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Shawn Luckman · Jul 24, 2026

sonic boogaloo said:
i was considering a 2014 standard but couldn't find one that wasn't above 9Ibs.

you lucked out on finding such a light one!

beautiful.

Yeah, considering I bought it unseen I was really lucky, to get one at such a low weight. A friend of mine has a 2017 Am. Pro I still preferred the A.Std :thumbsup:

Dr. Cheese · Jul 24, 2026

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HowieD72 · Jul 24, 2026

57pbass said:
While on a recent road trip to do a show at Chicago House Of Blues I stopped by Chicago Music Exchange and found these in their string department. They were very reasonably priced and I look forward to trying them out.

In case you haven’t been there CME is a really nice place to shop for gear.View attachment 7189287 View attachment 7189288

How did they go? Are you still using them?

I've got 2 sets landing in New Zealand soon & I'm trialing them out on a MusicMan Sterling and P-bass.

manchego_eggo · Jul 24, 2026

bit of a zombie thread but how did the results turn out? been considering a 5 string bart b axis MMJ too.

Zbysek · Jul 24, 2026

Pete Moran said:
I was thinking about using an octave pedal splitting the signal and placing overdrive on the top signal keeping the bottom one clean, somehow!!

For anybody searching this thread in the future: one can achieve what the OP wanted with an octaver inserted in the clean loop of the EBS Sheehan signature drive...

frankenbassdog · Jul 24, 2026

If this is helpful: just installed the HB7 on the Squier Sonic. Lightly sanded the post hole as the new bushing was just slightly bigger- seemed like the old one would have still worked too. The new screw positions were sorta too close to the original holes which weren’t perfectly even, so plugged with toothpicks and redrilled. Concave bonsai shears did a good job trimming the plugs with very little left to shave off after. Overall, easy, quick, and fun (nothing broke lol).

joojooeiei · Jul 24, 2026

Thanks for the replies.

foiltin · Jul 24, 2026

Hi all. New to the instrument, picked up a beautiful Ibanez DT600 (this is the model, as far as I can tell. Serial number L82322). at a flea market for free, the guy just gave it to me. That probably should have been a sign for me that something was wrong with it. Plugged into my Scarlett Clarett (this definitely works, and the cable is new, so the problem is almost certainly the bass), and all I hear is a very loud buzzing. This gets quieter if I jiggle the cable into the output a little more, but still present at a low level. Interesting to note that moving the tone knob (the second from the left when viewed as in the pictures, I assume), I can get the sound to go away. Also, when I touch the strings/any metal component, the buzzing goes away. From what I've read this means the grounding is fine (perhaps I misunderstood, though). There is absolutely no sound coming out of the instrument when I play the strings. I think something may be amiss with the wiring--looks kind ratty in there. I tried comparing it to some diagrams of P-bass circuits with only a volume and a tone control, but it's kind of beyond my comprehension at this point. I'd love if someone could take a look at this and tell me if something seems obviously wrong. I don't have a soldering iron, so I hope I don't have to do anything that requires soldering.

Tried to get as much detail as possible in the pictures, but let me know if anything needs to be seen clearer.

agedhorse · Jul 23, 2026

IIRC, original Oaktron baskets were generally dark blue, but maybe for OEM customers (or later era) they could be black. I reconed a few in the day, but even then it was generally cheaper to replace than recone. There were a few higher quality OEM models, but not much.

Pretty low quality stuff overall, with the doped paper surround it would have made a pretty crummy hi-fi woofer IMO. General purpose low grade PA drivers if it's really Oaktron/Mitek.

If the date 1992 is accurate, that would have been the very beginning of the Mitek era. I have a good friend who has been an engineer at Mitek's Atlas Sound division for about 20 years, and because of the location of Genz Benz, we were very familiar with the company.

Pretty mediocre speakers (they also owned MTX which was similarly mideocre speakers). Mitek spun it off to MISCO about 10 years ago. They never got beyond their mediocre phase, but they built what their customers wanted.

CamJazzBass · Jul 23, 2026

It is best used at low gain. It can give you that something extra. There are other ways to get that. I agree that the reason this pedal got a bad rep on TB is because of the folks wanting to use at medium to high gain. And, this pedal sucks at that. Gets lost in the mix. But, I put the blame on the EHX folks not knowing how to market this effect. Know your strengths.

richntiff · Jul 23, 2026

stubborne said:
We do Backwater and I get to sing it! Love some Meat Puppets.

