Al Krow

So another analogy to add Skinnyman's torque is that just as a painter or photographer can (rightly) seek a certain quality in the "light", similarly musicians can surely seek a certain timbre from their instruments? A Stradivarious will have a richer tone than a £500 violin. They can certainly both play the same notes at similar volumes. Heft is just one aspect and a label that many of us commonly apply to a certain quality of the sound that our amps and cabs deliver.

Fixed 😁 Good description - do like the torque analogy. Whereabouts is your shelter and is there room for more than one?

Nonsense. My Mesa M6 doesn't make me feel superior nor does my DG M900 make me feel inferior. I enjoy them both for what they are. It's not a subject I've spent any time discussing before today and, due to a lack of a bass to hand this week, improving my playing is a touch tricky... 😄

Hmmm, interesting. In theory a recording should be able to capture the sonic signature of heft and it still should be felt provided you have a faithful recording and sound system. In practice well sound engineered album tracks will, anyway, be a lot better than what any of us can produce in terms of recording a live performance.

My Mesa M6 has 'heft' in spades. I wouldn't describe my DG M900 as having it. I think @Lozz196 summarised it very well above. Sonically, for me it is do with the resonance, combination and dynamics of frequencies the amp is producing. The Mesa is more tonally complex and manages to have a powerful low end whilst not losing the rest of the frequency range. The DG is cleaner sounding without the microtubes engaged, and whilst more complex with it engaged, as with many dirt pedals loses a little low end.

So I think of it as being: "Full bodied" "punchy" tone The opposite of anemic Certainly not bland It hits you in the gut and you know its there!

Congrats on the new acquisition and joining the expanding BC Stomp club! When's yours due or have you got your hands on it already?

So looks aren't necessarily first or foremost for me with a bass, but they're definitely an important factor, particularly if I'm spending a lot on a bass and if it has a 'wow' factor in terms of look, finish and feel, that's a real plus! I thought @stingrayPete1977 put it really well when he said that a white / black / burst etc. bass isn't pretending to be anything other than what it is. A relic'd bass clearly is. BUT if it makes its owner happy then wtf guys. Move on, life's too short.

The other brand that has recently caught my eye, due to the sheer 'classical' elegance of its design, is Zon Sonus. Never played one (although I note that the bass gallery has one in the commercial items for sale currently). Does anyone have experience (plus or minus) with Zon basses?

Well now you have, I'll have to fess I loved the Pickets' acapella version, as clearly did a lot of other folk given it made it to #1.

My experience was that The T16 had really tight (negligible latency) tracking and a really good tone (particularly with clean blend) but started glitching around the G on the low E string. That's the other point when discussing tracking with octavers, just so we are all on the same page. There are two tracking parameters: - how tightly it tracks (minimal latency); - how low it tracks. Then need to overlay what tone you're after: - OC2 synthy - organic (mirrors the tone of the 'clean')

If your question is what tracks better than the MXR BOD and has at least or better organic / authentic tone, then the answer is probably not much! Maybe Peter's new MXR Vintage OD (big thread on TB about this) or if you want an OC2 synthy tone, then the Valeton OC-10 is worth considering. There's also a lot of love for the 3 Leaf Octabvre Mk2. Have you not found anything on the Helix that comes close to MXR BOD for tracking + organic sounding?

As borne witness by the subsequent posts, can I just say that my short answer to your Q was completely on the money! 😂 😂😂😂

MXR BOD has a raft of complaints about its helicopter noise. No one has actually bought the MXR Vintage (AFAIK) on BC so the jury is still out on that one. And IMO there are two pedals that have better reputation for low tracking. One of them is the clear winner (based on reputation) but not popular at all due to weak subs, and the other is a massive best seller (And btw it's not COG).

I agree. Low B string is LOW!! And I've definitely come round to your thinking that anything below that isn't particularly useful. However you don't want your octaver glitching all over the shop either.

But it has the highest cut-off for its good tracking (around a low A) before it starts glitching, of any of the octavers. It's core octave sound is so 'organic' / good, however, that can largely offset this in terms of it being 'loved'. Next.

That does show the continuing power of TV and film as an 'influencer' . Did Glee actually 'release' their covers or just perform them as part of their shows? Similar point about Shrek and Hallelujah earlier.

Fixed.

Bill that's brilliant! Cheers! 😎

No

Aha - well that just further proves my ignorance then! But methinks we have identified a gap in the market between us. And suitably tweaked I KNOW it could be great for metal.

This 😂

Well you're the one who brought them up in your earlier post! 😎

Consensus seems to be that: 1) a sub woofer could work with a band PA, and a few folk manage to use it well in that context; 2) you almost certainly wouldn't use it as part of bass backline as an adjunct to your amp and cab; 3) fact is most professional PAs will have sub woofers delivering the low end for bass and kick drum; 4) 10" and 12" cabs are the most popular size and folk who argue that 5" cabs can still do the business just as well, somehow all have 10" or 12" speakers themselves. This is purely down to economics; 5) bumble bees shouldn't fly and Usain Bolt shouldn't be fast. But he is. Although he's not apparently going to be a great footballer, where his height would have been an a distinct advantage in the 6 yard box; 6) I have no idea where the dog stuff is going...