Jonesy

That's probably my biggest concern. I really like the VT with the band and I know it compresses things, so I'm wondering if it's worth using a compressor. So then maybe something clean and transparent is the way to go, so it just looks at dynamics? Or does the VT inherently also help control dynamics?

I think the issue is that I'm still not 100% sure on what they do and what I want them for! Although, watching a few reviews where they show the sound wave and a talk with ChatGPT has been pretty helpful in me half figuring that out. From my understanding so far....... I don't really want them to shape my tone (although I don't mind an added bit of warmth, def don't want anything too clinical), what I want is help with evening out the dynamics. So an Optical or Tube compressor would be best? Given that tube compressors aren't cheap, then optical compressors might be the best route to go down? I do like the look of the Spectracomp, but I'm kinda torn on it. I love the simplicity of one knob (ooh err), but with all of the settings hidden in Toneprint, it makes making changes at band practice a bit more of a faff.

Good to hear, thanks for that! Do you put the compressor before or after the Sansamp? I've heard good things about the Ampeg too and it's not out of budget, if people think it's worth shelling out a bit more for a different pedal to the the Joyo or TC.

Howdy folks! I've never really used a compression pedal and I currently have a hankering to try one. I'm very much in the 'I'm not really sure what they do/I want them to do', and my understanding of the different types of compression is close to non existent. I've read a few articles and threads here, but I'm thinking just picking up a cheap one to try is probably better so I can get an understanding by actually using one. But, before I do, I have a quick question for you........ I play with a Sansamp VT pre amp as an always on, which compresses the signal anyway, so do I 'need' a compression pedal anyway, will it make a noticeable difference? If you're thinking it's still worth picking one up, I was looking at the Joyo Scylla as an entry point, or the TC Spectracomp. I have no idea if there are different types of compressors that are suited for different styles (we play blues standards) etc but, if it's handy to know, my current signal chain goes like this...... Something with flats Tuner Sansamp VT (always on) Catalinbread SFT (for occasional grit) Amp Thanks!

I bought a bass off him a few years back and picked it up in person seeing as I'm only up the road from him. He's a nice guy and I played a few other basses while there. Just to echo what a few others have said, the bass was superbly setup. Probably the nicest setup I've ever had and a few mates who played the bass said they were impressed by it too.

Hubba, hubba 🤤

That finish really is special!!

Nah, I bet he overplayed a mush of too many notes on it 😜

Even Jaco needed a P......

4 pages in and no one has said you need more than just one P bass - one with flats and one with rounds. You're slipping basschat, up your game. 😂 I was against P's for ages, just because they're a bit standard. Then I got one for a blues band and it just clicked, they sit in the mix pretty perfectly without much faff. I've now got 2 and am eyeing up a 3rd 😂

Nw guitars are pretty reputable, if you fire them a question with the model they might even know. Good luck!

Any use.... https://ebay.us/m/DYPEFj

The black and silver sparkle are the best of the Z3 finishes imo. They still don't beat the natural finish of the Z7 though, plus the roasted maple neck and those inlays all look great too.

Lovely bass, have fin with it. That natural finish is the best of the line up imo, I just wish they did it in a Z3 as well.

So, since getting the Tascam I've found I don't really have to do too much to it at all to get a good track out of it. Placement is the main thing. I use it in a reasonably small room with drums, bass, keys, 1x guitar and vox (with the vox and keys going through a PA in the room). Generally speaking, I keep it away from the drums, with mics pointing towards the PA speakers and on top of an amp. I've brought a tripod with me a couple of times, but haven't used it. Once I get the recording, I just normalise it and do some slight EQ tweaks in Reaper then convert it to MP3 and drop it on the band drive. It's all pretty easy and only takes 10mins. I'm sure there's more I could do to it, but I don't really find I need to for just sharing with the band.

Really cool bass, enjoy it! I love the clank with rounds, but I've recently (4 years ago, so recently in terms of the life span of flats!) put TI Jazz Flats on my Ric and love them.

Ha! Yes, that'd make so many people rage quit in protest and would be amazing!!

I reckon they'd release a Fender L2000 if the buyout rumours are true. I don't know what happens to the other MFD pickups, I can't see them releasing a P or PJ with the SB1/2 pups unless it was a US line. Same with the locking bridge, maybe that only gets used in the US Ultra (or not all) sort of range.

I hope G&L get helped out and their staff all get their jobs back. I really rate their stuff and have a couple of Tributes that I love. Agree their marketing and brand positioning is about 30 years behind where it should be though. I'd love to pick up a Japanese ASAT bass - I passed on one a couple of years back and kick myself about it. It seems I'm in a minority here, but.....not only do I tolerate the G&L headstock, I really like it (in a 4 string. The 5er looks weird, but that's what you get for adding a pointless extra string).

First up - I hope you're enjoying having a breather on your hols, it sounds like you need it. Hope you're OK too as you mentioned that you weren't in your first post. Band things are stressful at times and can be annoying, but ultimately there are a lot of things more important in life, so I hope you're switching off and recharging. It's hard to say whether you've over reacted without knowing more about your situation, the type of person the singer is and what they're going through. If it's constant drama and he's hard to work with then I can understand your reaction. However, if everything is normally a happy ship and his message is out of the blue then I'd have said you slightly over reacted. It's tough to call, but the line about 'before it comes out and you hear from other people' makes it sound like he's going through something huge. If it's rocking his life, his family and work, then the band and your holiday is low on his list of considerations, so it's understandable that he's struggled to find time to chat given what he's potentially going through. I'd have just said something along the lines of 'guys, I'm off on hols. Can we find a date to chat when I'm back? I need a break so I'm muting notifications for now but will be back on xxxx' and then go from there. I don't know the guy, so can't say for sure, but if it were me and someone left the band chat because I wasn't communicating properly then I'd be hesitant to reach out to them. My initial thought would be 'bugger, I've annoyed them' so I'd give them some space. If you add on what he's potentially dealing with then maybe he's just retreating into himself?

What I'm about to say has already been said, but I'll regurgitate it anyway.... What you do depends on how good a mate your friend is and how you think he'd take your critique. When I have non muso mates at gigs and they give their opinion, mostly it's 'yeah, that was great' and I just sweep it under the rug. They're just saying that to be polite or, hopefully, it did sound good and they actually enjoyed it! I have a few mates in bands that I know will give honest feedback and they're the ones I listen to most. We've talked about this and I do the same for them, it really helps to have mates that can hear what needs to be tighter and offer feedback. We even check in with each other mid first song to get an idea of levels etc. Whether the form of feedback is 'that was crap' or 'that could be improved' is down to your friendship, I guess.

Depending on final pricing, it'd be interesting to see if HB can convince people to spend more on their brand. The most expensive 4 string currently comes in at £421 and regular MVs are £240ish. They do look cool though

I'm not usually a fan of quilted tops, but they do look good on more modern shaped basses. Still, I think it's the white one for me - it's pure Mike Starr and looks like his Euro sig.