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Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2023?

Al Krow

By Al Krow,
in General Discussion

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Cosmo Valdemar Grand Master

Cosmo Valdemar

Posted
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My best purchase is without a doubt this '94 Warwick Thumb. The only 5 string I've played in nearly 30 years that has a decent B string and actually feels and sounds like it's supposed to be a 5 string and not just a 4 with a bonus floppy cable stuck on the side.

 

It's an ASTOUNDINGLY good instrument. That growl...

 

Worst? Nothing comes to mind...

 

 

20231008_145938.jpg

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MungoBass Grand Master

MungoBass

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My best bass purchase in 2023 is my 20 year old American Vintage RI Precision. Now set up with a set of TI flats, it sounds, plays and feels great. I think it looks quite good too! Definitely a keeper. The AVRI series are really good basses.

 

A Laney Digbeth preamp found its way to my home in 2023 and is another keeper! 

70E90ECC-517D-41C5-85C8-1DA60A260C0C.jpeg

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SuperSeagull Proficient

SuperSeagull

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My best was purchasing the time and expertise of Badlands Guitars in Brighton to take out the original and failed pre amp on my 1991 Fender P Lyte and rewire as a passive instrument. It turned a bass gathering dust in a corner into an immensely playable instrument. 

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neepheid Grand Master

neepheid

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I wasn't expecting the BB1200 to arrive before the end of the year, so it's in the mix for best purchase, but I still think the Markbass rig edges it, simply because of its universal application regardless of which bass I'm playing.  A bloody close run thing though!

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Paolo85 Mentor

Paolo85

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Technically the best purchase was a Squier VM Jazz bought for a very good price. But for as playable as it was, it seems I am not a J person and I have sold it already.

Of the four bass guitars bought this year, three have been sold already. The remaining one is a Fazley fretless PJ paid £85 new which I guess was the most useful (best?) purchase. I feel bad I have butchered it as I was experimenting on it.

Excluding basses, the best purchase was a Gruvgear Duostrap.

Worst purchase may be my Stagg EUB, but it is too early to say. Ideally I would love to work toward playing the doublebass. I have bought a used Stagg for cheap but I was struggling. So I have spent more than the cost of the EUB in a professional fingerboard shooting. I am still struggling.

It seems I will either have to spend even more money - in lessons, low tension strings, or both - or cut my losses and sell.

 

 

 

Edited by Paolo85
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la bam Mentor

la bam

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Weird year for me. Lots of equipment coming and going due to various issues - not liking them, liking them but needing to pay for the van to be fixed, just not fitting in with the current band or being used to fund other purchases. 

 

I'm left at the end of the year with only with what I consider to be the best purchases too... These are:

 

Laney Digbeth 500H head

Laney DBV vertical 410 cab

Harley Benton MM84a x2

Sire P5 (although this may be up for listing soon depending on the van). 

 

Love all the above. Affordable, reliable and great sounding. And they have that underdog label and feel I like. 

 

Gear that's come in and gone in the year (I think these were this year)... 

 

Charvel San Dimas - great looking and feeling bass. Really nice sounds too. Unfortunately blew the preamp up. 

 

Fender FSR Electron Green Precision - love this, my second one. Another unbelievable find in such immaculate condition. Had to sell due to van breakdown. 

 

Bass Collection precision - really nice sounding bass with flats. Bought it for a tribute that didn't work out. 

 

MLD pre amp - great box but currents bands went back to using Amps. 

 

EBS 360 - lovely amp. But sold before I could gig it when bands went back to being in ears. 

 

Boss Sy300 - another one sold due to temperamental van. 

 

Taurus 112 cabs x2 - really really nice cabs. Surprised how good and nice they sounded. Sold to fund the dbv410. 

 

No real bad purchases this year. 

 

 

 

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Thump Proficient

Thump

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I've only really bought two new bass related items this year , a bass and an amp. Whilst i could consider both items as best purchase of the year , neither would fall under the worst in my eyes. 

 

But in the spirit of things - Best - Ibanez Btb805ms

 

                                          - Worst - Orange Crush 100 Bass amp

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SteveXFR Grand Master

SteveXFR

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5 minutes ago, Thump said:

I've only really bought two new bass related items this year , a bass and an amp. Whilst i could consider both items as best purchase of the year , neither would fall under the worst in my eyes. 

 

But in the spirit of things - Best - Ibanez Btb805ms

 

                                          - Worst - Orange Crush 100 Bass amp

 

I bought the Ibanez SRMS805 bass which was my best. I do kind of wish I'd bought a BTB805MS for the better pickups.

I got rid of Orange Terror bass amp because it was terrible 

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rmorris Experienced

rmorris

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On 13/12/2023 at 19:07, Lozz196 said:

I have best which are my Fender JMJ Mustang basses, and then the worst - even though they’re amazing they’re not as good as the JMJs - my Squier Classic Vibe Mustang basses. So I suppose I’m rather fortunate on this one with best being super amazing and worst being just amazing.

