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

[Skybone]

Got to say that, although it was something of a spur of the moment purchase, the POD Go is brilliant.

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

You could use a Boss ABY to blend in some clean tone. 

I've got an Orange Fur Coat which I think is similar to the Pigtronix Octava although with a useless (for bass) octave blend. I do use a Le Bass and quite like it with both channels in the cold fusion setting. I'm making a bar to connect the two foot switches to make it easier to switch both together. 

 Yup agreed re. the Boss LS2 to provide blend. The Octava has both a clean blend and a natural retention of low-end which makes it particularly good on bass, even though it's really a guitar pedal.

[bearhart74]

swaped my roscoe custom classic for a brubaker nbs-1

[NancyJohnson]

I was thinking I'd not bought that much this year, but, well, umm, yeah.

 

Bought a Hamer Cruisebass (below) that I'm in love with and while it's not strictly a purchase, I have an NS NXT 5-string EUB for my birthday in 26 days (and counting).

 

I also bought three hardshell cases, a Fender Pugilist dirtbox, a GED2112-DI, an EMG GZR P/J pickup set and I have an Ibanez project arriving imminently.  

 

I think that's everything*.  There's no bad purchases in there.  (*Edit: I just bought an Ibanez Roadster RS-924 as a project.)

 

Gratuitous Hamer glamour shot:

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by NancyJohnson

[uk_lefty]

I am impressed with Ashdown ABM Neo cabs purchased recently but best purchase of the year is this that arrived yesterday. I love it.

 

 

[Al Krow]

On 03/11/2021 at 09:25, uk_lefty said:

Best purchase.... Let's see if my left handed Jack Casady bass arrives in one piece. Courier collects it today, kicks the sh!t out of it overnight then crams it through my letterbox tomorrow.

 

That looks sweet! (And great news that the Courier did not jump on the packaging before delivery!)

 

Are you in a rock'n'roll 50s/60s outfit?

[MacDaddy]

Worst

 

Probably my custom earplugs, but only because I got them with the connecting string which is annoyingly microphonic. The slightest touch or movement on something reverberates down into the plugs and ears.

 

Best

 

This

 

[uk_lefty]

34 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Are you in a rock'n'roll 50s/60s outfit?

Id love to be, but no. Just joined a group that does "pop goes rock" type stuff. No songs from before 2000. Its new for me because I'm an 80s obsessive but the band are very good and get lots of gigs and I still get to work out synth bass melodies. They also want to do acoustic stuff, and though the Warwick Aliens look amazing I've always fancied a semi hollow bass for playing electrified stuff too. I also wanted to get something that is the polar opposite of my Stingray and I think I've succeeded without compromising on having a sound with tons of presence.

[uk_lefty]

37 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

That looks sweet! (And great news that the Courier did not jump on the packaging before delivery!)

So far UPS have been really good with me. I've sent a bass and a cab and I arranged for them to get the Jack Casady for me. All gone well, they even talk to you on the phone if something goes wrong AND try to help. 

[NancyJohnson]

20 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

Best

 

This

 

 

How does that work?  #intrigued

[MacDaddy]

1 minute ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

How does that work?  #intrigued

 

like C extension on a double bass, although mine is to D.

The clamps turn and clamp on the E fret, and E flat fret. When both clamps are open I have an open low D.

[Al Krow]

7 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

So far UPS have been really good with me. I've sent a bass and a cab and I arranged for them to get the Jack Casady for me. All gone well, they even talk to you on the phone if something goes wrong AND try to help. 

That is super useful to know that you can speak to someone when needed, really does add a level of "comfort" when entrusting precious gear to someone else. I've only had good experiences with UPS, too. Sadly the shop round the corner where I could drop things off at has ceased to be a UPS collection point. Shame. 

 

Good luck with the new outfit - sounds great! Whereabouts are you guys based? 

 

Our guitarist is an 80's obsessive too, I've told him we can include his 'Gold' in the set the moment he gets us a gig. 8 years in and it's still not in the set! 

[EssentialTension]

[NancyJohnson]

38 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

 

like C extension on a double bass, although mine is to D.

The clamps turn and clamp on the E fret, and E flat fret. When both clamps are open I have an open low D.

 

It's not sprung (like a Kubicki)?  You need to decide that need to drop to a D ahead of playing?

[Machines]

Worst - Ibanez EDA900

It wasn't really bad, it's just it was a bit meh. These were the absolute coolest looking basses out in the early 2000s (in my eyes) and I always wanted one. I tried one out in a shop around 2004 and didn't really understand the electronics so skipped it, fast forward 16 years I thought i'd give it another go. Got on eBay for a decentish price, but 'road worn' condition. The controls were magnetic volume, piezo volume, active bass/treble (not separate !) and piezo EQ. The piezo sounded good, if you wanted an acoustic style sound - and the normal pickup sounded generically P bass, but the combined bass/treble didn't allow for much nuance. Used it at a few practices, worked fine - but didn't do enough for me - bye bye.

 

 

Best - RedSub Coliseum 6

Not my first foray with these, I had one just before lockdown started last year - but it was an early production model, had a few QC issues (e.g. glued in neck pickup !), sold it after 6 months. Then I saw a 'damaged' B-stock on eBay a year later for £110. Looking at the photos, the main issues were a broken nut and a few sanding marks.

 

Hit the BIN knowing if it was that bad I could return it. It arrived fine, with the broken nut still attached to the C string. Replacing it would be very difficult, so I just superglued it back on with no issues. Sanding marks were on the neck heel - who cares ? Compared to the first I had, this one has a better finish on top, sounded better and was £110. It's not an every day bass, but there for when I want to get down and dirty. Is it a Dingwall killer ? No, the headstock dive is crazy and not fixable with that body shape, the pickups and EQ are very average but stick some external EQ on and it makes up a lot of ground. Did I mention it was £110 ?

