andruca

IME there's nothing wrong about that pickup. I own 2 USA Stingray5s and I don't miss anything vital in the timbre those pickups produce. The endemic problem in SUBs is the preamp, which has no headroom, thus distorts on peaks when you play hard (or when boosting the EQ if you don't play too hard). IMHO it should do OK with a 20€ Artec preamp upgrade (a 20€ Artec preamp is WAY better than what comes stock). There's a cheaper/quicker thing to try (I'd do it if it were mine as those preamps are useless to me as they come), which is feeding it 18V, therefore gaining headroom. Most if not all onboard preamps admit a wide range of supply voltage, which instrument manufacturers usually decide based on how hot the pickups of choice are. And that preamp is crap, I wouldn't care if it blew away (highly unlikely, have successfully done it with some other crappy onboards I wasn't concerned about eventually screwing up).

My main gripe with people testing this kind of preamp is the lack of balance when trying to show what they can do. I mean, blend either all try or wet (when the juice is in the middle really), same with drive control and so on. So there's lots of extremes and little real life usefulness showcased. My samples are usually the tone I run thru' most clean amps set flat (I use to carry my tone with me whatever the device, usually Zoom boxes, but also own a SansAmp RBI) and I record with pretty much that same tone. This is my kinda' tone in real life, I might a different OD flavor when running SansAmp but the function is the same, thick&crunchy. BTW, don't tell anybody, yesterday I was able to almost nail that same tone I got with the GUMA-Drive using just a Zoom G1Xon (tuned with effects from the B1Xon).

FYI, I don't miss not having a Darkglass emulation anymore in my previous gen Zoom gadgets. Thing is I got a GUMA-Drive kit (B3K clone) for Xmas and I managed to get it finished these days. I've been using it in conjunction with any of my Zoom multi-FX (MS-60B, B3, G1Xon with custom firmware), adding some clean BASS DRIVE (SansAmp emulation) to fatten up the bass+GUMA-Drive signal to the kind of tone I need for a flat EQ in my amp, and then compress with the 160 Comp (barely does any limiting, the GUMA-Drive/B3K compress A LOT). This is how it sounds. (Jazz Bass, first all open, then just the neck pickup, picked, drop-D, the GUMA-Drive set to drive=1 o'clock, level=2 o'clock, blend=1 o'clock, grunt=raw, attack=flat). The reproduction of the Darkglass sorta' tone has been puzzling me since I ditched the B1X4 last year. After using the GUMA-Drive for some days it was itching too much, so yesterday afternoon I spent about 1+ hour of A/Bing trying to get as close as I could to the kinda' tone I use (not the GUMA-Drive itself but the whole tone I use) just with what's available in the Zoom devices. Now, for the basics, we need to understand and decompose what a B3K OD does. In my observation and in order of importance it's: 1) CMOS distortion (main character of it all), 2) lo-mid grunt (this is what makes it "boxy" in a nice punchy way, compared to, say, a SansAmp), 3) hi-mid grinding peak and 4) compress (quite a lot). With this in mind I got to work, using my G1Xon (virtually a G1Xon + B1Xon) for maximum slot capacity and looked thru' the available distortions, to finally settle on the BA SQUEAK (blendable RAT emulation). Now, I know a RAT is hard clipping, not a CMOS type of overdrive, still, it's what gets me there. If you'd ask in the real world I'd say a RAT doesn't sound anything like a Darkglass overdrive, but hey, I've never ran into a RAT with a blend control in real life, ant also we're in Zoom's digital modelling mystery world here, combinations producing mystery results is sorta' expected. At first I thought the DI+ (MXR) emulation might be the best candidate, but I was wrong. The next best thing to the RAT is the METAL WORLD (Metal Zone emulation, using low gain&blend, flat tone), then came the TS+DRY (blendable Tube Screamer, gain about 60-70, tone about 60), the DI+ was far behind in comparison, my initial prediction was caca. So, here's my "DARKRAT" patch (real name)... 1) BA SQUEAK: gain=10, tone=50, level=100, bal=37 (does the CMOSey kinda' distortion necessary) 2) BASS DRIVE: bass=5, trebl=-5, prese=0, gain=70, blend=75, level=100, mid=-4 (fattens it up, cuts upper highs and further adds grunt, also takes out more mids, we need lo-mids and hi-mids, not much mid-mids in my tone as the kind of pick playing I do -soft pick played hard, alla' Nolly, but less metal, more punk/HC/rock- means a constant beat up of strings whipping the fretboard, the pickups, whatever) 3) BA PEQ: freq1=140, q1=1, gain1=6, freq2=2.0khz, q2=0.5, gain2=4, level=110 (both enhances the "lo-mid" grunt and the grinding peak of the distortion) 4) 160 COMP: thrsh=-20, ratio=10.0, gain=15, knee=soft, level=80 (self explanatory) 5) ZNR: thrsh=15, detct=gtrin, level=100 (pretty "binary" noise supression, several distortion stages make a lot of noise you don't want) Yeah, I know it's 5 effects (only workable on the B1on/Xon). SO, if you have the MS-60B (4 slots) you should try take out the ZNR first (less damaging to the tone). You might even get away with a B3 (just 3 slots) by also getting rid of the BA PEQ and try to make it work just with the EQ in the BASS DRIVE. So the minimal stuff to get you in the ballpark would be BA SQUEAK->BASS DRIVE->160 COMP. This is how it sounds from my G1Xon. If you compare with the sample in my second paragraph (same bass, same piece, same recording conditions) it's real close. There's some loss of detail in certain zones of the spectre, most notable between neck pickup parts, the GUMA-Drive is just a tad more detailed both in the high end and in the "clonk" zone (I suspect playing with the gain and tone controls of the RAT emulation could deal with that, the thing is to screw up the bass' character the least while still getting the amount of drive we need). Hope it helps anybody or at least serves as food for thought. EDIT: I even went as freakish as to compare spectres to adjust EQ. I made some minimal changes to the above patch and the Zoom sample you hear. This is how they compare...

