paulo m

My experience's with outboard preamps has been that virtually all of the units really mess' with your instruments core sound & colour them way to much... & not in a positive light. As soon as you engage them' for myself you've lost something that's coming off your hands.... & the price of these so called 'Tone Monsters' is high indeed GK Plex' Darkglass' Tech21' EBS Microbass 3' Sadowsky' Lehle' etc' etc..

Roscoe Beck' Will Lee' Johnny B Gayden' Robert 'Pops' Popwell.. those players who Groove & make the music 'Swing' for there are far too many more to mention here...

Thanks John.....

Who has the inside info on ramp builders here in the UK... I'm looking specifically for Fender Jazz (1970's spec) any Intel would be be gratefully received.

Who has the inside info on ramp builders here in the UK... I'm looking specifically for Fender Jazz (1970's spec) any Intel would be be gratefully received.

NEW STRINGS.......nothing improves tone better.

T.C Electronic Dreamscape is a sleeper pedal. Originally for guitar' but it works brilliantly on Bass & giving you all of the toneprints from the Corona Chorus along with Flanging & Vibrato' Plus it's own Toneprints.... It's One Subtle Pedal...

The best pedal I've found for accurate frequency shaping mids boost or cut' with added H. P. F & L. P. F is the Tech 21 Q Strip. Ive found it to be 'ultra quite' also & much better than other so called high end Preamps... its an extremely versitile little box.

Just how many people in the audience or muso's for that fact' would know by ear just what make of effect pedal someone was using... I admit to having some units from the builders mentioned here... But their is an awfull a mount of hype or snakeoil surrounds certain manufactures products that people covert or desire...

This Company has produced 'some' pedals that for myself remain unconvincing. Their last micro Compression & Preamp offerings remain uninspiring & lackluster so' viewing this.. their latest preamp offering it doesn't appear to cover any new ground...???? What's the big deal..??

Origin are manufacturers of stellar guitar pedals ' expect to see plenty of these DCX Bass tone shaper's here on B.C on the used market in the coming months.

Has anyone experience of the New' Becos JZ Overdrive Pedal' or the SFX Micro Red Dragon...? If so we would like to hear your feedback on these variations of the Tube Screamer for Bass..?

Compression is excellent first for it is feeding a uniform signal' then Octave' followed by Envelope Filter' then Overdrive'Grit' Fuzz..? a combination of those alone will supply Synth Bass Sounds.. Then Chorus' Flanging' Phaser' Reverbs... Etc' etc.. As has been stated here there are no hard & fast rules to this... But certain Combination's definitely work better than others....

I forgot to mention one of my favourite Tone Prints of all.... Roscoe Beck's "Sonic String Modulator" which is phenomenal for Fretless & Fretfull basses...

Further to my claim of using reverb's on Fretless bass' here are the tone prints I favour from the T. C Electronic H. O. F 2 Mini. Shimmering Star' & Shimmy Jimmy' both work very well in my experience as does Dave's Bassverb' as they are all Short' almost gated like reverb's & then there is Spread Strings' which is also useful.. My take is use them "Subtley" & mimimalistically to enhance the resonances of the sound coming from your hands. I've heard many guy's still load-up on Compression & Chorus... to my ears that produces a swimming pool of over-spill... Beware. I also use a T. C Electronic Dreamscape Chorus' Vibrato' & Flanging' pedal for Vibrato on the fretless' coupled with the reverb's... All contained within the Plethora X3 & I seriously doubt that you would require to use anything else. Enjoy your experimentation & I hope you find a new way of hearing the instrument.

I owned one of the original first generation H. B's... moved it on almost immediately' to my ears it didnt add anything special whatsoever.... Sparkle on a Fretless...? REVERB..

Greetings' the difference between the MXR M87 & the CALI 76 is( NIGHT & DAY ) for myself!! the Origin Compressor is a far' far superior sound Punchy' Fat' with Sparkling high end.. The H.P.F makes a big difference also allowing the lows through Uncompressed' You get what you pay for' place the comp first.. then you are sending a uniform signal to the Octaver which will track better' then your envelope filter... Use your ears....the metering on the MXR is a good move but' gimmicky....the Boss pedal simply doesnt compare whatsoever to these others. The jewel metering on the cali isnt the best but' i ive suggested USE YOUR EARS....& Experiment.

Compression is a Dark Art' learn the fundamentals of using it & just why you need to use it... Origin's Cali 76 Compact Bass for myself is The Unit' but its expensive & it takes time learning how & why it works for you. GOOD HUNTING.....( ive used both MXR M87 & BOSS' they are not' in the same class as the Cali 76 for myself)

EBS Microbass II.... Very difficult to beat' & you can find them second hand for around £ 150.00... Read any reviews on this Super Versitile ' & Great Sounding Outboard Pre Amp...

I have the Cali C.B. 76 first on my board with 4 to 1 'FAT' compression' & fast release & I've a Tech 21 Q Strip @ the end of the board where I utilise its H. P. F & Sometimes L. P. F filters.. Works Great" really tightens the Low End for Punch without any Sludgy Loose Sound' & I use this in all Rigs.

May I suggest that you should take your bank account with you 😉 for their is an a inexhaustible ammount of choice in those two establishments & what sounds good in the shop.... May not be what you require in the long run. Ultimately the sound is in your hands... & not the equipment' even tho it is always advantageous to have high end stuff..... In my experience of playing the biggest tone difference is achieved with "New Strings" its as simple as that.... Enjoy.

A preamp @ the beginning of your chain of effects will appear to have little effect upon your overall collective sound... except for adding bass & treble. An On board preamp in conjunction with different p'ups will have a better impact... As for the manufacturer you quoted that doesn't reply to e-mails' personally I would look elsewhere. I have used many outboard devices' & you get just what you pay for... I have always kept & use the EBS Microbass II... superb functionality & the Tech 21 Q Strip has very high quality EQ & HPF & LPF filters also.... Its really down to your ears & taste..