Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2021?

[Stub Mandrel]

45 minutes ago, machinehead said:

No, although they look similar and would probably do the job on a Thunderbird just as well.  Here's the thread.

 

How would you fit one? No More Nails?

 

Ah. thinks about it - Spirits have through necks too.

 

My comment was based on the other one using neck screw holes.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by Stub Mandrel

[DawnPatroller]

On 04/11/2021 at 16:07, SteveXFR said:

 

Darkglass effects seem to suit a very specific metal sound. They're bloody awful if you're playing doom, death or even stuff like Megadeath & Metallica. 

 

I definitely want to explore it some more, yes. It sounds good but it doesn't sound quite 'right'.

[SteveXFR]

12 minutes ago, DawnPatroller said:

 

I definitely want to explore it some more, yes. It sounds good but it doesn't sound quite 'right'.

They're too crunchy. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me but it makes sense to me.

[DawnPatroller]

34 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

They're too crunchy. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me but it makes sense to me.

 

Crunchy isn't the word I'd have used but anyway 👍

I didn't get the rest of the stuff you guys were saying a couple of pages back.

I really do like the Rat effect on the b14 though, so I'm glad you went from Darkglass to Rat when you were talking to @Al Krow, I am obviously getting something right somewhere in my own little world of not a clue ...

[SteveXFR]

14 minutes ago, DawnPatroller said:

 

Crunchy isn't the word I'd have used but anyway 👍

I didn't get the rest of the stuff you guys were saying a couple of pages back.

I really do like the Rat effect on the b14 though, so I'm glad you went from Darkglass to Rat when you were talking to @Al Krow, I am obviously getting something right somewhere in my own little world of not a clue ...

 

Does the B14 allow you to blend in some clean signal?

I'm thinking of buying one for my daughter for Christmas, she wants some effects so a Zoom multi effect makes sense. Might stop her stealing my stuff.

[DawnPatroller]

2 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Does the B14 allow you to blend in some clean signal?

I'm thinking of buying one for my daughter for Christmas, she wants some effects so a Zoom multi effect makes sense. Might stop her stealing my stuff.

 

You'll have to ask the main man @Al Krow, he was harping on about it for months before I bought it off him but I wasn't really listening. (I am a busy woman).

All I have really done with it so far is use the custom effects but only because I have other software, and have no desire to use a drum machine.

I would recommend it as a good starter pedal though, just to get some flavours. It has certainly helped me begin to discern what's what.

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Does the B14 allow you to blend in some clean signal?

I'm thinking of buying one for my daughter for Christmas, she wants some effects so a Zoom multi effect makes sense. Might stop her stealing my stuff.

Most B1-4 patches allow you to have some form of digital blend. Not the same as what a Boss LS2 does by splitting the original analogue signal. But there again an LS2, by itself, costs what a B1-4 does and clean blend is just one of many strings to the B1-4's bow.

 

With the Rat patch on the B1-4, I've added both a significant digital clean component plus a boost to the bass EQ to counter the natural low end suck of the Rat sim. 

 

But as @DawnPatroller said, as a starter pedal for your daughter, which will cover a huge amount of ground, the B1-4 sounds like a great choice to me. I suspect you might be stealing this one form her from time to time (particularly if you need a decent headphone amp), just to even the score 😁

Edited November 6, 2021 by Al Krow

[DawnPatroller]

@Al Krow you said it much better than me 👍

[Chiliwailer]

Only 1 purchase this year, getting back a sentimental bass (‘95 StingRay).

 

edit - that’s a lie, I got an East preamp and Aguilar pup for said bass. Money very well spent 👍
 

Lots sold though, and 2022 should be a non-event the way things are going 🤞

Edited November 6, 2021 by Chiliwailer

[Al Krow]

On 02/11/2021 at 13:44, Ricky Rioli said:

Now that I've got used to having the Squier P + Di Marzio Model P I bought this year, I would be very miffed to lose them .... but had I not bought them I would have been content with just the BB I already had. 

 

The Hotone Ampero, though, instantly transformed everything, and if anything happened to it, I would be replacing it immediately. 

 

 

Mostly useful for the amp / cab / mic sims, but glad to have compressors and a tuner too.

