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"Solves a problem I don't have......."


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To be fair, the "solves a problem I don't have" is pretty much the reason for purchasing any new bass related equipment.

 

And probably the main raison d'etre for BassChat. :D 

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2 hours ago, Skybone said:

To be fair, the "solves a problem I don't have" is pretty much the reason for purchasing any new bass related equipment.

 

And probably the main raison d'etre for BassChat. :D 

 

Isn't that "A problem I never had"? Other than "I got paid for the gig and want to spend my cash."

 

My laptop died yesterday. Sunday's gig money has just been spent on a non musical item. Well actually it was spent on a family meal on Saturday night. I always like to spend money 3 times. I need to do 2 more gigs last week. 😂

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6 string bass. I've got one, an old Ibby BTB that I picked up for <£100 because it looks like it's been dragged across a field. I never play it. Can't even remember the last time I picked it up, IIRC the last time I did I found that the actives had packed up. The only piece of music I have ever written was on a six and I think in a way that's the only reason I keep this one... because without a 6, I can't play it. But I never do anyway. My head is a weird place sometimes. 

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I already have more books than I could possibly read in my lifetime. So what do I do? Yup, buy more books. 

TBF this isn't much of a problem as I tend to buy ebooks. But in terms of FX pedals, I have multi FX , and synth pedals I still haven't got round to learn how to use. So what am I doing? Yup, looking at the BC for sale forum because there's a pedal now on sale that I really wanted when I was younger. I have no practical application for it's use, it won't suit any of my bands.

But...

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On 16/08/2024 at 11:45, Beedster said:

 

Expensive DB strings: Don't get me started..........

 

 

Mild disagree on this one - DB strings are expensive anyway, but getting the right ones definitely does solve the problem of the bass not sounding (or playing) right IMO

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For me it has been preamp pedals, I've owned quite a few but now it seems that in just about any situation I tend to find myself in there are other things that cover those duties:

 

  • Playing live through an Amp/Cab: No need for a preamp pedal.
  • Playing live wanting stomp on/off a particular tone and distortion: Distortion or EQ pedals or multi-fx with presets cover this. 
  • DI to mixing desk: I do that from my Amp (clean or post).
  • To mixing desk and wanting to add different Amp and Cab sims: multi-fx is much more versatile with presets for HPF/LPF/IR/Amp/Cab/EQ/Distortion.
  • Recording: I record a clean signal and then process it, at home - a Multi-fx with a Laptop USB interface does this (and can re-amp and change the sound).
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When I moved through to Glasgow I picked up a Hofner Shorty bass thinking it would enable me to cycle to rehearsals. But it's so different to my usual bass that it's not very useful to rehearse with, and a bandmate (who lives nearby) often appreciates the lift if I take the car, so the Hofner has not been used as I anticipated.

Edited by Beer of the Bass
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7 hours ago, tinyd said:

Mild disagree on this one - DB strings are expensive anyway, but getting the right ones definitely does solve the problem of the bass not sounding (or playing) right IMO

 

Agreed, but then most bassists would do fine with Spirocores, one of the classic steel orchestral sets, or simple guts. Getting higher into the hundreds with things like Oliv sets or boutique guts is probably a game of diminishing returns a lot of the time.

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35 minutes ago, Beer of the Bass said:

Agreed, but then most bassists would do fine with Spirocores, one of the classic steel orchestral sets, or simple guts. Getting higher into the hundreds with things like Oliv sets or boutique guts is probably a game of diminishing returns a lot of the time.

 

To be fair, this is probably true of most basses, too. :|

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1 hour ago, Beer of the Bass said:

When I moved through to Glasgow I picked up a Hofner Shorty bass thinking it would enable me to cycle to rehearsals. But it's so different to my usual bass that it's not very useful to rehearse with, and a bandmate (who lives nearby) often appreciates the lift if I take the car, so the Hofner has not been used as I anticipated.

This is a good one, reminds me of my uke bass purchase. Good for noodling while watching the telly, but not something I could ever imagine using at a gig (even though I convinced myself that I might when I bought it).

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7 hours ago, tinyd said:

This is a good one, reminds me of my uke bass purchase. Good for noodling while watching the telly, but not something I could ever imagine using at a gig (even though I convinced myself that I might when I bought it).

See Tim Wilson YouTube of ubass in  gigging action and it may change your mind.

 

I have played mine plenty on stage. With just the right touch sensitive drive pedal and a generally light touch you can get it to overdrive on demand so well you forget you have rubber strings instead of round wounds and a full scale. I kid you not.

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7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

See Tim Wilson YouTube of ubass in  gigging action and it may change your mind.

 

I have played mine plenty on stage. With just the right touch sensitive drive pedal and a generally light touch you can get it to overdrive on demand so well you forget you have rubber strings instead of round wounds and a full scale. I kid you not.

I've seen his videos alright - he gets a great sound and the ubass definitely works for him in those cramped restaurant gigs!

I can see how ubasses can work in gigs, and I haven't ruled it out in cases where I'd have to take public transport and/or tiny space for the gig itself, but I just haven't come up against that yet and probably won't...

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16 hours ago, tinyd said:

This is a good one, reminds me of my uke bass purchase. Good for noodling while watching the telly, but not something I could ever imagine using at a gig (even though I convinced myself that I might when I bought it).

