Baloney Balderdash

I'll recommend an Ibanez GSRM20B Mikro Bass. Even shorter scale, just 28,6", but in my opinion not with any obvious trade offs, on the contrary it will be even easier to play, and lighter, and they are truly great little basses. And if that matters to you with 3 more frets than the Harley Benton and the Bronco, and considerably better upper fret access than the Gretch. As for the difference in quality between the Bronco and the Harley Benton my best bet is that they'll be pretty much about the same level of quality, and personally I'd prefer the flatter fretboard radius and P pickup configuration of the Harley Benton to the small Strat guitar like single coil of the Bronco (though it could of course be upgraded to a Tele/Early P Bass single coil, but that then would be extra money, on top of it already being double the price, likely without any obvious improvement gained for that money), plus the Bronco will be hard to get to intonate properly with it's just 2 saddle bridge arrangement vs. the proper 4 saddle bridge of the Harley.

I prefer symmetric headstocks, aka 2+2, 3+2, 3+3, and actually quite like the one Ibanez uses for their current production bass models, though admittedly it works best for their 4 string basses, I could have wished that Ibanez would have expanded it slightly for my 6 string bass, as it somewhat gives me association to those shrunken heads that used to be popular among certain cannibalistic "primitive" tribes, and additionally, unlike the 4 strings, can't keep the strings in a perfect straight line to avoid pull on the nut. Not from any of my 3 Ibanez basses, but here's a random modern Ibanez bass headstock from Google : My all time favorite head stock is the classic B.C Rich one though (even if it got even more of an issue of the strings being impossible to keep in straight line to avoid pull on the nut) : Finally I also really like the ESP headstock, which seems to be somewhat of a middle ground between the Ibanez and the BC Rich ones : But actually, the headstock on this sub-short 28 5/8" scale bass that was build out of Warmoth baritone parts and on which I designed the headstock myself, is by far my most favorite headstock design ever, even if it doesn't really suits this bass at all, and could do with a black finish and a slight down shrinking as well before it would be just perfect (but the basic design and shape is there, just needs to be slightly smaller, but while retaining the same relative proportions), it ought to be quite obvious that I clearly draw it with heavy inspiration from the B.C Rich headstocks, just with asymmetrical staggered horns and a few other minor differences that in my modest and honest opinion though makes it look both much cooler, and one might even say somewhat more artistic and classic, as far as I am concerned having a bit less kitschy/cartoonish edginess and a bit more class, compared to the B.C Rich one (unfortunately I was stupid enough to sell this bass at some point, really a shame cause it was quite unique and actually sounded really great as well) :

Well, examining the 5 piece laminated Maple/Walnut/Maple/Walnut/Maple neck I actually discovered what, as far as I can tell, might be a tiny knot in the center piece of Maple towards the lower end of the neck (as in just about right before the neck joint), not sure if it is actually in fact a tiny knot though or just a small discoloration and minor abnormality in the grain. Looks like this (in the red circle) : And zoomed in really close (to the point where it is actually magnified considerably) to what I believe might be a tiny knot : So does that look like a tiny knot to you, or just a minor discoloration and abnormality in the grain that I probably shouldn't have any reason to worry about at all? And yes, I do realize that this might all look like silly needles worry to someone who knows there would be nothing to worry about, I don't however, but am generally concerned as I love this bass and like to know if there is any possible valid reason to worry about the long time stability of the neck, based on these what to me look like abnormalities, even if they might very well actually all be within perfectly normal variations in wood that should't cause any need for concern.

Sounds like a good plan. Unfortunately very unlike Johnson's... My condolences. And yeah, I only started to read up on and understand compression better fairly recently my self, still not exactly an expert, but with a good deal of trial and error, dialing in and carefully listening to what it changes and then re-adjusting according to that I still succeeded to get an end result I am really satisfied with.

