Without even hearing it, I don't doubt that that Origin Effects bass pre-amp pedal would sound good: their Cali76 Compact Bass is one of the two or three highest-rated bass compressor pedals on the market. Had briefly thought about springing for one, despite the higher cost, but decided against it because I already have a good compressor and don't know if I'd use it enough. Maybe someday.

ANYWAY, here's my gear confession: I don't think that MKII Reverend Mike Watt bassplower looks bad at all. It seems kinda overpriced, and I wish the headstock were bigger, but I think it would be cool to own. The main problem I have with it is that I don't like signature series instruments. Have yet to buy one. Feels like I'd need to be a real superfan to pull the trigger on one. Just how it is.

For light basses, I have a Magnatone Hurricane that sounds like John Entwistle. Truly unhinged design though if anyone cares to look them up.

Otherwise I don’t mind guitars and basses being heavy at all. The only time I was put off by weight was this Telecaster with binding I picked up in a guitar store. I can’t describe it but I just kind of felt like it was going to be a dog.

DaveA wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 5:02 pm ANYWAY, here's my gear confession: I don't think that MKII Reverend Mike Watt bassplower looks bad at all. It seems kinda overpriced, and I wish the headstock were bigger, but I think it would be cool to own. The main problem I have with it is that I don't like signature series instruments. Have yet to buy one. Feels like I'd need to be a real superfan to pull the trigger on one. Just how it is.

I saw Cyndi Lauper last week and her bass player was using the mk1 wattplower for almost the entire show.

eephus wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 4:12 pm

FM Eliya just gave me back my old Silkworm cab (very generous, he bought it from me 15yrs ago).
It's a Mesa 2x15 with EVM-15Ls in it.
It weighs approximately 1000lbs.

It sounds great, now that it's been glued and screwed back into non-rattling shape (must-do process with those guys, not the greatest workmanship in some respects).
And...I think the new lightweight bass enclosures sound kind of lame.
Just not enough inert mass to get the low end out of them or something?

BUT. Some neodymium speakers can be good now--the Eminence Kappalites are close to old EVs and I buy them now when I need replacements.
Much lighter, don't miss the old heavy ass magnets.

I keep being tempted to get one of those Mesa Subway 2x15 cabs that weigh 60 lbs(!!!), but besides the price ($2k new and they don't pop up much used so far) I can't imagine it'll sound any better than the Road Ready 2x15 cab I've got.

I did put those Kappalites in the 2x15 and it made it way way easier to haul around, and sounds pretty much the same as the EVs!

mdc wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2024 7:10 am

DaveA wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 5:02 pm ANYWAY, here's my gear confession: I don't think that MKII Reverend Mike Watt bassplower looks bad at all. It seems kinda overpriced, and I wish the headstock were bigger, but I think it would be cool to own. The main problem I have with it is that I don't like signature series instruments. Have yet to buy one. Feels like I'd need to be a real superfan to pull the trigger on one. Just how it is.

I saw Cyndi Lauper last week and her bass player was using the mk1 wattplower for almost the entire show.

That's cool. Reverends in general are underrated. I feel like they aren't quite "boutique" enough for some players' blood--unless we're talking the original ones made out of dude's garage--but they offer up a solid alternative to the usual Fender/Gibson variants. I swapped new pickups into my Double Agent W and like it even more.

Which reminds me . . . should get the hell of the internets, plug that thing in, and PLAY. Been a while.

mdc wrote: Tue Oct 29, 2024 7:10 am

DaveA wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 5:02 pm ANYWAY, here's my gear confession: I don't think that MKII Reverend Mike Watt bassplower looks bad at all. It seems kinda overpriced, and I wish the headstock were bigger, but I think it would be cool to own. The main problem I have with it is that I don't like signature series instruments. Have yet to buy one. Feels like I'd need to be a real superfan to pull the trigger on one. Just how it is.

I saw Cyndi Lauper last week and her bass player was using the mk1 wattplower for almost the entire show.

I owned one of the Mark I Wattplowers for a bit! It was a good sounding bass, but the focus on keeping it as light as possible made it feel almost toy-ish to me. There were a lot of "design issues" in an EB-0/EB-3 that the Wattplower addressed quite well, but I wound up ditching it when I had Chris Jury build me the 30" scale Century bass because I didn't need two short scale basses around.

Re: signature instruments, I get it, but sometimes more well-known folks just have tastes that align with what you're looking for.

Mike Watt bass? Absolutely. Stewart Copeland Tama snare drum? Oh yeah, slightly thicker brass Supra w/ a die cast hoop, can't beat that. Neil Peart 747 or Elvin Jones TXJZW drum sticks? Great great great, couldn't have done it better myself.

My bassist actually managed to get his hands on a prototype Wattplower with a red and black sunburst. He’s since moved onto a semi-hollow Guild as his main FKCN bass but still has the Wattplower. It’s a great-playing bass but had some electrical issues that were fixed when he changed the pickups to an EMG Geezer Butler P-Bass pickup.

The manu katché signature snare has been a lifelong grail piece for me.

But yeah, I get the aversion to signature stuff, for sure. It often means either tacitly endorsing something you don't care for, or being a bit too on the nose.

I don’t listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but I have Palmer’s signature snare and it’s awesome.

Some interesting comments.

mdc wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 11:16 amBut yeah, I get the aversion to signature stuff, for sure. It often means either tacitly endorsing something you don't care for, or being a bit too on the nose.

This ^^^ taps into the issue. And yet, I'll admit there's something a bit irrational here about such hang-ups. Mostly because others aren't likely to care much.

Even if you had someone else's name on your gear, and said musician were pretty lame, most people I know would just shrug their shoulders/have a laugh, and not be too bothered with it. If anything, it'd be a conversation starter, fodder for running jokes in the studio/rehearsal. "Okay, Stapp, let's give those chorus vocals one more shot."