Baloney Balderdash

My Harley Benton GuitarBass (Bass VI) :

Definitely looks interesting, and with a nice set of controls/features too. Not that I am in a market for a compressor though, but if I was it would definitely be one of the top pedals on my list of potential candidates. -[[ !!!DISCLAIMER!!! : Following is a long, somewhat off topic, ramble, about my personal relation to compressors in general, if you can't be bothered to read it just jump to the concluding 2 final paragraphs of this post. ]]- In fact I just ditched my, until quite recently, front of signal chain TC Electronic SpectraComp, that I otherwise meticulous had dialed in, using the Toneprint editor to suit my needs and preferences, and instead now only use the "160 Comp" model, emulation of the legendary DBX 160A rack compressor, in my Zoom MS-70CDR digital multi stomp box, placed towards the end of my signal chain, dialed in to deliver a very subtle compression, with a just 2.5:1 compression ratio, just tightening up my tone ever so slightly and adding a slight bit of extra punch, snap and bite to it, but while practically otherwise practically leaving my basic tone and picking dynamics intact (believe me Zoom really nailed it with this emulation, it sounds genuinely great, and it works exceptionally well with bass). And beside the very subtle additional compression from the Mosky XP Booster, amazing Xotic EP Booster V1 clone, at the very front of my signal chain, and the tubes in the 2 tube preamps that concludes the signal chain of my "amp-less" setup, this is all the compression that I currently use. Never been much of a compressor guy, and even when I used the SpectraComp it had been dialed in fairly subtly and utilizing parallel compression (that is parallel uncompressed clean blend), sure compression can be nice for tightening up your tone and for emphasizing the attack, adding extra punch, snap and bite, but unless dialed in very carefully and rather subtle I feel like it very easily and quickly starts to affect my playing dynamics and tone negatively, like loosing dynamic range (which I am aware is exactly what a lot of people primarily use compression for) and ruining the natural frequency balance of my tone and making it less complex and somewhat more one dimensional sounding (though I guess this too is what some people might like about compression, making your signal sound more uniform). Though I am kind of really curious about, and kind of has a minor case of GAS for, the Markbass Compressore, which is a genuine tube compressor with an impressive amount of control over the compression, as I love how the demo audio clips and videos featuring I have heard/watched sounds, but I got a feeling it still wouldn't work for me personally. Sorry about the wall of text, and largely going off topic, I guess my main point really just is that I am not much of a compressor kind of person, and when I do use it, for other than post production mixing and mastering when recording/producing music that is, I tend to use it in a somewhat less traditional fashion (primarily for a slight emphasis of the attack, adding extra punch, snap and bite, rather than to tame dynamics), and that I feel I already got all the compression, which is not really all that much, that I need. I still might end up getting this new Joyo compressor, as it, as said, does look interesting, and has a nice set of features, simply out of curiosity, but if I do so I still very much doubt I will actually end up using it for anything.

Turbo RAT is the way to go for bass, as it'll retain low end considerably better than a standard RAT. The dirt cheap, but non the less genuinely great, Mosky Black Rat, RAT clone, features both a Vintage, classic, silicon diode clipping, RAT mode and a Turbo, LED diode clipping, RAT mode, and it is a bit darker voiced and retains low end a bit better than most other RAT clones on the market. I am extremely satisfied with my Mosky Black Rat, and as said Turbo RAT mode is the way to go for bass. When that is said you might want to consider either getting a RAT clone with a clean signal blend, or get something like the Boss LS-2 (or the smaller, and, unlike the Boss LS-2, including a phase switch, but more expensive, and, unlike the Boss LS-2, beside the phase switch, with no additional features/functionality, One Control Mosquito Blender Trail), which will allow you to blend in parallel clean signal with any pedal, and for certain help you retain the bottom end of your bass, as well as improved articulation and definition.

Yeah, I figured that since it would not be very likely ever to happen it would be waste of time to go in great details about it.

A custom made 6 string, 30" scale, Bass VI type bass, with a 47mm graphite nut, a slim modern C profile, bolt on, 5 piece laminated Jatoba/Maple (just 2 relatively narrow layers of maple in between 3 wider layers of Jatoba) neck (or perhaps just a 2 piece Jatoba, the second piece being the tilted headstock joint), with graphite rods enforcement and a double action trussrod, a tilted 3+3, classic B.C Rich inspired, headstock, but overall slightly more narrow, and with the "devil horns" slightly shifted, so that the upper slightly larger "horn" is sitting a bit more forward than the slightly smaller and slightly retracted lower "horn", and a 24 medium jumbo stainless steel frets, 14" radius, figured Ebony, fretboard, with an ESP LTD F-204/F-1004 style inspired Mahogany body with a spalted maple top, in a transparent matte black burst finish, and equipped with a single middle position dual blade/rail mini humbucker in a dark blood red transparent plexi/poly glass cover, with a gold plated series/parallel switch, and an active LPF and HPF tone filter control, equipped with knobs made of solid transparent dark green plexi/poly glass encapsulated in hollow gold plated cylinders with a thin spiraling gold rib going upwards around them, the bridge being 6 gold plated steel mono rail pieces (or perhaps a wammy/tremolobridge). Equipped with custom roundwound stanless steel hex core strings gauge .080 - .060 - .045 - .034 - .026 - .020, tuned G1 - C2 - F2 - A#2 - D3 - G3, as in G standard tuning, 3 half steps above E standard tuning.

