BassAgent

I was listening to an album by Roger & Brian Eno, "Mixing Colours" and was again struck by Wintergreen. After hearing it again ánd hearing a piano cover by Jon Hopkins I couldn't stay behind. So I tried to make a little bass arrangement.

Kicks butt.

So what went out, what went in? 

 

IN:
Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ4
Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ5
Fender Bassman 100
Leon Christiaens upright bass
MXR M288 octaver
Origin Cali76 Bass
Aguilar Fuzzistor
Cioks DC7
De Gier Prototype #13 pickups
Pearl CO-04 compressor

Trickfish Minnow
 

OUT:
Pearl CO-04
T-Rex Fuel Tank
Nordstrand NJ4 pickups

Pwoah, that's absolutely gorgeous. Love the colour, too. I have considered having the same thing done to a Ray34 or old SUB before I found my current fretless Sterling (with a fretless Status neck). But this is something else, beautywise. Terrific.

6 hours ago, chris_b said:

 

What does yours weigh? I heard they were coming heavier than the initial projections.

I don't have scales so I don't know exactly but both my MetroExpresses are insanely light. 3.5 kgs or less.

It's so strange how people either really really really like or really really dislike the MetroExpresses. I took mine to a rehearsal today and was impressed yet again.

2 hours ago, Merton said:

Well the correct number of basses is n+1, where n is the current number owned.

Therefore it stands to reason that n+2 is too many.

🤓

This. I'm currently at 12 basses (and one upright) and always thinking "what's next".

On 13/10/2021 at 19:08, BassAgent said:

Another update: I decided I needed a proper preamp pedal so I got myself a Trickfish Minnow. Killer.

Booted the Boss to make way for more noise:

Sooooo this happened.

How do you like that Colorsound?

Blimey. I got mine for €35.

I have two cheapos which I love: an Aria digital reverb from the 80's and a Pearl CH-02 chorus, also from the eighties, which are absolutely terrific.

They are still being made but I was wondering if people have tried one, thought "hmm this is good but [pedal X] is better".

Last night, I was at a concert of Nordmann, a Belgian jazzrock group. Amazing band with a great bass player (Dries Geusens) and on two tracks, he used a great fuzz sound. I spoke to him afterwards and he told me he used an Aguilar Octamizer with a Fuzzistor. I already have a great octaver (MXR) and was wondering if there are more fuzzes that are as tight as the Fuzzistor. Has anyone compared it to for example a MXR M84?

This is Dries' sound:

Pfff tough question. I've bought some seriously cool stuff this year, if I may say so.

This was the luckiest catch: a 1976 Bassman 100, retolexed in red. Haven't used it yet but it will come.

I put it in my head that I wanted a double bass so I bought this amazingly beautiful Dutch built 3/4 bass from 1992. Don't play it often, but when I do...lovely.

But I think my favorite purchase of the year are these two boys:

I got the five string in for a review in De Bassist and liked it so much I wanted to keep it, but actually wanted a four string so I bought that as well😁

Also bought some nice pedals this year (Cali76, Trickfish Minnow) but the basses are more...my thing. I like pedals, I love basses.

How do I just now find this topic? I have two vintage Fenders!

This is my Jazz from May 1966. Neck is from January, pots from week 18. It's a refin, I had it refretted a few years back and I don't have the original case anymore. This bass is absolutely killer. The neck is crazy, the sound is brilliant and it has that typical 1966 "thump" on the E-string. I bought it partly because I loved Paul Turner's sound on the Abbey Road sessions with Jamiroquai, and he has a white '66 Jazz too. I met Paul a couple of years ago when he was introducing and promoting Stenback basses at Paul's Bass Matters here in NL, and while talking with him I mentioned this bass. He said "do you have it here?" and I did, and so did he! So we compared basses (I have an A profile neck, his is a B-neck) and absolutely agreed on that heavy "thump" on the E-string. One of the best basses I've ever played.

This is my Precision from May 1971, also a refin and refret, but I have the original case to go with it. Currently strung with Labella flats. Very slim neck, great sound. Lovely P.

Seeing Bill's basses was the very first time I realised basses could have more than 5 strings and still be very playable ánd cool. Rest in peace, mr Conklin.

Basses: Netherlands (De Gier), USA (Fender), Mexico (Fender), Japan (Blade), China (Sadowsky MetroExpress, Dingwall, Sterling), Indonesia (Yamaha), UK (Status neck)

Amps: Germany (Eich), China (Fender), USA (Fender)

Pedals: NL/USA/China/Japan/Taiwan

I'd have them remake my 1966 Jazz: very slim neck, aged olympic white, tortoise pickguard, threaded saddle bridge, dot inlay, neck binding, lollipop tuners and put some Fralin pickups in there. 

3 hours ago, TheGreek said:

WOW!!!

 

TRB 5IIf arrived this morning. Beautiful and amazing to play. Came set up with the lowest action on any bass I've ever played and fitted with flat wounds. No wear on the fretboard whatsoever. 

Though I only had 10mins playing it I was very impressed with the tonal quality...such gorgeous tones. 

I've experimented with fretless several times but this is inspirational.

What do you think??

 

 

That looks amazing! Enjoy it

Yeah I bought it like that from the original owner who had the original refinished and I think there was something wrong with the original fretboard so he had an ebony fretless board made for it. Sounded quite spectacular.

5 hours ago, TheGreek said:

What do you think?

When I was buying my first fretless bass (I think I was 11 or 12) it was between the RBX270F and the TRB5IIF (but in amber), and got the RBX (mostly because the TRB was too expensive at the time). Still have some slumbering GAS though, for that fretless TRB.

I have owned two TRBs:

I sold them both because they didn't fit my style and taste at the time but boy, are they awesome... I have the feeling the prices of TRBs are increasing after a long period of getting next to nothing for one: I sold the amber fretted 5II for about €500, but now I see people asking €800+ for one.

On 26/09/2021 at 15:05, BassAgent said:

Sold my Pearl compressor and added the Cali76. Very very siked.

Another update: I decided I needed a proper preamp pedal so I got myself a Trickfish Minnow. Killer.

Possibly, but this pedal offers more options (ground lift, -20 dB), a different EQ etcetera.

I'm looking at a new preamp pedal when going on tour playing with in-ear monitoring only and came across the Nordstrand Starlifter pedal

]

It's around £280, which is not cheap but also a lot cheaper than e.g. the Noble preamp. Does anyone own one or have experience with using one of these?