- Oct 7, 2000
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I'm buying recording gear as opposed to basses.
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How has your approach to gear changed in 2020?
- Thread starter BobbyT
- Start date
i've added a P (a red one) and a J (after whining about Js 
). i've spent the plague time learning and using some video software. my purchases have mostly amounted to small items/parts to improve the instruments i have to rotate.
i did purchase a set of TI jazz flats thinking that i might be missing out (given all the TB love for those strings) and found out that indeed: i'll always be a rounds guy. i thought the flats sucked.
). i've spent the plague time learning and using some video software. my purchases have mostly amounted to small items/parts to improve the instruments i have to rotate.i did purchase a set of TI jazz flats thinking that i might be missing out (given all the TB love for those strings) and found out that indeed: i'll always be a rounds guy. i thought the flats sucked.
Having a difficult time even picking my basses up. I was in two bands before the pandemic, now I am basically bandless. One group of guys basically ghosted me, and my original band, I rarely speak to those guys as well. So. I dunno. I really freaking miss the feeling of locking in with a drummer, feeling the vibe with everyone in the room when you are tight as hell. Not sure when I will get to feel either of those things again.
We are in a jam band scene that is already very outdoors oriented so had some opportunity to play at distanced outdoor gigs over the summer here in New England during our lull in Covid. (It's back, and it's cold so that's over) But we as a band have continued writing and recording. Original music is lucky in this regard - we can be creative and forward moving in a lot of ways.
I snagged a few deals during the early days and then pivoted towards picking up a few key things for my recording studio. Overall, though? My gear approach has continued. Maybe even accelerated by more flipping of cheaper gear to find good stuff.
I snagged a few deals during the early days and then pivoted towards picking up a few key things for my recording studio. Overall, though? My gear approach has continued. Maybe even accelerated by more flipping of cheaper gear to find good stuff.
more focused on recording and working on that. i pretty much only use my P basses right now which is awesome
- Trying to be patient until things open up again
- Looking to move some live gear out, likely my V-4B/2x112AV rig and staying with my MicroVR set up
- Already sold off 1 bass, trying to sell a really nice banjo
- Dealing with very sick family members has made petty band politics seem comical, bordering on pathetic
Other than that, no major changes
- Looking to move some live gear out, likely my V-4B/2x112AV rig and staying with my MicroVR set up
- Already sold off 1 bass, trying to sell a really nice banjo
- Dealing with very sick family members has made petty band politics seem comical, bordering on pathetic
Other than that, no major changes
I'd say I am doing much more musically than pre-Covid, although only three outdoor gigs with the old band. My approach to gear has been to focus more on learning how to use it all better and more effectively.
- Built a mini studio in my basement
- Seriously started to learn how to use my Focusrite and DAW
- Bought a midi keyboard and learned to use it pretty good
- Bought a salvage amp and rebuilt it (Ampeg B25)
- Tuned up my other tube amps
- Fixed an old Ovation guitar
- Acquired a used Fender Jazz - first addition to my family in 12 years!
- Read and posted a ridiculous amount on TB
A short story: For many years now I've never gone on a gig without at least a compressor, a BBE Sonic Stomp, and a tuner. We had a couple outdoor gigs in September. In the interest of making things as uncomplicated as possible, given that I was pretty stressed out about playing for a crowd, even though I know outdoors is safer than indoors, I went with my connecting cord and a clip-on tuner, nothing else. Can you guess what happened next? Our sound guy came up to me at the end of the first set and said, "Wow, great presence, great punch, what did you do?" I haven't sold off the contents of my pedalboard yet, but I have thought about it. I did buy a pretty Squier 5-string, and I'm making a little progress with it, which is more than I can say about the previous four times (or was it five?) I've made an attempt.
I haven't sold off the contents of my pedalboard yet, but I have thought about it. I did buy a pretty Squier 5-string, and I'm making a little progress with it, which is more than I can say about the previous four times (or was it five?) I've made an attempt.
We are practicing and learning new material looking forward to whenever we can play again.
The only "approach" to my gear is the addition of a pick, yes, a pick. I know they are scorned by many but the arthritis in my hands isn't getting better and holding the pick seems easier on the hand. And I have to admit the sound is much cleaner and punchier than finger plucking as I've always done.
Total investment, about $5 for a variety of picks.
