krispn

There is that 😀

Hölger is dead on!

Superb!

I had been using a Basswitch preamp for many years (8+) so I had my additional tonal needs covered with that for a long time. Clean clear and dual semi para mid eq was a great help for additional tone tweaking but I’ve used other preamps too.

I’m not in the market as I continue to use my HXStomp for my additional eq needs. If I did go down the active eq path I’d be looking at a Uni pre (set and forget with the option to tweak the internal parameters should I fancy an afternoon tweaking) or a tone capsule based on what I like eq wise in relation to the sensible Bass Mid Mid eq points

I suppose from my perspective and this may well not be shared by many but I’ve always wanted my eq to offer options which aren’t available ‘behind me’ at the amp. I gigged a Markbass TTE head with a three band eq for ages. The head sounded good and was lightweight but for more flexible eq I used a Basswitch. This gave me the flexibility of need to get more option. If you’re still gigging the DG AO you’re already looking at a good 6 band eq with pretty much the same eq frequency points as the Glock (which I thought you disliked in the Sandberg) except the super high on the treble. If you go down the Bergantino BIAmp route then you’ll be looking a a programmable eq. If the Carvin will be a gigging bass is personally say get the EQ which offers you the best options in relation to your other gear so a Uni Pre may be a bit more expensive now but having all those option of selecting lows and highs make it much more future proof and also makes the bass more versatile. Plus you could fit the Uni pre yourself or have a mate who’s competent help you and save on the fee charged by a shop. Spend the money once by getting the right bit of kit - you were never that keen on the glock in your Sandberg and it’s not offering anything that different from your amp. The UniPre is a far more adaptable unit and it will allow you to further enhance what the natural voice of the bass is doing precisely because of its adaptability/flexibility.

Thing is if your amp is already giving you control over 40Hz with the bass tone pot (or something thing pretty close) having that flexiblity of another less “boomy end“ related EQ point say at 70hz or 80hz onboard the bass would be more sensible or certainly give you another option to cut some ‘boomy end’ and still give some poke or punch down in that region (while still creating a nice space for the kick but that’s into studio/recording/mixing levels of geekdom). Fitting an on board EQ which covers 2/3 of what you amp is basically doing seems less useful. The example I’ve used recently - my Fender amp - its 40-400-4k. If I were fitting an on board EQ I’d be actively looking for additional flexibility not mimicking what’s already available on my amp so an Aguilar would be off the radar as it’s only really offering one different option (plus my amp has a semi para mid too so I can tweak the basic BMT further anyways). It’d be like buying a DG AO pedal and setting the drive up on it exactly the same as the drive setting on your amp DGAO amp You’ve talked a lot about eq over the years and I think this is you’re first refit of the electronics on a bass so why not be bold and give yourself the option you’ve been on about for quite some time😀 I think you discussed the East Unipre or it has been on your radar too so no surprises with the features and flexibility it offers. If your never gonna gig the bass and it’s only gig home use then the logic would be have it set up to do something different and be that super flexible EQ - you’ll be well familiar with your home rig and how each bass sounds to notice what something like the Unipre offers - you’ll really be able to get into and the most out of it. If you’re gonna soup up a ‘bargain’ you might as well go for it! It’d be a teal wasted opportunity when so much has been said about eq points over the years that the default is go with what’s already available on the amp. Plus the AO amp’s graphic must have given you a few good ideas about what those EQ points do to the basic sound which would inform what an on board should bring. Again if your Gigi g amp already have a bunch of eq options it’s be good to work around those and have that added control for when it’s needed.

I suppose there are a few questions before deciding which eq. Sweepable mids or switchable between two or three frequencies? Do you often switch mids about on your current gigging bass or do you settle on one setting? Aguilar make nice eqs but as I mentioned before the Fender norm of 40Hz on the lows and 4k on the high is kinda what the Aguilar is set at with the mids sweepable. If the lows at 40 aren’t your preference then there’s other more suitable options such as rhe uni pre etc. Bass direct have a good selection which I’m sure you’ve checked out but with what you’ve said previously about eq preferences I’d be looking at some other options before the Aguilar namely the East Uni or tone capsule specifically for the lows being a bit more useful.