Not sure if this was intended as a comment on my reply above yours, but my comment wasn't really aimed at you, I kind of figured you would be perfectly fine with not sounding exactly like playing a pick, but just needed to get in the ballpark, and that is perfectly valid as far as I am concerned, my reply was more a general notion aimed at people who seems to honestly believe that there are no situations where your fingers would just not be the optimal solution, but where using a pick would be the only right choice.

Only to realize that you have run out of space when you need to replicate the tone of using a pick near the bridge, and then, when you finally give up on using your fingers to replicate the sound of playing with a pick and therefor starts to actually use a pick, realizes that your fingers never really sounded like an actual pick to begin with anyway. Also I don't think that is what people usually mean when they are using the phrase "tone is in the fingers", I believe it is to be taking slightly less literally, and usually is used in the sense that the personality of your playing (signature sound if you will) is in how you are actually playing your instrument, with all that encompass, including how you use your fingers (and/or pick), more so than in the specific gear you use to do so. You'll always sounds like you, that is no doubt the truth, but that doesn't mean that you will always sound exactly the same regardless, and it certainly doesn't mean that you can sound exactly like playing with a pick by instead using your fingers, a carrot, a sock or whatever you might wish ,that isn't actually an actual pick. With the right gear and technique, sure you can reach an approximation, but it will never sound exactly like the real thing, and in my opinion isn't really worth the troubles it requires of you to get the job half done, when you can just stop to stubbornly insist on not using the one thing that will actually get the job done properly.

Not with the intention to shame any of you for not having replied yet, I realize most people in our time zone are asleep by now and was when I created my OP as well, but got this very reassuring answer from a member of The Gear Page forum where I asked the same question : I did kind of figure that the darker color would just be due to natural variation, though it is really darker than any other Jatoba fretboard I've ever seen, including the one on my other Ibanez bass as well. What I was most worried about might had been a sign of poor quality was the prominent pores, I guess because they sort of look like tiny cracks, and that I haven't seen them so prominent on any other Jatoba fretboard before, even if I confirmed myself that they in fact are not cracks at all, judging from having tried to detect if this was the case by running my finger over them, only to find them feeling just as smooth and even as the rest of the board. But from what they wrote in the post quoted above I am now completely reassured that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of the wood used for this fretboard. And as said I don't mind the prominent black pores at all, and I even thinks the slightly figured and generally darker color of this particular piece of wood makes for a quite beautiful fretboard, with a certain lively play of light in it and sense of depth, to a degree where I actually think I might even prefer this fretboard over if it had been made of Rosewood, unlike just about every other Jatoba fretboard I've ever seen, which has otherwise always seemed somewhat dull and boring in comparison to this particular one, and which, unlike this, in my opinion fits basses with black finish particularly poorly. I have fallen deeply in love with this, my first 6 string bass ever, in the about just a week I have owned it by now, and it has earned the spot as my new main, playing and sounding absolutely beautifully, so would have hated to learn something was not quite right with it. Astonishing bass period, not just for the money, though that aspect makes it even more of a sensation. Also I apologize for if it seems like I am spamming my excitement for this bass all over this forum, seemingly trying to squeeze a mention of it into every thread possibly with just a remotely fitting topic, and even starting a couple myself with it featuring as the main topic (my "New 6 string ordered" and "Sound test" threads, along with this one), though this thread was voicing a genuine concern I had that I felt I needed reasurement of, so hope I have not made people feeling too fed up with me and my new bass by now.

