Muzz

A little. If it's something I actively dislike (like the coloured cabs - Vanderkley, for instance - or the ones that try a little too hard - the TKS ones that look like a Dansette), but mostly the anonymous black boxes I judge on tone, weight and practicality.

The quickest way to lose money on a bass (apart from have a new custom luthier build and selling a week later) is build a bitsa and then sell it. As Funksui says, they're pretty personal projects, and unless you're very lucky and find someone who agrees completely, then they're never worth the cost to build. As a sale - I'm a fan of mongrel builds, but I rarely sell them: I've learnt a lot by building mongrels, especially about what I like and don't like. It enabled me to get my Shuker custom build exactly right, and in that sense, saved me a lot of money and hassle. It's worth more broken for parts, I'd say.

I had a spell away from playing anything at all for a few years...sold my rig (well, it was an SVT and 810 - not like you could kind of just leave it in the corner of the room and it not come up in, erm, domestic discussions...), and everything but one bass. Couldn't part with that. Ironically, once I'd started playing again and found this place, I traded it for something new and shiny...which has since long gone...

We recorded our album there a few years ago - great place, that's some desk. Steve's a gent, and a fantastic keyboard player himself. Sounds good! Bass info - we mic'd my rig up in the basement, and mixed it with a straight feed into the desk. Passive P/J (and a Ray on a couple of tracks) at the time.

I've moved to Elixirs almost exclusively (I have them on three basses), and they're all good. I play mostly with a pick, I like a bright sound (no tweeters, tho) and hit pretty hard, and the first set have been on for a year now and are still very very good after dozens of gigs. All bolt-ons, dunno whether that's relevant. Might just be a bad set.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1460161499' post='3023264'] Agree, even John Deacon & John Taylor have much harsher/grindier tones soloed than the in-the-mix sound would suggest. [/quote] Gawd only knows what JJB's tone sounds like solo'd...it'd probably kill small animals stone dead...

Yeah, it's a bigger difference than string vendor (assuming the string type stays the same) - the feel and response is what I notice.

You've only go tot listen to some of the solo'd big-name bass stuff out there on YT to hear that some bass tones that work very well in a live mix sound very harsh solo'd. Geddy and JE spring to mind instantly, but there are others. I've routinely fired my rig up at home the following day after a gig where I've had to EQ a bit and winced at the sound I ended up with, but which sounded great in that room with the band.

I've got some (IMO) very nice basses, but I've also gigged a Sue Ryder P (remember them? I miss all that arguing about them...) and last year, just because I could, I played a gig at Old Trafford with a B-stock PB50 that cost (including delivery) less than half the price of a single ticket for said event. I don't play Mustang Sally, but some folk around here would probably faint in horror at some of the stuff I do play...

Same here - I received a package with my first Schroeder cab in it, the courier had put it down on the floor at the doorstep, got a signature and skidaddled rapid before I picked it up...when I did, something inside went 'thunk' very substantially...opened it up, and the magnet had sheared clean off the back of the basket on one of the 15s... Edit...Ooooo, same as El Bunny above

I've had three or four basses which started out with Delanos and I've changed them out (or sold the bass) every time. Don't like them; they sound sterile to me.

Having tried a 121H combo at a rehearsal with a loud drummer, I'd say no... Edit: that was for the Discreet question...

Two words sum up the versatility of all my (two pickup) basses: John East. I can do pretty much everything (as close as I need) with his EQs.

I had a BB2 and a Compact - used them both a few times, and the BB2 alone couple of times. Moved the BB2 on because I'm not a fan of horns (and I needed the cash at the time), and I liked the Compact tone more. Bought a Midget, and used both together for everything. As good as the BB2 was, alone it was just too small for me onstage - I had the impression my calves (and the audience) were getting the best of the sound. If I'd have had the cash, I'd have gone with two BB2s (with the horns off) and been a lot happier. Edit: What I really should have got (and maybe will do at some point) is get two Super Compacts - that'd be nearer my tone goals…but that's just me…

My bass GAS has become more and more specific over the years as I narrow down to what really suits me and I really like. The odd cheapie could get me to buy and try, but even that's less and less these days. If the right Shuker came up I'd be all over it, but that'd be very unlikely, and I just don't have the cash to order another custom build. The only other thing I want is for Jon to make me a new neck for my Fenderbird... Amp and cab GAS, though...that's another thing entirely...

Yup, I'd suggest a 15" Compact as your first port of call...

Not sure how 'dodgy' he'd be considered, but Robbie Williams at Knebworth was a fantastic gig...seldom have I ever seen one bloke own a stage and 100,000 people like that...

Lovely as it is, the Mike Lull isn't a Fenderbird...just saying...

Jimmy Barnes, Ann Wilson

[quote name='skychaserhigh' timestamp='1458719434' post='3010061'] When I had a LM2 I used a VT bass pedal to get all the sounds as I wasn't keen on how any of the amp eq worked. [/quote] This, I had a Sansamp (and before that a Behringer clone) in front of my LMIII to liven it up, and found I never switched it off. I moved onto an amp which gave me more of the sound I was after without the perma-pedal... IMHO, YMMV, etc, etc...

I never used them on either of mine - I use the tone controls on the bass and the way I play to change my sound. Having said that, once I've set the amp for the room (with any of my amps) I don't touch it during a gig.

My walnut Shuker: it was a birthday present all my friends contributed to; it was made for me and it's unique; I got the spec exactly right, Jon built it perfectly, and it plays and sounds exactly like I wanted it to.

If there's a 'moshing community', I for one would like to see some footage of their AGM...tea and buns everywhere...