It’s a fun tune - can’t wait by debut it this weekend!

roccobass · Jul 23, 2026

Just when I thought I had seen everything on YouTube, you guys never fail bring a topper in. Geez Louise. Glad no one was hurt. On our next rider sheet, I’m requesting guard rail for the back of the stage.

jimfist · Jul 23, 2026

Les Fret said:
So no cab needed with the SansAmp drive block?

Correct, using the “NoAmp Bass DI” type. The "NoAmp Bass Pre" is the same with the speaker emulation bypassed, according to the release notes.

GeoKinetic · Jul 23, 2026

Hi all,

I've been messing around with some ideas on wiring a 3 way/vol/tone pj bass in stereo, but I was hoping that some people with more experience can help me understand what options there would be for wiring that.

What I envisioned is that in mono configuration it will function as normal, but swapping to stereo will route the J to the ring output, and it would bypass all the controls on the bass. I know conventionally something like an extra switch or a push-pull to change the J pickup routing would be the standard, but I wanted to explore if there are other alternatives.

Is it possible to use a shunt stereo jack or something in that vein to detect when a mono or stereo cable is plugged in and change the pickup routing accordingly?

Is it possible to configure a 3 way switch (maybe not a switchcraft style) so that when you're on the neck pickup (P) only it will route the J to the ring? So when used in mono it functions as normal and then in stereo you just put the switch in the "neck only" position?

Any other possible suggestions would be great, thanks!

CamJazzBass · Jul 23, 2026

jmehl82 said:
I went to guitar center and tried two other ultra basses. Same issue with both of them. Seems to be the design, not an issue with the individual instrument.

I have 2 American Ultra Jazz basses and 1 American Ultra II Jazz bass and have not experienced this.

smogg · Jul 23, 2026

Personally I prefer the dual dynamic but that's just me. It's such a personal thing. My recommendation would be A-B them on your bass and just go with what works for you. There is no wrong answer here imo. Have fun with it!

rushgenesis2112 · Jul 23, 2026

Wyvern said:
My favorite bass riff to play, That is my go-to for testing a bass for playability.
That and Force 10.

For me it is a run through of Vital Signs, Force 10, Marathon, and the solo section of Freewill. I find out all I need to know about a bass with just one of them, I just like to play them all anyway.

31HZ · Jul 23, 2026

I would only add this:

1) I find all Fbass models to be incredibly comfortable. They have the shortest reach to the first fret of any bass I've ever played, thanks to the "offset" that the long upper horn facilitates.

2) The newer Fbass "Deluxe" pickups are a game-changer. For example, the solo'd bridge pickup in Parallel mode is a *very* aggressive sound.

3) Not all Smith basses have that characteristic "ping" equally, IMO.

4) The MTD 35" scale makes for a very long reach to the 1st position, longer than any of the others on a strap IMO.

5) Roscoe is absolutely at the same level of quality as the other brands listed, but some models utilize less-expensive/fancy woods and their basses are generally priced MUCH lower than all of the others. They're a serious bargain, again IMO.

6) @KJung is back! :woot:

NSYA · Jul 23, 2026

IME, two 12” mains will definitely carry a band. But not without a bass rig on stage.
Add the kick to those and they won’t sound like you imagine.

Add the bass to that and as others have mentioned, if the mains support the bass and kick at all, and the rest of mix will suffer.
If your band plays quietly enough, like acoustic guitars, etc. , that may work. But not with electric guitars.
Just my experience.

Miles_ONeal · Jul 23, 2026

BassBrass said:
he was the only one not playing a character. We baby boomers were a lot.

They were promoting "Ball:- check the end of Login to view embedded media

I still listen to the live album. Alas, it's a CD, so you don't get the same effect looking at the cover.

BassHole1 · Jul 23, 2026

Thanks, DJ Bebop & Aged Horse.....two separate options. Once I get the 2nd amp (hopefully!), I will be able to try both and seed which works.....

Dincrest · Jul 23, 2026

I remember 20 or so years ago at a house party where a jazz-funk-fusion band was playing. The bassist brought a Pedulla Buzz 5er and a Fodera Standard 5er. A few members of that band were part of a project I had jammed with them on and they wanted me to sit in, but I didn't have my bass. So that bassist allowed me to use his Fodera.

Easily the smoothest and easiest playing bass I've ever handled. It was effortless. But I kinda felt like a snotty kid driving his dad's Cadillac. Easily the best bass I've ever handled, but after playing it I thought, "This bass is incredible... but I still prefer what I have at home."

