove! Everybody wants to rule the world is just the same pattern from the start to the end, and it still supports the song so well. A driving bassline can be pretty straightforward like in Let's dance. Or if you want to do lots of work, try to play the synth line from Like a prayer. Melodic lines can be easily found from jazz. Jamerson was a jazz bassist, and he was able to transfer his chordal and rhythmic knowledge to Motown classics. Why wouldn't you try A night in Tunisia, and So what?

Really kool!

This is the way I would love to acquire instruments and accessories. And while talking about accessories it is OK, I think. But. I have read so many times that someone orders two/three instruments from the T-shop.de and sends back the ones that are not suitable in a way or another. Years back I wanted to try Laklands, because I heard good comments about them. A local shop happened to have 8 or 9 instruments. I went there and tried every one. Hated all except one Japanese Skyline. But even that wasn't for me. Where are the places to do anything similar? On line? How to compare instruments? Listening to the lousy slap fiascos where some SM activist is trying to convince us that this 3500th Fender copy is the thing I cannot live without? Sound quality: youtube, playing abilities: guitar background, credibility: none. It seems that there are only few serious shops available, and that usually requires travelling. Or finding a decent second hand bass from a fellow musician.

"...and surprised me with the most amazing gift for one my milestone birthdays..." Where to find such a gem? And I don't mean that glorious Ritter, but your astonishing wife. Happy 25th birthday!