Just finished a GUMA-Drive. Real happy with it. It was above my soldering skills (and gear) so it was mostly done by my brother (an engineer, designs electronics since he was 10 y/o). Also he had all the printing material needed, lacquer, etc. I really only applied primer and yellow to the box, that's about it All in all a nice project and one more great excuse to hang out with my bro, who recently moved close to me after being 12K km away for almost 2 decades. Now I only need to get him to sit seriously in front of a drumkit (he's a SOLID drummer, he just always had to be dragged when it came to making music, simply he leans to other stuff in life). It sounds like this (using my rat rod Jazz, both pickups, then just the neck, EQed and compressed after the GUMA-Drive). Will record a wider variety of samples and do a video once the missing knobs make their way home.

Don't get me wrong, I found the Four as usable as any of the other Zoom multiFX I've owned (BFX-708, 708II -replaced a Boss GT-6B-, B2.1u, MS-60B, B3, G3, G1Xon). Here's another sample, playing with the SansAmp and Darkglass emulations (details of what you hear in the YouTube description). Still, you can feel some of that boxyness in this clips when "clean" at the beginning... I remember this happening to me once more in the past, when switching from the 708II to the B2.1u. I kept the 708II until getting next generation's MS60B (which really destroyed everything Zoom I'd had before). Still a Zoom fanboy, waiting like a sucker for the next gen to show up. (I own 2 of those R24s indeed, basically my 16-track mobile recording app)

