Baloney Balderdash

Nothing else than a pick will give you that unique snappy emphasis on the attack. The EHX Steel Leather pedal was made with helping being able to get closer to a pick tone while using you fingers in mind, essentially helping with emphasize the attack, as is the main characteristic of pick playing, as described above. But again, while that might help you get closer, it won't really sound like a pick. Getting an EHX Steel Leather pedal and learning how to utilize the flamenco inspired index and/or middle finger flicking technique would probably be your best bet though. A regular compressor with just the right settings can do a somewhat similar thing though, the trick is to dial in just exactly sufficient attack time to let the transient of your attack fully through unaffected (I'd say just about 30ms or so ought to work well), then following have the compressor cramp down the signal a bit immediately after, just a bit, you wouldn't really want a very high compression ratio, the release time needs to not be set too long either, that is relatively short, but not too short either, and it helps with a hard knee as well, for the cramp down of the signal to happen as fast and steep as possible immediately after the full transient of the attack initially has been passed through unaffected, all to emphasize the attack (but not too extremely so, for it to still sound natural), like a pick would do (experiment with the threshold value of the compressor). And using an equalizer pedal to slightly boost a center frequency of 1kHz or so (experiment with a center frequency from around 800Hz to about 1.2kHz) with a relatively narrow bandwidth/high Q value will help with emphasizing the attack too (again a huge boost is not desirable, a slight boost will do, in order for it to still sound natural).

I do realize that this is probably more circumstantial than what OP likely would want to through, but since everyone else is coming with examples from their own setup: Mixing drives in parallel really opens up for some totally unique distortion tones that one wouldn't be able to achieve otherwise, and adds a certain extra depth (or dimension, if you will) to the distorted tone that wouldn't be obtainable any other way (well except bi-amping, I guess, but then again that is essentially the same thing, more or less). I got a really massively ballsy and monstrously heavy distortion tone, that still is surprising well articulate and well defined considering, and also have this unique extra layer of depth to it, by running my bass signal with an added 1 octave up, via a customized Toneprint on my TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini, into a Boss LS-2 with a Mosky Black Rat RAT clone, in Turbo RAT mode, dialed in with a relatively high gain setting, in one of the effect loops, mixing it in parallel at about equal measures with a Joyo American Sound (other upper mids focused overdrive pedals could work as well), dialed in with the upper mids boosted some, pre gain stage, and to just on the verge of breakup, stacked into a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, dialed in with a relatively moderate gain setting. I really love how this sounds, as said massively ballsy and monstrously heavy distortion tone, that still is surprising well articulate and well defined considering how raunchy and massive this sounds, as well as having this extra layer of depth to it, not obtainable by other means than mixing two different drives in parallel. As far as I am concerned this is the absolute perfect high gain distortion/fuzz when such is needed for doomy stuff. And I'd imagine using something like the EHX Switchblade Pro Deluxe, instead of a Boss LS-2, which would allow for additionally blending in clean/dry signal, or in this case {dry+1 octave up} signal, with the two drives mixed in parallel, would give additional clarity and articulation if needed without really compromising the massive heavy and ballsy -ness of it. In any case a pedal that allows for blending drives in parallel or eventual with clean/dry signal, like for instance the Boss LS-2, which would allow for either blending two drives in parallel, or blending one drive with clean/dry signal, or the EHX Switchblade Pro Deluxe, which would allow for both two drives blended in parallel, and additionally blending in clean/dry signal, would absolutely be recommendable for retaining bottom end and increased definition and articulation, which otherwise easily can get lost when using drive pedals, especially high gain ones, on bass, and otherwise adding an extra layer of depth to the drive, only obtainable by blending two different drives in parallel.

Time to bump this thread, and doing so by showing off my Ibanez GSRM20 neck + GSRM20B body Mikro Bass (which can also be seen standing in a corner to the right of the OP photo), also with a Jack Skellington skull sticker, as well as some red and green electrical tape, but also some of the tiny "The Scream" inspired stickers that came with a Sherman Filterbank 2 I once owned, but which I unfortunately was stupid enough to sell at some point, applied to the headstock.

I actually plan on getting me one of those small mallets, one with a wooden or hard rubber head, that you use for Orff instruments, like glockenspiel, xylophones and metalophones, to do something similar, though rather than a slap type sound, as in this video, I plan to use it for replicating a dulcimer like sound on my bass. Also looking into getting some kind of slide, there's a particular one that I am having a keen eye on and ponder on acquiring that you fit on the finger as sort of like a heavy thick ring with a clamp that keeps it in place, that allows you to play fairly normally when not using it as a slide, and kind of fits perfectly for only sliding on one string a time for a bass with standard 19mm string spacing.

