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Hi everyone. My name is Andrew and I have been playing bass for 56 years, when career allowed. At last after retiring I have formed my dream band which is a tribute to FREE and BAD COMPANY, although to me it's really all about FREE. I own a 1973 Gibson EB3 and play through an Orange Terror 500w amp with valve pre-amp, into a lightweight Bareface 1 x 12" (maybe 700w) cab + a Lightweight Orange 1 x12" 400w cab. For years I have been focussed on getting those punchy, overdriven but precise notes that Andy Fraser produced with Free. I have the right guitar, although maybe 6 years newer, and I play through the bridge pickup and use my fingers close to the bridge, so I have got close to his style. What alludes is the tone. I can get pretty close but never clean enough and I wondered if anyone has a view about gear, especially speaker cabs. At our local studio I use their huge Roland 4 x 10" combo and with everything set flat this gives the right sound, but at 73 years old I am past lugging big gear and I only use light weight now. Does anyone think using 10" speakers, like the Roland, would add more clarity?

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Well, ive had the GP-5 for a couple of days, and my thoughts are these. It’s small, really small, and heavy (in a good way). It feels and looks a lot more expensive. Sound wise, the amps are more open, i can live with these. I dont think the FX are much to write home about, certainly as far as the ones I’d want to use. They sound nice, but are very basic. The whole point of me getting a multi FX was to see if i can get a Phaser with a volume or level control. This doesn't even have a mix control in its phaser. This means im no better off pairing it with my MB3 than i am with the Blood moon phaser i have, which sounds much better than either of these pedals. The GP-5 is quite simple to operate, but it takes some forethought. I found it easier to use than the 60B+, but it’s not as versatile. I have a Chocolate plus coming, but i don’t think I’ll have an immediate need for it. It seems that i cant turn on and off individual blocks in the GP-5, which is exactly what i want to do. Like a mini pedalboard. The 60B+ is going back, and at this point i expect the GP-5 will, as its quite a distraction and i cant use it as i want, but as it cost so little im also inclined to keep it and see how i get on. Just a quick shot showing the two and how much of a size difference there is.

Trying to sus out what is wrong with my Bassman at the moment. Intermittent crackling, which i finally managed to capture. This occurs on either channel, and when the amp is muted. No volume controls affect this at all. If i put the amp on standby the noise continues through the DI! Any wisdom?

Abscessed - Olivia Rodrigo

Just today ordered the Jazz version, same colour.

But of course Jack ... you must have a pre-amp mounted to your bass right? In which case this is what you're getting: 5. Schatten Mini-pre into Joyo. Lush, perfect. But it needs that pre-amp! Move along now.

The Blister Exists - Slipknot

@Happy Jack boom! 10pts, you were right. Connected Joyo via a patch lead and female-female connector, it worked. @PaulKing boom! 10pts, I was right. Signal is shite ... (Jack ... I urge you to check what's reaching your amp! What are you missing out on??!!) Here's my test results, identical settings all round, Shadow piezo, open E, quarter notes plucked in same place, identical acoustic volume. Only variance is the connection to Focusrite Interface: 1. Cable (raw, no preamp) = totally shite. Sounds it too, barely audible, no bottom end. Look at total volume on right as well. 2. Schatten Mini-pre / cable = rich and full and awesome. Didn't realise it rolled off top end so much. 3. Joyo = better than raw cable, but barely. Almost no bottom end, weedy middy sound compared to Line6 and Cable/Preamp. 4. Line6 wireless = rich and full and awesome. Best signal of all!! Honestly, it was no trouble at all. 😉

It's not so much the desire to own lots of basses, for me. But I want to know what people mean when they talk about the feel or tone of a particular instrument. I've tried a Rickenbacker in a store but never really spent proper time with one, or a Warwick or Schecter or Spector or Bacchus or whatever. It's often taken me months with a bass to realise that it's not for me, and work out why but I've really valued the time I've gotten to spend getting to know some of the amazing basses I've been lucky enough to own over the years.