 

PS forgot to say: it's the quality of the user interface that makes it so good. I'm sure plenty of similar boxes can produce exactly the same sounds, but this is such a breeze to program

 

 

 

Apologies for the mini-thread diversion, but the Ampero's successor has just been announced. It does away with the built-in expression pedal for a smaller PB form factor, has a larger screen and seriously upgraded DSP allowing parallel routing of fx. And given your comment about how good the UI already was this is going to be on my wish list for 2022...

[Lfalex v1.1]

Nothing but basses for me this year to replenish the herd/ give a home to Korean plastic...

All second-hand.

All from here.

 

Ibanez EDC715

Ibanez EDA900 

G&L SB-2 Tribute

And they're all corkers in their own (very different) ways. The only common factor is that for all 3 designs,  it's all about the pickups and the way they're implemented.

[SteveXFR]

9 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Most B1-4 patches allow you to have some form of digital blend. Not the same as what a Boss LS2 does by splitting the original analogue signal. But there again an LS2, by itself, costs what a B1-4 does and clean blend is just one of many strings to the B1-4's bow.

 

With the Rat patch on the B1-4, I've added both a significant digital clean component plus a boost to the bass EQ to counter the natural low end suck of the Rat sim. 

 

But as @DawnPatroller said, as a starter pedal for your daughter, which will cover a huge amount of ground, the B1-4 sounds like a great choice to me. I suspect you might be stealing this one form her from time to time (particularly if you need a decent headphone amp), just to even the score 😁

 

Thanks. I think I'll probably get one. The headphone amp will be useful so I can't hear how much better than me she is! 

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

Nothing but basses for me this year to replenish the herd/ give a home to Korean plastic...

All second-hand.

All from here.

 

Ibanez EDC715

Ibanez EDA900 

G&L SB-2 Tribute

And they're all corkers in their own (very different) ways. The only common factor is that for all 3 designs,  it's all about the pickups and the way they're implemented.

Post some pics if you can as i'm not familiar with the models and will need to google them.

Dave

[Al Krow]

37 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Post some pics if you can as i'm not familiar with the models and will need to google them.

Dave

+1 ^^ definite correlation between nice pics and enthusiasm shown by fellow BC'ers on this thread!

 

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Thanks. I think I'll probably get one. The headphone amp will be useful so I can't hear how much better than me she is! 

 

Don't tell me she's mates with @skankdelvar's niece? 😄

[dmccombe7]

misunderstood the message and deleted my original comment so this post now means absolutely nothing.

I dont know how to delete a post 

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by dmccombe7

[Woodinblack]

This year, I got quite a few new things, and got rid of some too, so I am fairly balanced at the moment

 

So my best purchases of the year are probably the basses:

 

Can see there is a bit of a theme there. A Talman35 30" 5 string, a Mustang CV 30" and a JR 27". Its all about the short scale!

 

I also got a X-Touch mixer controller which I am pretty happy with but haven't had a chance to use it live yet, so can't say (all the basses have been used live)

 

Worst, well there is nothing particularly bad. I guess my worst was the future impact, not because its bad (its not, its a lot of fun) its just that I am not going to be able to use it in any of my present groups and I am going to lose a fair bit selling it. Or just leave it lying round in a box!

 

 

[Lfalex v1.1]

By popular request; 

 

SB-2 Tribute

 

All 3 Ibanezzezes; (L-R) EDB605, EDA900, EDC715 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Lfalex v1.1
(Still seeking and EDC700 or 705 and maybe an EDA905...!)

[chris_b]

On 02/11/2021 at 11:27, Al Krow said:

. . . . And we will then follow in your impressive footsteps.

 

You have jinxed me, yet again!!!

 

The "Must be better than what I already have" rule kicked in again yesterday, but this time it really was better than my current amp, so I have just arrived home with a new (to me) Bergantino Forte HP.

 

Am I bovvered. . . . ?

[Al Krow]

8 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

You have jinxed me, yet again!!!

 

The "Must be better than what I already have" rule kicked in again yesterday, but this time it really was better than my current amp, so I have just arrived home with a new (to me) Bergantino Forte HP.

