Latest Posts

ModuMan · Jul 30, 2026

pdbass said:
Third, the gear thing definitely happened (even after checking everything, sir) which is often unavoidable. Thankfully Danette was able to help me out and I got something out of the trip to post.

Onwards and upwards.

Ha, well I'm glad to know you did indeed check it.

Good on you for responding, you certainly didn't have to. I think we all appreciate how much your trip meant to you.

lowendrv · Jul 30, 2026

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Feuerbach · Jul 30, 2026

I ordered the black version this morning. It’s on backorder and I hope to receive it in two to three weeks. (Can‘t wait!)

Rockgeezer · Jul 30, 2026

Just another positive mention of the Shure PSM300 with the metal receiver pack. It’s up close to $1K nowadays new but maybe finding a used one for less would be a good option but will still be above your budget. However….as someone who spent hundreds of dollars on previous low end IEM systems over the years prior to getting the Shure I would advise to wait, save and buy once for the better system as the Shure. I have used it on well over 300 dates and have had zero issues, no dropouts, no interference, most likely due to the 500 Hz band operating frequencies and staying away from the more congested 2.4 and other much used frequencies.
As far as ear buds, I have used everything from cheap $25 ones to my current custom molded Ultimate Ears Pro 11 model but they cost me almost $1600 for the buds and audiologist impressions. For me the difference in the customs was significant. They stay in and never budge due to no silicone tips and the deeper insertion plus sound fantastic. I realize these items are way out of the budget that’s mentioned but my point is to try and go for as high end as possible and don’t jump into any system that you’ll more than likely want to upgrade at some point. My recommendation then is to try for a used Shure PSM300 and possibly the Ultimate Ears non-custom 250’s mentioned in a previous post. Best of luck!

Finger Blister · Jul 30, 2026

Guess @ 800 Hz is your sweet spot.
Fuzz, Distortion, Overdrive in the Low-Pass.
FX High Pass.

Mrmatt1972 · Jul 30, 2026

I’m revisiting this old thread because I have one of these combos. And I agree that surprisingly loud and half decent sounding for the price and size I would not hesitate to take this on a gig, especially with PA support.

But surprisingly loud doesn’t mean it’s loud enough to keep up with like a metal drummer or anything like that

And I really wish you could run the internal speakers with an external speaker, but obviously they’ve got it at four ohms and they don’t want to run it at two ohms or anything like that so that’s that.

For the record the footswitch makes all the difference as far as usability. I have never once gone on the computer side and tried to mess around with the effects, but I know you can, but the basic effects are pretty good Boss standards that don’t need any tweaking.

icemangee · Jul 30, 2026

I'm happy to report that I received the replacement Bass 800D, and there is no strange noise from the AUX input. Everything is working perfectly now.

It looks like the first amp had an issue after all.

Gal

Bruce Calin · Jul 30, 2026

An experienced, knowledgeable teacher can guide you through all of the questions, check out your bass, and give you good info to get you started, There are some very good suggestions here, but if I were just starting out they would totally confuse me. I will sometimes get new students who have done some self teaching or received bad instruction, and it can break my heart to see how many issues they have that need correction, even to avoid injury. Please find someone who can get you going on the right path. I have nothing against teachers who play other instruments, but someone who really knows the bass is the best IMO.

Metal Sombreros · Jul 30, 2026

Get the best Fender Jazz or Rickenbacker you can and pay it off

Metal Sombreros · Jul 30, 2026

Fix it up and play it thats a USA made vintage pro instrument

tech21nyc · Jul 30, 2026

Once again as stated the Rumble Filter and Air switch were designed for acoustic guitar applications. You can certainly try to use those features with other instruments if you wish but the Rumble Filter's

RUMBLE FILTER

Engaged (in position), it removes unwanted sub-sonic frequencies that cause boominess and audible handling noises associated with acoustic guitars. Also complements other instruments, such as electric guitar, for a snappier, more inyour-face sound. Note: When Blend is at minimum, there will be no effect.

AIR

Engaged (in position), adds top-end clarity and sparkle to acoustics. Also complements other instruments, as well as vocals, for more definition and more open sound. Note: When Blend is at minimum, there will be no effect.

