Boodang

If you do have to open the wallet.... I have the ehx mono synth and you just have to be very clean with your playing to avoid all artifacts but other than that it does sounds good. Alternatively, you could always use a bit of octaver to get synthy overtones and an octave pedal would probably be more versatile for other stuff as well. ... just seen your latest post!!

How on earth would you amplify it?!! 11.5hz!!

I bought a Palmer PWT 12 from Gear 4 music for £121. 12 isolated outputs, 8 x 9v, 300mA each output and 4 variable from 6 to 18v, 500mA each. Works a treat. Only issue, it comes with a 'wall wart' psu with the 2 pin euro plug. I just use an adapter but it's not really a problem.

So, @BillyBass, with the Jam Ripple Fall bass pedal.... how are you liking it? And do you want to sell it?!

Ah, the difference between acoustic, woodwind, brass, violin family, compared to a lump of wood with a pickup.

Is that because your fingers are busy picking your nose rather than your bass?!

Yes.... but you started it!!

Don't know about the Ibanez but I have a custom headless with ABM hardware and there are many strings that refuse to be clamped. So, strings I've tried to use with my fretless but have resulted in destruction; TI flats, La Bella nylons, Galli Synthesis, DR Sunbeams. Not saying the Ibanez will do the same but non double ball end strings in general are not designed to be abused in this cut & clamped way. I think by going headless you are restricting the type and number of strings you can use.

Actually, now I think about it, as much as I might have a sound in my head, my sound has more or less found me. My first bass was a s/h fretless because I thought it looked 'sexy'! My first amps I bought because they 'came my way' and were cheap. And bought pedals because I like the artwork on them. So to a certain extent the tone I have at any given time happens a bit by chance.

Jam pedals are great... looking at this for those 'Jaco' moments...

A very interesting take on a flanger... I'm interested in this... more gas, aaahhh!!

Doc Lloyd photon death ray! Compressor with a side chain eq based on the human hearing.... so were assuming logarithmic (side chain is for triggering comp not eq'ing signal). Sucker for pedals which take a different approach. Has good reviews and apparently good for bass, has a slower attack than the Diamond comp so let's initial transients through. And great artwork! Can't find one for sale though.

See... now I want one of these as well! Trouble is, you know it's going to be expensive when you have to email to find out the price.

The guy at New Cut Studios really knows his stuff and what could have been a dry article is actually quite entertaining. Trouble is I now fancy an AMP BH-420 as a result of reading it... more GaS!! I did see one for sale which is supposed to have been the one Jaco was given by the company. As you can imagine, quite expensive, but then maybe it still has some of Jaco's mojo in it!!

Maybe if you had played the John Cage piece 4'33" you would have had more success.

My expensive custom bass doesn't sound any better than my cheap basses but it does play better. Having said that, at the moment I seem to prefer playing my Squier basses which all have custom pickups installed. It changes but at the moment the most important element in my tone (other than my fingers!!) are strings, which I think are a critical factor, and a decent compressor. At the height of his career Jaco almost wouldn't play live without his Acoustic 360, saying it was an essential part of his tone. But Jaco would sound like Jaco whatever he was playing.

Anybody got experience with this compressor? Just came across it and been reading some reviews, so now I can feel some GaS coming on!

Well, glad you suggested playing anything otherwise I wouldn't now be trying to learn Toccata & Fugue in D minor with a pick! It's quite the challenge.

Yeah, now I've mentioned it, it sounds like a good challenge!

So, Toccata and Fugue in D minor? I think what the OP was asking was where would be a good place to start! Or at least I think they were as starting the thread with just '?' isn't overly communicative.

In my experience a democratic band dynamic is definitely the more difficult. Everyone has to be pulling in exactly the same direction musically and socially for there to be no tensions and that's very rare. Was in a band once where musically it slotted together perfectly and sounded really good, trouble was the social aspect wasn't there and we all hated each other! We had management interest once, we met up in a pub to discuss options, by half way through the evening the band had descended to it's usual squabbles and throwing things at each other before storming off. Management assumed the band had split but were told no, that's how every band meeting ends. Management lasted 6 months before it was too much for them (surprised they lasted that long!). The music must have been worth it as the band lasted 10 years before imploding! A real love/hate experience.

Of course it's not really an either/or situation... some songs you can embrace the space, others might be fun to play around with pedals.... you could do 'walking on the moon' through an envelope filter with an octaver, some distortion and lots of echo!!

Came across this interesting article chronicling the history of the Acoustic 360 and bass amps in general around that time (1967'69). https://www.newcutstudios.co.uk/a-big-acoustic-tower Starts with a bit about Nick Lowe electrocuting himself at the Marquee club, going on to talk about Jaco's use of Acoustic amps and where Acoustic amp development went from there. Anybody still use a 360?!

.... but what did you learn?

Was in a band once where the lead vocalist would turn up for the gig / rehearsal after everything was setup and would disappear immediately the last lyric was sung! Have always operated on the 'no *rsehole' rule though... no matter how good you are, its not worth it if you fall into that category. So in the vocalist case he didn't last long!