I've had a change of mind and now mainly uses my fingers. A combination of several different finger picking techniques, regular traditional two finger plucking, classical acoustic guitar finger picking, flamenco style index and/or middle finger flicking, double thumb, and sometimes also thumb+index finger pressed together, using the tip/nail of the index finger, faux pick style (though usually in those cases I will prefer using the flamenco finger flicking technique or double thumb instead), depending. Though definitely does sound less aggressive, but also somewhat more organic, than using a pick, not least because I prefer using a fairly light touch. I don't really pull the strings when I pluck them, and sort of stroke them rather than striking them. When I do use a pick though it is still the regular Dunlop USA Nylon .73mm one.

Octave fuzz! Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz, or Orange Fur Coat. Perhaps reverb for atmospheric parts, and maybe a phaser too. Some sort of delay as well, which might make the reverb redundant.

Damn, that's crazy... Just couldn't imagine a neck ever warping like that... That some impressive warp going on there. How would that warp just be exclusive to at the first fret though, and how would cutting a new nut be able fix it? Your description of this issue in the OP isn't really as clear as you apparently think it is (I realize that it obviously is to you because you know what the actual issue is already having the bass in question physically with you).

Thanks for elaborating. Even if that wouldn't really form a shape like an S at all either. I guess raised on E string, lowered on A string, then raised on D string and lowered on G string kind of would though, but even then that would be the strings/nut and not the neck forming an S.

The headline: Rot Fish-Stench's Trumpet-Friend Caught In A Car-Boot Incident And as haiku: Rotten fish trumpet Trumpet odour in a car No fun fishy joke

There once was a fellow His trumpet was yellow And in it's midts his friends hid a fish That rotted real good What a stench of a toot (Edit: Just realized it doesn't follow the traditional rhyme scheme of a limerick, but whatever) There once was a fellow His trumpet was yellow And in it's midts His friends hid a rotten fish What a stench of a blow There, fixed!...

Well, the Zoom B1 and G1 Four (yes, I do own both) are crap compared to the B1Xon and G1Xon (yes, I won both) that they released around 2013 I think, which were actually even better than the contemporaneous Boss multi effects, and which used the same digital effect models as featured in their current production Multi Stomp boxes. Much more versatile, flexible and tweakable, and as far as I am concerned sounds far better too. Also Zoom used to be utter crap before around the 2010's as well, a shame they reverted back to that. Just because digital effect models needs more DSP power to run doesn't automatically makes them better than some that consumes less DSP power, the legendary Lexicon reverbs is one obvious example of this.

Well the expensive BAE preamp/DI did sound ever so slightly marginally better to me, like clearer, more well defined, and having more depth, though the cheap Focusrite preamp came in as a close second to me, and the mid priced one last, and that in all examples, except for the second, I believe picked played, example, where to me the Focusrite actually sounded best to me, but with the BAE as a close second, and again the mid priced one last. However my judgement might very well to some degree have been affected to differences in your playing and slightly different set output levels of the 3 preamps, so no finite conclusion really. Some of this uncertainty in the test result could have been avoided/eliminated by running the same played piece through each preamp using a looper or similar, to make sure that all 3 preamps actually received the exact same signal, which most definitely wasn't the case playing manually. In any case the ever so slight different in this raw DI'ed signal is going to be diminished even further, quite likely to the point of it becoming absolutely and completely indistinguishable once pre production have been applied to the recorded bass track, and for sure will in the final mix with other instruments. Also we are talking really minimal differences, and who even know how close it matches what you actually recorded with the inevitable YouTube compression having been applied to this video when you uploaded it. I think the only thing I really can conclude from this video is that the mid priced preamp demonstrated in this video most likely is not worth it, and in my personal current economical situation that the BAE isn't really either, but might had been if I had happen to be rich.

Well, there is actually such a thing as single even 10" speakers that can handle 500W alone, can't see why 2 10" speakers shouldn't be able to handle 500W if they are specked right (which i very much assume they are, anything else would be rather silly), that they happen to be 10" speakers means little in terms of power handling. Also you don't get 500W from a 250W combo amp by connecting a matching extension cab (unless it is actually a 500W amp to start with, and the stock speakers are just not of optimal Ohm rating for the amp alone).

Was it a bass by any chance? Also hopefully his "funny" "friends" payed him for a new trumpet.