The Bass Driver, Para Driver and VT Bass DI's are amp emulators that can also be used as standard transparent DI's if desired when bypassed. They are flat response when bypassed. If engaged with the blend control off and the EQ's set to their null points they are also flat response and can be used as a DI with added EQ.

When the Blend is set at 100% the SansAmp circuit is engaged adding amp and speaker emulation which is the point of the product.

For myself I just plug the pedals in, listen to my sound in bypass then engage the SansAmp and adjust for the sound I desire. I'm lucky in the fact that I have access to all our products and can easily try them back to back but for the most part I can usually find a workable sound fairly quickly. I could ask our designer or engineer to put the pedals on the FFT or connect them to an oscilloscope but that seems somewhat pointless to me and a waste of time. It's much faster plugging in, playing and trusting what I hear vs looking at a computer screen. All our products are tuned by ear, measurements are used after the fact to ensure consistency from the prototype to production as well as for troubleshooting.

Bander · Jul 30, 2026

A couple thoughts on the OPs familiar challenge.

Are the loud band mates playing successfully with others in town? In other words, are they truly distinguished?

is the OP loud enough playing with others in town? In other words, is the OP loud enough?

I have a DHR110, which is a really strong powered speaker, and in the same power class with the DXR. Im a hard player. With high action, and I don't think id have trouble keeping up with any reasonable combo of musicians in a much bigger venue. Id look closely at your own setup, technique, and settings. Someone mentioned mids, that's what Id look for with a 10" rig, especially one that isn't voiced for a bass instrument. After that, If you want a scoop sound with a loud band, you need more or larger drivers.

TOOL460002 · Jul 30, 2026

Just yell "Do not redeem!" over and over. I assume that has traumatized the entire sub-continent. That or learn to swear in other languages. IME the more you eff with them the more your info gets shared. Yes, you waste your time to the benefit of other would-be scam victims, but there are people who do that as a day job (Kitboga/Jim Browning/Scammer Payback/Deeveeaar/Trilogy Media/Scam Sandwich/etc). The best move is to just hang up. Mr Buzzkill out...

kesslari · Jul 30, 2026

Malak the Mad said:
At first blush, I didn't know what "vet wrap" was until I did a little digging. If I'm reading this correctly, it's the same athletic wrapping material I used on my forearms and knees after a considerable wipe-out on my bicycle. It's rubbery coating could grab onto itself well enough to keep my bandages in place, but was flexible enough to not interfere with me working on clients.

https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-maximum-support-self-grip-athletic-bandage-prodid-1011658

Interesting stuff. It's basically a rubberized ACE bandage, but with no adhesive or metal clips needed. I'm curious to know how well it stays in-place AND grips onto the back of the neck simultaneously.

Sorry, I was glib with my description. It's called "Tensoplast". https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ESRLVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

We have used vet wrap a lot over the years, for our animals and for ourselves. This stuff seems to be essentially the same cloth, but with a layer of adhesive on one side (rather than being permeated with "stick to itself" stuff).
With the adhesive on one side, it stayed in place on my thumb extremely well, and was not grabby on the neck.

FWIW, my experience with vet wrap is that it would stay in place very well also, but would be grabby as heck on the neck and therefore a PITA to play with.

I'm going to try it at a jazz get-together (not quite a "rehearsal", e.g. no gigs planned, but not a "jam" either) tonight.

PNC7 · Jul 30, 2026

basebasser said:
TL;DR the problem is the venues and my own expectations of what a split coil can do to eliminate hum, not the bass.

I took it to the shop and we compared it to the others they had on hand. Like my home it was relatively quiet in terms of EM and my bass gave basically the same level of hum as a 4 string sp1 and some other random p-style bass we tested while at stupid volume. I had assumed that a p style split coil would act more like my jazz does in parallel, which absolutely eliminates hum, but that just isn't the case. It is still a bit weird to me that the bridge pickup has much less hum but who knows why. The other 4 string sp1 was like that too.