I am a little worried if I should be concerned for the Jatoba fretboard on my new Ibanez SR306EB 6 string bass showing unusually prominent wood grains and being unusually dark compared to all other Jatoba fretbaoards I have ever seen (and compared to the Jatoba fretboard on my 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass as well)? From a visual point of view I don't actually mind the fairly prominent wood grains at all, and the fretboard still feels perfectly smooth and nice to play on (maybe even slightly smoother than my rosewood fretboards), and the darker color than usually seen in Jatoba wood actually is even a plus for me from a visual point of view, just worried if it might be an indication that the quality of the piece of wood used for the fretboard being somewhat poor, as in possibly weaker, more prone to warping/twisting e.t.c. Here's a couple of closeup shots of 2 sections of the fretboard to get you an idea of what I am taking about (though even though it might look like these almost black wood grains are small narrow cracks in the wood, they are not actually, just black superficial grain figures (as said the fretboard feels perfectly smooth, and there is not actually anything unusual to feel where the grain shows if one runs a finger over them specifically to check)) : SOLVED!!! : Look at my reply bellow this one.

With my new Ibanez306EB 6 string bass being quite heavier (about 6kg/13lbs) than my previous main, a 4 string Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass (don't have the exact weight but properly close to half the weight), I think I might need to get over my aversion for wide straps in the most common "ultra wide one side/super narrow other side" design, and get one of those, and with shoulder padding as well, so this actually seems attractive to me the brown Minotaur SPB08 Steampunk Timemaker strap (would normally also have gone for the black one, but in this case I think the brown one looks cooler and fits the theme better) : https://www.thomann.de/gb/minotaur_spb08_steampunk_timemaker_br.htm 10,5mm width, 7mm padding. Even if I probably am going to sit down and play most of the time.

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Edit!!! : Oh, well, just realized that you were looking for a rack unit, not a pedal format compressor, nevermind... I can warmly recommend the fully customable 3 band TC Electronic SpectraComp compressor. In my opinion it does require of you to take the time to dial in exactly what you want from it via the Toneprint editor. At least I found non of the pre-made templates or artist toneprints to my liking, but on the other hand you can really get it to work just about however you like it to using the Toneprint editor. I don't consider my self nowhere near a compressor expert but still I got it to work exactly like I wanted, so with some trial and error and careful dialing while listening to the result of the adjustments made, and then re/fine-adjusting accordingly it isn't exactly rocket science to dial in a compression matching exactly what you'd like to hear, you just need some patience, even if the huge amount of parameters available for adjustment in the editor might seem overwhelming at first, and in my opinion the result is well worth the extra work required for you to get there.

I guess I might as well write an update too on my compressor situation. As it turned out I dropped both the Zoom and the Black finger compressor. The Black Finger might come back at the very end of my signal chain, as before really more so functioning as a tube preamp stage than a compressor, but after a couple of intense dialing sessions using Toneprint editor, being really nitpicky about getting it absolutely perfect I eventually settled for just using the TC Electronic SpectraComp at the very beginning of my signal chain, right after my bass. Can't remember the exact settings I used, but by choosing just the right corossover frequencies for respectively the low, mid and high band, and blending in some parallel cleans, the mid frequency band having least cleans blended in, the low band slightly more, and the high band again slightly more than the low band, but with the high band being compressed the most (here I am thinking in terms of the compression ratio and the threshold mainly), but as said then mixed with slightly more clean signal than the other bands, and with least compression on the low band, the middle band being somewhere in between regarding amount of compression applied, I managed to make the SpectraComp do amazing things to my tone and adding a nice amount of punchy- and snappy- -ness, but while still effecting my playing dynamics minimally (I guess mainly due to the parallel clean signal being blended in), overall acting as a really nice tone enhancer, adding some snap, punch, clarity and definition and just ever so slightly smoothing out the signal, but in such a way that it is actually improving articulation, rather than killing it, which I feel otherwise is usually the most apparent danger of not applying compression carefully enough. All in all the SpectraComp is an absolutely amazing compression tool, with huge potentials, but in my opinion it does require of you to take the time to dial all the parameters in just the right way, using the Toneprint editor, personally at least all the pre-made templates and artist toneprints, and believe me I have literally gone through every single one of them, were absolutely useless to me, just about all of them being far to intrusive on my tone and playing dynamics for my taste, even with the physical knob of the pedal set at the minimum position.

