Baloney Balderdash

12 minutes ago, itu said:

Why not? If the width of the individual bridges is thin enough, go ahead.

Because it is semi hollow, and I am wondering if the center block of wood it got inside the hollow body construction goes all through the middle of the bass and covers the width of the bridge.

9 minutes ago, NickA said:

Sound travels 340m/s so 100ms is a wall 17m away.  I played in Perborough cathedral once, ( HUGE space ) lt felt like forever before the first return of sound .... Which then reverbed forever and muddied the following notes - could use more damping frankly! Those Norman builders weren't hot on acoustic modelling.

Think what I'd like is indeed close to an echo, but followed by random reverberation and with the initial transient smeared out.  Sure I can program it somehow between the hall of fame and the flash back boxes. Just enough to sound a clear note before the effect kicks in.

Meanwhile subtle plate or ambient work well.

Yeah, maybe what you need is really an effect combining delay and reverb, sometimes marketed as an echo effect, though that term is also often used interchangeably for a regular delay effect.

I know the EHX Cathedral pedal got a mode called echo which does exactly what you are looking for.

Though of course you could achieve pretty much the same by combining your delay and reverb effect if using the right settings. 

41 minutes ago, NickA said:

Got a TC Electronics Hall of Fame in the post on Saturday.

"What's that do then?" said my other half.

"Makes it sound like I'm playing in a huge cathedral" I explained.

"Oh, right" she said " guess you don't need one to sound like a middle aged man playing all by himself in the spare room"

True enough 😁.

As to the little red box .. as with all TC stuff, maybe too many options, especially when you hack into the tone print editor.  Seems to start the reverberation very quickly, ( max of 100ms delay ) so lacks a bit of breathing space before things get effecty.  Cathedral fun aside, using it less works best. 

It's only for fun really, doubt I'd ever use it in a band.

Actually 100ms is in fact quite a lot of pre-delay for a reverb effect, almost gets into echo/delay territory, in comparison your typical build in spring reverb in an amp will have almost no pre-delay and react almost immediately.

And a lot of reverb effect pedals will even not have any pre-delay at all and almost response immediately.

If you imagine  the reverb coming from a room, as in acoustic reverb, it would have to be a pretty darn big room for the reflections to have that much delay. 

Sound travel with about 343 meter per second, and 100ms is a 1/10 of a whole second, which means at 100ms, if you sit in the midle of a room playing, that the walls of that room would be 17m away all around you, since 1/10 of 334m is 34m, and the sound will need to travel forward to the walls and then back again, and 2/34m = 17m.

I will typically use just about 10ms of pre-delay on my main always on subtle plate reverb.

The trick for your clean bass tone to not be drowned in reverb is having the right mix of the reverbed and clean signal and to use HP and LP filters on the reverbed signal, so that it doesn't effect the full frequency spectrum of the clean bass signal, a real acoustic reverb of a room wouldn't either, and then of course also make sure not to have crazy decay times that will stretch long over each pick and keep adding up as you play, making it all quickly turn into a mush of reverb.

So I ponder on buying a Danelectro Longhorn bass, as I once owned the high end Jerry Jones clone of these basses and loved it (which unfortunately I was stupid enough to sell, they are out of production and I can't afford a used one, since these were pretty expensive basses, about 1200$ new, and are pretty rare to find for sale too), and actually quite like the tone the Denelctros got judging from YouTube videos.

However I am not too crazy about the one piece wood saddle, so I was wondering if the area beneath the bridge is covered by the solid block of wood, and I would be able to replace the stock bridge with 4 mono rail bridge pieces, as the string spacing is a couple of milimeters closer together than the standard 19mm?

I will properly also wire the two lipstick tube pickups in series, since the Jerry Jones I owned got that option on the pickup selector from stock and it was the only pickup setting I ever used.

Awaiting a NUX Mini Core SE Phaser, which is the same as the Koko Mini Phaser, a digital emulation of the MXR Phase 90, just with an added depth and mix control, beside the speed control of the original, as well as a TC Electronic Blood Moon phaser, which is analog, and likely to be a clone of the Boss PH-1r, both should arive with the mail service tomorrow. 

One of those is going to replace the Xvive V6 Phaser King that I previously used, parallelly mixed with a flanger via my Boss LS-2, since I discovered that the Xvive sucked the high end out of my signal badly. 

Also concluded that I don't need a compressor first in my chain, beside my EHX Black Finger, that is placed towards the end of it, the TC Electronic SpectraComp is still an amazing compressor pedal though, I just have any use of it currently, but will keep it anyway.

6 hours ago, eude said:

That's a really cool bass!
I think that some folks have now realised that a bass doesn't have to be huge to still be a bass.
There was a classic, weird little bass back in the 60's/70's, not quite sure when, which was regarded as a wonderful bass for recording when you needed that big thick short scale tone, the Airline Pocket Bass, which has recently been reissued by Eastwood >> https://eastwoodguitars.com/collections/bass/products/airline-pocket-bass
That's a 26.5" bass, and they haven't struggled to sell them.

Modern pickup technology, modern strings and considered construction have made it possible to create super usable, yet compact and easy to play instruments that sound great! I hope we see a lot more of these wee beasties!

Are you going to make yourself another one like your last one?

Cheers,
Eude

Thank you.

Well, my economical situation is not nearly as good as it was back then, so as it is now I can't really afford to have something like that build.

But if I ever get the money it require then yes, I will definitely have something similar made again. 

Well, not a head, but the amp in my Trace Elliot GP7SM, 130W, combo.

Sounded no short of amazing, awesomely full and rich, yet still very clear and punchy, and with just the build in single 15" speaker unit it was loud enough to keep up with a drummer and guitarist in a loud stoner rock/metal -esque band at rehearsals without issues, in fact the master volume was only set to about 10/11 o'clock or so at all times. 

59 minutes ago, eude said:

Is 26.5" too short to join in?

Eude

Looks awesome.... 

And no, it's fine, I suppose basses with a from about 25" scale length and up to 28,6" scale length or so will be fine for this thread (changed the title and the OP to accommodate that).

Just had the couple of basses currently in production at just about 28,6", and for the ESP 28,5", scale length in mind when I created the thread.

By the way before I even was aware of the existence of the Mikro Bass I had this 28 5/8" scale bass build out of Warmoth baritone parts, with a humbuker Seymour Duncan Rickenbacker Neck replacement pickup in the neck position and a humbucker Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Strat guitar pickup in the bridge position (I designed the headstock myself, but might have gone a little too far with that ) :

It sounded absolutely awesome, very clear, almost piano like, but unfortunately I was stupid enough to sell it, which I still regret.

I used to own an Ampeg B-15S, 60W tube amp, that actually was loud enough for band rehearsals and small gigs without PA support, but unfortunately I was stupid enough to sell it, which I regret much.

When that is said, even if the B-15 sounded awesome, I do actually prefer the tone you get from solid state amps, though I use an EHX Black Finger, tube driven optical compresor, with it's 2 preamp tubes run at proper high 300V voltage, as much for a light compression as as a tube preamp stage, which actually beautifully give me a nice touch of that characteristic tube warmth and flavor, and, with the the input gain dialed up to just before the tubes starts to break up when I dig in, an ever so slight touch of tube breakup grid.

On 10/10/2020 at 22:48, EliasMooseblaster said:

A preamp-DI which sounds like I've plugged into an Ashdown Little Bastard (or "CTM-30", as they call them these days). I feel like we have quite enough amp sim pedals designed to replicate SVTs and other "classic" valve amps, but if Joyo can do convincing Fender, Marshall and Mesa sims for guitarists on a budget, presumably somebody could capture a few more contemporary bass amp designs without breaking the bank?

You know Ashdown does in fact make a tube preamp pedal, I am quite sure with a DI too, right?

Though no cab sim, as far as I know, and not exactly anywhere near a budget price tag.

I'd personally like a Trace Elliot-esque preamp.

Of course I could just get the new Trace Elliot Transit B preamp, or cheaper, but with less tweaking options, a full functioning, but tiny, 200W amp, namely the Trace Elliot ELF amp head, and use it as a preamp, if that was what I wanted, it actually being both smaller and lighter than the Transit B preamp.

Both supposed to get really close to the classic Trace Elliot tone, but again neither exactly being budget pieces of gear.

I'm not Mike from Penarth, and I am nowhere near Cardiff.

I think you dialed the wrong number. 

23 minutes ago, Thunderbird said:

I really like the look of the SY-1 but as I just play at home it would be a rather expensive fun toy 

Well, it's still a bit cheaper than the EHX Mel9 pedal, got more sounds in it, and will, at least for bass, track much better. 

Edit/Update!!! : Seems like the sources for my claim about the EHX 9 serries of pedals not tracking properly beyond open A of a 4 string bass tuned in E standard tuning were inaccurate, as it has been confirmed that they will in fact track decently all the way down to the low D, as in 2 half steps bellow open E.

My apologies for giving off misleading information.

The only thing I really know is that the EHX 9 series pedals only are designed to track properly down to the low A, as in the open A string, of a 4 string bass, which explains the dodgy tracking of your B9.

A shame really, cause judging from the demos they are amazing sounding pedals with really good tracking otherwise.

I simply don't understand why they would not let the pedals track properly down to at least the low E of a 4 string bass, can't see any obvious advantage to that limitation, neither from a production perspective, it is not like it would be impossible, the Boss SY-1 is a testament of that, as good as flawless tracking, and in the full range of a bass too, and even if it possibly would have meant slightly higher production costs (no idea if that in fact is actually the case, but can't imagine it would have made the production noteworthy more expensive if it was), I would think that would be balanced out with these pedals that way being more attractive to bass players. 

In my opinion EHX made a mistake by designing the 9 series that way, potentially losing a part of the potential market. 

I know that I personally at least would have been interested in most of the pedals in that series, had they been capable of tracking properly down to the low E of a bass, even if that perhaps would have meant them being slightly more expensive, but as they work now I have no interest in them. '

If this is an issue to you perhaps you should try to look into the Boss SY-1, even though it won't do exactly what the Mel9 does I believe it can get somewhat in the same ballpark, plus having a load additional sounds in it, actually being capable of getting quite close to a lot of different sounds similar to the EHX 9 series, that you otherwise would need several of the 9 series pedals to be able to do.

I am kind of curious about how the DiMarzio Split P pickup sounds with the two halves wired in parallel, since they are basically functioning as 2 individual humbucker pickups, but the only clip I have been able to find is a YouTube video where it's demonstrated in a just 10 seconds or so clip with slap bass, so that is basically totally useless to me.

So my question is if any of you got an audio clip or video featuring the DiMarzio Split P wired in parallel, ideally playing with a pick, and with as little as possible other effects or editing done to it?

So inspired by the "Super Mini Basses" thread about basses with an about 16" scale length, I thought I would make this thread about basses with an about 28,6"/28,5" scale length (basses with a scale length from about 25" to about 28,6" will be fine for this thread), as there are quite a few of those on the market currently (and because my 4 string 28,6" scale Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass is actually my main bass).

Here's my 4 string 28,6 " scale Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass (with various visual mods, the J pickup disconnected and lowered considerably, and the stock P pickup swapped for a DiMarzio Model P, wired directly to the output jack socket)  :

And here's my 28,6" scale 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass (with various visual mods, and the 2 stock J pickups wired in series, directly to the output jack socket) :

Edit/update!!!:

A more recent shot of my 4 string Ibanez Mikro Bass, with a fair deal of changes, among those a whole new GSRM20B body, and the DiMarzio Model P replaced for the pickup I had installed in it previously, namely an EMG Geezer Butler P pickup:

A list of 28,6"/28,5" scale basses currently in production, and the mention of a couple that is out of production :

4 string 28,6" Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass :  https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/gsrm20_03.html  )*   

4 string 28,6" Ibanez GSRM20B Mikro Bass :  https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/gsrm20b_02.html  )*  

5 string 28,6" Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass :  https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/gsrm25_02.html   )*

4 string 28,6" Jackson JS1X Concert Minion Bass :  https://www.jacksonguitars.com/gear/shape/concert-bass/js-series-concert-bass-minion-js1x/2915556568

4 string 28,5" ESP LTD B-4 JR :  https://www.espguitars.com/pages/junior-models

5 string 28,5" ESP LTD B-5 JR   (out of production 5 string version of the ESP bass mentioned above)

4 string 28,6" Squier Mini Precision Bass :  https://shop.fender.com/en-DK/squier-electric-basses/precision-bass/mini-precision-bass/0370127554.html?rl=en_US

4 string 28,6" Fender Precision Bass Junior   (out of production, and as far as I am aware the first major production bass of this specific scale length. The Squier mentioned above is a cheaper budget take on this bass, just with an added tone control, as the original doesn't feature any tone control but just one single volume control)

)* USA links, following linked to is the only version of the Mikro Bass distributed in Europe (though Thomann got the Weathered Black Finish GSRM20B and the 5 string GSRM25 version in stock as well) : https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/gsrm20b_2y_05.html 

I'd personally really like to see a more high end take on this concept (about 28,6" scale length), as all the listed basses above, bar the Fender Precision Bass Junior, which was kind of mid priced, are cheap budget production basses. 

Bela Fleck and The Flecktones (with Victor Wooten on bass) :

I am pondering on the specific rosewood species used for the fretboard on my December 2010 Chinese production Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Bass.

I am inclined to believe it would likely be Indian Rosewood, but the color of it looks much more like Brazilian Rosewood, as it is quite dark brown, almost black, and Indian Rosewood is usually a much lighter pronounced brown color.

So do anyone know which rosewood species was used for the fretboard of the Mikro Basses back then?

Here's a closeup picture:

Japanese Cowboy (by Ween)

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band from the album "Trout Mask Resplica" :

On 06/10/2020 at 12:29, andruca said:

You're telling me I could have the Darkglass emulation (available only since B3n/B1 Four) in my MS-60B or B3?

No!

Read the second comment of this thread. 

The last generation of Zoom effects are not compatible with the newer generation, and the other way around as well. 

