prowla

I bought my perfect bass in 1977, a Rickenbacker 4001; I've acquired one or two more Rics over the years, just to keep it company. Sure there may be other basses which are supposedly better, but I can walk into a room full of basses and not see anything else if there's a Ric there. I do have some other brands I like (including Warwick, Status Graphite, Fender), some I like having (Kramer, Westone, Steinberger), one or two others I'd rather like in my collection/selection (Gus, BC Rich), and a couple of pricey ones I wouldn't mind for completeness but will likely never buy (Alembic, Wal). But I can safely say that I've never seen another bass I have even thought for a moment I would rather have than my Ric(s).

As an aside, I bought a Behringer Model D; the MiniMoog's layout & ergonomics are almost perfect for learning what a synth does. I didn't bond with the Future Impact and sold mine on; I have a C4, but haven't yet got into programming it (I'm hoping that I'll get real life's more pressing needs to give me some respite after this month).

Action Fraud and/or the local police.

Did you try doing octaves in your HX Stomp?

An extra string to yer bow?

Thought I'd drop in some Rics...

An alumininium one...

A couple of Thunders (is the collective a "storm"?).

I have an Aguilar Octamizer and it is the only one I've heard which preserves the essential character of the bass being played. However, for me it only works down to C on the A string (others have said theirs goes lower) and it breaks up as a held note decays. That means you have to think about precisely how you are going to use it, but it can be wonderful when it's right; you'd have to construct your song around its capabilities. I've also got an EBS Octabass (Mk 1); it's more stable but less characterful. On the octave-up angle, I've got an EH Mosaic, which is really designed to make a 6-string guitar do a 12-string, but it does interesting things on a bass, albeit slightly synthetic sounding. I've also got a Mooer Tender Octaver, which is a bit plinky, but might work in a mix.

It’s the Kramers which have the split headstock; the TB ones were closed with a “T” cutout.

Well, I know that the tuners are at the other end, but I meant the two extra frets floppy thing.

More like an Old Bean neck...

Kubicki-esque...

A set of GZRs and some firewood.

The reverse stripped neck concept is an interesting one too...

I'm really looking for a compact unit to replace separates; I can currently switch the separates in and out using a Gigrig Quartermaster lopper, but maybe that could go too with an all-in-one. I do get the point about programming these things; if you're not careful, that becomes the target, rather than playing the songs. I do have a Morningstar MC6 MIDI switcher too, but that would increase the footprint instead of reduce it. Ah, nothing is ever easy!

Some folks (eg. Ian Hill) string their basses BEAD.

The thing about the Octamizer is that it sounds great, but a. Stops at about C on the A string, and b. Goes glitchy as a held note fades; I find that it plays me, rather than vice-versa.

I have Hipshot drop-D tuners (eXtenders) on some basses. Years ago I used to have some Dewtron bass pedals which I would use to go down to a C if I'd reached the end of the neck and wanted to go lower.

I reckon a 5-string bass is what's needed. (Not being a smartass - just tracking low notes seems to be difficult and regenerating them sounds artificial, plus there's the point where the sound of a fading note breaks up.)

Apologies for the newbie question and that I haven't read all 75 pages of this thread, but I'm wondering if a HX Stomp will work as a replacement for a selection of discrete pedals. My current pedals are these, but I always seem to be tight on board space and end up with one left over: Phaser (MXR Phase 90). Chorus (MXR Black Label). Octave down (EBS Octabass. Aguilar Octamizer). Octave up (EH Mosaic). Flanger (I don't have one and have no space on my board anyway). Tremolo (won't fit on my board). Envelope filter (I have a Bass Synth Wah and previously had an Aguilar Filter Twin). So, I'm wondering if a Stomp would be a way of consolidating them into a single unit. I don't really need amp modelling, as I'm using an EBS Microbass 3, and I have a Dave Hall DHA-1 valve pedal for a bit of grit. I'd likely run the Stomp via the Microbass's Fx loop, along with my Source Audio C4 synth pedal.

Do I detect jauntily angled tuners too?

Maybe it's the start of a new genre?