Edit!!! : 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 I will prefer using the flamenco finger flicking technique or double thumb instead), depending. Definitely sounds less aggressive though, 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, and sort of stroke them rather than striking them. So out of curiosity, who use finger picking and who use a pick, or if both, which do you prefer, and what is/are your favorite pick(s). Personally I can play both, but by far prefer the tone I get from using a pick, that specific snappy emphasis on the attack that you can't really replicate exactly alike by other means. On guitar strangely enough I prefer using my fingers. I also actually prefer my pick to be fairly flexible, and my favorite pick for bass is a Dunlop USA Nylon .73mm : The one I use now is just perfectly worn to have a fairly round tip, exactly as I prefer it to be, and I have prepared another one, aiming for about the same roundness of the tip, by using fine grained sandpaper. This is how I prefer it to be:

I am sure Anthony Jackson will be pleased to know he can now finally call himself a real bass player, also when he uses a pick, that's of course assuming 6 string bass players were pardoned as well. Bobby Vega at least now can have peace of mind. On a more serious note I can play both, but by far prefer the tone I get from playing with a pick, that specific snappy emphasis on the attack that can't really be obtained exactly the same otherwise, strangely enough I by far prefer using my fingers for guitar.

So as some of you might have noticed from several posts I have really fallen in love with my new Ibanez SR306EB bass, my very first 6 string, in the just a matter of under the week I've owned it. So I guess it is time to give it a name. I always otherwise always thought it was strange to give your instruments name, but that changed with naming my old main a lowly, but very much beloved, 28,6" scale Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass, "Dud Bottomfeeder", so now I want to give this, my new main, a name too. And my name for this glorious beast, very much in line with the name I gave my Mikro, is : "The Noodle Queen" Another contesting name was "Noodle Thunderrod". Also I have grown accustomed to the wide fretboard of a six disturbingly fast, in such a degree even that what before looked abnormally wide to me now looks normal, and what looked normal to me before, aka 4 string basses, now look abnormally narrow. Though I suppose this is perfectly normal for incarnated respectively 4 and 6 string players. However I still every once in a while stumble over the narrow string spacing, though I really wouldn't have wanted it to be any wider, I can totally see the advantages in that too, as soon as my muscle memory has adapted.

I won't promise I'll get to do it, but sounds interesting, so count me in. So the piece is required to have bagpipes and panflutes? Or was that a joke? Edit!! : Well, after reading the replies it seem like the whole thread was just a joke...