 

 

Snapdragon folding bass. Proper bass, short scale, and folds smaller than a uke for transport 

 

comp_995afdeb-5cec-4bc1-b56f-0bfa1ca5404

 

 

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4 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

That is damned sexy.


The Riverhead Unicorn by Headway. A rare beast. It has a gorgeous neck , light , effortless to play.

 

Apparently production ceased when the factory burnt down in the 80’s

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7 minutes ago, msb said:


The Riverhead Unicorn by Headway. A rare beast. It has a gorgeous neck , light , effortless to play.

 

Apparently production ceased when the factory burnt down in the 80’s

 

Maybe should have called it the Pheonix. 

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On 17/08/2024 at 21:54, neepheid said:

Neutrik muting jack plugs - I've never had a problem muting the amp before plugging/unplugging stuff and I still do so out of force of habit even when I am using the lead with muting jack plugs.

 

I simply wanted my last obbm cable to be the fanciest one it was possible to be.

 

I love them! Had a gig where one jack underwent 'rapid unscheduled disassembly' (OK it was over 30 years old) and the spare had an intermittent fault. So I replaced the dodgy jack with a Neutrik and invested in two top quality leads with neutriks on. :)

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19 hours ago, msb said:

If I ever decide to run away from everything and join a new wave band , I’ve got the ticket. 

IMG_7841.jpeg

 

If you decide to sell, message.

 

That snd a genuine '62 fender would complete my collection...

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It popped up on our local kijiji , and then a couple of months later a Jupiter popped up. The one with the odd headstock. A friend snagged that. Two extremely rare Riverhead basses. 

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On 16/08/2024 at 11:45, Beedster said:

I was just chatting with Lawrie @Burns-bass and he mentioned selling some gear because it solves a problem he no longer has, and it consolidated a lot of my recent thinking around gear generally, that is far from getting rid of gear on that basis, I was often buying gear that solved a problem I don't have (most notably the Chadwick folding bass that while absolutely beautiful in design and engineering terms was an absolute PITA at gigs generally, leading me to decide that the best bet was simply to sell it and take better care at gigs of my non-foldable DBs).

 

But as with life generally, I suspect a lot of the gear we have is bought either explicitly or sometimes subcobscioulsy to solve similarly non-existent problems (by which I mean that we make choices based on a set of parameters that while current on web forums really do not solve any problems for us as an individual. 

 

Good examples for me

 

Chadwick folding bass: as I've said, beautifully designed and engineered, but.....

East P-Retro: again beautifully designed and engineered but having had three of them (!), I've always found Precisions just work better passive

Enfield Fusion/EBMM Reflex: both beautiful instruments and technologically wonderfully advanced, but while the idea of a 'take one and only one bass to every session/gig'/huge tonal palette appealed, the Fusion stayed in Precision mode 90% of the time, and the Reflex never really got off the ground

Badass bridges: I even bought one this week, what am I like. A difference yes, does it solve a problem, rarely if ever, but for some reason there's a part of my brain that drives me to try one on any Fender bass that's passed the 3-months at Beedster Towers test....... My therapist has put it on the list for our next session

Neck LEDs: No more in tune on a fretless that without them, but annoyed the guitarist immensely 'If you want to be in tune that badly that you have to walk on stage with traffick lights stuck to your neck, perhaps try playing a fretted bass'

Micro/lightweight heads: My biggest challenge with heads that fit into the pocket of a bass gig bag is my tendency to forget about them/lose them. Ironically the only time a head went down on stage and I needed the backup I'd taken the wrong (double) gig bag to the gig. i take two 19" heads to gigs now, because I have no problem with either size or weight.

Expensive DB strings: Don't get me started..........

 

Interested to hear what gear falls into the 'solves a problem I don't have/never did have' category for the BC crowd?  

 May I ask, when you mention the EBMM Reflex do you mean the Game Changer version the with the software-based EQ ect, or the actual Reflex bass, with it's more straightforward pickup switching options?

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  • 1 month later...
On 21/08/2024 at 16:16, Beer of the Bass said:

When I moved through to Glasgow I picked up a Hofner Shorty bass thinking it would enable me to cycle to rehearsals. But it's so different to my usual bass that it's not very useful to rehearse with, and a bandmate (who lives nearby) often appreciates the lift if I take the car, so the Hofner has not been used as I anticipated.

I have a shorty, it's been all over Europe with me.

 

I have used it at rehearsals and it actually sounds pretty good, but the strap took some head scratching because of neck dive.

 

It hadn't been used for a while but that's about to change. I've just bought a swanky new VW camper and I'll be taking the Shorty with me - along with my trusty old Tascam GB10 and headphones - so I don't miss out on practice while I'm away.

 

Probably a topic in its own right but mine is modded, black Wilkinson bridge, Wilkinson pickup and Wilkinson tuners.  As of this morning it has a fresh set of Ernie Balls, all set for its renewed travels.

Edited by Bassfinger
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 20/08/2024 at 23:52, Norris said:

The J pickup in my PJ bass. It gets used for one song that we play in maybe 1 out of 6 gigs we do

 

Followed by every other bass I own and very rarely play at a gig

 

I realised this recently! I love the idea of PJ basses, and when I twiddle at home I just love to user the back PUP and experiment with blenidng. When I gig, front PUP all the way, don't blend the J in even occasionally. Leo got it right first time 👍 

 

Might be listing a PJ for sale this weekend :) 

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