Bigwan

That's beautiful! Health to enjoy!

Is that like that clear nano gel tape? If so I bought some recently at The Range...

Best budget jazz bass I've had my hands on was a Farida FJB20 (I believe Farida were Dawson's music own brand, sunburst, maple neck with block inlays). Going back a few years but I got to spend some quality time with one as the owner had abused it a bit and dropped/threw it down face first and knocked 2 of the tuners out of the headstock, stripping the screw holes. Wanted that fixed and pickups upgraded at the same time. If you could find one of those I'd heartily recommend it. It didn't need the pickups upgrading to my ears... Beyond that it'd be Sire every day of the week for me on that budget. I haven't tried the v2 versions with the newer "worn in" neck shape, but I can only imagine how nice the neck feels having loved the 5 string V7 I had for a while.

Because I already had them and could get similar sounds with them. The simplification/space element wasn't an issue for me.

Easy pedal to use if you ignore the manual and just watch Amos Heller's video review on Youtube! Sounds really good clean and very easy to set it up to be clean, but I personally went back to separate pedals. I wouldn't put anyone off buying a Photon though, and the Alpha/Omega engine is the nicest drive Darkglass do IMHO.

This is giving me strange feelings in the trouser region... And I really didn't think it would do it for me after seeing a few on TB before... https://bassbros.co.uk/product/2021-usa-spector-ns4-shoreline-ultraviolet/

I've often wondered what you use Moose! Thanks for the info!

An oddly tuned 5 (F# B F# B E). That'd certainly be classed under technically challenging! Ryan Martinie is an amazing player.

This looks like it could be interesting https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/tonexone/ Obviously very guitar biased with its preloaded presets, but it's capabilities look good.

Hadn't heard anything about these at all until an add appeared on FB... https://www.gak.co.uk/en/boss-katana-500-bass-head/973430 Some interesting features. But as with most things boss I'll wait for a used one!

A lot of bass for the money the graft series. Had a few and they've all been outstanding

Envelope filter responds to your attack, compressor shapes your attack. Envelope filter first for me, but try both ways and see what works best for you.

Still available now

I was thinking of building one of these pultec pedals to go in front of a Noble preamp build...

Not to criticise the reviewer too much but I'm not sure how you can tell that from 10 or 12 notes played at each setting and with ZERO change in playing style and timbre usually required for octave/tracking effects. I'd need hands on myself to make any kind of informed choice. A decent side-by-side with a Zoom B1FOUR would make for an interesting review...

There was me looking at something completely different like a numpty...

That's a great looking wee thing... @franzbassist kind of makes the HX One look even worse for bass use!

The 85 is a straight-up DI, it won't handle the output of an amp. It goes between the bass and amp. Wrong - looking at the wrong product altogether It sounds like what you're after is a preamp with some tonal control. If you nip over to the effects forum you'll find plenty of options mentioned. Nicest I've tried in a while is the Origin Effects Bassrig Super Vintage, which is Ampeg-flavoured, but they also do a Fender-flavoured one, the Bassrig '64. Sounds like it could be exactly what you're after. Quality items. If you want the sound of your amp, you could consider something like the Two Notes Torpedo Captor which is a load box that goes between your amp and speaker cab and provides a DI output

Pointless form factor... I know there are people who will think it's what they've been looking for their whole playing career, but I would imagine they're few and far between. I just don't see the point of it given the price. The sacrifice in flexibility from any of the other HX/Helix line is crazy. Even if you could run a couple of effects at once I could see the allure, but just one for £250 quid? Granted it's cheaper than a Noble... but still... Nope...

No, that's what would happen to me if I were to contemplate a collection of Spectors at the minute...

Got me thinking of another RC Booster build @Gareth Hughes! Or maybe a BB Preamp that I haven't done before...