It is a very nice looking bass!

So was the eq busted or just not set up correctly for the bass?

So in answer the the poll a fourth option was needed. “I’ve my eye on a third bass which I’m more likely to get” 😂

There is a bit of that eq’ing with the eyes not ears too but that’s not always as easy for folks to do. Manufacturers should be quite explicit in how to get the best form their gear and it’s naff when the manual say things like ‘Bass Control: controls the amount of bass in the signal.’ Doh! 😀

That’s the thing though so many tone stacks are based of two main designs the baxandall a la B15 or the Fender and while it’s not ‘common knowledge’ as such there’s been heaps written about the Fender stack and it derivatives being ‘flat’ at 0-10-0 or 2-10-2 if folks are buying an amp with BMT it’s worth trying the above as a starting ground. I know it’s been covered on basschat numerous times. Plus Mesa bass amps often favoured a passive mid control but it’s not immediately obvious I think the Walkabout labelled it as passive mid - they tend to sound more musical I..e it’s less likely to screw up your sound with a passive cut only.

. Sorry my bad. I thought you’d nabbed a 5’er but returned it due to a dodgy eq. Look forward to the warts and all in a nbd thread 😀

Anyway there’s a killer Sandberg for 1k going in Scotland for any synth bass fans who love a five string, reverse p and fancy a near mint go to bass!

Didn’t you already nab one and return it?

What did you agree to buy? I only ask as it even has midi which you mentioned fitting to a cheapie 5er. It literally ticks all boxes. It’s uncanny!

I was impressed with doods review of the berg stuff. Sounded good! I’ve always fancied their NV215 and I’d love to hear it via that BiAmp

They are pretty nifty🙂

The orange isn’t a bad amp -a venue we play well before Covid-19 (actually two venues) use the OTB as the house bass rig with an orange cab (one venue is head/cab the other I think is the combo and it’s not terrible but you’d be getting a more defined sound with your DG and more flexibility on managing the lows with a very clear knowledge of your eq points etc. I tended to bring my own gear but did a few shows with the house rig as we were using the in house pa for the room and the amps were really only for stage monitoring. I wonder if the cab just isn’t a good match and an alternative cab would be an option? Or does running a drive in front warm things up? Not sure which drive pedals you’re using buy you were singing the praises of the VT Bass. Wouldn’t that add the warmth you fee is lacking? If the Mesa is coming in at what 12kg that’s surely not too much of a schlep considering how good they sound? My TB600 is about the same weight and it’s a pretty easy two handed lift in a soft case or gator moulded plastic case and that’s including up and down stairs on some gigs. Clearly though you have your mind set on the Orange (this week) so good luck and I hope it’s gonna tick whatever boxes the others don’t quite reach.

If it’s a fender style design it likely similar to BMT 2-10-2 with some boost on the BT and cut only on the mids. Also a fender style is in and around 40-400-4k but with a broader band boost then in other amps. If it’s a bax type there sslightly more interactivity but as ever using eyes over ears isn’t the best way to set eq. I’d have thought the DG AO would have been an already light weight head with a more flexible EQ and switchable drive. The newer OBT1000 are a tad more versatile than the 500w but it’s still a ‘one sound’ head and any tonal changes would require tweaking between songs. A decent pedal would give an options drive but if your covers band is anything like mine one sound with a touch of drive when needed should cover most gigs?

Have you considered the Tone Capsule? Lows at 70 if I recall, 500 for the mids and hi mid (rather than treble) at 2.7 I’ve used these settings on my amp eq and it’s not bad. I still prefer the mids a bit lower for my jazz but depending on a few variables it’s a good even range. The issue as raised before is that with sweepable mids like someone mentioned on the Bongo (I’ve experience with that preamp and it’s very powerful) we’re more likely to mess up the tone rather than find a sweet spot especially as a gig progress and we get ear fatigue. The other issue of using ear plugs we tend to push a certain frequency until we hear it but the overall sound can be terrible.

I only asked abt the Sandberg as they usually keep their value on the used market quite well but buying new and selling on will always see a more significant loss over flipping on a used bass. It initially read like you lost more on it for a reason other than depreciation.