IME, the MS-60B/B3/B1on/Xon generation sounds better. I've owned a B1X Four last year and, even tho' it could sound great, it was basically NOISIER and BOXIER, had a sorta' narrow response and an annoying peak @180hz when A/Bed with the MS-60B. I could tell this same thing every time I've tried a B3n, but wasn't sure because I hadn't A/Bed it with my MS-60B. There's an added con, the Bass PEQ effect is now single band, when it was previously 2-band. So it kinda' defeats the purpose of having 1 more slot (4 to 5) if I have to heavily EQ it (2 instances) and add ZNR to every patch. Still there's fancy new stuff in the B3n/B1 four generation, such as hi/lo pass filter. BUT old ones have the AC BS PRE (Fishman preamp emulation) that carries a DEPTH param, which is a hi-pass filter (few people know or exploit this). The other thing the new models have is Darkglass emulations. I've had success in faking it with either the DI+ (MXR) emulation or blending plain Metal Zone emulation (still building a GUMA DRIVE for this -and for the fun-). I've given all details about my MS-60B vs. B1X Four adventure in a TalkBass thread. Also, here's a sample from a fellow BCer. It's not the tones I'd use, but it gives an idea of the overall voicing difference between the 2 generations. And no, my B1X Four wasn't a lemon, it worked perfectly and could definitely sound decent with enough tweaking, additional EQ and noise reduction. It's just that the MS-60B naturally sounds fuller and more quiet. Since ditching the B1X four I've added a B3 and a G3 (exclusively for home recording) and a G1Xon. Both the MS-60B and the G1Xon have custom firmwares with all its bass/guitar counterpart relevant stuff so I can use any with either bass or guitar (you can customize the firmware in the current generation too). My advice is get a used B1on or B1Xon (I got my G1Xon used months ago for 35€, power supply included).

I'm a freak for skinny neck 5ers with a not too wide spacing. My faves amongst the ones I own now are the Stingray5 (34" scale, 20mm thickness @fret1, 44.5mm nut, 17.5mm spacing) and the Schecter CV-5 (35" scale, 19.5mm thickness @fret1, 45mm nut, 17mm spacing). Many other basses I've owned had such skinny necks, notably an Ibby SR, and an Ibby ATK (most ATKs I've owned were bulky necked, but this one, 2011 MIK ATK-405, 2 pickups, was as skinny as my Ray 5ers, same kinda' sharp C profile, same 17.5mm spacing).

I've been playing Stingray5 for the last 20 years as my #1 instrument. I own 2 ceramic era ones (1997 & 2003), which I prefer to the current alnico offerings. I've also owned a Sterling5 HS and tried innumerable HH models and I've found out the 2 pickup Stingray/Sterling thing simply doesn't do it for me. Both in the HH and HS versions the neck pickup is too close the bridge for my taste. I understand relocating that was not an option at design time as it'd end up right next to the "bridge" pickup (which, being the trad. MM position, is way further from the bridge than, say, a Jazz's bridge pickup), the way it is on $$ Warwicks. The neck pickup on those sounds more in mudbucker/neckside RIC than in P/neck J pickup territory. So I let that HS go (fortunately at no loss, as I had gotten it used too), gave up the fantasy of having a Musicman and a P/J in the same bass and ended up getting a much cheaper and much more flexible 2 humbucker bass (Schecter CV-5, basically a poor man's Roscoe Beck). Don't get me wrong the Sterling5 HS I've owned was a great bass, it just was real good at the Musicman sweet spot tone. Only tone I liked using the extra single coil pickup was a sorta' "all open J" sound (that's still not there). This is a test of some all positions but the classic (humbucker in series) tone: CLEAN 1) Single coil neck pickup (+ phantom coil) 2) Single coil pickup and bridge-side coil of bridge pickup (sorta' all open J tone) 3) All 3 coils (+ phantom coil) 4) Bridge-side coil of bridge pickup (+ phantom coil) PICKED/SANSAMP 1) Single coil neck pickup (+ phantom coil) 2) NON DEFAULT SELECTOR POSITION, neck-side coil of bridge pickup (+ phantom coil, modded the bass -easy mod- to select default -bridge- coil or neck coil -phase changed so it still cancels hum with the phantom coil- with the selector lever all towards the bridge; I modded my Stingray5s for having this coil soloed too, my fave position) http://andresdemarco.info/test-ST5HS.mp3 NOW, this other clip is from the only other HS bass I've owned (a 2001 MIK Ibanez ATK-405, MM+J). I honestñy liked this bass much more than the Sterling HS, except at the strictly Musicman game, of course (and it's way lighter, while having the same sort of string spacing, skinny sharp C neck profile and 3 band EQ). Fragments you hear are these 5 positions in order. Position 1 sounds way more P-like and position 2 is a much more convincing all open J than what's available from the HH/HSs. http://andresdemarco.info/test-ATK405.mp3