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by Machines

[stewblack]

Best is the Sandberg jazz I bought from Frank.

Worst probably a bunch of Fender pedals all of which are much more suitable for a guitar.

[MacDaddy]

39 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

It's not sprung (like a Kubicki)?  You need to decide that need to drop to a D ahead of playing?

 

nope, based on the double bass extended neck rather than the Kubicki, no springs. 

I generally know when I'm going to need an open low D, but you can flip the clamps while playing.

[dmccombe7]

32 minutes ago, Machines said:

Worst - Ibanez EDA900

It wasn't really bad, it's just it was a bit meh. These were the absolute coolest looking basses out in the early 2000s (in my eyes) and I always wanted one. I tried one out in a shop around 2004 and didn't really understand the electronics so skipped it, fast forward 16 years I thought i'd give it another go. Got on eBay for a decentish price, but 'road worn' condition. The controls were magnetic volume, piezo volume, active bass/treble (not separate !) and piezo EQ. The piezo sounded good, if you wanted an acoustic style sound - and the normal pickup sounded generically P bass, but the combined bass/treble didn't allow for much nuance. Used it at a few practices, worked fine - but didn't do enough for me - bye bye.

 

 

Best - RedSub Coliseum 6

Not my first foray with these, I had one just before lockdown started last year - but it was an early production model, had a few QC issues (e.g. glued in neck pickup !), sold it after 6 months. Then I saw a 'damaged' B-stock on eBay a year later for £110. Looking at the photos, the main issues were a broken nut and a few sanding marks.

 

Hit the BIN knowing if it was that bad I could return it. It arrived fine, with the broken nut still attached to the C string. Replacing it would be very difficult, so I just superglued it back on with no issues. Sanding marks were on the neck heel - who cares ? Compared to the first I had, this one has a better finish on top, sounded better and was £110. It's not an every day bass, but there for when I want to get down and dirty. Is it a Dingwall killer ? No, the headstock dive is crazy and not fixable with that body shape, the pickups and EQ are very average but stick some external EQ on and it makes up a lot of ground. Did I mention it was £110 ?

 

 

 

Both nice looking basses. That Ibanez would look cool in my 70's Glam covers band 

Dave

[Stub Mandrel]

5 minutes ago, Machines said:

Best - RedSub Coliseum 6

Not my first foray with these, I had one just before lockdown started last year - but it was an early production model, had a few QC issues (e.g. glued in neck pickup !), sold it after 6 months. Then I saw a 'damaged' B-stock on eBay for £110. Looking at the photos, the main issues were a broken nut and a few sanding marks.

 

Hit the BIN knowing if it was that bad I could return it. It arrived fine, with the broken nut still attached to the C string. Replacing it would be very difficult, so I just superglued it back on with no issues. Sanding marks were on the neck heel - who cares ? Compared to the first I had, this one has a better finish on top, sounded better and was £110. It's not an every day bass, but there for when I want to get down and dirty. Is it a Dingwall killer ? No, the headstock dive is crazy and not fixable with that body shape, the pickups and EQ are very average but stick some external EQ on and it makes up a lot of ground. Did I mention it was £110 ?

 

 

 

Jeepers those look worth a punt even at full price.

[NancyJohnson]

40 minutes ago, Machines said:

...the headstock dive is crazy and not fixable with that body shape...

 

 

 

 

As an owner of many Thunderbirds (now/historically), the subject of neck-dive has raised it's head many times but I would usually dispel these claims with a regal waive of the hand; it was never really a problem for me. 

 

I am curious though; given the price of this, would you consider any type of addition to the neck strap button that would extend the top horn out to move the centre of gravity?  Someone over on (shh) T*lkb*ss came up with this:

 

 

[steantval]

My only purchase is a Retrovibe Stinger kit which I fitted to my MM Sub, transformed the sound, it’s now my regular gigging bass over my 90’s Stingray.

Best £70 spent this year.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by steantval

[Machines]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

As an owner of many Thunderbirds (now/historically), the subject of neck-dive has raised it's head many times but I would usually dispel these claims with a regal waive of the hand; it was never really a problem for me. 

 

I am curious though; given the price of this, would you consider any type of addition to the neck strap button that would extend the top horn out to move the centre of gravity?  Someone over on (shh) T*lkb*ss came up with this:

 

 

 

I could get a better more grippy strap, but wouldn't want any additional hardware really. It's worse than a Thunderbird, extra tuners plus extra length.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Machines

[machinehead]

2 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

As an owner of many Thunderbirds (now/historically), the subject of neck-dive has raised it's head many times but I would usually dispel these claims with a regal waive of the hand; it was never really a problem for me. 

 

I am curious though; given the price of this, would you consider any type of addition to the neck strap button that would extend the top horn out to move the centre of gravity?  Someone over on (shh) T*lkb*ss came up with this:

 

 

Nice job.  I've made a few of those for the Steinberger "cricket bat" style basses.  I've given some away to basschatters and promised a couple to other members but my supply of carbon fibre has dried up for a while.  They work really well.

Frank.

[Stub Mandrel]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

As an owner of many Thunderbirds (now/historically), the subject of neck-dive has raised it's head many times but I would usually dispel these claims with a regal waive of the hand; it was never really a problem for me. 

 

I am curious though; given the price of this, would you consider any type of addition to the neck strap button that would extend the top horn out to move the centre of gravity?  Someone over on (shh) T*lkb*ss came up with this:

 

 

 

Presumably not for THunderbirds 🙂

[machinehead]

28 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Presumably not for THunderbirds 🙂

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

 

Frank.