Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2019?


Al Krow

Recommended Posts

Following on from the same topic a year back which seemed to garner quite a lot of interest from fellow BC'ers, thought it would be good to run this again this year. Posting a little earlier, to give folk more time to participate - appreciate that there are still six weeks to go before the end of the year with Black Friday and Xmas goodies still ahead, but nothing to stop folk changing their minds between now and then.

As with last year the only "house rules" are that it's bass gear and something you bought (or at least arrived) in 2019.

Oh and pics of the treasured or offending item are very welcome!

Edited by Al Krow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happy to get the ball rolling...

My best purchase for the second year running has been a bass. I'm actually only one bass (net) up this year but there's been quite a churn in the Krow 'bassment' with 7 in and 6 out during the course of this year. A bit of close run thing between two basses for me, but I'm not going to go with the one that cost the most despite it being a wonderful piece of craftsmanship with a crystal clear tone, but the one that I can't put down and just love the look and feel of despite it having a 35" scale when I am much more used to 34",  a 2-band EQ, when I much prefer 3-band and a lovely quilted maple top when I've never until now been into such a finish! I guess it's turned a number of preconceptions about basses on their head for me. And, ohhh, that punchy growl...

Spector Euro 5LX A4.jpg

My worst didn't hang around too long before it got moved on. I was told, in no uncertain terms, by a bunch of previous owners whose voices I really should have listened to that this particular pedal was pants. But I wanted to try it out for myself, ah the folly of age: my fellow BC'ers were not wrong in the meh-ness of this little wonder, which promises a lot but delivers so many of them so very disappointingly!

image.png.17cf67cdc367c6883e38ee69b4cad5d1.png

 

Edited by Al Krow
  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My best purchase has been a Broughton Audio High + Low Pass Filter pedal, it’s made a real improvement to my live sound. 
 

I haven’t made a bad purchase this year, but there’s still plenty of time for that impulse buy that I’ll regret pretty quickly. 😊

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Status S2. Technically ordered last year but paid for a received in March. Not gigged another bass since! It’s truly ticking all the right boxes for me! And my Mesa M6 which I blame @Al Krow for 😂
 

I don’t have a worst purchase, a couple I maybe rushed into cos of the Stupid Gas!! 
 

technically not a purchase and well worth a mention is a Godlyke, picked up in a trade was @AndyTravis . A very nice Japanese bass that feels like a £3k bass (but isn’t 🤫

Edited by bassfan
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha, Paul, did you just manage to:

a) choose three items that are your sole favourite?

b) not post pics of any?!

Come on buddy, you know which bass of mine didn't make it to the top of the tree; so go on push yourself, if you had to save one of them from a fire (if only to preserve status with your fellow bassists) which one you gonna keep? Actually tbf that "fire test" is not a very good one as, come to think of it, I would defo keep the other bass simply 'cos it's worth a lot more 😂

16 minutes ago, gazhowe said:

My best purchase has been a Broughton Audio High + Low Pass Filter pedal, it’s made a real improvement to my live sound. 

I haven’t made a bad purchase this year, but there’s still plenty of time for that impulse buy that I’ll regret pretty quickly. 😊

A decent HPF used well, gotta agree that's a great choice. And serious respect for not buying anything bad at all - you're a more discerning bassist than me by a mile!

Edited by Al Krow
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best without question - my Dingwall Super PJ5. It’s so good that I’m very seriously considering placing a custom order with Dingwall for a Super J5 next year. 

2F576360-2F06-44B3-9377-2A142010F9EF.thumb.jpeg.a8f08721fc21fd1e8cc5a0921351b685.jpeg
 

My worst is probably the Future Impact pedal I owned briefly but didn’t get any use out of. This is zero reflection on the pedal itself which can create some excellent sounds - I simply didn’t put any time aside to get to grips with it and then life happened, requiring me to raise some funds. It fell onto the chopping block and a willing buyer snapped it up. I may well own one again, especially after the release of the latest firmware.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Haha, Paul, did you just manage to:

a) choose three items that are your sole favourite?

b) not post pics of any?!

Come on buddy, you know which bass of mine didn't make it to the top of the tree; so go on push yourself, if you had to save one of them from a fire (if only to preserve status with your fellow bassists) which one you gonna keep? 

A) Yes 😂Well obviously I’d keep the Status!

B) see below  

CBAB0B9B-8A93-4B0B-B2CE-04433849EEEB.jpeg

1DAD0D4B-2043-4194-AB16-4645E9BA1C58.jpeg

36DD3F36-268B-4D85-9819-B32DFF943AF9.jpeg

Edited by bassfan
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, nothing has changed in the last 3 years i don't think. 

 

But this was the first purchase of 2019 and i couldn't have been happier with it. Cost a pittance as i believe it was advertised well under its value. Musician Serling 34, Bartolini pickup. Official gig bag including original pickup, truss tools & paper work for the professional defret. 

Less than a week ago came an Epifani UL310 with an EBS HD350 awaiting collection. 


For me, this year has been a complete best scenario. 

IMG_1591.thumb.jpg.438e62da9ed4689fe267ae9dd586aac6.jpg

 

IMG_1592.thumb.jpg.9011d721eda41685493f1fe1f935d590.jpg

 

IMG_1593.thumb.jpg.6cb95cbf2b9cabd79db01ca3b9ffab70.jpg

 

IMG_1590.thumb.jpg.a2e3c8dbd3668db11e68e6bbc574b277.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Modulus Flea/FU4 used to belong to @bassfan who’s a bloody great bloke. He took my Godlyke and cash to prize it out of his hands.

Wait, so you got a bass with 3 knobs and one pup and he got a bass with 2 pups, 5 knobs AND some cash whilst leaving you thinking he's a bloody great bloke? 😁

  • Like 1
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, AndyTravis said:

used to belong to @bassfan who’s a bloody great bloke. He took my Godlyke and cash to prize it out of his hands.

Awww 😊 not to bad yourself Mr T! 

All joking aside, the Godlyke is a lovely bass, I’m no expert, I’ve played my fair share of rubbish and crackers and this is up there with the good ones... it is incredibly tactile and playable. You know your basses better than me mr Travis, you know it’s a good one! 😃

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best? My RMI Boomslang Jive bass guitar. It caught my eye on eBay back in the Spring and it’s become my main gig bass. Punchy, aggressive Jazz Bass tones, faultlessly designed and built, and very light - I could wear it all night. That fact that it cost me just £190 topped off what is my favourite acquisition of the year. 
 

Worst? The Fender Downtown Express preamp that I bought, gigged once and returned. There was nothing wrong with it - the reviews and the YouTube demos impressed me but in practise I just didn’t like how it sounded. Disappointing.

253499A1-E4F0-48CB-BB73-938D061E6714.jpeg

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, when it comes to specific bass gear, I don't think there was really a bad one. Obviously somethings must be worst if something is best, but I can't think what.

Best I would think would be the Boss SY-1, although I might need a few weeks, I am currently veering towards the new BC bass cab being the best now, but need to do a full gig with it, which will be the weekend after next (in fact, 3 gigs)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just the one purchase for me this year, my 21st birthday present was a lovely Yamaha BB734, plays like a dream!

 

Y3jvd7S.jpg

 

It's my first "proper" bass since I picked up the instrument a couple of years ago and it's been treating me very nicely. Was originally dead set on an Aerodyne but I played it in a shop and the Yammy was just miles better, it really sung in my hands!

 

Oh yeah, and remember I said it was a birthday present? Well my parents also got me this cool cake as well!

 

Cake.thumb.jpg.2253f086294e5b55cc312c696ed2d1b9.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...