In the early 2000s I went from using just a HA3500 head to a SansAmp RBI + compressor + para EQ + power amp, then to RBI + HA3500 or any other bass amp. I find the preamp is great for carrying your tone with you and then you can plug into any clean amp's imput and use the particular amp's tone shaping to adapt to the room. Since 2015 I've only used a Zoom MS-60B for the same purpose (SansAmp emulation -my tone at a variety of gains- + comp) and I've never been happier, can get my tone on any clean loud amp with sufficient low end authority, no problem. Don't even use a stack anymore (seriously thinking about selling it), just 1 or 2 old Peavey TNT-150 combos. I really think the concept of bass preamp has changed. Used to be a stage just to take signal from instrument/mic level thru EQ and up to some 1V level that the power stage could amplify. We now expect bass preamps to OD, compress, etc. I think getting another device for that, a more personal territory, so you can take that everywhere and put it thru any shared/local amp or PA is a good idea.

Stock roundwounds. I see/hear nothing wrong with the stock mudbucker. It has a certain character that I find specially nice indeed, both for punking and for beatlesque "marching" pop bass stuff, not generic at all. I'm never surprised by the Epiphone quality, already owned a couple and they're ultra solid bang for the buck every time.

I've just borrowed an Epiphone EB-0, unused for years in my nephews' closet. As new really, I minimally lowered the bridge, gave it some relief and it's playing NICE. Strings are original (still perfectly usable), I ignore the brand (D'Addarios?). Was missing some short scale action after letting go off my Epi Viola more than a year ago. This has a learning curve, of course, find where it belongs and where it doesn't. But all in all a pretty little bass that I like even better than the Viola (both how it feels/plays -prefer this skinny neck- and how it sounds). This is not a cover, as the song is one of my band's originals (and yes, the one singing is me, my condolences).

Definitely into that too, owned several of those, still own one in fact 👍

For rock music I always try to sound as HARLEYDAVIDSONIAN as I can. That'd be my description.

I've swapped the VVTT layout in my Star Bass to VVT plus a rotary switch to change tone cap value. REALLY USEFUL. In my case it was homemade (some 2€ total). The usual 47nF is too damm dark for any passive bass I've owned. My preferred zone usually lies between the 20nF and 32nF positions.

Over the last, say, 5 years I've been gigging less and less (used to make a -frugal- living out of music some 15 years ago). So I've progressively switched my attention to my bass stable (that at one point would consist of a dozen basses) and how to have a "reduced" one. So I've spent these last 5-6 years selling and trading some stuff (hadn't moved away from my Stingrays and Fernandes Gravitys for the previous decade), been thru' Maruszczyk, more EBMMs, Yamahas, Ibanezes, Schecter, Warwick, even some (cheap) DIY adventures. I was aiming at 5 basses, ended up being 6 because I changed my mind about a real chamaeleonic bass I was about to let go (Schecter CV-5), I've got a rented place where me and my musical partner for over a decade now have built our own studio, so thought it might be useful to keep (and really wouldn't sell for that much money). I'm pretty stupid, but not too stoooooopid to say I'm rehabilitated from GAS in any way (I'm just eyeing an Epi EB-0, need to take care of the short scale dept). But still, for the first time in 30+ years, I have a diverse enough bunch (at least for my needs, still lying as I really DON'T NEED 6 axes, few people do really). Must say I'm not "avant garde" at all, I'm in fact sorta' "rustic" when it comes to "modern" bass tones. I love me a good bass tone, no matter the bass, but I find many attempts real generic sounding, thus not interested. If it doesn't sound in the ballpark of traditional/"established" timbres (most of my bass playing has been on Musicmen, so that, P, J, RIC, EB-0, etc.) or has a marked personality of its own in some way (i.e. WAL) I just end up not getting it, paradoxically "getting old" easily on me. My fault, definitely. So, I wanted to make a video of each of them and finally did so over the last couple weeks. Tried to be as creative and diverse as I could about covered songs (there were no previous bass covers for 4 of these, so 66% achieved). One of them is from a band I sometimes do sub gigs with and another one is from my band (Bitter Mambo, and yes, I'm the one singing there, my condolences). Here's the playlist with: 1997 Stingray5 with Magma Ultra Flat flatwound strings 2011 Warwick (Korean) ProSeries Star Bass 5, strung with Warwick Red Label NICKEL roundwounds My rat rod DIY J (parts from a "donor" bass -38€ used, neck&body unusable- and the cheapest body& neck y could get from AliExpress -add 51€-), also on Warwick Red Label NICKEL roundwounds Schecter CV-5 (poor man's Roscoe Beck V -and not just for metal-), same Warwick Red Label NICKEL roundwounds My DIY P/J fretless 5er (originally a Harley Benton P style kit, highly modified), strung with LaBella LTF flats 2003 Stingray5, and yes strung with Warwick Red Label NICKEL roundwounds (best bang for the buck nickel strings around)