This is so cool! I've actually considered for quite a while buying a Harley Benton short scale P bass and then moding it into a five string, since that one got a 42mm nut width, which is not too common on short scale basses, for tuning E to C. Is this 4 to 5 string conversion set still available, and if, where would I be able to buy one (preferably from a EU located shop, so I don't have to pay import fee)?

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Of course entirely up to you, but may I suggest a reverse P pickup orientation, to even out the natural tonal difference (I am talking even of notes of otherwise the same octave, due to the gauge difference) between the lower thicker gauge and higher thinner gauge strings, rather than ascending it, as a traditional oriented P actually does. That is getting a more even tone and response across the strings.

Right below the picture of my previous pedal board/setup:

I don't know who exactly an unplayable low E string on a 4 string bass would be acceptable to, not even on a 100£ instrument, except apparently Fender.

@SteveXFR I have just updated the signal chain listed in my forum profile to reflect these changes, so should be a bit easier for you to get a proper overview now, without crosschecking needed: https://www.basschat.co.uk/profile/50585-baloney-balderdash/

Those two are very accurate names too for this bass, not just random silly word plays. Like it literally feels like Fender is taking a pee up their customers backs.

Well, it's admittedly kind of complicated, but have a look at my forum profile where I have my whole signal chain listed. However I am in the middle of rearranging my setup so that would be the old setup listed, used for a Harley Benton GuitarBass (take on the Fender Bass VI concept), tuned in F# standard tuning, that is 10 half steps bellow regular 6 string guitar E standard tuning, played with a pick, to suit playing my 28.6" scale Ibanez Mikro Bass instead, also tuned in F# standard tuning, that is 2 half steps above regular 4 string bass E standard tuning, but played using my fingers, better. So far I've settled with almost the exact same setup for my basic clean tone, except for the Joyo Oxford Sound having been swapped out for a Behringer GDI21, Tech 21 GT2 clone, with the Drive knob just barely above minimum position, which in practice would translate to just on the verge of breakup, the Treble control (shelving filter, freq unknown) at about 11 o'clock and the Bass control (shelving filter, freq unknown) at about 1 o'clock, using the California (Mesa Boogie) amp emulation setting, Clean mode, and miked speaker emulation mode on Center position, and then the Joyo Orange Juice that was placed in one of the effect loops of the Boss LS-2, blended with "clean/dry" signal, being replaced for a Joyo American Sound (still blended with "clean/dry" signal via the LS-2), Tech 21 Blonde clone, the gain dialed in to just on the verge of breakup, a wide curve around 800Hz boosted about +3dB pre gain stage, and a wide curve around 400Hz boosted about +2dB post gain stage, finally the 160 Comp compressor model at the very start of the always on patch used on the Zoom MS-70CDR now having been removed and the very subtle compression instead being handled by the EHX Black Finger, which primary task though still is to function as a tube preamp stage. Might be subject to change, as I am still in the process of rearranging my pedal setup, but this is as least what at this point seems like a quite likely final setup as far as my basic "clean" tone goes. Oh, and also, the Moksy XP booster at the very start of the signal chain, right after the bass, now has both internal dip switches disengaged, which would translate to a subtle low end boost, and is run on 18V, the latter resulting in a bit more clarity, and the TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini pedal following it, used exclusively for a 1 octave up effect, is also now not quite an always on effect anymore, but more of an almost always on effect. All in all resulting in a bit more mellow, or rather perhaps a bit less aggressive, tone with overall a bit more low end, better suited for finger picking techniques. I apologize for the wall of text, but yes, as said, kind of complicated, and at least I tried to give as thorough an answer as possible. Hopefully it was of more help than confusion.

Well, my main setup is "amp-less", or perhaps more correctly stated pedal based. So yes. I use a combination of several gain and EQ stages, among those 2 tube preamps, one of them also functioning as a DI, and then a faux, EQ based, cab sim, which basically is just a LPF, then from that tube preamp with DI functionality either into a mixer, used a headphones preamp, and a fairly high end studio grade, that is FRFR, set of headphones, for home practice, or into the Effects Return, basically being poweramp input, of a 160W Peavey guitar combo, with the build in 12" speaker disconnected and instead hooked up to a FRFR passive PA speaker, 15" woofer/mids driver 1.7" high frequency tweeter/high mids horn, with great low end representation, for band rehearsals/jams/back gear gigs, or the PA system of a given venue for playing live gigs otherwise. Works great, the main advantage being consistency of tone whether I practice at home, jam or rehearse with band, play live or record, and another great advantage being flexibility of tailoring tone, specifically in mine which, as said, is made of a combination of several EQ and gain stages, but while keeping it primarily analog.