Baloney Balderdash

I am really happy with my Ibanez Mikro Basses.

And the GSRM20B model in Weathered Black finish even look pretty damn amazing:

28.6" scale length, and fits perfectly in a regular guitar gig bag.

Current production models features an Okoume body, Maple neck and Purpleheart fretboard.

Swap the stock pickups out with a P/J pair of EMG Geezer Butler or DiMarzio Model P/Model J, according to preferences and taste, and you are golden. 

On 31/07/2025 at 09:35, Quatschmacher said:

This doesn’t appear to be on Singular Sound’s own website yet but I spotted this on the MIDI association innovation awards page:

https://midi.org/innovation-award/beatbuddy-2

 

I’m tempted just to have a full-size headphone port. 

Does it do odd meters/time signatures?

As intriguing and brilliant gadget it is, if not I have no use for it. 

(Edit!!! I actually made 2 versions out of this, and changed my mind, so I swapped the song to enter this challenge for the second version)

And done:

"An alternate take of an ending scene for a fictive sci-fi western movie"...

Solo bass, single track, 2nd take, improvisation, played on my 28.6" scale 4 string Ibanez GSRM20B Mikro Bass, converted to sort of a 4 string baritone slide guitar, tuned in an open B tuning, recorded through my "amp-less" setup directly into my Zoom H4n handheld recorder, and only edited through a simple Wav editor.

Here it is (you'll have to excuse my lousy old digital camera):

And I love it!

But not unconditionally.

First of all it weights about a ton, being solid Maple, so after about half an hour of play my back starts to ache.

Heavier than any of my basses, even my full scale Ash body one.

Also I really don't like the bridge Seymour Duncan JB pickup, it sounds ok in single coil mode in conduction with the neck Seymour Duncan '59 pickup, and the neck pickup sounds ok soloed as well.

But I am no doubt going to replace the pickups at some point, for a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, as this guitar was originally equipped with from stock, and then for the neck a Seymour Duncan SH-2 Jazz pickup.

Also being used to playing bass for a long while I really struggle with the narrow string spacing, and have to mind my fingers constantly, also the thin strings got a tendency to carve into my fingers, so actually much harder physically to play for me than my bass.

But I take some practice will help.

Otherwise I absolutely love it, and is definitely pleased with the buy.

Order cancelled, as I found a guitar I really regret selling years back on the used market.

A Westbury Deluxe, made on the legendary Matsumoko factory in Japan, sometime in the early 80's, and pretty rare find on the used market.

My favorite guitar ever.

It does not have the original Di'Marzio pickups, which is a bit of a shame, but still some decent Seymour Duncan ones.

This is the beauty:

I have just ordered this beauty from Thomann:

Bought from money I got from the Boss GT-1000CORE I just sold.

Top: Spruce

Back and sides: Sapele

Bolt-on neck: Okoume

Fingerboard: Purpleheart

It's an Ibanez TCY621-BOT.

I don't own a proper guitar and no Western guitar at all, but always loved the sound of the latter, and is a big fan of folk music.

And listening to demos it sounds great, despite its smaller body, and the pickup sounds great as well.

Should have it Thursday or Friday.

Will post an update when I get it.

On 01/08/2025 at 15:45, MoonBassAlpha said:

Do you record in your bathroom? It's somewhat buried in the reverberation. Quite a narrow stereo field too. I'm sure these are artistic choices though. 

Sorry about the late answer, but somehow missed your reply.

It is an artistic choice, born out of necessity you could say.

Fact is that I only have means to record directly into my Zoom H4n right now, which means that the tracks will be 2 joint stereo track, a single track recording, which results in mono, hence the quite narrow stereo field.

And I also only have means a editing that single track in a simple Wav editor.

I do happen to like dense mixes and a lot of reverb and delay, that is just my production style, and this particular track needed a reverse delay, which was achieved by reversing the single tack, applying delay and then reversing the whole track again.

If I had have more tracks I could use in stereo I would likely have used reverse delay on one track and slightly panned it to one side, leaving another copy of the same track more dry and with more compression applied panned slightly to the opposite side, for more clarity and depth.

I also likely would have recorded cleaner and applied most effects post production, to get more control over the mix.

Though I do think this simple production has it's own charms, and fits this particular track very well.

To give an example of a typical production of mine, when I do have means to record several tracks and edit/produce in a DAW:

Again a very dense mix, but the polar opposite in terms of being more maximalistic, rather than minimalistic.  

Or perhaps something more similar to the style of the track of the OP, but again a full production:

And done:

A calm folky instrumental, that seems fitting for the picture and location of it, complete with backwards intro that mirrors the mirror lake of the image  :

Solo bass, single track, 3rd take, instrumental, played on my 28.6" scale 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass, tuned in G# standard tuning (as in one half step bellow the upper 4 strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning, plus a high E), recorded through my "amp-less" setup directly into my Zoom H4n handheld recorder, and only edited through a simple Wav editor.