I've retired my SansAmp RBI from recording duties since I got a B3. Prior to that I had been confident for years in the SansAmp emulation in my MS-60B, just wasn't as convenient as the B3, with the DI and the recording interface functionality. Even tho' I've long been a SansAmp guy, I really like the MXR's emulation kinda' CMOS overdrive. Sounds a little thin to my ears, but nothing you can't fatten up with proper EQ. A B3 can definitely do what the M80 does and more.

Yep, the "Illegal device connected" means a firmware-model mismatch. It happens even with identical hardware, say, between any guitar and bass model, there's a protection against that, even if it'd work (sad, I really wanted to transform my B3 into a G3 -fimware can't be edited in such models to add individual guitar FX-). You have to start from your model's firmware and add individual effect files extracted from other models' firmwares.

V.2.10 is the newest one. The Zoom Firmare Editor's page claims to be compatible with the MS-70CDR (I don't have 1st. hand experience with such device). That version came out at the same time as the 2.1 update for the MS-60B, which I own and can update OK. What's the symptom/error/impediment you get? I can't think of any possible way any firmware update/version will make the hardware itself not accept updates (unless the firmware you're trying to install is corrupted somehow or the pedal is not turned on in firmware update mode). Maybe if you give some more details we can be of more help.

I did the mod on a DIY P-bass and even tho' it wasn't radical by any stretch of the imagination I had the chance to try one and the other (recorded) and it was still noticeable. I ended up preferring the reverse option, IN THAT PARTICULAR BASS.

I own a SansAmp RBI but might get away with almost any OD pedal as long as it has a blend/mix (wet vs. dry) control. I also get SansAmp and many other preamp/dist/OD emulations from a variety of small Zoom multi-FX units. Emulations are decent and you have many different preamp/dist/OD models in there to decide what you prefer (also, Zooms are abundant in the 2nd. hand market for half your budget or less). I'd start there to get familiar with dist/OD/grit in general and what it can do for you, the different sounds and the different ways to obtain them, then eventually decide pursuing a particular dirt pedal if you feel the need and have found that's the one for you.

I got the cheapest body and neck I could get from AliExpress. Neck was 23.40€ (Outdoor Equip Store) and body was 28.97€ (Soundly Music Store) back then, shipping included. It's been one year since I put up a DIY with those and all other parts from a "Jazz" I got from a guy for 38€ (badly shaped, painted by someone on LSD, truss rod not working, etc.). So far no issues with the neck. Not the thinnest Jazz neck but decent enough. Truss rod doing great too (have adjusted it 3 times IIRC). Will never know what the parts on the "donor" bass were, no brand to be seen anywhere. Still came out nice and sounds good for any kinda' stuff, even tho' it's mostly set up to play punk/HC/metal. At 90€ (if I don't count the Hipshot D-tuner, which I already had lying around) it's been a great bass. STILL, it had dead spots (most notably the Bb at E string fret 6) which I got rid of with a Fat Finger (add some 10-15€) I have always on it these days (not used in this recording) so the neck's not perfect, but still intonation's good, no high frets, fret ends are OK (except for just 4 I had to file a little), no ski jump so far and stays straight, so at 23.40€ it's way more than I ever expected. With such precedent, I expect a 55£ to be definitely decent. I love maple+blocks. I would have payed a little more for maple+black blocks but back then it was more than double the money (around 50€), so I decided to stick to cheapest possible. Cheapest neck you can get from AliExpress right now is 53+€ (either "rosewood" or maple).

