Just Buy Them - things you wish you bought sooner

[mentalextra]

4 hours ago, Daz39 said:

Decent mattress - £400 of memory foam loveliness. My back is very grateful.

Absolutely.

 

59 minutes ago, KiOgon said:

Oh yes, forgot about that, we're on our second, first lasted 9 years then seemed to go too firm! Bought the same make again, Ergoflex.

So with the mattress and Down pillow we should be in bed heaven 😁

And the feather duvet for winter warmness

[Staggering on]

Going upright-Stagg 5 years ago,Yamaha SLB 200 about 3 years ago and this year bought a double bass and I've never had so much fun.I've also learned a lot about bass music and play much better than I ever did before.Sometimes changing instruments can open up a whole new world.The DB came after I travelled to the BC double bass bash in April and when I got back to Canada I just had to get a "real" bass. 

[steantval]

A winning lottery ticket.

[Reggaebass]

For years everyone told me roundwound strings were best  then I bought a set of d’addario black tapewound  I’ve never looked back

[Chris2112]

I should have bought a Pedulla Pentabuzz years ago. I played one when I was 18 and decided there and then it was the fretless bass of my dreams, but I faffed on for a decade with a couple of other fretless basses that came and went. Ten years later, I bought finally bought a Pentabuzz. I should have just shelled out back in my early 20's but I'm glad to have one now.

[Lozz196]

Fender Precision. I`d had many basses over the years, none ever sounded right, and every time I played a Precision in a music shop I was underwhelmed. But, I gave it a go and bought one, again was underwhelmed until I played it with the band, suddenly it all made sense. All my fave bassists played them but as I`d not really got on with them in music shops I`d dismissed them and tried to get the sound - that in the mix sound that just sounds right - with so many other basses and never got there, when it was just that`s the way a Precision works, nothing special in isolation, awesome sat in the mix.

[bazzbass]

Fender basses, Markbass amps, TC Spectrcomp and Polytune 2

Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig and everything else by Tech 21, PBDDI, VT Bass, Bass Boost Chorus

and the MarkBass Bass Keeper 

http://markbass.it/product-detail/bass-keeper/

[bassbiscuits]

1. Definitely my Markbass LM3. I faffed around with other secondhand amps for ages and then decided to bite the bullet and buy one of these new. Have never looked back. 

2. La Bella flats. There it was - the sound I'd after from a P bass all along.

3. Schroeder 1210. Got bogged down in reading this and that online about them before finally snapping up one on Basschat. It's been my go-to cab ever since.

4. Merrell sandals. 10 years and counting of wear and tear but still going strong!

[PawelG]

Freshly roasted coffee. I was unknowingly drinking crap coffee for years until I found a great quality, freshly roasted coffee.

[PaulWarning]

5 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Precision. I`d had many basses over the years, none ever sounded right, and every time I played a Precision in a music shop I was underwhelmed. But, I gave it a go and bought one, again was underwhelmed until I played it with the band, suddenly it all made sense. All my fave bassists played them but as I`d not really got on with them in music shops I`d dismissed them and tried to get the sound - that in the mix sound that just sounds right - with so many other basses and never got there, when it was just that`s the way a Precision works, nothing special in isolation, awesome sat in the mix.

yep, I'm a P man (and play in a Punk band) as well, put off getting one for a few years because being a lefty I had to splash out on a USA one, no second hand ones seem to crop up when I was was looking ,  tried Stingray's and Jazz's first but the P just sits in the mix so much better.

I have to slightly different point but, this is why trying out equipment in shops is a waste of time, until you've lived with it and played it in a band (assuming that's what you do) you'll never know whether a piece of equipment is right for your needs.

[stewblack]

Lube

[Jonny Boots]

21 hours ago, la bam said:

i did love my usa precision, but my vintage v4 reissue at a 5th of the price is just as good. if i was to ever get another it would be purely for vanity, sound wise theres nothing in it.

My exact feelings, I had a Fender P amongst my collection then picked up a V4 from a 2nd hand shop. The Fender has gone now, along with most of the others, my collection now being various models of the V4.

[SamPlaysBass]

2 minutes ago, Jonny Boots said:

My exact feelings, I had a Fender P amongst my collection then picked up a V4 from a 2nd hand shop. The Fender has gone now, along with most of the others, my collection now being various models of the V4.

Are they serious that good then? I’ve got a G&L L2000 I’m looking to release a bit of money from and gaining something with a P pickup. Might fit the bill. 

[Muzz]

13 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Precision. I`d had many basses over the years, none ever sounded right, and every time I played a Precision in a music shop I was underwhelmed. But, I gave it a go and bought one, again was underwhelmed until I played it with the band, suddenly it all made sense. All my fave bassists played them but as I`d not really got on with them in music shops I`d dismissed them and tried to get the sound - that in the mix sound that just sounds right - with so many other basses and never got there, when it was just that`s the way a Precision works, nothing special in isolation, awesome sat in the mix.

This, kinda: I'm shamelessly shallow when it comes to looks, and went through a phase of thinking Ps were boring to look at (tho nowadays the only real GAS I have is for a Shuker JJB P), but I wish I'd worked out sooner that the sound I really like is a split coil pickup in (or at least near to) the P position...that simplified the 'buying on looks and trying and being disappointed with the sound and then selling' of lots and lots of basses... 😕🙂

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Muzz

[Jonny Boots]

4 minutes ago, Williams4S said:

Are they serious that good then? I’ve got a G&L L2000 I’m looking to release a bit of money from and gaining something with a P pickup. Might fit the bill. 

