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1974 and 1983 Gibson L9-S Ripper. Both completely factory original.

Gibson SB-300. Short-scale SG body design bass. Fewer than 1000 made and only shipped from mid-1971 to early 1973. Interesting in that it was Gibson’s first bass model to have a maple rather than mahogany neck and single coil pickups. More details on this and other Gibson basses can be found here.

Can you benefit from becoming familiar with and using a compressor ? It all depends I’ve found the biggest problem with compressors is that their operation is often misunderstood and they’re frequently misused because of that. A good resource for all things compressor along with reviews of dozens of specific models can be found here. A more current discussion of compressor pedals (with reviews) can be found here. Knowledge is power.

An AC power adaptor and a good set of headphones is a wise investment if you’re going to get an SCR/DI. You’ll get maybe six or so hours of runtime before your battery dies out. So it’s definitely not practical or economical to run it for any length of time on a 9V battery. As far as headphones go, I’m using a Sony MDR-7506 set, which is a good match for this application. Soundwise it sounds like an Ampeg. Small surprise since the tonestack is identical to Ampeg’s BA series amplifiers with some added features such as amp emulation and the ability to deliver line level output. So it can be plugged into your power amp of choice if you choose to use it that way. The DI is not studio calibre by any stretch. But it’s still fine. I prefer using an outboard DI so I seldom use that feature. But either way, the built-in is more than acceptable for most uses. The Scrambler circuit is something I’ll leave for others to discuss. I don’t personally care for the sound it has. But that’s likely just me. And it is very handy for those times when you want to conveniently introduce a touch of grit into your sound and your preferred pedal isn’t readily available. Conclusion? An excellent preamp/DI pedal with a host of input and output options for people who like the Ampeg sound. If you’re not insisting on that Ampeg sound, and you’re looking for a more sophisticated and flexible EQ section you might be better off considering the Tech21 Q/Strip or the Broughton Audio Messenger preamp instead.

Yes. It is actually a stereo capable serial loop in that particular amp. Good point, and something I should have specified earlier. I keep forgetting not all effects loops are implemented the same way.

I found an HPF (I use a Broughton HPF which performs the same function as a Thumpinator - but is more flexible) has worked best for me left by itself in the effects loop. So I suppose you could say that makes it dead last since it comes into the signal chain after the amplifier’s preamp stage.