mario_buoninfante

1 hour ago, ead said:

An OBP-2 has just appeared for sale in the Accessories thread...

 

 

Interesting, but I'm happy with my pickups though. The Barts on my Legend Classic seem pretty good.

I still have to try them bypassing the TonePumpJr though.

52 minutes ago, Mykesbass said:

Probably a topic for another thread, but is there anything left that hasn't been done before? AI possibly?

But as the OP, I did put this thread up more for newly made music in response to @DTB's earlier thread, and not some quest for the former.

I suppose that'd be a really interesting and long thread

The idea of "new" in music/art is tricky to define.

Artists influence each other and are influenced by similar things at similar times.

Today's world and its pace make it difficult to stick out for sure, but I do believe there is still new music (new = different, innovative) being made.

But, with new, I don't necessarily mean different from anything else in ALL aspects. I don't think that is even an option.

Anyway, waiting for that thread to start then

2 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said:

I tried the drop in randomly approach but soon dropped out again after a few seconds of "guitaring"  the alto player that showed up later was ok if a bit derivative. 

Can't say I'd describe any of it as "New Music" 

Regardless personal tastes, that are definitely playing a big role here (and that's normal), I thought that with "new music" we meant music released recently.
Also, I do believe this is new music in "the other sense" too, as in it's a mix between jazz, afrobeat and hip hop, with a personal approach.
I think I should have shared the studio album more than the live. More structured and sonically quite powerful.

Just found this video on YT and quite liked it.
It shows how much work goes into it
 

https://reverb.com/uk/item/64965499-peavey-milestone-iii-2016-electric-blue-left-handed

 

never played one, but they say these are really good for the price range

EDIT: deleting as I posted it on the wrong thread

the whole album is quite good
 

52 minutes ago, velvetkevorkian said:

Quick demo of my passive Legend 6, playing the same groove three times -- both pickups, bridge only, neck only. Tone controls wide open throughout. An empty HX Stomp patch into an SSL2 interface, recorded in Reaper.

 

Caveats: the output is pretty low, so I've had to crank the input gain - apologies for the background hiss. With a proper patch setup this isn't usually a problem. Also I think these strings could probably do with a change. Hopefully you get the idea.

Thanks for sharing this. Yes the noise gets a little bit in the way, but to be honest I can hear it's a Spector!
Maybe I'm convincing myself, but it seems like the timbre is there, it hasn't really lost anything.
I'd like to hear what other people think as well though, as I might be biased.

some preamps have a mute switch, for example this is on my Laney Digbeth Pre

22 hours ago, Mike Bungo said:

Hi everyone

 

I'm needing a little guidance to get my pedals in the correct order and listed below is what I'm looking to add to my board

 

Tuner (This is obvious)

 

TC Electronic Nova Drive - Overdrive/distortion

EHX Bass Clone - Chorus

Ampeg Classic - Pre amp

Boss - SYB5 Bass Synth

 

Any thoughts on this 

 

Thanks Mike

 

Like other people have said, I'd recommend you to experiment with it a little bit. Tuner goes first though.
About the other pedals it all depends really, my instinct says:
Tuner -> SYB5 -> Overdrive/Dist -> Chorus -> Preamp
The reasoning behind that is that I'd considered the SYB5 a "source" more than an effect, something I'd then effect with the other pedals, so it goes first.
I'd put the preamp last because in my experience (with totally different pedals though) is better. I treat it as if it's the preamp on a bass amplifier, I put it last unless it has send/returns, at that point something might be connected there.
Also preamp outputs can be quite hot, so I'd check if my other pedals would be happy with that.
Anything else in the middle is up for discussion.

2 hours ago, Ralf1e said:

I have seen a thread about this subject on either here or TalkBass.

I believe the idea was shown that the tone pump j can be swapped out for the more advanced tone pump model which is said to sound better and also has a little pot in the back making it adjustable. One of the things many owners do is turn the tone pump down a bit as they feel it is too much from factory setup.

Personally I have left mine alone.  It has bart soapbars and I love the range of sounds it gives me to choose from

It is a euro LX 5 string. Not sure how other models sound as I only have the one.

Yap, after starting this thread I then found something on TalkBass that was interesting, and even something here.
The TonePumpJr, the preamp in my bass, doesn't have the trimpot, so I can't really experiment with that.
But, I'm quite sure that it wouldn't change my mind. I'm not saying this preamp is not good, it's just that is not my cup of tea since it colours a lot.
I think my next step is to bypass it simply using crocodile clips, to at least make sure I like the sound of the pups in passive mode. Then I'll take it from there.
At the moment I'm leaning more towards making it passive, rather than replacing the preamp, but we'll see.

5 minutes ago, BassBunny said:

The G&L is not active in the true sense of the word. The treble and bass are passive "cut" controls. 

The active part is purely a line driver that boosts the signal.

Yap, I'm aware of that. But it's an active preamp, the EQ is passive.
And I quite like that tbh.
For the records I use mine in passive mode all the time.

