I'm very happy with the sound of my gear, but that doesn't stop me from keeping an eye out for something that might sound better.
I've owned my two basses for 11 years (Mike Lull) and 6 years (Sadowsky) respectively, so "better" doesn't come along very often.
ES writes a good tune (you can easily whistle, hum or sing), has a good voice and a cheeky smile, just what a good pop song wants.
I'd rather listen to ES than some of the songs we had to endure in the top 10 in the "golden period" of pop music.
Yep. He wasn't very happy that the band moaned so much about humping his gear, but he finally quit when we made our album and the Hammond wouldn't fit through the door of the studio!!
If you are the last one to arrive don't be surprised if the rest of the band has only left you 1 square foot of stage to set up in!
Once I was late getting to a gig and discovered the guys had not left me any room to set up. I got blank looks when I asked where I was supposed to put my gear! Then angry grumbling when I said I was going home if no one budged up and gave me room. What a bunch of Richards!
I sold both my Two10s and bought a BB2 to go with my SM.
IMO the sound of the BB2 is bigger and fuller with a wider tonal palette. If you put a warm sound into a BF 112 you'll get a warm sound out.
I had a TE valve 410 combo provided on a gig once. I wanted to move it to the other side of the drummer, but after a couple of attempts I left it where it was!!
I know a player who refused to acknowledge anything other than a Hammond through a Leslie cab could produce a decent organ sound. This went on for many years.
He's now using Nord and getting a great sound. Age even gets to keyboard players in the end.
Fitness and core strength are always a worthy goals, but they cannot paper over the cracks forever. The years always win in the end.
30 years ago, a back injury like mine would have meant retirement or taking up flute. Now I just find a lighter or better designed piece of gear and carry on. I'm very thankful of the new choices that regularly become available. At this rate I'm good for another 15 years at least.
Well in 30+ years of playing I've never had a twisted string, because before I tighten up the string I push it out the back of the bridge an inch or so and that ensures the string straightens up and does not twist.
For practice I use one of my regular gigging amps, usually the Aguilar TH500, a Barefaced One10 and headphones for the laptop. I can get a good tone at low volume and it's easy to balance the two volumes.
I'm checking out putting everything through a Palmer bass amp.
It is Chris White in that video. He produced a couple of songs for a band I was in in the early 70's. Nice guy, very hot on sound and the recording process.
Sadly the songs were never released.
IMO a Jazz bass is the right bass to upgrade with a preamp.
John East preamps go very well with Bartolini pickups., so you might also need to upgrade those.