I think they are, they certainly work for me. The new upgraded models sound especially good & are a bargain price.

[Jonny Boots]

6 minutes ago, Muzz said:

This, kinda: I'm shamelessly shallow when it comes to looks, and went through a phase of thinking Ps were boring to look at (tho nowadays the only real GAS I have is for a Shuker JJB P), but I wish I'd worked out sooner that the sound I really like is a split coil pickup in (or at least near to) the P position...that simplified the 'buying on looks and trying and being disappointed with the sound and then selling' of lots and lots of basses... 😕🙂

 

I did exactly the same, my 1st bass was a cheap Westfield P bass but I thought it looked crap so went through some weird & wonderful ones to arrive back at a P.

[AndyTravis]

One of these...

because it seems they’re discontinued and I could really do with one.

[Muzz]

Again, when I found you could get a split coil pickup in a soapbar casing it opened up all the aesthetic options - best of both worlds: I've got one in my Shukerbird, my Shuker Horn and my Dingwall... 😍

[Monkey Steve]

+1 for the TU3

When I started it was seen as very uncool to use an electronic tuner - you'd tune up using some other method before the gig/rehearsal - tuning forks, pitch pipes - I had a flexidisc that came with a "learn to play the bass" book I'd got with my first bass - and then tune to each other once you got there (great if there was a keyboard player, but I remember what seemed like hours of "play an E...now pay an A...now play an E..." and picking harmonics).  The rhythm guitarist in one of my first bands always sounded dreadful, and we once proved to him that he was subtly out of tune on each string (which didn't help his dreadful playing) - he still refused to buy a tuner.

Then I got one of the first Zoom multi effects pedals and it came with a tuner as a standard function and it was amazing.  Much consternation from the rest of the band that I was using a pedal to tune up.  Though the pedal wasn't much cop so it soon got left at home.

Then I went through all sorts of cheap options, small handheld ones that couldn't be used on stage (I still have a Yamaha one that I use for tuning up when I change strings - brilliant tuner), cheapo pedals that didn't do well with a low B and stopped working after a few months, convinced that these would all be fine and even if i needed to replace them every sop often that was far better than shelling out the big bucks for an expensive pedal that just did tuning.  then I had a bit of spare cash, thought I'd finally get a "proper" tuner and bought a TU2.  What a revaluation!

That then got smashed at a gig so i got a TU3 to replace it, and now have a TU3w, just because it's black!

[PaulWarning]

1 hour ago, Jonny Boots said:

I think they are, they certainly work for me. The new upgraded models sound especially good & are a bargain price.

they'd better be just bought a lefty off ebay, 15%off today, paid £200

[thodrik]

Non bass related:

Gibson Les Paul: boughta second hand 2008 Standard Faded last year and my guitar playing has come on leaps and bounds in that time. Previously I had a Fender Toronado, nice guitar but next to the Les Paul it seems like a toy. Granted there is the usual Les Paul design flaws and tuning issues resulting from that and the fact the company has been run into the ground under its current leadership. However the sound is great.

Bass related: 

the Mesa 6x10 cab I bought this year, or really any quality 4x10/6x10 cab: I had a full Peavey era Trace Elliot stack for 8 years as my 'big rig'. The Mesa is in a different class, in terms of sound, build quality and (unfortunately) weight. 

 

[TrevorR]

Flats. Only tried them a couple of years ago because @rumblefish dared me to try them on my Wal. Got some La Bellas courtesy of @CamdenRob who had a spare set which were surplus to requirements. Loved the strong fundamental heavy tone. Never looked back and since having them on both my Wals I play a lot more plectrum bass as it just sounds so good.

[Newfoundfreedom]

Line 6 M13. Ok not so much a "I wish I'd bought it sooner" as I've had it a few years. But definitely I wish I'd used it with a bass sooner. I bought it when I went through a wannabe guitarist phase and it's been gathering dust ever since. Just started using it with the bass and a twin amp setup ala "Royal Blood", and oh my God.......!!!!

[project_c]

On 16/08/2018 at 16:53, uk_lefty said:

Fender jazz. Think I got mine off eBay in 2011. Should have got one far sooner. I expect had quite a few basses but the sound I favour most is the jazz with a lot of bridge pickup. Considering a j in my P soon...

Same here, and that’s the tone I usually go for too. It took me about 8 years before I got a decent passive Fender Jazz, I wish I had got there sooner. I like Fenders in general, I have P’s and PJ’s, all great but the passive J is winning at the moment.

[funkgod]

11 hours ago, stewblack said:

Lube

haha, for you or your partner :-)

A tool chest, i struggled for years without one, i ended up with boxes inside boxes of tools , i saved so much space buying a full 3 part halfords industrial, was that impressed i now have two sets, one for tools and one set for electronics, and still saved space,

A boss bcb60 pedal board, trashed a few pedals over the years from them just floating around in bags, got this and i do not know how i did without it, lid off plug in and play and they are still like new.

A good wide strap. nuff said.

A boss DR880 drum machine, for more reasons than i can fit into 5 mins of typing, i cant live without one now.