It's more than acceptable at home and some other places I've played so I'll have a chat with the venue next time and see what we can do, which direction is best to orient myself in etc. Maybe I can also convince my friend with dimmer switch lights in her house to practice in the dark

Having played in a bunch of different places with varied levels of noise I think your tl;dr nails it. Although some basses will be quiet and probably more appropriate for said venue. At the end of the day it’s not worth bringing a noisy bass that doesn’t play well with their wiring setup or their LEDs.

ihixulu · Jul 30, 2026

Just catching up on the thread, interesting… when I was younger, I read an interview with Billy Sheehan who talked about cranking the neck screws as tight as he could get them. So that’s what I did for a long time. Not sure it accomplished anything tonally but I did manage to strip some screws. Now I just tighten until snug and it seems to work just as well. I can’t help but think that other factors, such as the relationship between neck and body woods and builds, is a far more significant factor, all else equal.

Also, trying to draw conclusions about what the instrument designers intended from marketing materials, as was done with the Yamaha basses earlier, doesn’t seem prudent to me. Marketing departments tend to use verbiage that will entice the customer without necessarily being accurate to the engineer/designer’s intentions.

BassmanNate · Jul 30, 2026

A little late to the party but how close do your frequency centers have to be? could I get away with two parametric modules next to each other in my MS-60B+? Looks like frequencies available are 7-10hz apart until you hit 80. Then it's a spacing of 10-20 up to 200.

pklima · Jul 30, 2026

There's an old Polish (or maybe just our highlands) tradition of tipping the band by dropping coins in the f-hole of the bass, even referenced in the lyrics of many songs. This lets people do that but with greatly simplified money retrieval for the band.

BaltBass5 · Jul 30, 2026

She also used Mesa Boogie cabs with 400+ heads for a decent chuck of time. having said that, it's been mentioned but Billy Corgan plays almost all of the recorded bass on the Pumpkins albums.

Here's a cool article with some insight:

Billy Corgan on How D'arcy Wretzky and Auf der Maur's Bass Are Different: 'The Bass Actually Has to Be a Bit Behind'

'People would say to me, 'Do you have a particular fetish for women on bass?''

www.ultimate-guitar.com

SoonerBill · Jul 30, 2026

I feel like I'm back in school in the '60s!!
I like it.

craigmack1979 · Jul 30, 2026

baxter_x said:
In fact they are probably not. But they are all neodymium.

No they not and you just posting w/o doing research

The primary difference between the Hartke HD and HL series is their magnet type: the HD series uses traditional heavy ceramic/ferrite magnets, while the HL series uses lightweight neodymium magnets.

Dark Horse · Jul 30, 2026

Got some blue luminlay for the side dot markers.i haven’t used this material before, im anxious to see the results. Looks cool … I wonder how long a good “charge” lasts ?

Hoping today I will feel good enough to get into the shop for a bit. So much to do….

DavidG · Jul 30, 2026

Dr. Cheese said:
View attachment 7545369

I like how each bass gets its own fan! You really take good care of those things!

2saddleslab · Jul 30, 2026

iiipopes said:
There is no good reason. The LaBellas are superior strings for longevity, feel, and consistency. The A string of a TI set is as floppy as a rubber band. The LaBellas were developed to compete with the TI's, and ended up being better, especially after cloning the gauges for the first run, but realizing the A string floppiness. LaBella fixed that in the next run, making the A string marginally larger in diameter to match the tension of the other strings in the set. You are better off with the LaBellas. And four years for a set of LaBella flats is not old. Keep them on there for a few more years, or until they start to fray and/or lose intonation stability.

Gervais Cote · Jul 30, 2026

Yahboy said:
That stacked are pretty simple setup , effect send from top unit to effect return on bottom unit. Bottom unit as active extend cab, everything control by top unit.

In real world, Wine cellar sound more juicy and lively than Joyo Tidal Wave. Place the Joyo R after Wine Cellar to create grindy SVT-ist tonal, meanwhile place the Fender Bassman Driver last for Superbassman creamy scoop overdrive tone.

View attachment 7546379

While we’re at it, are your two RB112 more than loud enough when playing with a hard hitting drummer in a medium sized room ?