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Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2020?


Al Krow

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I didn't think I'd brought in that much gear in 2020! .. And then I checked my Instagram 😮

The Winners: JHS "Tidewater" tremolo (by Josh Heath Scott); "Westwood" Overdrive (by Earthquaker Devices);

Runners up: HOF 2 by TC; Xenagama Tail loop 2 (by One Control); Neo Series "Wavelength" (by Alexander pedals); OC-10 Octave (by Valeton);

Not great: Delayla vintage echo pedal (by Carl Martin). Just not my cup of tea.

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2 hours ago, Obra said:

The best are Fender Custom Shop Postmodern P bass, Dod Carcosa Fuzz and Dunlop Bass Mini Wah :)

The worst is Fender P bass maple neck S8 from 1981 (back bowed) ☹️.

Ouch re your worst! Were you not able to check it out before buying / did you manage to get any compensation? 

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3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Ouch re your worst! Were you not able to check it out before buying / did you manage to get any compensation? 

I couldn't return it because I bought it on my journey through Hungary. It seemed to be just a little back bowed and I thought It would straighten under string tension, but no. Only after two weeks under pressure and heat at my luthier it straighten a bit, so he needed to refret it also so he cen level the frets in accordance to neck bow... ☹️. Worst purchase as I said before

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Best purchase i'd say this year was my Sandberg Electra VS4 P bass, simply bloody phenomenal for the money  - plays lovely. I've recently put an Aguilar Pickup in it and i still can't quite make up my mind if i preferred the stock.

Worst, Hartke TX600 amp, - bought two Hartke HD112's  earlier this year which i quite like so thought i'd do the Hartke stack thing...and well...er na...first product i've ever sent back to the supplier. It just didn't cut it for me at all despite some perseverance.....eventually picked up a used HA7000 of here for peanuts...that defiantly gives the Hartke sound.

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1 hour ago, Obra said:

I couldn't return it because I bought it on my journey through Hungary. It seemed to be just a little back bowed and I thought It would straighten under string tension, but no. Only after two weeks under pressure and heat at my luthier it straighten a bit, so he needed to refret it also so he cen level the frets in accordance to neck bow... ☹️. Worst purchase as I said before

Awww really sorry to hear. I had a similar experience on a Fender 5 string a few years back, in that case it was a little twisted.

I guess warping of necks on older basses is perhaps my single biggest fear on a bass purchase. As well as looking good if done well, a laminate neck can provide additional strength and rigidity - I'm probably being over cautious but given a choice I'll definitely go down the laminate route these days; something that one of my fav bass makers, Yamaha, seem to do as standard these days.

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Best buy:  Korg  pitchblack advance tuner. Large and bright so I can see it even with my reading glasses on! Also very accurate so any mistakes are clearly mine.

Worst buy: Rotosound RS66LF Swing bass strings.  Bought as a change from D'Addario EPS165 Pro Steels, and I wanted to support UK manufacturing, but I don't like them as much. They weren't as good to start with, and went dull very quickly.  I should probably change them, but I'm playing so little it doesn't' seem worth the expense.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Worst purchase. 

Obviously opinion rather than fact, but I bought a Bacchus 5 string from Ishibashi Music whilst on a business trip to Japan in Feb.  It was a very well made bass, but I simply couldn't get on with it - string spacing, neck profile, sound and just stuck it back in the gig bag and forgot about it.  I finally took the decision to sell it and luckily made a few quid on the deal. 

 

Best purchase

A few weeks ago i bought a MIJ 90s reissue 75 jazz from the forum.  I remarked tp a friend that I spent 25 years trying to get the sound I wanted in 5 string active basses and i found it in a 25 year old passive 4 string. 

Runner Up

I bought Happy Jack's Dean 8 string back in the Summer.  It's so much fun. 

Edited by bassbloke
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My best purchase by far a few weeks ago from @Deedee(absolute gent) is a RM500 it really does pack some punch and does everything I want and more  , a quick pic here as I’m changing my bass room around 🙂

I also bought a sansamp vt bass pedal , I don’t normally do pedals but I’m  throughly enjoying this.

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Two great purchases off here, a full lighting rig including cases and everything else needed to make it all work bought from beautiful Biggar in Scotland courtesy of well known BCr

@dmccombe7          

And second, a superb Cliff Bordwell fretless bass, bought from top seller @Clarky  which was a retirement present for me bought by my wife 👌🏼

She gave me the choice of a new watch or a bass - no brainer really 😆

I did have a one and only time duff experience with a purchase that arrived broken and had to get one of the mods involved ☹️

And for Christmas, Santa brought two Kliq Aircell straps and a duel stand 👍🏼

Who knows when any of it will see any gig action though ☹️

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Not bought much this year.

A cheap condensor mike was a bit underwhelming.

Two good purchase were: a MojoMojo which has the mild but audible distortion I was looking for and not finding and a Harley Benton bass kit, which at £78 ranks among my best bass bargains (and I've had several).

It's so good I've been playing it no stop for about two weeks.

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On 25/12/2020 at 17:11, Al Krow said:

I believe Santa has a bit left over from his trip to @PatrickJ's...

He's probably got a SA C4 synth and a Boss OC-5 at the bottom of his sack on their way back to the north pole as they didn't end up in my stocking.

Edited by PatrickJ
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