It looked exactly like this one.

I owned one once, even with an additional extra slide in pickup. However I didn't like neither how it felt in my hands or sounded (neither of the 2 pickups). Should have kept it though, kind of regret selling it.

Harley Benton GuitarBass (Bass VI), tuned in G standard tuning (that is 3 half steps above regular E standard tuning):

The original : And the very different, but just as awesome cover :

I looked it up, and as far as the Wikipedia article tells his record company did produce for "Take That", though it doesn't seem like he did so personally. Also according to that Wikipedia article it turns out he is a member of an experimental electronic music duo called "The Fireman" along with Paul McCartney, never knew. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_(musician)

Top 40 is a pile of pig dung. Retarded background entertainment that makes a mockery out of the most advanced form of communication we humans were gifted with, a degenerate perversion. And for the large majority of songs that makes that list it has actually always really been like that, though as of recent years it does seem like it is only getting worse.

You are late to the party buddy, someone already linked that before.

Now while we're at it, why don't we just shut down the forum and read some books instead? Actually, why don't we just quit playing bass and read some books about it instead? Hell, why even bother living, there are already plenty of great biographies as it is?

I regret missing out on the Ibanez SRC6. I did eye it and pondered on getting one at some time back when they were still in production, but even though I was very intrigued by the concept I just wasn't entirely sure weather it also would be for me in actual practice. Now that I got a similar instrument I can say that it definitely very much is. For someone who originally started out on guitar, which I still play once in a while on the sideline, and whenever needed for the music that I create, though I did switch to bass as my main instrument of choice after only a couple of years initially on guitar, it really does seem like the ideal instrument for me. Best of both worlds you could say, though I am sure for some it will be worst of both worlds. And speaking of noodling, I named my Harley Benton GuitarBass yesterday : (and no, I didn't tape the logo over because of the fact that it's a Harley Benton, in fact I actually even quite liked the look of it, better and more discrete looking than many higher end brands, but I tend to remove or tape over the brand names, regardless of whatever status, prejudices e.t.c it might or might not be associated with for some people, on most of my instruments and amps, simply because I find the concept of paying for the questionable privilege of getting the "honor" to humbly being allowed to do free advertising for a company not alone rather strange, but frankly quite inappropriate too, big corporate company's territorial urine marks on my gear, no thanks, even worse on clothes though (that is as far as mass produced gear goes, had I owned an artfully crafted unique custom instrument made by an independent luthier it would of course be an entirely different matter, beside their signature marks, if any, are usually more discrete as well)). PS: I didn't read your initial reply, but seems like it wasn't meant to be anyway, so all good.

In fact as far as I am concerned the Harley Benton headstock even looks better than any original Fender headstock. Also removing the original logo, which from a purely graphical aesthetics point of view by the way looks better too, to replace it for a Fender one to me is just cringe worthy. What is it that makes advertising for Fender for free, even false advertising too, so desirable? I just don't get it... Why I personally usually remove the brand logo from my gear is because I feel stupid paying to get the questionable privilege of being humbly allowed to do free advertising for a company. If it was an unique artfully crafted custom instrument by an independent luthier, then sure, the only right thing to do would be showing the decency to honor it's maker (ironically though those are actually less likely to leave obvious urinal marks on their instruments than big corporate companies), but a mass produced tool, just what the flip... Obviously I don't actually know their reason for doing it, and not saying they ought to ashamed of them self for changing the headstock and logo, to each their own, but the above is honestly how I feel about it and how my immediate reaction to such is going to be.

And my Harley Benton GuitarBass (heavily inspired by the Fender Bass VI) has now officially been named:

So this is a thread dedicated to flashing and discussing short scale 6 string basses similar to the Fender Bass VI, that is 30" 6 string basses, meant to be tuned in E standard tuning, like a guitar, just 1 octave lower, and with a relatively narrow string spacing that is closer to that of a guitar as well (baritone guitars and regular 6 string basses tuned to D standard tuning or higher are acceptable too). After having eyed various incarnations of the Bass VI concept for years, I recently decided to pull the trigger on a Harley Benton GuitarBass, which is strongly inspired by the Fender Bass VI/Squier VI, but with a fixed bridge and much flatter fretboard radius (which I personally happens to prefer), and which turned out to be absolutely astonishing value for the money. I very quickly fell deeply in love with it and it has become my main instrument of choice. I do however tune it in F# standard tuning, that is 2 half steps above regular E standard tuning, as in: F#1 - B1 - E2 - A2 - C#3 - F#3, strung with custom made Newtone roundwound nickle plated hex steel core strings, gauge: .080 - .060 - .045 - .034 - .027 - .020. Which I use as the main instrument, beside drums/percussion and vocals, for my stoner/doom rock project "all I nil", that I am currently working on, run through an always on TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini to add an 1 octave above signal, for an effect somewhat similar to that of an 8 string bass/12 string guitar, and I am planning to use for my dark drone/ambient project "Fjernsind" too, and am pondering also possibly using it in place of a guitar for my alternative folk project "...and for such a long time". This is how it looks: And you can read more about it here: UPDATED photo :

Joyo makes an amazing clone of the Oxford called Oxford Sound. Considerably cheaper than the original pedal too.

This interview touch topics such as the nature of music, it's history, and future, and the big music industry's influence on this, and I think everyone ought to watch it: