Baloney Balderdash

I got the basic Mosky Black Rat, and I love it! Both the Vintage, classic RAT, and the Turbo RAT mode that this pedal features sounds amazing, and In Turbo mode it retains low end really well, and for some reason it also blends really well with parallel clean signal, via my Boss LS-2, without it ending up sounding like there is a clean signal sitting on top of the distorted one. Also just bought this used, practically unused, but at almost half price (I don't have a picture of my specific unit, but here's a random Google photo if it): And then I've ordered this for CTL input to gain two extra (function programable via the Boss) foot switches, which I should have by Wednesday (Edit!: Just realized now that these are momentary foot switches, which might expose an issue, depending on what I assign them to) : Haven't actually tried it yet, but looking forward to start experiment with looping, for the first time for me.

The Murder Mystery - The Velvet Underground

Arooj Aftab - "Na Gul" :

EHX Black Finger, the big tube version, is an amazing tube driven optical compressor, that can get quite dirty, not least because you can actually overdrive the input tube by turning up the input gain, everything from clean, to mild saturation, to on the verge of breakup, to full blown low gain tube overdrive (I actually use it with quite minimal compression dialed in, it basically never kicks in, practically as a tube preamp stage). And its 2 preamp tubes runs at proper high 300V plate voltage. Even if I, as said, really use it more so as a tube preamp stage than an actual compressor, it adds a lovely subtle color of tube warmth and harmonic richness to my tone. And even if, the way I have it set, that the optical compression circuit never actually really kicks in, it still does add a subtle natural tube compression, sort of rounding off the tone of the attack ever so slightly, but without actually making the attack any less prominent, or any less punchy or snappy, sounding like it is just sort of rounding off, rather than cutting off, the outmost very tip of the highest frequency content of the spikes, in a very dynamic and musical way (I realize this technically speaking is probably nonsense, but that is what it sounds like to me). My "magic tone sauce" pedal #1. However it has been discontinued for a while, but is not too uncommon to find used at reasonable prices.

Yeah, I wouldn't say being able to chose color of the finish would make something a "real" custom shop. A can of spray paint can do that.

Gimmie Indie Rock - Sebadoh

Well, been playing my 5 string Mikro as my main for a while, equipped with 2 J pickups, but while it is a growly beast, the notes very rich, and it has amazing sustain, there is just something about my 4 string Mikro with the reverse EMG Geezer Butler P pickup that I prefer. While the 4 string doesn't really growl in the same way the 5 string does it does have more punch and snap, dirtier in a way too, and somewhat dryer, with a less rich but more focused and fat tone, that I just really like, and that makes it take effects really well. And also I do prefer the narrower fretboard of the 4 string. However the last part of the fretboard has been damaged by haphazard mods, a chip has gone off at the last fret, and has been glued back on again, and I drilled through the fretboard too, when drilling guide/pilot screw holes for the neck. Now the frets has luckily not been damaged by this, it does play perfectly, and sounds great, but it also doesn't have the best sustain. So the new 4 string Mikro is for getting an undamaged fretboard, and hopefully a bass that has a bit more sustain, and perhaps a bit cleaner tone as well. The old one will then function as backup, or perhaps I'll raise the nut and convert it to a 4 string slide guitar.

The wood has been bound. I think it means it has been treated somehow. As in sealed. At least that is how I understand it.

Oh, and also NST, new strap day! Had an eye on this for a while, and finally pulled the trigger: Levys Poly Sunset Strap 2"

Or almost, that is... Just ordered a new Ibanez GSRM20B Mikro Bass in Weathered Black finish from Thomann. Should be here Wednesday or Thursday next week. Just 28.6" scale length, Maple neck, bound Purple Heart (which is almost as hard as and stiffer than Ebony) fretboard, Okoume (which is a cheap alternative to Mahogany, lighter and not as hard, but is supposed to have very similar tonewood qualities, and looks a lot like Mahogany too) body. (following image is from Ibanez's own homepage) Plan on fitting at set of P/J EMG Geezer Butler pickups in it as soon as I get it. I'll update this thread with pictures of the actual bass, when I get it.

Yes, that would be the Premium Deluxe Artifact Reliced and Anciently Aged topVenerable P Legend model, that one would be able to purchase for the ridiculously give away price of just 25000£.

Gibson do actually sell guitars with pre-broken and glued back headstocks from stock from their custom shop, as a feature.

It would have been perfect, if only they has drilled "cheese" holes into it, for the genuine "rodents at work on the attic" effect. I predict the next trend will be cutting off random parts of the headstock and body, and deep "going nuts with pointy end of the hammer" gouges. Maybe even protruding, broken off or entirely missing bridge, neck pocket, tuner and pickup screws, broken tuners, demagnetized pickups, faulty wiring, and clumsily ripped out, broken and missing frets, from stock.

Drive: Joyo Orange Juice Distortion: Mosky Black Rat (RAT clone, with Turbo RAT mode, and retains low end better than most other RATs, and also for some reason just blends really nicely with parallel clean signal, without it sounding like they are sitting on top of the distorted signal) Envelope Filter: Mooer Bass Sweeper (take on the EHX Bass Balls with more control parameters, though I would rather swap this for an extra modulation effect, in which case that would be my Monarch SFL-22 Stereo Flanger, which basically is a rebranded Arion Stereo Flanger, or perhaps a tremolo effect, which would be my HoTone Trem) Octave: TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini (for 1 octave up 8 string bass emulation, using a self-made custom Toneprint) Modulation: EHX Small Stone (the original big box version) Preamp: probably Two Notes Opus or IK Multimedia Tonex One Delay/Reverb/Tuner: Zoom B1Xon (hacked with extra reverb and delay effects, this might be cheating, but I basically use this right now almost exclusively for my reverb and delay effects) Wildcard: would almost have to be an effects loop blender, in which case I would probably chose the EHX Tri Parallel Mixer, though I'd hate to be without my EHX Black Finger (tube driven optical compressor, though I use it with minimal compression dialed in, more so as a tube preamp stage)

If you are going for the pimp look, then sure:

There was a time where I used to despise gold hardware on basses, but now I really love the look on black basses. And if I get the money to spare at some point for some non practical music equipment, I could totally see myself equipping my main black bass with gold hardware. Still think gold hardware looks tacky on white basses though.

Am I Evil? - Metalica

Maybe it is the specific plucking technique I use, more so stroking the strings, in a slightly inward light slapping motion, with the outmost tip of my fingers/nails, rather than really striking or plucking/pulling the strings, but I've found that it is of the upmost importance for my tone that my nails are cut at a quite specific length, just about flush/aligning with the tip of my fingers, too short or too long and it just doesn't sound right. Any other people noticed this as well?

Is the front instrument a guitar, or? And what brand/model exactly?

Now that really depends on the specific number of instruments involved, the specific instrumentation, and not least the specific type of music and individual track/song, doesn't it? At least that is my experience with composing and mixing music. If it all could be fitted down to one specific formula for each type of instrument and for all music, regardless of any form of context, we wouldn't need sound technicians and producers, and we could leave all that work to a simple computer app.

Well, you can connect the pickup wire to already exciting soldered wires with solderless wire muffs/terminals, which can be bought at Ebay or just about any hardware or electronics shop, which would solve your issue with being no good at soldering and make the swap relatively simple and painless, and it would be just as sturdy as if it was soldered.

A tip on how to improve the mix when you blend high gain distortion or fuzz with clean signal via for example a Boss LS-2 is to place an overdrive pedal that retains low end well, and preferably dynamically sensitive, in the clean loop. This helps the "clean" tone and distorted tone to blend better, and prevents it from sounding like there's a clean signal sitting on top of the distorted tone. Personally I use a Joyo Orange Juice dialed in with a sort of medium gain overdrive, with the Tone dialed down to about 10 o'clock position, and the Voice at about 1 o'clock, in the clean loop of my Boss LS-2, with a Mosky Balck Rat (which already retains low end and blends with the clean tone exceptionally well), switched to the Turbo RAT mode, dialed in with a high drive setting, and the tone filter knob exactly at noon, blended at an about 40/60 "clean"/drive ratio, and this works perfectly for a beefy and heavy high gain distortion with retained low end and individual notes definition, without sounding like there's a clean signal sitting on top of the distorted tone.

You know it's a cause for concern when your package arrives at the Gang Show in China. It's probably in the possession of the Chinese Mafia now, and a ransom will be demanded soon.

Drifter in the Dark - Ween

Just an absolutely astonishing hauntingly beautiful piece of art, both the song, and the video, which was instructed and played by the artist as well: