GrammeFriday

[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1458818292' post='3011136'] Don't forget to take into account the universal constant - 'During any given performance the number of people who give a monkeys what the bass sounds like is 1.' I think it may have been Einstein who said that, but I might also be very wrong, [/quote] This is also very true. We bassists obsess about tone, but almost nobody else can hear any difference between bass x and bass y (or amp x and amp y) at all! The rest of my family and my bandmates are utterly bemused by the idea that I would ever need more than one bass - after all, they all sound the same, don't they?

I agree entirely with you, keefbaker - although it's great to have basses that have signature sounds (and I have owned many of these over the years) I am more inclined to go for versatile instruments these days, for precisely the reasons you suggest. There is one other [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]"Yeah, but.." that often gets aired in response to your view, and which I'm expecting to turn up in this thread at some point - this is the old "It's all in your fingers" line. Which is rubbish, of course - there is no way you can get a jazz bridge pickup sound out of a P bass just by using your fingers; no matter how close you play to the bridge, it will still sound more like a P than a J. [/color][/font]

Top choice. I will be taking my HOF to the grave with me when my number is up.

Did you look at the EHX Superego?

I'm very pleased to start this feedback thread for Mark. I bought his Strymon Timeline in a totally smooth and prompt transaction. Excellent communications, fully insured packaging with next day delivery, and product exactly as described. Mark may be new to Basschat, but he's certainly not new to buying and selling gear. No surprise that he also has a 100% positive rating on eBay. Many thanks, Mark, and welcome to the low end!

Excellent choice! If I were buying a combo the Rumble 500 would be my top choice.

I had one and moved it on after about 6 months. Reasons: 1) I found it had a really lovely 'core tone' (which is why I bought it after noodling on one in PMT Brum one afternoon) but was lacking in versatility - so I'm really surprised to see it described in this thread as a 'versatile' amp. I'd say it's the least versatile amp I've ever owned. Aguilar clearly have a very particular view of what good bass tone is, and while it is certainly a very good view, it is also a very narrow one, and I began to feel oppressed and suffocated by the voicing of the TH after a while. 2) I found the gain and drive controls (and the interaction between them) to be as mad as a box of frogs. 3) I also found the fan really irritating. Clearly not an issue at gigs, but at home it got on my wick to have the sound of hoovering start up after just 5 mins of practice time. Having said all that, it is still a great amp overall, and if I had more disposable income and storage space at my disposal I would have been happy to keep it for old-skool covers band stuff, etc., where it works a treat. The guy who bought mine told me he was going to use it for small jazz club gigs, and I think it would be great for that, too.

Stingray 5 for me. Loved everything about it except for the G string, which was too close to the edge of the fretboard for me. I struggled for nearly a year to adjust to it, but in the end had to admit defeat and flogged it, tears in eyes.

Ah, great amps - IIRC Norris brought one to last years Midlands Bass Bash, and it sounded really nice. Pity they don't have a built-in compressor knob!

Ah, sorry - you did say you sold your TC amp, so maybe you do need a SpectraComp after all!

It's just GAS. The SpectraComp function built into TC amps is great already. I love it on my RH750 - no need for anything more.

Oh bugger, that massively rules me out, then - only two Precisions and two Jazzes here! Mind you, the MIJ Jazz I had was a lovely and special thing - only sold it cos I decided to move 100% to 5 string playing. But anyway, yes, I agree, it never ceases to amaze me how many people are happy to bash bass brands that they've never owned. Actually, it goes for all sorts of other things, too. For example, I've noticed that there are quite a few folks on BC who like to bash Apple, and loudly boast that they have never owned an Apple product in their lives and never will. I mean, WTF?!

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1455961216' post='2983909'] Never ceases to amaze me the amount of Fender bashing by those who have obviously played every single one made [/quote] Fair point, and obviously expressed with a bit of tongue-in-cheek hyperbole, but just out of interest, in your opinion how many Fenders (or basses by any manufacturer) would someone actually need to have owned in order to be qualified to offer a useful opinion about them?

[quote name='highwayman' timestamp='1455912894' post='2983665'] So I've decided that a Stingray 4-string is the first bass for me (not Sterling etc. - the real deal), but I'm in need of some advice about the differences of 2 or 3 eq? I believe there's an argument for each? [/quote] Yes, it depends on how you want the bass to make you feel when you plug it in. 2-band: "Mmmm, nice ..." 3-band: [i]"Whoah, f**k yeah!"[/i] I prefer the [i]"Whoah, f**k yeah!" [/i]feeling myself, but YMMV.

[quote name='AREA' timestamp='1455719848' post='2981794'] Hey Guys, Indeed I compared the different Pickups. The Maruszczyk Pickups are very hot. They have more Output then the Delanos, or the Häussels and they have some "Dirt" in their Sound. The Delanos sound more clean and even. More "civilized". The Häussels are mostly buildt in the passive Basses, as they bring out the Passive Tone best. That were my Impressions. All are very good Pickups and it depends what you're after. By the Way: I tested the Basses with an "Arnold" Amp Head. That is a very, very good Amp Head. [/quote] Many thanks! This is REALLY useful info, especially about the Marusz 'own brand' pickups, which until today were a complete mystery to me. ... But now I'm gassing for them as well! Argh!

Many, many thanks for your report and photos, AREA. Right, now I've finally picked myself up off the floor, can I ask whether you managed to compare any of the different types of pickup types that Adrian uses for Elwoods - i.e. Maruszczyk's own pups vs Delanos vs Haeussels? PS Congratulations on your new bass - looks fantastic, and I love the colour - LPB on steroids!

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1455551715' post='2980107'] FWIW I just traded in my Sandberg California TT4 for a Fender USA Jazz, and for me personally, the jazz is way more my type of bass. Ok it's a bit heavier, the set up isn't as super fast, nor the neck as slim, but to me it sounds fatter, fuller and more like the solid bass sound in my head. I don't think USA Fenders are a second best to Sandberg at all. I like them both, but they are different. I guess if you want a Fender, you gotta get a Fender. [/quote] I agree with much of this. Having owned both as well, I'd still maintain that USA Fenders [i][b]are[/b][/i] most emphatically second best to Sandberg Calis in terms of build quality, playability, value for money … in fact, in every conceivable way except in terms of sound. But where sound is concerned, there is no point in talking about ‘better’ in any objective sense anyway, as what sounds ‘better’ is of course 100% down to personal taste. All we can say for sure is that they do sound very, very different. It would be a big mistake to buy a Sandberg Cali and assume that it will sound like a Fender just because it looks like one. This YT vid does a good job of capturing how different they sound from each other. (OK, he’s comparing an Am Deluxe with a Cali TM, rather than an Am Standard vs a TT, but it’s still a relevant comparison, I think.) [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6xlqoanONo[/media]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1455311057' post='2978170'] Sandberg California TT4 [/quote] In purely financial terms, yes - both cost about the same (i.e. about £1300 new). But in terms of build quality they are not on a par at all - the TT leaves the Am Standard in the dust. And the TT will be infinitely customisable - any colour combination you like, blocks, dots or plain fretboard, your choice of fingerboard wood, matched headstock if you want, etc etc etc ...

Nige bought my [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]MXR envelope filter pedal. Super-prompt payment, excellent comms and a friendly and accommodating chap - full marks from me! [/color][/font] [font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]All the best, Nige, and have fun with the pedal![/color][/font][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color]