40hz

Agreed, I definitely think 'tone' is impacted a lot more by the speaker cab, but there are some heads that can really add the secret sauce. Most of my modern class D heads I've had, have sounded very similar, the change in tone was bought about by changing cabs. On the flip side, when I bought my Mesa Boogie M-Pulse 600 and plugged it in, it was a whole different ball game and drastically changed my sound.

So, yes and a little bit no! 😂

I love a bit of Bay-zil and Oreg-ano on my pasta. 

Well done to the OP. Never before has a thread made me so angry. Not the even the 'tonewood' one.  😂

1 hour ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

I'm not sure if this is a new thing or whether I've simply not noticed it before. But lately, I've noticed there's a trend for offering different finishes depending on the number of strings.

 

For example, on Squier's new contemporary range, the 4 string jazz comes in either Sky Burst Metallic and Shoreline Gold, whilst the 5 string comes in Gunmetal Metallic. 

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/squier_expands_contemporary_series_with_two_new_guitars_and_four_new_bass_models.html

 

I saw a similar thing recently when Charvel, released the San Dimas basses. They go a step further and change the finish depending on the pickups too.

PJIV black, white, lime green or blue.

PJV black or white

JJV red or dark green.

https://www.charvel.com/gear/shape/san-dimas-bass

 

Like I say, it may be something I've never noticed, and there's likely a financial reason for it.  But I'm sure it could be source of frustration where finish options are limited to the number of strings, and vice versa.

How bizarre! I was just thinking about this VERY thing this morning. Being the the market for a 5 string as the covers band I've joined play most songs in a lower key due to the singer, I was looking at the contemporary jazz 5 and thinking how the colour is horrible and would rather have it in the sky blue colour the 4-string comes in.

Rules it out entirely for me. Very frustrating as the specs for that bass are ridiculous for the money.

18 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

The implication from the demo is that being Class A-B these are much more powerful than similar specced Class D... a potential minefield I know!

One heck of a minefield! 😂

The power ratings seem a bit weedy, even if it is 'Class A/B'. They're fairly heavy for what they are too. Would it not have been better for Boss to have released just a high powered head, only? They'd probably have made a killing doing that, as the heads look superb.

I need in on this meme'ing.

No doubt it won't last long, but I don't buy a bass, based on whether other people like it or how successful it is. I dig it, massively.

The only let down for me, is the pickup covers. They look cheap as anything. Would have been better off with a smoother look - maybe not having exposed polepieces. They just look like two Jazz Bass pickups, stuck together with Pritt Stick or chewing gum, which knowing Fender, is probably not too far off. 

I think I might seemingly be the only person who absolutely loves this bass! Sounds pretty sweet in the demos too. Nate Navarro put one up yesterday.

Every single bass distortion pedal sounds the same to me.

As above. I really want an all-in-one, pedal board solution such as this, but aside from Behringer, I can't see any other company doing something like this. It looks like Boss have discontinued it judging by their website and the bcb-90x is too large for me. I only have around 5-6 pedals in total.

Anyone point me in the direction of another company I might have missed?

2 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Ag-u-lar - as pronounced by Dave Boonshoft, ex owner of Aguilar.

I'm going to have to watch the Aguilar videos again! . . 

Oh crap! 

He says Ag-ya-lar on the cab video on their YouTube channel.

4 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

around your leg?

That's not my strap!

7 minutes ago, toneknob said:

Aguilar is either

Agg Wee Lar OR

Uh Gwee Lar

 

definitely got a wee in there either way

Dave Boonshoft himself pronounces it Ag-wee-lar.

I used to wear my bass strap the wrong way round for about 5 years. 

Vanderkley is an anglicisation of Van Der Kleij isn't it? So it would be Van-Der-kly with a shortened J at the end?

I might have got this horrendously wrong. But I'm sure I saw it somewhere online where Dutch folk were discussing the cabs.

How Americans say Warwick. It puts my teeth on edge!

I think, personally, (YMMV etc) the value is in something being standard, or at least retaining the original bits to be able to be put back to standard. When I buy a bass, I want it exactly as the maker intended - for better or worse!

I (and completely accept there are some that see this different, but in the interest of opinions) wouldn't pay any more for a modded bass. I'd pay less (unless the OG bits were kept) as it's someone else's preferences.

3 hours ago, Dunk said:

I think the word ‘Upgrade’ has been overused by people who really mean ‘modified’…

 

Modifications of course are fine, some improve things and others don’t, I have no problem with experimenting and trying new things. But ‘upgrade is subjective.
 

My son is currently trying out different pickups on a cheap (£80) Squier affinity strat for example… just for fun and he’s learning about maintaining and repairing his guitar along the way (which is great) but any changes he makes will be a subjective change.
 

For example.. adding a set of £300 pickups to a £250 bass is probably an improvement (although still subjective and not necessarily so) but adding a £30 eBay high mass bridge to a £600 bass may not be.. neither sonically or visually. Beauty is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder (listener).
 

I think my real issue is when it’s used in a ‘for sale’ ad.. if you change something and you like it that’s great and it’s totally your call to do that to your bass… but to call it an ‘upgrade’ and add to the asking price is questionable. Almost always modifications devalue second hand stuff. Certainly if you start modifying a high end bass significantly and irreversibly you will devalue it.

 

My other passion in life is motorcycles and the secondhand bike market is full of the same… stuff listed in for sale ads as ‘upgraded’ when really it’s been ‘modified’.. not always for the better.

 

Just to be clear.. I’m not anti modification.. trying different stuff and experimenting and making small changes can be cool… but modifying isn’t always upgrading.. often the reverse. 

I second all of this. My absolute #1 pet peeve (however petty!) in the used market.

Like you, I'm not against it at all (I've modified a few basses myself) but upgrade is such an subjective statement.

10 hours ago, JPJ said:

Up until quite recently, I’ve exclusively used active basses starting with my Ibanez Roadstar RS940, all the way to my trio of John East equipped Overwaters. But then I assembled a passive five string precision and I’m quite blown away with the difference. It’s hard to explain, and maybe it’s just that I normally don’t play P basses (I know 😞), but the sound feels more ‘open’. Anybody else experienced this or is it just me? 

I have/had the exact same experience. Every passive bass I've used seems to sound more open (good way to describe it). I have active basses too and don't have a preference as such, or think one is better than another, but my passive basses definitely have always seemed to 'breathe' better.

I normally can't stand modded basses. This however, looks superb. Nicely done and very tasteful.

pAuL iS DeAd

In the words of Bill and Ted "be excellent to each other" and you can't go wrong.

I live life by the view of don't do or say anything to anyone, I wouldn't like done to myself. If people could try to put themselves in the others person's shoes, the world would be a better place, but, sadly, this seems to be a dimishing ability, society-wide.

However, on the flip side, I have to say, I'm definitely not a fan of this seemingly desperate need these days to compartmentalise and label people, negatively.

Bring 2 of everything (for the functions/covers circuit anyway). Don't leave anything to chance. Wear earplugs. Realise that less is more, PA and band volume wise. Not only will everything sound better/clearer for all involved but you won't scare your audience off.

OP, What is it that you don't like about the tone it currently puts out? Just the volume issue?

My personal favourite, when selling one of my Modulus Fleas through Facebook, is when some scruffy oik told me it was nothing more than a glorified Peavey and not worth anything. Where do these people come from?