Reissueplayer

Sorry Damon, I don’t. But I would describe the sound as having a fast and distinct attack, but somehow balanced with the warmth that follows, which is an unusual combination. So think of it as warm, even sound with a clear attack. Not as scooped as some more modern basses. I think the choice of wood is a very conscious one here.

Thanks for the replies! Stringjoy seem to be making long scale roundwounds in 0.025 gauge. Maybe I should try that

I confess I do like playing chords on bass and my Zon seems like the perfect bass for it. Currently strung B to C, it could be fun to try out adding a higher F. Are there any string sets on the market aimed at this? If I just added a higher one, what gauge would go well with the others? Who has tried it already and what was your experience with it? Cheers, Ola

I’ve had a pair of 112EXs, an AE212 and I still have the active ip112 with an extension cab. I kept the ip because it was more focused around the midrange. But in comparison to a lot of other things, it is still room filling bass notes, way beyond what I get with a lightweight rig. It is a defined sound, yet very warm. Great stuff, even if a bit heavy by today’s standards.

It’s nice to see these getting some attention. I have had three Unicorn basses, a five string Artist, the sister bass of the Mark King bass and an Ozellman four string passive (which I still have and play). The necks have purpleheart wood in them, which makes them incredibly stable, without carbon fibre reinforcement. The attention to detail in the builds is staggering. I think they look the best with two humbuckers. The Artist five string was a 32 inch scale, but the B-string was stable and defined, probably better than other 5s I’ve tried. The scale/tension relationship you expect, doesn’t apply here. Also, the action can get ridiculously low on these, which makes them feel responsive and have a fast attack. I’m keeping my Ozellman. For some reason it plays and sounds exactly right on recordings. I would encorage anyone to check them out.

Thank you! It seems I’m not the only one who wondered about this. Makes me think the dj5s are ridiculous value for money and I’ll be on the lookout for a used one, no matter the year.

One of my favourite basses is a Lakland Bob Glaub. The neck is quartersawn, but also has graphite reinforcement bars, a godsend in the climate where I live. I thought the Skyline series didn’t have that feature, but I know now that some five string ones do (55-65, DJ5). Is this a recent thing, or have the five string Skylines always had reinforcement bars? I’m thinking the DJ5 would be excellent value for money, but I don’t want to risk buying a used one that doesn’t have them. Does anybody know?

I have rarely seen microphonic power valves, but some amps have had slightly microphonic preamp valves (12ax7) and that has actually been on purpose. In use, this has given some shimmer and an almost reverb-like feel to the amp. The amp was a guitar amp built by an expert in the field. I don't know if I'd make the same choice for a bass amp, but I wouldn't automatically assume it is bad.

I own a 63 Precision, which is lovely, but the one I usually bring to gigs, is a Lakland BG. It does the job and has a wonderful, extremely stable neck. The P-bass I regret selling though, is a Nash (!) PB63 with slab board and Lollar pickups. By far the best I've played.

Thank you for the replies. I have now used it at rehearsal a few more times and it has softened to the point where I'd say it is more of a difference in treble response. To answer your questions, the amp was a Tecamp Puma 900. It's unlikely that would come up short in power. I may have pushed it hard in the front end, perhaps to the point of running out of headroom with an active bass. But, If anyone experiences the same thing, give it 2-3 hours of playing time and things will start to change.