11 minutes ago, TwoTimesBass said:

Respectfully i disagree, the PSU is centre-negative as are all the pedals, and with 3A at 9v available this should work fine*

*Disclaimer that I'm not responsible if it goes bang...

Respectively I didn't actually look at the picture more closely, but trusted the OP saying that the power supply used reverse polarity.

But since that does not actually match reality, and that the power supply indeed does in fact use the same polarity as the pedals, yes, it will work perfectly fine.

While not all pedals use this polarity, the standard is center minus, sleeve plus, like the two pedals on the left.

I think it's pretty safe to assume the two pedals on the right use that polarity too (center minus, sleeve plus).

And no, your power supply with the reverse polarity won't work! ( Edit!!! : that is assuming your description had actually matched reality, however that is not the case, as the power supply, after having had a closer look on the picture you provided, does in fact use the same polarity as your pedals, so it will work perfectly fine )

Weather it could potentially harm your pedals to use it I don't know, but there is no reason for trying it out, as I can guarantee that it most definitely won't work.

Little Wing (by Jimmi Hendrix)

The cure to this is getting a short scale bass.

Short scale basses will very rarely have any dead spots.

Adding weight to the headstock does actually work, but rather than eliminating the issue it most often just move it to somewhere else on the neck. 

On 30/09/2020 at 18:51, Baloney Balderdash said:

So as the tittle says, which effect pedals related gear do you currently anticipate arriving with the mail service or plan to acquire in the nearest future (like in the time frame of the next couple of months) ?

 

For me these are going to be my near future effect pedals related gear acquisitions :

 

Later this month (October 2020) :

- TC Electronic SpectraComp ( For the first in my signal chain, right after the bass, fairly subtle compression, for a slightly tighter and slightly more punchy signal to my other pedals (currently using one of the compressor models on my Zoom G1Xon) )

- Zoom B1X Four ( For my last in the chain (beside my 3 pedals/units "tone section", consisting of light compression/tube preamp stage -> equalization -> preamp stage, residing on top of my poweramp), reverb effects, placed right after my near future pedal board (which ends with a pedal that emulates a Roland Space Echo tape delay unit), planing to make 3 different reverb patches that I will stick to using, respectively being: a subtle plate reverb patch, a lush reverb patch, likely to be build up by following reverb models: (Early Reflections (not sure about this one)) -> Plate reverb -> HD Hall reverb, and finally a really thick reverb pad patch used with volume swells, likely going to consist of the same reverb models as the lush reverb patch, just even more prominent (as in higher in the mix and with increased decay time), and likely combined with a delay model of some sort placed in between the plate and the hall reverb ) 

- Harley Benton SpaceShip 40 ( My first real pedal board ever, for easing transport and general mobility of my effect pedals setup, now that I am finally rehearsing with other people again. Dimesions: 70-85 x 450 x 305 mm )

- 3 x Harley Benton Solder-Free Patch Cable KIT ( Solder free patch cable kit with angled, extremely flat plugs, for a tight fitting on the pedal board ) 

 

Next Month (November 2020) :

- Fender Blender fuzz clone from "Made by Mike" [ : http://madebymike.co.uk/ ] ( Well, placing the order there at least, then it will be an additional 4-6 weeks before I can expect it to actually arrive Not sure how I'll fit it into my setup honestly, but have been wanting a Fender Blender fuzz for a long time by now, ever since I first tried one myself and fell in love with it's harsh, abrasive, somewhat out of control, wild and insane octave fuzz tone )

 

For now I have dropped the plans about getting a Zoom B1X Four for reverb effects at the end of my pedal effects chain and decided to instead use my Zoom G1Xon for that, which currently fills out the role as my start of the chain subtle compressor (going to be replaced by a TC Electronic SpectraComp).

The TC Electronic SpectraComp for compression at the start of my pedal effects chain was delivered today, but I wasn't home to sign the delivery so it has been passed on to a depot where I can pick it up.

Very much looking forward to pick it up and try it out, I will pick it up at the depot tomorrow.

I also just ordered a cheap NUX Mini Core SE Phaser yesterday (same as the Kokko Mini Phaser, which is a digital emulation of the MXR Pahse 90 phaser, just, beside the speed control, with an added depth and mix control), which I await arriving with the mail Monday next week, as I discovered my cheap Xvive Phaser King was sucking out a lot of high end from my signal.

The few bass demos I have been able to find on YouTube of this phaser sounds great, but if it turns out not to meet my expectation I will order a TC Electronic Healix phaser instead next time I get money, around the middle of October, where I will then also order the Harley Benton pedal board and the solder-free patch cables. 

Finally I am pondering on getting an Ibanez Super Metal Mini, to replace the Joyo Orange Juice overdrive stacked into a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone that I, parallly mixed with a Turbo Rat clone, via my Boss LS-2, use for my high gain bass distortion currently.