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What is your Anti-GAS?

#161
For me , 2 things, well, maybe 3.
First my pre-amps, luv my BBE383, it has the EQ, scoop, crossover, does it all well, plays well with others, but never has been "magical". So i bought a Sansamp RPM, luv the tone!, but is is a "one tone at a time" wonder, and takes a bit to dial from one tone to the next. Not good live, but fab in the studio!

Last is my power amp, a Crest CA9. 900w/ch, never ever have come near to clipping, fat transparent bass at any volume, any venue, any stage. I have demo'd class D amps rated at the same power, or more, only to have them clip and crap on me. Not to mention the lack of envelopment, of being surrounded by sound out of the exact same speakers!
So I at least I don't have to lug the Crest around until after the pandemic....
 
#164
Dr. Cheese said:
What less than perfect gear are okay with?
Click to expand...
My '03 Carvin LB75NT fretless is really an excellent bass, just not *exactly* what I want. The features are right up there with spendy boutique basses but the market lowballs them at around $500 used. A new one would cost 3x and may not be quite as good so I'll keep it and will it to the local high school jazz band.
 
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#166
Dr. Cheese said:
What is the piece of gear that you are not totally satisfied with that is not worth replacing? For me, it is my GK MB200 amp. It sounds good, but it is fairly noisy. That said, it is plenty powerful for home or any church where I might play. I don't need to spend anymore on an amp. Similarly, I have decided I just don't need to invest much in fretless basses anymore. My Yamaha and Glarry are enough.

What less than perfect gear are okay with?
Click to expand...
 
#167
Dr. Cheese said:
What is the piece of gear that you are not totally satisfied with that is not worth replacing? For me, it is my GK MB200 amp. It sounds good, but it is fairly noisy. That said, it is plenty powerful for home or any church where I might play. I don't need to spend anymore on an amp. Similarly, I have decided I just don't need to invest much in fretless basses anymore. My Yamaha and Glarry are enough.

What less than perfect gear are okay with?
Click to expand...
I'm okay with all of my stuff.
 
#168
I'm okay with all of my stuff. I have several basses which I like. I have an Eden World Traveler 500 watt head that drives a 1 x15 and 2 x 10 cab for big outdoor gigs. They are heavy but sound great. I have a 25 pound Acoustic Image all with a down firing 10, a 5 and a tweeter along with a 25 pound 2 x 10 acoustic Image cab that had one 10 in the front and one down firing. It's a great rig for string bass or most gigs. The amp has a direct it for the PA so I end up using it most of the time. I also have a classic 2 x 10 fender Eminence cabinet that was one a combo but someone cut the amp part of the top. It had a great sound at 48 pounds. I do have one GK head that is not dependable that I don't use much.
 
#169
Dr. Cheese said:
What is the piece of gear that you are not totally satisfied with that is not worth replacing? For me, it is my GK MB200 amp. It sounds good, but it is fairly noisy. That said, it is plenty powerful for home or any church where I might play. I don't need to spend anymore on an amp. Similarly, I have decided I just don't need to invest much in fretless basses anymore. My Yamaha and Glarry are enough.

What less than perfect gear are okay with?
Click to expand...
Squire Bass IV. Looks gorgeous but it's a big hunk of pretty junk.
 
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#170
I love variety. I do have preferences -- f'r instance I'm mostly a P-bass guy, not so much a J-bass guy -- but I don't want to play P-basses exclusively. And I almost always use overdrive/distortion, but don't have a single tone goal: depends on the style of music I'm playing, and also my mood on any particular day.

With all that in mind, my anti-GAS is having collections of gear that I like. Basses: I own 10, most of which are P-style, but there are exceptions such as my dual-bucker Zon, an MM-style Sadowsky, and I finally acquired a J-style bass.

FX: I own over a dozen different overdrive pedals -- each is great in its own way, and I often stack them for combinations of dirt tones.

Amps: I own one boutique (Reiner) that's wonderfully transparent, and also a Darkglass head with built-in distortion which is a gig-saver when I don't have time or space to set up FX pedals.