Just Like Anything - Jackson C. Frank

Math - Menfolk (a band I used to play bass in)

My Aria Pro II CSB-300 Cardinal Series, made on the legendary Matsumoku factory in Japan, sometime in the early 80's, that I bought recently:

32" scale length, Ash body, 3 piece Maple neck, with a Rosewood fretboard.

After a thorough setup it plays non less than amazing, and sounds great!

Definitely pleased with this buy!

I did have to lower the bridge saddles as low as they go to get them to my preferred just about 2mm string action low E string 12th fret, but it is perfect as is now, so not really an issue.

The pickup is a bit noisy when not touching any metal parts, so might need to shield it properly at some point, but as said, it does sound great, and is quiet, as long as touching metal parts or strings.

Being used to playing 28.6" scale basses for the last past 10 years or so I am surprised how effortlessly this bass is to play.

It does have a pretty chunky neck, but it is pretty narrow, with a string spacing of just 16.5mm, like my main 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass.

Nice to finally have a bass again that can be tuned in regular E standard tuning, without compromising the tone.

I am also positively surprised with how little fret wear it got, practically non.

I have given it the name "Dud Bottomfeeder Sr.", after my 4 string Mikro, which is named "Dud Bottomfeeder II".

Joyo Moonbase

Essentially a Tube Screamer with a clean blend, which is exactly what the original Ibanez Bass Tube Screamer is.

Edit!: Just looked it up, seems I remember wrong, it doesn't actually have a clean blend, so it's just a Tube Screamer clone marketed for bass, which is strange cause most of Joyo's other drive offerings, designed with guitar in mind, actually works better for bass than this.

Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf

B#

A goblin?

To me it sounds thin, farty and mid scooped. 

But I digress...

I suppose this is a somewhat thin tone too, but at the same time monterous, and very snappy and punchy, I love this P tone:

I do own a Laney 15W Ironheart IRT-Studio Aniversery Edition, with a poweramp/transformator DI output, and build in load, so no conection os speakers is necessary for it to operate.

This is how it looks (random Google photo):

And an old 50W Dynacord Bass-King produced in Germany in the early 60's (my actual unit), which sound non less than astonishing, but is in need of new power tubes, and a bit of work, like cleaning pots:

Currently though I use the poweramp section of an old 120W solid state Peavey guitar amp, to power my "amp-less" setup, 2 always on tube preamps, one as the very beginning of the chain and one at the very end, is part of this setup though.

Trying hard to get more viewers on my YouTube channel with this hip clickbait thumbnail 

One word: Wagner!

This is an old composition of mine, so couldn't enter the competition, even if it fits very well into this month's "topic", but just recorded this take of it :

A single track solo bass surf math rock (or progressive surf rock, if you will) piece, played on my just 28.6" scale length 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass, "Mr. Growly - The Noodlemancer", tuned in G# standard tuning (that is as one half step bellow the upper 4 strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning, plus a high E).

Theremin?

36 minutes ago, lurksalot said:

I'm also done, I was reminded of the whirling dervishes and the noises I produced seem to be consistent with that 

 

 

 

EZ drummer , Fleabass, guitar and keys all through waves gtr3 and messed about with , splash of ozone 8 and there we go ! 

This is awesomely chaotic!

Love it! 

First Bass : 4 string 34" Aria Pro II Laser Electric Classic

Go To Bass : 4 string 32" Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CSB-300

Your Bass : 5 string 28.6" scale Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass tuned to G# standard tuning (as in the upper 4 strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning, plus a high E)

3 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Just a thought, should we not have a category for ‘Heft’?

I think it would had been a good idea to add "writing/composing" skills to the list.

Year started playing: 1994 (I think, might had been 1993)

Number of basses: 6

Number of instruments played: Them all! (only really know how to play bass and guitar well though. And then I don't know if computer and midi counts as an instrument, but am highly skilled at that too)

Music theory: 3? (I know the basics, but I can't read nowhere near fluently, I would have to sit and point at the sheet with my finger, counting each note)

Technique: 6

Groove: 6

Heft: I play very lightly, but heavy.... If I have to I can go to 11

Writing/Composing: 8 (yes, again it would be very cumbersome for me to write in standard notation, but multi track recordings and midi grit has been invented)

9 hours ago, Chiliwailer said:

 

Groove as ‘micro-timing’? 🤔

 

- ’Micro-timing is in the heart’

- ’One nation under a micro-timing’

- ‘Micro-time me’

- ‘Get into the micro-time’

 

Nah 😊

 

 

Totally micro-timey, man...