Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2025?

[Richard R]

Worst purchase: set of Ernie Ball strings I bought on a whim at the guitar and bass show and haven't put them on.

Second place best: the Smoothhound wireless kit I took in px when I sold my EBS Session 60 amp. It buzzes and plips like anything on stage, but in my practice room it's silent and means one less lead. Which makes it easier to pick up the bass and practice.

Best purchase: In person lessons! I don't practice enough in the week to get the maximum value (blame the job) but I am slowly and measureably improving stamina and repeatabilty and adding to my technique.

Big shout out to Chris at at The Instrument Factory in Newport Pagnell. 

 

[Richard R]

On 02/11/2025 at 01:32, YellowLedBetterBass said:

First of all (and probably least interestingly) a wired IEM set up using a pair of KZ ZSN Pro 10s and a Behringer P2.

 

Good solid IEM setup there.

[ghostwheel]

Basses:

Best: Music Man Stingray 4 3EQ fretless, 2005, just one off the shelf, nothing special, but feels and plays the best

Second best: Music Man Stingray 4 2EQ, 2005, same as above

Third place: Harley Benton MP-4, occasionally fitted with Tone Pump Jr.

Rather good: Spector NS Pulse II

Worst purchase: Fender AVRI '62 Precision

 

 

Gear:

Best: Ampeg SVT-3 Pro

Second best: Aguilar Tone Hammer preamp v1

Worst: Ashdown Mi10 with a 3rd party speaker

[Woodinblack]

Well, I have bought quite a lot this year, and it is a bit hard to pick out individual bests

 

Best:

Rickenbacker 4003s - Its very good, I dont' have any issues with the quality apart from the stupid pickup thing, and once you get round to having the right strings on it (which it didn't, it had a regular 4 string set) it is great. Its currently my only taking out 4 string, which means it is in drop D for the metal group

Boss XS-1 - great pedal. Again, with the metal group - a lot of the songs are drop C or C# or something, so with the above bass this can get put in for those songs so I just need a standard tuned 5 and a drop D 4 and I have everything covered. This is the most transparant drop tuner I have used and as a side trick you can merge in an octave up for a nicer richer feel. If it had memories or midi, it would be perfect, but for what it is it is great.

Worst:

nothing really bad, I guess the Sei flamboyant is the worst in that I don't really play it as it is too big. But maybe I will just tune it at F# standard and use it for the metal group!

[TrevorR]

No “worst” and no contest for absolute BEST for me - my Sandberg VM4 in Marley Blue bought in January. I just love this bass. In fact, it’s pretty much kept both my Wals securely tucked up in their cases all year. In fact, it’s so good, I’ve got a Superlight on order which will hopefully make it onto next year’s thread!!!

 

Edited 1 hour ago by TrevorR