Boodang

In addition to the Aguilar Grape, I've also got a Warm Audio Mutation, both of which are great with bass. I thought that running both in series would just be a mess but actually is really funky. The warm audio is a bigger pedal and would take up a fair bit of your spare pedal board space, so good value in that respect!

Always room for a TC Flashback. I notice there’s no phaser… a most underrated bit of kit, I’ve got the Aguilar Grape and it’s super funky.

So, got a great sound out of the meatbox at the gig but probably not using it how Dod intended! Basically not using the sub synth at all and just a bit of the octave gave a really punchy low bass tone which was still very organic. Using a Warwick thumb bo in passive mode and it still sounded like the bass just more ballsy. Definitely an always on pedal with these settings. I’ll do some comparison audio clips later in the week.

I'm doing a gig on Friday and we have a long sound check period, so I'll be experimenting. I've tried it thru the rig at home and in theory have found a subtle setting but it'll be interesting to see how it sounds through the pa.

Not an entirely fair comparison but I’m just comparing the sounds from their respective octave outputs as opposed to the Dod’s sub synth. So, on a whim I bought a reissue Meatbox pedal (Bass Bros just happened to have one when I visited the other day). Ignoring the sub synth output (which I don’t think I’d want to put through my own rig for fear of destroying the speaker!) I compared the octave sound to that of the Octamizer. The issue I have with the Octamizer is that the octave sound is very ‘synthy’ as soon as you turn the octave level even a fraction (and that’s with the filter setting on it’s smoothest). Consequently I use the Octamizer in conjunction with a Fwonkbeta to create heavy synth sounds, stuff that’s not even remotely organic sounding. The Meatbox however doesn’t instantly jump out the gate as soon as you turn the octave level. Below 10 o’clock there’s a nice increase in the low frequencies without it sounding in the least synthy. Almost like just boosting the bass but underneath the octave signal is very organic sounding. Once you push the level it gets very like the Octamizer but almost like the filter is towards the sawtooth end. Set to 9 o’clock it’s such a nice organic sound it might become an always on pedal (early days yet tho). The sub synth I think is a little too much for me but I might try cranking it up when I’m going through someone else’s PA! Anyone else feel the same way about these pedals? I’ll do a full comparison review in a week or so when I’ve had more playtime with them.

I’m glad it helped someone! My fav thing about the super funk is the direction switch and the color control…. Especially the color control, which makes it just that little bit more funky. I think the fwonkbeta is a bit more specialist, it can be so thick and bass heavy it can get quite mushy and indistinct at times.

Enjoy! It’s a fun versatile pedal.

Sounds good in the youtube demo. Probably a bit of bridge adjustment to be done to make it work, so can't imagine it's as easy as clip on, clip off.

Recently I went away for 5 weeks, so I said to my covers band that of course I had no issue with them getting in a dep for any gigs. Turns out they hired a pro, who it turns out is much better than me technically and listening back to the recordings you can hear how good and precise he is. Chatting it over with the band (and trying to alleviate some of my insecurities) they said they were glad I was back as the vibe wasn’t the same. There’s always someone better than you so if a band wants you then you’re bringing something tangible to the party they find agreeable.

Songs in our band are picked on the basis of what the audience will like.. with two provisos, the singer must be able to do it and can the rest of the band play it well. Set 1; warm up songs, singalongs, building up to a taster of set 2. Set 2; all the banging songs, no let up, ending in our latest obsession which is Boston punk numbers. If it's not total riot by the end we consider it a failure!

Oats.... 'a grain which in England is generally given to horses but in Scotland supports the people'.

I share your pain, I live in Pakistan hence I make the most of it when I visit the UK. I think with my original post, it wasn't that people should try before you buy, more that how much of a difference it makes if you can..... especially with the case in point which was the preconceptions of high end basses and how I thought they would play. Also, for most of us I'm guessing buying a bass is not like doing the weekly shop and more of an event. So maybe worth combining with a trip even if it is for a lower priced instrument.... not always possible I know

... that's probably because Warwick fatnecks were originally made from baseball bats!

When I try out a bass it's all about the feel for me, so I'll play it unplugged so as not to be distracted. I'm almost not interested in how it sounds plugged in, if it plays well I'll change the pups and preamp to get it where I need. Every bass I've ever owned I've replaced the pups with custom ones and quite often the preamp as well. And if the pups need to be in a different position I'll get them re-routed.

Anybody know what possessed them to start making chunkier necks? Presumably not super popular if they switched back.