So here it is, a first take noodling session on my new Ibanez SR306EB, my first 6 string bass, recorded through my ampless setup directly into my audio interface, without any editing or effects added post production (not even EQ or compression) : Signal chain : 6 string Ibanez SR306EB bass (strung with gauge .105 - .080 - .060 - .045 - .032 - .024 D'Addario XL nickle roundwound steel strings, tuned in D1 standard tuning, 3 half steps above B standard 6 string bass tuning) ->> TC Electronic SpectraComp (always on compressor) ->> TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini (always on digital polyphonic octaver, used as an 1 octave up effect mixed with clean bass signal, giving an effect similar to that of an 8 string "octave" bass, with pairs of respectively bass and octave strings) ->> Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz (Boss FZ-2/Univox Super Fuzz clone, octave fuzz, set to [Mode 1]) ->> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] (empty effects loop used as clean {bass+octave up} signal blend for the RAT distortion in parallel effects loop [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Mosky Black Rat (RAT clone, in [Vintage] classic original RAT mode, quite raunchy high gain distortion, mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 40/60 ratio) }=>> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (always on, parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] ->> Joyo Orange Juice (low gain overdrive, with some highs cut via the tone knob, always stacked into the flanger in front of it) ->> Boss MT-2 Metal Zone (currently basically just functioning as an additional buffer) ->> Monarch MFL-22 (flanger, always used with the Orange Juice behind it stacked into it, and most often used mixed with phaser in parallel effects [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Behringer VP1 Vintage Phaser (EHX Small Stone clone, used in the high feedback and deep sweep mode, almost always used mixed with flanger in parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> Joyo Orange Juice (always on, relatively low gain, overdrive, [Tone] set at about 11 o'clock, [Voice] set to boost a wide curve around a 800Hz center frequency about +3dB pre gain stage, always mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 50/50 ratio) }=>> Boss TR-2 (tremolo, almost always used combined with the chorus effect in front of it) ->> TC Electronic Shaker (Vibrato blended with clean signal, via the Toneprint editor, functioning as a deep lush chorus effect, almost always used combined with the Boss TR-2 tremolo) ->> NUX Tape Core Deluxe (Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation) ->> Zoom G1Xon (exclusively used for reverb effects, which are as follows:: a very subtle, always on, main plate reverb :-: a more prominent plate + hall reverb :-: a thick lush plate + hall + tape delay reverb :-: and finally an extremely thick and lush reverb pad used with volume swells consisting of plate + hall + tape delay reverb) ->> Zoom G1 Four (exclusively used as an always on EQ, utilizing five 1 band fully parametric equalizers to fine tune the tone by boosting the 63Hz, 200Hz, 250Hz, 400Hz, and 1khz frequency bands +1 to +2 dB) ->> Zoom MS-70CDR (used exclusively as an always on faux cab sim, made by staking five 2 band parametric equalizers in an always on patch, boosting and cutting different frequencies) ->> Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC100 (tube preamp)) ->> M-Audio Fast Track (audio interface) Utilizing of course all the always on effects (in [bold] letters in the above signal chain description) on this recording, as well as the Mosky Black Rat, RAT clone distortion, and my NUX Tape Core Deluxe, Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation. The bass tuned in D standard tuning, as in 3 half steps above regular 6 string bass B standard tuning, or 2 half steps bellow regular 4 string bass E standard tuning, and strung accordingly. And pickup blend on bass about 20% neck/80% bridge, active preamp EQ set with [Treble] boosted till around 2 o'clock, [Mids] boosted till around 1 o'clock, [Bass] left flat.

The Statue Got Me High (by They Might Be Giants)

