titchfieldrelic

Has anyone bought or played through one of these?

I've got a 2007Limited Edition Stingray (4 string, Blue Dawn with Rosewood board) and a BFR Sterling (4 string Amethyst Burst with Rosewood board). Both have necks made from quatersawn maple. Fit and finish is absolutely impecable. After deciding what I wanted each time I was ready to buy, I contacted Strings and Things (the importer/distributor) and asked for details of every Stingray and Sterling they had in stock. I then selected three guitars and advised (by email) which retailer they were to be sent to and contacted the retailer accordingly with a request that they call me when the guitars arrived. I then chose the guitar I wanted. Had I not wanted to buy any of the guitars, it would not have been a problem. The retailer then, presumably, returned the unsold guitars back to Strings and Things. I did this because no retailer local to me had much of a selection of MM bases and not ones that I wanted. I've been to Bass Direct and other retailers in the UK since and can't say that I've seen or tried anything that's better made or to my ears, better sounding. I've also got a Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Jazz 4 string in Fiesta Red with a tort plate and Rosewood board. It's a lovely instument, but the paint finish and neck pocket fit are not as good as either of my Music Man guitars and I've not seen a Fender that is as good. Guitars are like women, though. You can see/meet hundreds, but one stands out as being special. It's all very subjective!

Those of you who use Schaller strap locks, do you just tighten the nut on the strap, or do you also use thread lock to prevent the nut from losening? I notice that Locktite make several types of thread lock and wondered which one was most commonly used by Basschatters?

Hi Everyone, thanks for all the comments which are thought provoking. Most of the stuff we do in the band is 60's covers, and in some of it bass is prominent. We're not trying to replicate exactly though, I want a range of sounds available which can be used depending on what we're doing. I thought spring reverb would fit in quite well.

Thanks to those of you who responded. Am I right in thinking that reverb (and tremolo) are not popular pedal effects?

It would appear that most reverb pedals are designed specifically for guitar, not bass. However, many guitar pedals are suitable for both types of instrument. The EBS Dynaverb, though, is a bass pedal. I've also looked at the Warmple Faux Spring, Mr Black Deluxe Plus, Mojo Hand fx Dewdrop and others, but it's difficult to review/compare them as some are not sampled on Youtbe. None are in my local music stores. There is very little comment on them here on Basschat. So, I wondered what Basschatters use/recommend. I know that this question is subjective, but as with other questions about equipment, something usually stands out from the crowd.

It would appear that most reverb pedals are designed specifically for guitar, not bass. However, many guitar pedals are suitable for both types of instrument. The EBS Dynaverb, though, is a bass pedal. I've also looked at the Warmple Faux Spring, Mr Black Deluxe Plus, Mojo Hand fx Dewdrop and others, but it's difficult to review/compare them as some are not sampled on Youtbe. None are in my locals music stores. There is very little comment on them here on Basschat. So, I wondered what Basschatters use/recommend. I know that this question is subjective but as with other questions about equipment, something usually stands out from the crowd.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Not everyone, of course, wants air conditioned, modern, nicely decorated, sound-treated studios with recording facilities, lounge, shop/cafe and immaculately clean toilets. But our band members are all over 60 and we like a bit of comfort. We're running out of time and we're trying to make the most of it. We think we're rockers, but codgers is probably closer to the mark! Anyway, I think we need as many bass chatters as possible to nominate studios throughout the country with good facilities to save those of us who don't want to from 'slumming it' in a cold, damp concrete bunker full of fag ash and empty beer cans. I'm not far from Southampton, so I'll check out River Studios. The website looks promising!