 


 

 

IMG_1892.jpeg

IMG_2564.jpeg

 

How would you characterise the differences Fender Vs Squier ?

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Lozz196 Grand Master

Lozz196

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1 hour ago, rmorris said:

 

How would you characterise the differences Fender Vs Squier ?

There’s not much in them to be honest, JMJ has P-width neck, Squier J-width. JMJ sounds beefier but when you look at specs the pots in the Squier are 500s v the 250s of the JMJ, so a KiOgon loom sorts that (as does turning the tone control down to about 75%). Both similar weight, both have a nice gloss neck. Tuners on JMJ are Hipshots, just regular on Squier but they hold tuning fine. 

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dmccombe7 Grand Master

dmccombe7

Posted
Posted

Best :-

Ampeg SVT7 Pro. Just loving the tone from it plus its reasonably light and portable.

Shure GLXD Wireless (pedal version) which has been so easy to set up and use and has never let me down or had any issues over the year.

Elixir nickel strings now on some basses since May and still sounding nice.

Designacable cables that i originally got for my wireless transmitter with an angled jack. Since then all my cables have been bought from them.

 

Worst :-

various strings i've tried that haven't lasted or the got lost in the mix for some weird reason. Markbass, D'addario XT's to mention a few but now on Elixir nickels which are doing exceptionally well.

 

Dave

 

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Paul S Grand Master

Paul S

Posted
Posted

I have a late entry that is going to compete for best purchase.  Trace Elliot Transit B pedal.  Just arrived today, had a 15 min play and I am excited - looks like some delicious tones to be had in the interplay between drive and gain. 

 

I remember when these came out thinking they would be a fab bit of kit but, at the time, I was using lightweight gear and full backline - one of these seemed like an expensive bit of overkill.  Then I promptly forgot all about them until a couple of weeks ago when I was looking at a 'one pedal solution' just to rationalise what I use now I have gone down the FRFR route.  This popped up in the search - with one for sale on this very forum!

 

Have to say there was nothing wrong with the TC Spectradrive I've been using for the past couple of years but this TE jobbie is everything I need in one pedal - DI, EQ, drive, compressor AND a tuner, which is a huge bonus in my book.  And it has green lights!  Having been a Trace Elliot fan back in the days when my back used to work this feels like going home when I see them.  Can't wait to try it out with the band, which is a couple of weeks hence.

 

(Also new, Lekato WS-50 wireless).

 

IMG_20231227_125248.thumb.jpg.45ba02ed4cac677bb15120bbcb69b82a.jpg

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Lozz196 Grand Master

Lozz196

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Posted
1 hour ago, Paul S said:

I have a late entry that is going to compete for best purchase.  Trace Elliot Transit B pedal.  Just arrived today, had a 15 min play and I am excited - looks like some delicious tones to be had in the interplay between drive and gain. 

 

I remember when these came out thinking they would be a fab bit of kit but, at the time, I was using lightweight gear and full backline - one of these seemed like an expensive bit of overkill.  Then I promptly forgot all about them until a couple of weeks ago when I was looking at a 'one pedal solution' just to rationalise what I use now I have gone down the FRFR route.  This popped up in the search - with one for sale on this very forum!

 

Have to say there was nothing wrong with the TC Spectradrive I've been using for the past couple of years but this TE jobbie is everything I need in one pedal - DI, EQ, drive, compressor AND a tuner, which is a huge bonus in my book.  And it has green lights!  Having been a Trace Elliot fan back in the days when my back used to work this feels like going home when I see them.  Can't wait to try it out with the band, which is a couple of weeks hence.

 

(Also new, Lekato WS-50 wireless).

 

IMG_20231227_125248.thumb.jpg.45ba02ed4cac677bb15120bbcb69b82a.jpg

Re this Paul, does the volume increase when the Drive level or Blend level is increased?

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Boodang Veteran

Boodang

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IMG_0620.thumb.jpeg.ec1bd62d1e6f259a45fe118f8e88bd61.jpeg
Got this just because I like phasers and…. It’s awesome! I’m in a blues band where I play drums and for the funkier numbers like ‘superstition’ I got our bass player to use this. He doesn’t use any effects but after using this he said if he had one pedal it would be this one. To prove it, I haven’t seen it since! 

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Paul S Grand Master

Paul S

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Posted
8 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Re this Paul, does the volume increase when the Drive level or Blend level is increased?

 

I didn't try, Lozz - I didn't have a lot of empty house time at my disposal.  I seem to remember an online review saying it stayed the same but that might be a false memory.  Seem to get a lot of those these days!  :D  Anyway, I'll give it some wellie when Mrs S is next at work, which will be Saturday.

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