Speakers: my favorite is the Bergantino NV610, but I also own some smaller, modular cabs because a 6x10 is overkill for most of my gigs.



For many years after I started playing I could only afford the bare minimum -- didn't even have a backup bass -- so I get it, my solution will be way too self-indulgent for many (and TBH it's overflowing my storage space). But I'm an old phart, have a bit of disposable income, and the end result of my gear collections is no GAS. Of course I still love to window-shop, but without angst: the grass is green enough on my side of the fence! :)
 
#171
Dr. Cheese said:
What is the piece of gear that you are not totally satisfied with that is not worth replacing? For me, it is my GK MB200 amp. It sounds good, but it is fairly noisy. That said, it is plenty powerful for home or any church where I might play. I don't need to spend anymore on an amp. Similarly, I have decided I just don't need to invest much in fretless basses anymore. My Yamaha and Glarry are enough.

What less than perfect gear are okay with?
Click to expand...

I agree. Had the MB500. Was not thrilled with it at all. Went with a Traynor SB200. Sounds so much better and dead quiet. Plus they are dirt cheap.
 
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#172
Dr. Cheese said:
I am glad you guys love your basses, but I am really talking about making peace with gear that you know is flawed. It is easy to love a perfect bass or amp. Also, I am not talking about getting over GAS. Sometimes we just decide we alright with something even if we know it is lacking.
Click to expand...
Oh. Now I see what you were saying. I dont usually make peace with it. I either dump it or fix it. Lifes too short and the thrill is in the hunt.
 
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#174
So many ways to answer this question...

On one level, it would be old age combined with a lack of space. I was *this* close to pulling the trigger on an Acoustic 360 set - one of the very few amps that I wanted but never owned - and then I smacked myself out of it...:woot:

On the gear level, my '84 Ovation Custom Baladeer is not a perfect acoustic guitar by any stretch of imagination but it records remarkably well even nowadays and is a joy to play. I know that I would have to spend a very serious coin to get what I *really* want and may eventually do that, but for the time being the old beaten up Ovation will do and then some...
 
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#175
My 78 Yamaha BB1000 That I picked up for $225 with case and candy.. I have no more need for a Fender P. The yammy is the ultimate P
 

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#178
Dr. Cheese said:
What is the piece of gear that you are not totally satisfied with that is not worth replacing? For me, it is my GK MB200 amp. It sounds good, but it is fairly noisy. That said, it is plenty powerful for home or any church where I might play. I don't need to spend anymore on an amp. Similarly, I have decided I just don't need to invest much in fretless basses anymore. My Yamaha and Glarry are enough.

What less than perfect gear are okay with?
Click to expand...
At the risk of being abused by this community, I could well live without my Fender Geddy Lee jazz bass. It is a perfectly satisfactory instrument that I keep a) for sentimental reasons and b) those gigs/tunes that call for a Fender sound. But once you've played a really well-made, hand-crafted instrument (I have 2 and am having a 3rd built), the average Fender bass seems very generic. No disrespect to Fender lovers and its storied tradition.
 
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#179
H. Bob said:
At the risk of being abused by this community, I could well live without my Fender Geddy Lee jazz bass. It is a perfectly satisfactory instrument that I keep a) for sentimental reasons and b) those gigs/tunes that call for a Fender sound. But once you've played a really well-made, hand-crafted instrument (I have 2 and am having a 3rd built), the average Fender bass seems very generic. No disrespect to Fender lovers and its storied tradition.
Click to expand...
Personally, although I love my Geddy, I am way past being offended by someone not liking my choice of Bass.
 
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#180
ajkula66 said:
On the gear level, my '84 Ovation Custom Baladeer is not a perfect acoustic guitar by any stretch of imagination but it records remarkably well even nowadays and is a joy to play. I know that I would have to spend a very serious coin to get what I *really* want and may eventually do that, but for the time being the old beaten up Ovation will do and then some...
Click to expand...
So, what guitar is it you really want?
 

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