Here you can hear me noodling on the bass, recorded directly through the setup described bellow with absolutely nothing done to it post production, not even compression and first take : [Video deleted, see update!] Signal chain : 6 string Ibanez SR306EB bass (strung with gauge .105 - .080 - .060 - .045 - .032 - .024 D'Addario XL nickle roundwound steel strings, tuned in D1 standard tuning, 3 half steps above B standard 6 string bass tuning) ->> TC Electronic SpectraComp (always on compressor) ->> TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini (always on digital polyphonic octaver, used as an 1 octave up effect mixed with clean bass signal, giving an effect similar to that of an 8 string "octave" bass, with pairs of respectively bass and octave strings) ->> Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz (Boss FZ-2/Univox Super Fuzz clone, octave fuzz, set to [Mode 1]) ->> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] (empty effects loop used as clean {bass+octave up} signal blend for the RAT distortion in parallel effects loop [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Mosky Black Rat (RAT clone, in [Vintage] classic original RAT mode, quite raunchy high gain distortion, mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 40/60 ratio) }=>> Boss LS-2 [A+B Mix <-> Bypass] (always on, parallel effect loops mixer/switch) ={ [Loop A Send] ->> Joyo Orange Juice (low gain overdrive, with some highs cut via the tone knob, always stacked into the flanger in front of it) ->> Boss MT-2 Metal Zone (currently basically just functioning as an additional buffer) ->> Monarch MFL-22 (flanger, always used with the Orange Juice behind it stacked into it, and most often used mixed with phaser in parallel effects [Loop B]) ->> [Loop A Return] ->||<- [Loop B Send] ->> Behringer VP1 Vintage Phaser (EHX Small Stone clone, used in the high feedback and deep sweep mode, almost always used mixed with flanger in parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> Joyo Orange Juice (always on, relatively low gain, overdrive, [Tone] set at about 11 o'clock, [Voice] set to boost a wide curve around a 800Hz center frequency about +3dB pre gain stage, always mixed with the clean {bass+octave up} signal from parallel effects [Loop A]) ->> [Loop B Return] ([Loop A] + [Loop B] mixed at an about 50/50 ratio) }=>> Boss TR-2 (tremolo, almost always used combined with the chorus effect in front of it) ->> TC Electronic Shaker (Vibrato blended with clean signal, via the Toneprint editor, functioning as a deep lush chorus effect, almost always used combined with the Boss TR-2 tremolo) ->> NUX Tape Core Deluxe (Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation) ->> Zoom G1Xon (exclusively used for reverb effects, which are as follows:: a very subtle, always on, main plate reverb :-: a more prominent plate + hall reverb :-: a thick lush plate + hall + tape delay reverb :-: and finally an extremely thick and lush reverb pad used with volume swells consisting of plate + hall + tape delay reverb) ->> Zoom G1 Four (exclusively used as an always on EQ, utilizing five 1 band fully parametric equalizers to fine tune the tone by boosting the 63Hz, 200Hz, 250Hz, 400Hz, and 1khz frequency bands +1 to +2 dB) ->> Zoom MS-70CDR (used exclusively as an always on faux cab sim, made by staking five 2 band parametric equalizers in an always on patch, boosting and cutting different frequencies) ->> Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC100 (tube preamp)) ->> M-Audio Fast Track (audio interface) Utilizing of course all the always on effects (in [bold] letters in the above signal chain description) on this recording, as well as the Mosky Black Rat, RAT clone distortion, and my NUX Tape Core Deluxe, Roland Space Echo tape delay emulation. Pickup blend on bass about 20% neck/80% bridge, active preamp EQ set with [Treble] boosted till around 2 o'clock, [Mids] boosted till around 1 o'clock, [Bass] left flat. Edit!!! : Since I made this recording I have rolled the pickup balance slightly more towards the neck pickup, so it instead of being something like 5% neck 95% bridge it is now more like 20% neck and 80%bridge, which gives a slightly warmer and rounder tone that doesn't drown as easily in harmonic content from the strings being all over, like on this recording, which ironically caused it to be somewhat muddy (or blurry), just in the treble register instead of the lower frequency register, as is what you traditionally would expect to cause mud, but while still retaining a lot of the same snappy aggressiveness as in the recording above, just much clearer and defined, though slightly warmer and rounder as well. I also changed the my RAT clone from being in "Turbo" Rat (diode clipping) mode, to "Vintage" classic RAT mode, which makes the distortion blend in much more nicely with the clean signal, and removes a lot of the really low end mud from the distorted tone that the above recording suffers from whenever the distortion is being used. I might make a new recording with these improved settings at some point, but for now you'll have to imagine the changes. Update!!! : So here's the new audio test of the bass is using the new settings (signal chain description above edited as well to match the new settings) :

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra :

1.000.000 Died to Make This Sound (by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra)

The best must be my first 6 string bass ever, the Ibanez SR306EB in Weathered Black finish that I got home just before Chritmas, and which has become my main in that very short time span. Such a great bass, and not just for the money. I am seriously in love with it. Feels really nice to play after I got used to the wider fretboard (compared to the 4's I am used to), and sounds no short of amazing as well. : The worst must be one of those couple of phaser effect pedals that I returned, among them a TC Electronic Helix phaser, before settling with an ultra cheap Behringer VP1 Vintage Phaser, which is a pretty accurate clone of the original big box EHX Small Stone phaser, unfortunately including the volume drop of the original when engaged, though I've found ways to work around that, otherwise it sounds amazing.

All the Pretty Little Horses (traditional that among others Current 93 has recorded several versions of)

Mister Would You Please Help My Pony? (by Ween)