Also don't discard Schecter. IDK if they make 34" 5ers but even at 35" they don't feel cumbersome and their 5er necks are SKINNY (19.5mm thick @ fret 1), super sharp C shape, with a 45mm nut. Most (if not all) have a 17mm string spacing at the bridge, OK for me (used to Stingray5's 17.5mm), but might not be your thing.

I've had two of the same bass in three occasions. 1) (Korean) Fernandes Gravity Deluxe Vs, early '2000s, production of each some 3 years apart according to serial #, totally consistent, virtually undistinguishable. 2) Ceramic era Stingray5s (1997 & 2003), real consistent despite one being full birdseye and swamp ash and the other being regular maple with rosewood board and regular ash. They used to play different as one of them needed a shim. Once that was done they're indistinguishable, even in tone if they're on the same strings. Still own these 2 guys, my kids will probably inherit them. 3) Yamaha BB-615 (both made around 2008-9 in Indonesia), indistinguishable too. Guess some brands are better at consistency than others. That said, I own a Pro Series (Korean) Warwick Star Bass 5 and I can't really tell a difference between that and some more "modern" RockBass version specimens, they feel and sound the same. Not implying one of your Warwicks is a lemon (don't think those guys' QC lets lemons out of their factory) but maybe it's on their weakest extreme as per wood and electronics quality, as some have already mention.

If you're asking plain quality, they sure are great. I own 2 USA Stingray5s (ceramic era) and I've owned a Ray35 H. Only aspects I could tell they were cutting corners were: 1) Pickup are screwed directly to wood, not thru' threaded inserts as the EBMM ones. 2) No compensated nut (not that I cared much, my old Rays also don't have one). 3) Had to go thru' the truss rod wheel in mine with a drill as the holes were sketchy, a nail/screwdriver/whatever you use to adjust wouldn't go all the way in. My Ray35 was great. I even did some experiments with its coil selection wiring (so I could use real single coil, each on its own). Still I didn't like its weight. It was a black one, presumably mahogany, still heavier than any of my (ash) Ray 5ers. Before buying it I had tried some SUB Ray5s. Found them equally playable, but lacking in the preamp dept (clear preamp clipping going on), and noticeably lighter, of course (basswood). After owning that Ray35 I wouldn't go Ray35 HH but a SUB Ray5 HH. IMHO the difference in price isn't justified by a consequent increase in quality nor functionality, plus the weight issue (personally, after putting up 2 very nice sounding cheapos I don't fear basswood at all). I'd just try powering the preamp with 18V first to try to get rid of these basses' endemic clipping (have done this a couple times in the past, most preamps do accept a wide range of supply voltage, so that manufacturers can use 9V or 18V depending on how hot their pickups of choice are, also a variable resistor before the preamp can work, if the bass is hot enough that losing a little output wouldn't suck too much). If that doesn't work you can swap the preamp for cheap. I feel spending too much would defeat the purpose in a 400€ bass, but there are still many options. There's 20€ Artec preamps from thomann. I've used some of those (3 band version, for a couple active Yamaha BB-615s, stock Q-Mix onboards were awful -lows control too high, also lacked headroom-) and am sure they're a hell of an upgrade for the stock Ray5 preamp. Here's a nice review of the Ray5HH (stock clipping and all)...

I have 2 Stingray5s with the unfinished neck. I oil them once a year, or if I eventually see they're real dry (you can defniitely feel it to the touch). ZERO humidity marks so far (my oldest SR5 is a 25 y/o birdseye necked one -pretty dark, looks almost roasted-). That's very dense maple. Other more porous untreated woods might need a different oiling frequency. I use abundant linseed oil, let it sit for a couple hours, then wipe all the excess oil out.