What gear exceeded expectations for you?

[dannybuoy]

TC Electronics Spectracomp and Mojomojo:

Heard a few glowing reports for both but have learned to take internet forum opinions with a pinch of salt. I expected the Spectracomp to be noisy and the Mojomojo to have some low end loss, but was pleasantly surprised to find neither were true. Both pedals have replaced boutique competitors costing many times as much even though price was not a factor in my decision.

 

Tech 21 DP-3X:

Pre-ordered this expecting to move it on after trying it out. I'm not familiar with dUg or Kings X, didn't like his tone that much either from demos, and the pedal had the biggest mid scoop ever, lowpassing the clean at 200Hz and highpassing the dirt at 1.2KHz. Biiiig hole in the mids. Yet it totally works in a heavy rock mix to carve space for the guitars and create an overall big wall of sound. Lows are punchy and present, dig in a bit and you can still cut through from above. 

[hooky_lowdown]

Picked up a very cheap Squier Affinity P (2013) last week, as something I planned on modding, but turned out someone had already done some upgrades and it puts my Fenders to shame. Well built (though machine heads need changing), neck is super nice to play and sounds great.

Edited June 17, 2018 by hooky_lowdown

[Skybone]

Line6 POD HD500x

Rockinbetter & Bass Collection Fakers.

Edited June 17, 2018 by Skybone

[Highfox]

I have been using the Fender Rumble 500 v3 for about 3 years now, used nearly every gig and practice at least once a week,

Ben a bargain and I'm still happy with it.

[Shaggy]

Mesa Walkabout

Not everyone likes them, but way better than I expected and IMHO the best mini sized amp there is 

[Cat Burrito]

Speaking as a child of the 70s who started playing in the 80s, most things have blown my mind in the last 10-15 years. 

[spongebob]

6 hours ago, Highfox said:

I have been using the Fender Rumble 500 v3 for about 3 years now, used nearly every gig and practice at least once a week,

Ben a bargain and I'm still happy with it.

Ditto. 

I had to change to the Rumble 500 head (car change), but it was a seamless transition. Pumping it through a Markbass 2x10 102P Traveller cab, and it's awesome. I'd have another one tomorrow if my one blew, without hesitation. 

Funny thing, after a recent bass change, I'm now using, on occasion, the bright setting. Just shows after a couple of years, it can still surprise you. 

[BassManGraham]

1. Tony Thompson Quadra Jazz it blows away all Fender Jazzes including, USA , Deluxe etc etc

2. Genz Benz ShuttleMax 9.2 & 12.2 bought for very good price when company folded.

3. Barefaced 12T bought thru Basschat,  I had heard Super12 in factory so not total surprise, but really came into it's own when gigged.

4. Quilter Bass Block 800 my most recent happy G.A.S. event.

[MattM]

Squier Matt Freeman Precision.   Bought for when I was working away during week to keep in flat for practise.   Amazing feel, sound and build quality for the money.   Sure my USA P is better, but deffo not 2-3x the price better

[Maude]

My Yamaha Bex4 sounds wonderful whatever I plug it into. I've always liked the playability of Yamaha basses and loved the look of the Bex4, especially the tobacco burst one, so snapped one up when it appeared on here. It had the same soapbar as in my BBG5s in a P position and a underbridge piezo so I reckoned it would sound alright but I'm blown away everytime I use it. Our soundman thinks it's the nicest sounding bass he's heard. Less than £300 as well.

[josie]

My first and still favourite bass, a GMR Bassforce 5. I knew when I bought it that it was good, but I had no idea how good. I'm not sure what I was expecting - I had never so much as picked up a bass before when I walked into Promenade Music to buy one - but certainly not something that felt so perfect and sounded so beautiful right from the start. And not surprisingly I had never heard of GMR, so I had no idea just how special a thing I had found until a few better informed bass players told me.  Still the one I'd keep if (heaven forbid) I could only have one.

[thodrik]

3 hours ago, Shaggy said:

Mesa Walkabout

Not everyone likes them, but way better than I expected and IMHO the best mini sized amp there is 

I have been using mine for nearly ten years now. Brilliant amp and it has got more than enough power to cope with louder gigs if you pair it with a good 4x10 or larger cabinet.

[Guest Briton]

?

Edited June 23, 2018 by Briton

[oldbass]

Bought two VM P Squiers a while back..there good but one is very good indeed, a bit heavier but the gnarly tone from those SD pickups is there in dollops. I rolled the fingerboard edges and now I cannot put it down....amazing really after what I paid for them.

[LeftyJ]

Status S2 Classic. I bought my first one on the internet untested because I loved the looks (bright white, black phenolic fingerboard and white epoxy Roman numeral inlays) and it blew me away in terms of playability, versatility and tonal quality. I was expecting a quirky 80s relic with ditto sounds, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I have since gotten another one too, a 5-string in a black metallic finish that belonged to Bonin-in-the-boneyard of this forum, and it has quickly become my main player. 