To put some numbers on it, the bo4 Thumb I just picked up is 23mm deep at the 12th fret and my jazz (which has a ‘61 profile) is 17mm. Admittedly the jazz is particularly slim but the thumb does feel ‘thick’ to play.

Hey, if you went down and bought the Stanley Clarke Alembic then £200 would be a drop in the ocean and you wouldn’t feel so bad!

Bass Bros have advantage that all their basses are used. I have to say they were very accommodating. But you're right about the ex-demo thing. I went into wex recently to buy a high end camera of which they had no demo models on display, so I said can you unbox one for me to look at and I was told no!

Had an interesting experience at Bass Bros the other day. Whilst collecting a bass for a friend they let me try out some basses…. it was interesting to compare my preconceptions with the hands on experience and goes to show you definitely need to try before you buy. I was excited to play the Stanley Clarke Alembic but as nice as it was it didn’t click with me and would be hugely disappointing at that price! Similarly the Jaydee which really wasn’t me. The Warwick Thumb I picked up was nice but I was surprised by the chunky neck and would be a no for me. The Rob Allen was good but didn’t feel special. He brought down a Ric with a reverse headstock and it felt fantastic (I’m still weighing up the 2.6k price tag.. someone please buy before I pull the trigger on it!). And some of the less special basses like Jazz’s or Musicmans were more my thing. It’s interesting because if you said pick a bass by just looking at the website I’d have the Alembic but picking one based on what played the best it would be something quite different and a lot cheaper. PS the guys at Bass Bros are good. They even held on to the bass for about 6 months before I could pick it up (I don’t live in the UK).

I just picked up an early 2000s Warwick thumb bo4 from Bass Bros (really nice guys and good service) for a friend of mine as I was in the area. I gave it a quick play and the neck is way chunkier than I remember them being. In particular the depth of the neck which gets quite thick by the time you’re at the 12th fret. It’s not uncomfortable to play, I’ve got small hands and actually I found it nice. I quick bit of research revealed that Warwick neck shapes have varied over the years. I’m not familiar with Warwick basses but it seems you have to be careful if you have a strong neck profile preference. For those in the know what’s the deal? Are modern thumbs slim? At some stage I fancy a Thumb NT but I would prefer a slim neck, are there any model/years that are best?

Billy Cobham, Trombone Shorty, Manu Katchè.. and more! I’d rather be there than Glastonbury.

Going back to my ‘tonal centre’ comment, on my set list I always write the key of the song that way it instantly puts a visual roadmap on the fretboard so if play a wrong note at least it won’t be a bum note!

Yeah, at first I thought this was a novel way of getting me replaced but since then the guitarist has been overly friendly on WhatsApp and reckons he's going to sort things with the percussionist. So I think maybe genuinely oblivious at the time but beginning to realise he might have messed up. Normally I'd be a bit more stressed about it but as it turns out I have other projects which might prove to be more promising. But it's also interesting that because I'm more sanguine about it I'll probably deal with the situation better, not fly off the handle and we'll probably sort it out like sensible adults rather than egotistical musicians which is a good thing as there are long standing friendships involved. Maybe a lesson for the future... which I'll promptly forget about the next time something like this happens!

Does it help to play the track backwards?!

There's always been an undercurrent of tension in our covers band, but in all other respects we're best mates. But... our lead guitarist latest epic might be seriously misjudged. I was going away on holiday, not back for 5 weeks. We didn't have anything planned but we're all in other bands, and I said that obviously there were no issues with musicians we know depping for me. There was a possible gig the weekend before I went away, but we all got told by our guitarist to stand down. Then, a couple of days beforehand I got asked if I could do the sound at the gig in question, so I assumed the guitarist other band had got it, which I had no issue with but also by then I had made other arrangements. Our percussionist was invited to turn up to add his 'rock 'n roll' energy... which is another way of saying can you help shift our gear! Turns out the band was our covers outfit with me replaced, our percussionist not invited on stage, and our setlist. Percussionist suitable pee'd off and resigned on the spot, thinking about it, I was asked to do the sound for my own band! Apparently guitarist other band was going to do it but then couldn't but has still yet to explain how it ended up as our band minus me! In the meantime they've got some gigs with a dep, using the same setlist but are using a new name! Not sure what's going on as I'm still on holiday until next week. Have a feeling my other bands might becoming my main band. Guitarist is still sending overly friendly texts so maybe he feels guilty. Being fired is one thing, band splitting up and reforming without you is a classic, but being asked to become the bands soundman is a new one!!