Tripehound

I know it's normally the other way around. I recently bought a Roland GR-55 guitar synth together with the GK-3 which I fitted on a Reverend Double Agent - this combination sounds fantastic but at the moment it's more of an expensive toy than a usable tool. I want to use it in the band where I play bass and so have bought the bass version of the pickup - the GK-3B - excited at the prospect of all those synth sounds, fretless basses etc which you get by flipping mode on the GR-55. Question is what to fasten it to? I wouldn't dream of drilling holes in any of my lovely basses and there are warnings about damaged finish if you ever try to take the thing off should you use the supplied double-sided tape. I managed to use the mounting bracket on the Reverend thanks to the bridge design so it wasn't a problem there. That leads me to thinking what I should get to mount this on to; I'm thinking relatively inexpensive (= not a lot of cash ATM) and have been told that Jazz style tends to lead to an easier installation. It's mostly going to be a platform for the synth but it would be good if it was a decent-sounding bass for those songs that need both. Squier VM Jag or Dimension? Ibanez Talman? 5 or 6 string? Short scale OK? Any suggestions or advice very welcome.

Has anyone tried using the built-in amp emulator in the RCF M18 mixer? Might make me feel a bit naked with only an iPad between me and the audience rather than a nice reassuring big amp and cab....

Thanks for the replies folks. Sounds like any will do a decent job and Sansamp appears to be a bit of an industry standard. I dabble on guitar and wondered about the Line 6 HD500X which models a few bass rigs - I wonder if this is an alternative?

I play in a 5 piece band (vocals - guitar - keyboard - bass - drums) where the drummer uses an electronic kit and we mostly tread the weary old pub circuit for fun. Typical of our ageing ilk we have fabulous guitars and amps but a not so great PA. Can never hear ourselves properly on stage, volumes are frequently all over the shop and feedback is a perennial problem. We don't have anyone responsible for sound. Not an uncommon situation I suspect. To top it off, the powered speakers weigh a ton and are awkward to carry. We splashed out on a lovely RCF Evox system and the subs on it lead me to wonder about putting bass through directly rather than lugging a big valve amp and cab - even though it sounds fantastic. I already use IEMs. I used to have a Line 6 Pod XT back in the day, wondered about getting another one, and I've been looking at a range of different DI units from Darkglass, Tech21, MXR, Hotone and Aguilar. Can anyone offer me any advice on how to negotiate a brand new minefield? I play both active and passive basses and the style is - well - eclectic I guess.... anything from Tears for Fears to Zep via Steely Dan!

Valerie. For which I apologise. I really thought she would have come over by now.

Has anyone got any experience of using the noise-cancelling Bose earbuds for monitoring or for that matter any 'conventional consumer' earbuds they could recommend?

Sometimes wonder where my lovely old Mustang might be....

A very late and happy postscript to this. Many thanks for all the great advice from everyone. I ended up in Bass Direct and bought a Dingwall Super J 5 string after being completely smitten. I now use it routinely as everything else gathers dust. [sharedmedia=core:attachments:194492] I suspect I will be buried with it.....

I've got (and very much like) a Bassman TV15. Thinking about the Bassman 500 which I suspect I would like equally but have a potentially daft question which I'll ask anyway.... How much of a trade off is there with going for the cheaper and lighter Rumble cabs (say a 1 X 15 and a 4 X 10) against the impressive looking Neo versions?

The obvious questions... Has anyone tried one? Would it provide enough power for a 'typical' pub gig?

Ha - I was the other customer - and I bought the other Combustion! What a fantastic instrument - really flexible, superb tone & build quality.. Drove home wondering whether I had done the right thing because I had seen and played the Super J. Next morning emailed Mark who has kindly taken back the unplayed Combustion, my Gretsch Broadkaster (now for sale on at BD and a great, great instrument), paid the balance and am now the very proud owner of this. [attachment=194492:SJ5Front.jpg]

As I had taken an interest in the USA Fender Dimension IV, I went into a well-known music shop and had a hands-on session with one today. Sounded very nice, if not quite as flexible as I had expected, but what surprised me was just how rough the finish was considering the price. The frets were so jagged it was uncomfortable to play. I know that things like that can be addressed but it adds to the cost of an already pricy (for me) instrument. Are they all like that or was it just a dodgy one?