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What I find works best for me with the Scrambler is to keep the Blend at 9 o’clock and the adjust the Drive as required. I usually have it at 9 o’clock just to take the sharp edges off the notes.

I think so, with just one instrument - or a fave that inevitably gets played instead of the others - you really get to know it. I have a few Precisions all of the same series, yet my fave one which I’ve had 10 years feels so much better to play, even though they’re all set up pretty much the same. I just instinctively know where/when to back off or dig in as appropriate on it.

Here's a sample of the Boss XS-1 used for obtaining an effect somewhat similar to that of an 8 string octave course bass, using my 28.6" scale Ibanez GSRM25 Mikto Bass, tuned to E standard tuning (E to C). Just random noodling through my "amp-less" setup, directly into my Zoom H4n handheld recorder, with nothing additionally done post recording, other than clipping/cutting some parts out:

I gave it up for best part of 10 years. When the fun stops, stop.

This is a genuine closure and it's sad news! https://www.bowspeed.com/ They gave me unlimited time and space to choose a new bow. I actually chose the wrong one, but have since rectified the situation. Anyway, it's still an amazing shop and it's a big gap in the classical world.

I can easily go a month without touching a bass, but other times ill play dailly, even if it's just 5 minutes. Can't see a time where i stop completely, even if i stop gigging. You'll be back to it within a few months i suspect!

Hi there! I have used the UAD 6176 plugin for a while, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Pretty decent direct bass sound, with simple EQ and an industry-standard compressor to round things up. I have used the real 1176 in the studio many times for different things over the years, and also managed to use a UA 610 in a few sessions for some vocals. So I do like what they do in the "real" World 😄. I own both the Warm Audio Pedal76 and the Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass and whilst they both share the same DNA, the Warm Audio is a bit more aggressive when compared to the Origin, which sounds to me a bit more polished. Great options to have depending on the rig and music played. I wanted to see if anyone has played with the idea of pairing the Origin Effects DCX into a Pedal76 or a Cali76 Compact, and if so... what were your thoughts? I am yet to try the DCX, only a couple of demos got me excited about the pedal... but seeing that it is based on the UA 610 and that the UAD 6176 plugin is currently working for me, I wanted to see if I could successfully recreate a portable and gig-ready/friendly version. Thanks for your time! 🤘

A break can be good for you. I took a break years ago and it worked wonders. I came back refreshed and a became a better player. It also meant I continued to enjoy playing rather than getting jaded and put off by the exasperation I was feeling. Don't make the mistake I did of selling almost everything, though.

Playing bass for me has never been about being in a band. Obviously, playing with other people/live etc is the goal and I've been lucky in that regards..... but I'm also more than happy playing by myself, learning classic basslines from legendary artists and noodling around/creating for my own pleasure. That, for me, is foremost...... the pleasure of playing the instrument itself.... anything more is a bonus. This was particularly pertinent during Covid lockdown when I developed an even closer bond with my instrument and took the time to develop my playing...

Why? Are you looking for another excuse to not buy it?😂

I believe the tributes were the real money makers for them so I’m not surprised that Fender will keep those going. The L2000s and L1000s gives them a good foothold into Musicman territory especially compared to the Stirling by Musicman range.

Thank you Andy…. I think its going to be a short scale with 30” neck as its difficult to find one in a natural wood body and I don’t want to have any neck dive.

I no longer believe this. I have heard and played through too many good class D amps. The Trace Elliott mosfet power amps are good, solid designs but there's absolutely nothing special or innovative about them, they are very basic designs. A simple differential amp taking feedback from a push-pull ouput stage. All the 'Trace Magic' is in the preamp design and the fact that the output stages were genuinely powerful. Class D is ultra faithful to preamps and most have headroom and power way beyond Trace designs.

The pissed up people singing along to Wonderwall are not your audience and probably wouldn't have been Oasis' audience either before they became famous. Also most of them would be equally happy singing along with a playlist or DJ as they would with a covers band. That's just a fact of life. It's pointless worrying about them and the venues they congregate in. The fact that most musicians don't seem to have got, is that there is nothing extra special about live music per se. You are quite right that to typical pub goer wants something they know and if you are not going to supply that then if you want to be popular you have to be playing something reasonably catchy and give them something interesting to watch at the same time. Unsurprisingly that's not a bunch of middle-aged men staring at their instruments. You've also got to acknowledge that some genres are more popular at a grass-roots level than others and maybe decide if you want artistic integrity or popularity, and try a find a good compromise between the two. When I was starting out gigging, I deliberately moved from somewhere with an almost zero live music scene to somewhere that was far more healthy from both a band and an audience member's PoV. I know that other people have different priorities. As I said life is full of compromises.

If they offer a Tribute Asat bass and a Tribute Kiloton 5 all will be forgiven.