I’ve realized over the past few days that I’m quite unhappy with the state of my bass gear. As you may know, I’ve been playing electric bass guitar in rock bands of various types for most of the last 35 years. Let’s do a July 2019 equipment rundown.
The good news.
- My pedal board. I love everything on it. I have my a) TC Electronic PolyTune, my b) high pass filter to eliminate unwanted sub frequencies, c) my MXR bass compressor, d) my incredible Source Audio Manta bass filter for some wacky, synthy, envelopey shit, and e) the incredible SA Aftershock distortion. I even have a tiny looper tucked in there just for fun. My board is in physical disarray (I need to spend some time with the velcro fasteners) but pedal-wise, I’m super good with it. No needs, no wants.
- My amplifiers. My Carvin BX1500 has all the features, flexibility, and watts that I need. My Ampeg PF-500 is a nice backup and practice amp. I desire no replacements. All is satisfied.
And then there’s the bad news.
- My bass guitars themselves. First, there’s my old Ibanez SR505. God I love playing it. The thin, fast neck. The low, low action. The light weight! It’s a little neck divey, but that’s ok. The real problem? It sounds janky as fuck. I find I have to EQ the shit out of it to make it sound acceptable at all. It sounds thin. And clanky. It just isn’t working. Then there’s my Warwick Rockbass Corvette $$. It sounds like a house on fire. Those double humbuckers really do the job. The problem? The neck is slightly bent, preventing me from getting anything like the low action I want. I hate playing it. It’s a chore. Feels like crap. Summing up both bass guitars: one plays like a $1,000 bass but sounds like a $100 bass, while the other plays like a $100 bass and sounds like a $1,000 bass. Help! I would be willing to keep one of these as my backup, but I need at least one with no compromise.
- My speaker cabinets. I have a pair of GK Neo 115-III cabs. Forty pounds each. They sound…ok. A little light on the deep lows. But for stage volume I don’t know how much I care about that. The real problem is that one of them has an issue. I thought it had a blown speaker, but I replaced it and it’s still the same. It sounds like it lacks punch and gets distorted at volume. I have no idea what the issue is. And if I’m honest, I’d rather have smaller cabs, like 12s. Easier to carry, even if they’re not that much lighter. Speaking of 12s, I have one, a GK MBX 112 “extension” cab in a very small aluminum housing that is hardly bigger than the 12” driver that lives in it. I have no idea what it sounds like because I’ve never really used it. It can’t be giggable. Looking at other cheap 12s, I impulse bought an Ashdown VS-112 cab yesterday. It’ll be here soon. But I imagine that these 12 cabs are destined to disappoint. You either buy a boutique Aguillar, Bergatino, Barefaced, or Fearless 12 – and pay the piper for it – or you’re just kidding around. Something must be done.