Our band was formed when we were at King Alfred's College in Winchester from 1968 to 1971. We now live in different parts of the South. When we reformed six years ago, we decided to meet monthly and rehearse on a cyclical basis in the areas where we live, so we have visited various studios in Hampshire, Surrey, Essex and Cambridgeshire. I have to say most are scruffy, ramshackle and dirty. The general standard is poor. It's not unusual to find a tide-mark on my shoes after a vist to the toilet! Why is it that so many studios offer so little in the way of cleanliness, comfort, space and amenity? The only studio we have found where the whole experience is really excellent is Blue Shed in Soham. It would be wrong for Basschatters to use this forum to identify the worst studios, but it would be really helpful for those of us using studio facilities to be advised of other places to go that set a high standard.

Consensus is a usefel tool in the decision making process especially when it is not possible to test equipment yourself. Unfortunately, there is nowhere for me to try out the TFR, so I ordered it from Phil at Guitar FX Direct on Wednesday and it arrived this morning, Excellent service from this retailer in the Isle of Man. Paid £159 including delivery. No extra duty or VAT. Huge choice of pedals. Probably the biggest choice anywhere. I've got a rehearsal session on Sunday at Blue Shed Studios in Soham to try the pedal out. Blue Shed, incidentally, is a very modern, purpose built facility which is the best that I've had the pleasure to use with my band. We're all in our 60's and we want to enjoy the musical experience and relax in impeccably clean and comfortable surroundings. Absolutely superb. I have to say that most of the studios I've used are ramshackle and filthy and it seems to me that this is the norm after five years of using diffent studios in Hampshire, Surrey and Cambridgeshire.

I've just looked at the Cog Custom thread and realised that as I don't have a degree in advanced electronics I wouldn't have a clue what to order!

Thanks again, Paul, for your advice. I've looked at the Amazon site and will use this heavy duty Velcro rather than the Velcro supplied with the Pedaltrain. Incidentally, do you have a Fuzz pedal? If so, where in the chain have you put it. I was going to place it after the compressor but before the mult chorus. I know that this is very subjective, but it's good to ask for the opinion of other bassists.

Thanks, Paul, for the recommendation. And so quickly too! My Pedaltrain Mini is about two years old and I've noticed that the pedals do move about from session to session when stored vertically in the case, mainly due to the adhesive being soft and allowing the pedals to react to gravity.. How often do you replace your Velcro?

I'm reorganising my pedal board and have noticed the adhesive on the back of the Velcro has become soft and slimy. So, I want to replace the Velcro, which means pulling it off and cleaning the sticky mess left behind on the bottom plate of each pedal before attaching new Velcro. What chemical/cleaning solution would you recommend. I thought about using nail varnish remover, but this might remove the paint. Any suggestion for those of you experienced in such matters?

Thanks to everyone who answered. I think I'll have a lie down now! My Pedaltrain Mini just has room for one more pedal. Currenly, I've got two EBS pedals - Uni Chorus and Multi Drive - together with a Planet Waves strobe tuner and Diago 9 volt power supply. The EHX Big Muff is too big for my board, so I've considered as many pedals as possible of the size that would fit the space available. I've got Stingray, Sterling and Jazz basses all of which are active. So, I've listened to as many Youtube samples as possible over the last month and read everything I can on Bass Chat and Bass Talk. The choice is bewildering. It would be easier to find Malaysian Airlines missing 777. But finally I narrowed the choice down to the TFR and the Duality. Both are quality pedals and I like the fuzz effects they produce, although, as some of you have said, they are different. I'm not in the habit of selling stuff that I've bought. I try to do sufficient research and testing initially to avoid the inevitable GAS. Clearly, though, from just the responses above, the TFR is loved. The Duality is relatively new, so there is very little comment available. The COG Grand Tarkin is about the same size as the Big Muff PI, which would mean selling my Pedaltrain MIni and buying the Pedaltrain Junior, which in turn would give me more space to buy more pedals!

Which is the best fuzz pedal? The TFR came top in a Bass Chat survey, but some of the recent reviews of the Duality recommend it. TFR's are not readily available in the UK, so is it worth waiting for stock to arrive? Guitar FX Direct and Bass Direct both have stock of the Duality now. Just wish I wasn't so impatient!