Yorkshire Bottom End

Memories, like the corners of my mind... ('The Way We Were' - Gladys Knight) EBMM Stingray 4 (Amber Burst with pearloid scratchplate and Status Graphite neck) Status S2 5 string (Figured Walnut) Kubicki Ex-Factor (Custom Benson and Hedges blue by Jon Shuker) Warwick Thumb 5 BO (with brass Just-A-Nut) Pre-divorce collection! There are more...

Think I'm finished for now. Spent a bit of time on my gospel board today. Boss TU-3>Cry Baby 105Q Mini Wah>Boss NS-2>LOOP SEND>Boss OD-200>Zoom MS-60b>Caline SP-24>LOOP RETURN>Sonicake Levitate. Large Rockhouse flat board, EBS Solder-free patch cables, Joyo JP-02 power supply. All going into a Sadowsky SBP-1 and GSS Baby Sumo, and 2 x Trace Elliot 110 cabs. When I get paid I might upgrade the power supply but it's quiet, nothing sucks tone, it's neat and I've got plenty of options.

Possibly. I've tried it and it's the best yet so it's staying. I'm getting the sound I hear in my head finally.

Getting colder...

Close...!

Builing a new 2025 board. New patch cables (EBS solder free) have arrived, and the new board and pedal are in the post so I thought I'd plan it all out. Big space to be filled by...guess what?

Never tried that one. I've had go at so many and never got to where I want to be, so I thought I'd give the Cry Baby a go and it's working out well. Practise practise as they say.

Exactly!

Fed up with trying and selling autowahs and trying to find an envelope filter that I like (inc an Emma Discumbobultor - the orange one - which was close to being a keeper) so I went for a Cry Baby Bass Mini 105Q. Only had it a day or so and I've practised with it so much it's getting dirty already. Bring the funk.

I love the Sumo. Wish I'd have got a separate power amp before. I managed to try my mate's Ampeg SGT DI through it and it sounded immense. Not the sound I'm looking for for the gospel stuff I do but it really impressed. And yeh - one big knob!! I'm keeping my gear as simple as I am nowadays and it's fantastic. Feels like a hi-fi amp almost, and I've had lots of comments about its simplicity and looks, as well as the great tone I'm getting from this pairing. Happy.

A boutique-made Hiss Reducer/Tone Enhancer. It has one knob that goes from Hiss/Fart-in-a-Bottle to No Hiss/Justin Raines. Only kidding. Sadowsky SBP-1. Transformed my sound. Got a CryBaby Mini Bass Wah 105Q coming so I'm waiting to see how me and it get on.

Nice. Like the lettering on your Joyo. Are they transfers? I went with the Boss style knobs for the Sonicake which give it that retro feel I think. I'm in two minds about the switch toppers but I'm giving them a blast. They match my current pedalboard and my TE cabs. They're also more comfortable when I'm practising at home in my socks!

In the quiet lull between Christmas and New Year where you have nothing to do but eat and watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and endless Indiana Jones films, I thought I might have a play with a couple of cheap pedals I bought to try that have stayed on my board. Caline CP-24 and Sonicake Levitate Reverb and Delay. Bang for buck they are two really good pedals. Run quiet, don't suck any tone out, and do what they say they do. So I got the sandpaper out and some paint and wrecked them. Not quite finished yet but I think they look good, a bit 'industrial' and almost boutique-ish at a push. And they still work. Anyone done a similar (and presumably better) job on their pedals?

It certainly is Jack. Up on ebay if you want to have a look. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205176089890

This set-up is better than I could have expected. I put it through my two cabs and it easily keeps up with the drummer (Sumo at about 2 o'clock) with loads of headroom to spare. I like tinkering with my tone and have been through so many combinations/amps but I'm settled on this. Perfect for gospel. Clean and almost hi-fi quality. I want to borrow my mate's Ampeg SGT DI to see if it'll work for my other band who do more rock stuff. Funk, jazz and soul are covered with the Sadowsky. I'm also going to upgrade and minimise my pedalboard for what I do. Tuner, chorus, eq (for boost mainly) and a tickle of compression. But it doesn't need it, because to my ears, it sounds compressed anyway.