 

Am I bovvered. . . . ?

Congratulations Chris! Glad that amp has gone to an appreciative home and look forward to hearing how it pairs with your BB2 when you've had a chance to put it through its paces. 

[Maude]

Best and worse, hmmm. 🤔

 

Best was definitely the Jack Casady bass... 

 

... until I bought a Yamaha BB424X which I reversed the P pickup on (Jack Casady still the best), which was supposed to satisfy my desire for a Hooky-esque reverse P BB after the release of his signature bass, which came out just after I'd bought the JC and I couldn't justify buying one. 

Then a couple of weeks ago a Hooky BB came up for sale within driving distance, and I couldn't help myself. 

I'm having the most fun with the PHBB, especially with the EHX Bass Clone which is fantastic, so that's probably my favourite. 

Actually they're both joint first place as they're such different creatures it's impossible to compare. 

 

Worst is probably a Crafter Cruiser that I bought purely because I drove past the sellers house on the way home from work and it was £20. It's very unfair to call it a bad purchase as it's a great little P bass, but it's the worst thing I've bought this year. 

Which means I've done alright. 

🙂👍

 

 

For the full Hooky 😁

 

[Thunderbird]

On 05/11/2021 at 22:06, DawnPatroller said:

 

I definitely want to explore it some more, yes. It sounds good but it doesn't sound quite 'right'.

An ebs fuzzmo might do the trick I love mine 

[DawnPatroller]

8 hours ago, Thunderbird said:

An ebs fuzzmo might do the trick I love mine 

 

This post took me to Google and Google took me back here to a thread from 2017 in which you were singing its praises once again 🤣

Unfortunately, it appears to be discontinued and seems hard to come by at a decent second hand price. It has pointed me in the direction of the EBS Metaldrive though which looks like it might have some potential ... possibly?

[Thunderbird]

9 minutes ago, DawnPatroller said:

 

This post took me to Google and Google took me back here to a thread from 2017 in which you were singing its praises once again 🤣

Unfortunately, it appears to be discontinued and seems hard to come by at a decent second hand price. It has pointed me in the direction of the EBS Metaldrive though which looks like it might have some potential ... possibly?

Not sure about the metal drive 

The ebs Billy sheehan drive is awesome but expensive palmer ubertrimer (god knows if I spelt that right) is also a great pedal 

I'm no pedal expert and you will go down the rabbit hole with drives lol 😮😀

[Al Krow]

3 hours ago, Thunderbird said:

Not sure about the metal drive 

The ebs Billy sheehan drive is awesome but expensive palmer ubertrimer (god knows if I spelt that right) is also a great pedal 

I'm no pedal expert and you will go down the rabbit hole with drives lol 😮😀

I've already given a stern warning about rabbit holes. They seem to be proliferating 😁

[SimonEdward]

On 04/11/2021 at 15:42, Al Krow said:

 

You get the same comment as Lozz and toneknob got: so which would you rate as your best purchase?! Lozz managed to 'fess up in the end after much collective BC pressure. My money is on the Eventide H9...no contest, right?!

 

PS a Schecter Stiletto would be awesome, you'll love it - what rig would you be playing it through? But treat yourself to the 5 string rather than the 4 string - comes with a free thumb rest. (I've got the 8 string which has four free thumb rests 😁)

 

Apologies for the delayed response - and it would be a lie to say that I've been "so busy" actually playing Bass (!) and/or reading instruction manuals etc

 

Ok... it would be absolute sacrilege to choose a multi-effect over two excellent stand-alone pedals.. <sigh> but.. yes, the preloved 'mint' H9 is outstanding.

 

I'd be playing the Stiletto through a menagerie of mostly valve/tube pre-amps (as per signature) and a pair of vintage Beyer DT-100's at home. This also includes a Trace GP12XV and the *new* V.2 Edison from Night Owl industries 🦉, on pre-order from the US. It's a valve in a tidy compact pedal format. The V.1 is fantastic... a keeper, and the V.2 is a great upgrade.

 

I know there's a lot going on in the world.. but, looking forward to 2022 already.. and lots of musical adventures. What are you hoping for? Make a wish! Simon.