47 minutes ago, velvetkevorkian said:

I have a Legend 6 (I think) with Bartolini soapbars which was rewired from some kind of Tone Pump to passive VVTT by a previous owner -- it sounds pretty good to me with everything wide open, (although I'm not 100% sure it's totally correct: the tone controls don't do much and it buzzes when both volumes are at 0, for some reason).

 

I have been thinking along similar lines to yourself, either a new preamp or get a new pre-wired VVTT loom, but there's no real need if I'm being honest, I rarely touch the controls on any of my basses and it works just fine as is.

Nice!
Would you happen to have any recording you could share? I'd be really curious to listen to it.

In the meanwhile I also discovered that Spector do a passive bass (apart from the entry-level Performer), the MK-5 Pro.
I couldn't really find too many sound examples online, but from what I found it sounds really good.
Now, I know that has EMG soapbars, while mine has PJ Bartolini, but at least that proved that Spector basses can sound good without an active preamp too.

Hi,

Few weeks ago I decided to put my Spector Legend Classic 4 (lefty) up for sale, because I bought another bass and decided I had to get rid of another one.
That said, in the last days I was thinking about it and I decided to pick the Spector up after 3 weeks without playing it and I immediately thought I should reconsider that! (Thing that I've just done! )
The quality is really good. Feel and finishing are these of a 1-1.2k bass.

But, I realised that what I like less is the TonePumpJr active preamp.
This circuitry colours a lot with its 16-18dB cut/boost EQ (don't have the specs at hand, but I know that cuts less then it boosts and that lows and highs settings are different), and the lack of "centre position" started to annoy me a bit as well, despite initially I thought it wouldn't be a problem.

So, after fiddling with the EQ and trying to find a more neutral settings, I'm running the assumption that I like the PJ Barts pups, and I thought I should probably try one of the following things:

1. remove the active preamp, add a passive tone control (maybe 1 per pickup) and leave the bass passive
2. change preamp

and I was wondering if anybody had done any of the 2 on a similar Spector.
I'd be particularly interested in hearing if anybody ever made their Spector passive (I know sounds like an oxymoron right? But I have to admit the bass sounds really good even unplugged, so I don't think it would be such a heresy after all).
But also, if anybody replaced the preamp, what did they go for and why?
After this experience and after buying a G&L L2000, I started realising I really like transparent preamps, but I'm open to any recommendation.

 

https://reverb.com/uk/item/65076795-carvin-icon-ic4-active-90s-red

On 21/01/2023 at 11:33, lidl e said:

I still got these two, but i need to get a nut cut for the 8 string. It's all Sims LEDs and a laser in the headstock

 

 

 

I love the Steinberger!
What's the A string though?

EDIT: OK, I then noticed it's just that is not fit in the bridge! sorry

Fender Japan have a lot of things not listed anywhere esle, amongst them this one

https://www.fender.com/ja-JP/hama-okamoto-signature.html

49 minutes ago, Delberthot said:

 

These were what I used when I switched back from flats to rounds as they are smooth for rounds and sound really good. I was buying the twin packs for around £30.

 

Since they put the prices up I decided to try other strings and have settled on Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys at about £18 a set. I can only get 5 or 6 wedding length sets out of them before they get start to get dull as opposed to 7 with the D'addarios but they sound and feel much better. The E string seems more solid, especially when detuned to D

I'll defo double check them then!

Thanks for the tip

7 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

You would buy into it too if your livelihood depended in large part on upcharging for exotic timbers.

Also, I'm just realising I might be confusing tension with flexibility/stiffness!!!!!

That was my initial point, but then I clearly got lost and started thinking about tension

https://liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm

Apart from all the comments so far, this seems to confirm it

https://www.daddario.com/products/guitar/bass-guitar/xl-nickel-bass/exl170-nickel-wound-bass-light-45-100-long-scale/
https://www.daddario.com/products/guitar/bass-guitar/xl-nickel-bass/esxl170-nickel-wound-bass-light-45-100-double-ball-end-long-scale/
 

same tension reported

Yap, I'm with you about this, it does make sense.
I'm pretty sure the differences I'm perceiving are due to other factors, and there are so many things:

• 2 totally different basses
• because of the above, inevitably 2 different setups
• 2 different sets of strings - same gauge but different brands - I wouldn't know about the core - also 1 set is Steel (headless) the other is Nickel
• different necks (1.5" D profile VS 1.75" medium C profile) and this I'm pretty sure makes me play differently

38 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

I have headlesses that use DBE and headlesses that use standard strings.

 

I use Elites, 40-125, on almost all my basses, which are almost all 34" scale, and there's no difference in tension.

Fair enough, it's probably just me. Atm I have Elites DBE on the Spirit, and D'Addario EXL 165 and factory (unknown to me) strings on 2 other basses.
I seem to be feeling the difference, but it's not like comparing apples to apples since it's different brands.

to add to the above, in a tuning machine scenario strings can slide through, while that is just not possible with a double-ball end system.
I know that sliding through would mean lowering the pitch, but it might be (speculating again) that there's enough tolerance (in the human brain) to make the relieved tension be perceived even before the ear catches up with the pitch changing.