The only "approach" to my gear is the addition of a pick, yes, a pick. I know they are scorned by many but the arthritis in my hands isn't getting better and holding the pick seems easier on the hand. And I have to admit the sound is much cleaner and punchier than finger plucking as I've always done.
Total investment, about $5 for a variety of picks.
Freekmagnet
Commercial User
My band is not gigging due to COVID, so I've been revamping my entire rig. This project has been the works for a while, but I just started doing the actual revamping this year. I also I built two new basses this year - one is definitely "complete", and I am still tinkering around with the pickup configuration on the other.
A brief list of current gear changes:
I'm building a new 212 bass cab from a Speaker Hardware kit.
I bought an Aguilar TH500 to go with it.
The Pumpernickel Compressor kit I ordered from Schalitechnik 3 months ago should be arriving from Germany sometime this week. I've been wanting to build one of these forever - I had a DBX 163 back in the 80s and I loved it. It got stolen from my studio.
I've been breadboarding a new envelope filter pedal based on the DOD FX-25 circuit. It has an auxiliary input for a fuzz pedal and built-in mixer so I can layer additional effects over the effect channel. The fuzz, I haven't designed yet, but I'm picturing a Big Muff derivative with a clean blend and maybe a 3-band active EQ instead of the usual tone control. I've been kind of working on this on and off since April.
A brief list of current gear changes:
I'm building a new 212 bass cab from a Speaker Hardware kit.
I bought an Aguilar TH500 to go with it.
The Pumpernickel Compressor kit I ordered from Schalitechnik 3 months ago should be arriving from Germany sometime this week. I've been wanting to build one of these forever - I had a DBX 163 back in the 80s and I loved it. It got stolen from my studio.
I've been breadboarding a new envelope filter pedal based on the DOD FX-25 circuit. It has an auxiliary input for a fuzz pedal and built-in mixer so I can layer additional effects over the effect channel. The fuzz, I haven't designed yet, but I'm picturing a Big Muff derivative with a clean blend and maybe a 3-band active EQ instead of the usual tone control. I've been kind of working on this on and off since April.
This is great perspective. It seems as though I've lost some of the oomph of the heavy flats, but I've gained a lot more frequency response across the upper midrange and treble side of the spectrum. Maybe I haven't really lost anything. I hope that in a live playing scenario I will be able to do exactly what you're describing, but something tells me it's not that simple, especially when you're relying on a sound engineer to make those choices. In any case I am enjoying my sparkly top end in isolation for the time being
With all the downtime from not being able to gig and barely able to jam with friends even I have gotten really focused on being more practical and moving toward a quality over quantity approach to gear. I sold off three treble guitars, various pedals, a couple basses, and various other pieces and parts I didn't need and have used that money to upgrade and mod current gear. As a result, modding has become a bit of an obsession and now I'm really studying on doing a Warmoth or Allparts type P Bass build in the near future. It's been a lot of fun learning and I now feel pretty confident in my ability to do most work on my own basses and guitars (Fender products at least). I'll share a few pictures of a complete makeover I did that took up most of my summer. It started life as a $100 loaded Squier Contemporary Active Jazz Bass HH body I ran across on Marketplace. I gutted, repainted (Dupli Color Bahama Blue w/ Watco Gloss finish), and rebuilt it with Nordstrand Big Single pickups, Audere 4 band Jazz pre-amp, Hipshot tuners plus an Xtender, Hipshot Kickass Bridge, and Schaller strap locks, chrome neck pickup cover, and black pearl pickguard. Really fun project.
Oh forgot a couple things... Fender Player Series Jazz maple neck and last but not least, a black plastic tug bar just because.
Gone to 35x90 and I got too many basses, but since they don't sell, I guess I'll keep them. Cutting WAY back on purchases, since I can't turn those I don't like.
For me 2020 has been great! Thought my playing days were done due to rheumatoid arthritis but thanks to diet and lifestyle changes the RA has been minimized, then I was offered early retirement in March, took it then bought 5 acres in far western Colorado and am planning to build a barndominium with a large portion of it devoted to a recording studio. Then bought a Mesa subway rig and a Musicman BFR fretless. Just hooked up with some great musical souls devoted to kick ass once this Covid thing is over. Oh yea, keep the faith because there will be some great music happening once this all passes! And I rediscovered the awesomeness of flats!
I found your post inspirational. There have been some silver linings and things will get to some new normal for sure.
. Glad I could help, I have found that a positive attitude carries you through negative circumstances.
