Linus27

I've just opened a brand new set of Rotosound 77 Jazz Flats and they feel very rough to me, more like rounds than what I remember flats to be like. They also sound quite bright. To those who play the Rotosound 77 Jazz flats, can you let me know if they are fairly rough to touch or are they smooth like normal flats are? Thank you.

Not fair, I can't play, Fender don't make an unlined fretless Jazz or Precision that's not a signature bass and Ernie Ball don't make an unlined Stingray that's not got an Ebony or Rosewood fretboard.

No need to apologise, I am open to all ideas and just gathering information on all the different options. I also love my Sansamp for my fretless and it was that little bit of magic that was missing. I will also try your setting suggestions. I may well stick with either the Laney Digbeth or the Sansamp VT DI. I know they will both work very well but I am leaning towards the Laney as its £100 cheaper, has great reviews and I am very interested in the Tube and FET options on it.

I'd watched that previously and its a brilliant video. I spoke to Ian afterwards and he was really interested in my choice of strings I use on my fretless. His setup is also really interesting.

Has anyone tried a Fishman Platinum Pro-EQ? I'm thinking that my current Sansamp BDDI v2 could stay on fretted pedalboard and the Fishman could be used on my fretless pedalboard. It might be a little more musical with the fretless over the Sansamp and the Sansamp will give me the tone I want for the fretted bass. Plus the Fishman has a tuner meaning I could lose a pedal.

By pure chance, I played through an Ashdown Original Evo combo yesterday in Andertons whilst testing out 3 Fender Precision basses, an American Professional, an American Performer and the Vintera Telecaster bass. I'd never seen this little combo before but it sounded phenomenal. I've always loved Ashdown stuff but tended to favour much small class D heads for convenience but everytime I've used them, they've given me a sound I've loved. I'm now super tempted to give the Ashdown Original Evo 300 head a go which is the same little head in this combo. As for the 3 basses, they also played brilliantly but all very different. The American Professional sounded good and played really nicely but didn't grab me as much as the American Performer which sounded amazing. It had this growl and bite that made it super exciting to play and I loved the neck. The only negative was the bridge pickup sounded a bit thin on it's own but combined with the split coils pickups and it sounded fantastic. The Telecaster bass I simply loved, it could be fat and warm to fat and punchy and it was very musical. The gloss neck was beautiful but perhaps a little chunky but still very playable. I'd be very happy with all 3 basses but I came away wanting the Telecaster bass the most.

Had to build a pedalboard for a new fretted bass project so this is the current iteration. Super simple, just tuner, octave, compressor and preamp/di with a passive Fender Precision. May not settle on these pedals as they are stolen from my main fretless board but the tuner and octave will stay. The Ampeg optical compressor is great with a fretless but I may give a Cali76 a go and see what I prefer with each setup unless I can find a better compressor for the fretted board. A Laney Digbeth preamp is on the cards which I think might sound nice with a fretless so the Samsamp may also stay on this fretted board.

Does anyone have any views or experience of the MXR M80 DI+? It seems to get good reviews and seems to be a good price.

I'm liking the look and sound of the Laney Digbeth. The reviews and videos I've listened to are all really positive. Cracking price as well for a lot of functionality.

Thanks for your input and interesting you liked the Tone Hammer. I watched a shootout video tonight and to my ears, the Tone Hammer was one of the best sounding. I also had a look at the AG Preamp and that also sounded really good. As for the Sansamp VTDI, what were your thoughts on it?

I'm definitely liking the look of this. The two on my list so far are the Tech 21 Sansamp VT Bass DI and now the MarkBass Vintage Pre.

That actually sounds really good and super versatile.

I'm just after a few recommendations really on a nice preamp pedal with a DI. For my fretless pedalboard which is a nice melodic 80's sounding setup (think John Giblin and Pino) I'm using a Sansamp BDDI v2 along with an OC5 Octave, Chorus, Reverbs and Optical compressor and it sounds really really nice. The BDDI v2 add some lovely character to my tone. My new band is more of an Americana type of thing which I will play with a P-Bass with flats. I guess its a bit like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Tom Petty, David Grey etc. I guess I'm after a warm, punchy sound, maybe even a bit Motown in places. I don't really want to go and buy another Sansamp as I fancy something different although I'm happy to use the Sansamp if there's a more suitable preamp with DI for my fretless pedalboard. I really like the look of the Ampreg SGT-DI, especially for the B15 sound but I can't see me using the drive and I would probably use a separate compressor pedal. Likewise, I like the EBS Microbass 3, especially as it has a tuner but again, I can't see me using the drive or the compressor so both of these pedals seem a waste and a bit expensive for my needs. I've looked at the Tech 21 VT DI which might be a good alternative and possibly make a nicer B15 sound over my BDDI v2. It's not essential to have the B15 tone but it might be a nice tool to have for some songs. The MXR M81 is a lovely pedal but I think is going to be a bit clean and lack a bit of character for me needs. I did own one before and it didn't really grab me. Any other recommendations on a nice preamp with DI that will suit my needs or shall I stick with the Sansamp option?

I tried IEM for the first time last week and I was half expecting to hate them but it was ok. I think I got lucky with my choice of headphones as I went for the KZ ones that were rated highly on here through the Behringer P2. I gave them a quick test on about 4 songs and it all worked well and was passable. However, I did miss the ambient sound that you get on stage and the energy that you get from a backline and the other instruments, especially from the bass. What I did like was the much lower volume, that was nice as I am a strong advocate for low volumes on stage so you can play with dynamics better. As for the Fender Rumble combo's, I used the 500 a few times at a gig and I have loved it. Every time I've had a superb sound through it. I would really like one but I am worried that if there's an issue with the head then you are buggered. I currently use a MarkBass LM IV and Barefaced Two10 but take with me a 300w Gnome just in case the MB goes down. Either way, the Rumble combo has sounded amazing the three or so times I've used one.

I agree, it is a very sad day, Status basses are incredible and if the right one came available then I would be very tempted. I think however, I have missed the boat but I can still admire and appreciate them and enjoy my fretless Status neck on my PJ.

Just had a try and the code didn't work sadly

I've recently found Andertons prices a bit odd recently. Some of their products for pedals etc. have been £20 - £40 dearer than most other places online.

I'm a huge fan of the Gnome amp heads and use the 300w version for smaller gigs through a TC Electronics 2x8. In case you were not aware, the Gnome flat is with the bass at around 10 o'clock, the mids at around 2 o'clock and the treble at around 10 o'clock.

Just an update from me. Tried out the Behringer P2 and the KZ ZS10 Pro headphones tonight at a local gig and they worked an absolute treat. I didn't mess around with the mix but just settled with the FOH mix so not perfect for what my preference would be but good enough that I played a bunch of songs no problem. I miss the ambient sound from on stage and the raw energy of a live stage sound but I also liked the clarity and quietness of wearing the headphones. Overall, a great success and not a bad £70 spent on a basic setup. The headphones were really comfortable out of the box as well which I wasn't expecting.

Cheers Dave, you are a star, as always, thank you. I will keep you posted, I've ordered a Behringer P2 and a set of KZ ZS10 Pro's to test the water at a local gig with my other band. Once I know what's happening with the other band and how I get on I'll let you know but as always, thank you 👍