[PawelG]

For me it's my Squier JV Precision. I bought it of a gentleman in Luxembourg and expected it to be a fine P Bass. And it was love at first sight, lightweight, great feel and sound. And it cured the GAS for a vintage P Bass 10x the price 🙂 It definitely stays.

Edited June 18, 2018 by PawelG

[therealting]

Probably my Dingwall Super P. Yes, I knew it was going to be good having previously traded up my Combustion to a Super J (which I still own), but the Super P just does everything just right with such panache and classy simplicity that it’s honestly hard to imagine a more refined instrument. 

[Rich]

Two things.

1. Sire V7 five string. I was expecting good things, but oh my heavens what an instrument. It looks great and sounds better. Talk about bang-for-buck, this thing has it in spades. The only Jazz-style bass** I've ever played that I preferred was 3 grand's worth of Celinder. I've tried a pukka Fender Marcus Miller sig 5-string (4 times the cost of my V7) and it wasn't even close.
2. Behringer BX600 combo. OK so I wasn't expecting it to be great as such, but it does punch well above its weight. I bought it more as a home practice tool than anything, but it's become my regular chuck-it-in-the-car rehearsal amp. It easily keeps up with my 12-piece soul band, horns and all, and only starts to complain if I get really daft with the B string. Other than that, it's completely brilliant, especially when I consider that I paid 30 quid for it.

** note that I am not including my Shuker J in this, as it's not a traditional J-J configuration.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Rich

[casapete]

Few things that have been great for the money -

Squier Jaguar short scale - great little bass, sounded fab

Behringer BD121 - Okay, its a Sansamp rip off, but fantastic bit of kit for £25

Countryman U-bass - A third the price of a Kala, and just as good in most respects.

[EliasMooseblaster]

On 14/06/2018 at 22:10, T-Bay said:

Behringer Microphone, only had a couple of Behringer things before and they were terrible. This was so cheap I thought I was worth a go. Seems to keep up with lead vocalists Shure, in fact he was amazed by the quality. In a recording studio you may well see the difference but it’s fine at the dog and duck on a Friday.

+1 - I read glowing reviews of their C-1 condenser while I was looking to upgrade my home recording setup, so I took a punt on two of them. Turns out they were good enough to record a solo EP with!

[Ghost_Bass]

Yamaha BB1000S - got it in a trade of a Ken Smith for a TRB5P+BB. Thought i would keep the desired TRB5P and move on the BB to recover some funds. What a sound! Best P i've ever heard and the bridge pickup works all the magic. Has been out more times than the TRB too, still hasn't taken the place of my main bass, a TRB5PII.

 

EDIT: can't wait for the Flexsteels to wear out so i can fit some halfrounds and bring in the rumble!

Edited June 20, 2018 by Ghost_Bass

[micguy]

Warmoth wood - especially the necks. I build my own basses using their wood, and  it's all superbly made. Last night I swapped a neck on a bass (I had a  baked maple fretboard on it, and it was just too bright). I took the old neck off, bolted the new one on,  gave the trussrod a half turn past snug (all my necks end up about there w.r.t. trussrod adjustment), strung it up, and played it. The action was dead on from one neck to the next, and I didn't even have to touch the intonation - everything was just...there. They are also always snug in the body pocket - if you wanted to adjust any of my necks to line up the strings by moving the neck....well, there's no play, so it;'s a good thing they're all dead on.

Edited June 20, 2018 by micguy
typo

[discreet]

Another vote for the BDI-21 here - you just cannot get this close to a Sansamp for £25 anywhere else. Warms up a sterile amp a treat and records very well, too.

Also my Jess Loureiro dual-coil 51 Telebass pickup. Just astounding. As good as, if not better than, the big names - but at half the price.

Buying a dual-coil neck pickup for my Jazz next, on the strength of it.

[alyctes]

On 17/06/2018 at 19:55, Maude said:

My Yamaha Bex4 sounds wonderful whatever I plug it into. I've always liked the playability of Yamaha basses and loved the look of the Bex4, especially the tobacco burst one, so snapped one up when it appeared on here. It had the same soapbar as in my BBG5s in a P position and a underbridge piezo so I reckoned it would sound alright but I'm blown away everytime I use it. Our soundman thinks it's the nicest sounding bass he's heard. Less than £300 as well.

Agree.  If I could get a fiver I'd be using it, but I can't so I've gone on to other things.

[visog]

I'll contribute with my Two Notes Le Bass pre-amp. Does a musical crunch but the surprise was the articulate clean sound. Adds such a lyrical fingerstyle tone across lows, mids, highs and super-highs, it makes playing dynamics a pleasure...