Foderas are a luxe brand of basses for good reason. And that Fodera totally fit that bassist's vibe. But it didn't fit mine. It was too fancy/refined for me.

I'm still in disbelief that the guy let me play his Fodera. I'm thrilled I got to play one. I can say I played a "best of the best" bass. But I never GASed for one. Instead it made me appreciate what I have at home and realize I like that better. It may not be as fancy, but it's right for me.

longfinger · Jul 23, 2026

AndyMopley said:
Hi all

I usually tend to transcribe a piece BUT then look at validation by comparing it to the chart (where available).
Is this a process you do as well, apart of course from trusting your ears ;-)
Or other?

Regards to all

For transcribing bass lines, (as opposed to making a lead sheet), I use Guitar Pro 8, and then to "validate", I'd put the mp3 into GP8, sync the transcription with the mp3, and play them together. Sit back and listen.

Little mistakes will be audible when they clash.

If it sounds good, it passes.

To be honest, I don't do that with jazz songs, but rather pop, rock, soul, etc where groups are expected to "sound like the record".

Looking at other charts can be helpful when there are multiple correct ways to notate something, and you want to see what the popular options are. eg, one measure of 6/4 or 4/4+2/4? etc.

Dr. Cheese · Jul 23, 2026

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This is a real beauty!

Challanger2 · Jul 23, 2026

Origin_Effects said:
The big box units were discontinued for a few reasons.

At the time of their discontinuation, the compact had eaten into a lot of the demand for the large-format units, what was already low volume became even lower volume. The company was also in the process of moving location, and we had totally new projects on the boil (RevivalDRIVE / Amp Recreation R&D).

An overlooked aspect, and one that is politely alluded to in the discontinuation notice is manufacturing methods, time, and sourcing. The Compact pedals weren't manufactured in the same way as the Large-Format pedals; a decision made directly as a result of the experience and lessons learnt trying to manufacture the Large-Format pedals.

Both are/were produced in the UK (as with all our current line-up), but they used totally different supply chains and sources for their components and materials.

To expand specifically on the "increasingly hard to find high-quality materials for". The electronic components themselves aren't the materials being alluded to here (though, the transformers are £80 components, and that's before you've put them in anything, accounted for failures/warranties and everything), it's the metalwork and PCB population processes. The enclosures for the large-format models used aluminium and a screen printed design, with the aluminium enclosure produced by one company, then them being sent to a different company to do the screen print. Getting these enclosures made to a consistently high-standard, got harder and significantly more expensive batch-to-batch. The Compacts used a whole new supply chain, and we moved to an enclosure and panel design. That allowed the enclosure to be universal with only the panel printed, so we no longer need to shift stock between multiple outside companies to finish an enclosure. PCB population at such low volumes also proved challanging to manage and sustain.

The Compact vs Large-Format manufacturing is full of little moments like this, that ultimately made the Large-Format pedals a unwieldy beast to maintain. The Compacts, and now 'Cali76 Bass Compressor' and 'Cali76 FET Compressor' are in no way using worse, lower-quality electronic components, nor do they sound worse, just a little different. They're still made in the UK, they still go through multiple QC stages, every unit still gets hand-tested and listened to, they still cost a bomb on the BOM, they're just more manufacturable and arguably, even higher-quality than before because we're able to more closely focus on consistency and some of the weirdness of the large-format models have been fixed.

TL;DR - Maintaining two vastly different production methods and manufacturing chains, as a really small business, when one line produces expensive but really low-volume items, just isn't all that viable. Especially when you're trying to care a lot about the quality of the output.

---------------

Ultimately we're still a small business, and the Large-Format pedals still pose a lot of issues for manufacturing in their original form. We did a reissue back in 2019/2020, and haven't done so since.

We would love to revisit the pedal, but if we do, we'd be keen to create something that can be produced consistently, so that those who want one, can get one. Obviously, it wouldn't be cheap to manufacture (the Transformer is £80 to us alone!), so it wouldn't be cheap at retail. Given it's been so long, I imagine we'd also want it to be more than just 'oh, it's the one with the transformer again', so we'd probably want to expand the feature set and fix some of the design issues the original large-format models have. All of which, naturally requires R&D time and resources to be available for such a project.

Anyway, maybe this was insightful in some way.

All the best, Jacob.

Thank you for the in-depth response, really appreciate when companies give the real reasoning behind a decision. I’m a very happy origin customer currently, really just wanted to get insight into why the big box was discontinued.

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