Author Topic: Do we have any musical people on DC? (Read 212913 times)

40hz · « **Reply #250 on:** December 04, 2015, 02:45 PM »

Thanks for sharing that! It's so cool! The part that was the best to me was watching the faces of the musicians as they first played it.

I wonder about the weight? And the finishing? And the durability over time?
-wraith808 (December 04, 2015, 04:18 AM)

It is an interesting question. Considering the way they're slinging it around I'm guessing it weighs in around 6 or so pounds.

Durability is another issue. I figure it's probably as sturdy as a Danelectro which are made out of Masonite. I do think the edges might need some additional finishing however. Maybe a piece of transparent fiberglass tape over the edges and some additional finishing to blend it in and secure it would do the trick. Of course, if it could be produced cheaply enough and last for 10 years, it might not be an issue. Just pull the hardware and electronics and stick them on an inexpensive replacement body/neck.

I doubt Fender will do any more of these. It's just a proof-of-concept piece for Cardboard Chaos to demonstrate the versatility of corrugated. But it may provide some incentive and ideas for builders outside of Fender who may wish to pursue it.

wraith808 · « **Reply #251 on:** February 08, 2016, 12:55 PM »

I've been playing Rocksmith 2014 lately to improve my guitar skills- I highly recommend it! Some people talk about it not being conducive to good guitar habits- but all I know is that I've been playing regularly daily and keeping with it- which I haven't successfully done with my other forays into the instrument, and I can feel myself getting better. (As far as background for comparison, I'm more of a keyboard/vocals guy)

Well, I unlocked this bonus song by a band I'd not heard before, and I love it!

The band's video

Some one else playing (I have a problem with that solo!)

(he has his fretboard upside down for some reason even though he's not playing left-handed)

ayryq · « **Reply #252 on:** February 08, 2016, 01:18 PM »

I've been trying to use Rocksmith for rhythm guitar too. (As far my background, 28 years playing piano, a bachelor's degree in trumpet, and fairly capable with a bass guitar) I'm finding it really difficult, that there's a big jump between the how-to-hold-the-guitar type of lesson and throw-you-into-a-song-with-no-chance. Also I found the fretboard was upside-down for the way my head works; I flipped it in settings.

I've been playing Rocksmith 2014 lately to improve my guitar skills- I highly recommend it! Some people talk about it not being conducive to good guitar habits- but all I know is that I've been playing regularly daily and keeping with it- which I haven't successfully done with my other forays into the instrument, and I can feel myself getting better. (As far as background for comparison, I'm more of a keyboard/vocals guy)
-wraith808 (February 08, 2016, 12:55 PM)

wraith808 · « **Reply #253 on:** February 08, 2016, 05:36 PM »

What are you having a problem with starting off? I might be able to help once I know that.

ayryq · « **Reply #254 on:** February 08, 2016, 06:23 PM »

Hmm, I'm getting double notifications from DC at the moment

I did Chords 101 with no problem but Chords 102 was baffling; I just couldn't keep up. And the easiest songs just expect you to play chords that you've never "learned." I guess some out-of the-game practice is needed.

But for now I've moved it aside as I'm currently trying to learn violin (!) with my 7-year-old. If you thought listening to someone learn to play violin was painful, you should hear two people trying at once

wraith808 · « **Reply #255 on:** February 08, 2016, 08:37 PM »

Hmm, I'm getting double notifications from DC at the moment

I did Chords 101 with no problem but Chords 102 was baffling; I just couldn't keep up. And the easiest songs just expect you to play chords that you've never "learned." I guess some out-of the-game practice is needed.

But for now I've moved it aside as I'm currently trying to learn violin (!) with my 7-year-old. If you thought listening to someone learn to play violin was painful, you should hear two people trying at once
-ayryq (February 08, 2016, 06:23 PM)

In my personal play, I sorted by difficulty, and started at the top. The lessons needed for the particular song seemed to come up in the Rocksmith Recommends area. I haven't even done any of the 102 courses yet, though I probably should. I've learned from that point organically, and from the games and the score attack. As far as playing chords you haven't learned, they do recommend that you look at chords outside of their suggestions, though most of those have come in the Rocksmith Recommends area also.

I'd recommend when going back, just jump into the songs and follow the Rocksmith Recommends curriculum. It's pretty good, I've found, about picking up what you don't know, and making it simpler, without doing that immediately.

Vurbal · « **Reply #256 on:** February 18, 2016, 12:34 PM »

As 40Hz already knows, I bought a new Schecter 5 string bass about the time I stopped posting to this thread last year. With a budget of only $400, I was actually planning to buy something used, which really sucks for a lefty. Fortunately for me, Schecter had discontinued this particular model, and I managed to get one literally a couple days before they became pretty much impossible to find. As a bonus, the new price was about what I'd probably get selling it used, so it was practically a zero risk purchase.

I fell in love with it the first time I played it, and I love it just as much now. It's everything I expected from a Schecterat that price (it normally sold for around $650 - $700), except for one annoyance. I say annoyance, but had I payed full price, or if I had to pay someone to fix the 1 design flaw I discovered, I'd be pretty pissed. Instead, I'm mildly annoyed with them, and more annoyed with myself for not tracking the issue down sooner.

To make a long story short (mark that on your calendar), Schecter put passive EMG pickups in the bass, which is fine, but then they paired them with the wrong EMG EQ module. EMG sells 2 OEM specific EQ stacks, one for active pickups (which most of theirs are) and another for passive pickups. Not being an OEM, I can't be sure, but I'm betting the active pickup (200k input impedance) version is cheaper than the passive (1M input impedance) one, because it doesn't need to include a buffer (which active pickups have) to avoid impedance loading the pickups. Even if they're the same price, generally, I know Schecter sells a bunch of basses with active pickups, so it would probably have increased the cost moderately to buy a separate (and smaller) batch of high impedance tone stacks).

Whatever their reasons, here's what the difference between 1M and 200k looks like on a frequency plot. They're different pickups, but the effect is fundamentally the same. There are actually 3 different impedance options listed, because it's for an Audere preamp with a variable impedance option. However, the Low Z and Mid Z plots are for the exact impedances for the active and passive pickup EQ modules, respectively. Not to mention that 1M is what every standard onboard preamp uses, and for the exact same reason.

Fortunately, it turns out Bartolini sells a reasonably priced buffer/preamp circuit, so I can fix it without buying an entire preamp/EQ unit. At this point, I can't say I even know what either the pickups or EQ sound like when wired properly, so it would be wasteful to replace them without finding out - especially at nearly half the original cost of the bass.

40hz · « **Reply #257 on:** February 19, 2016, 07:24 PM »

Just a quick note about an excellent set of affordable headphones for studio use. Check out the Sony MDR-V6 Studio Monitor headset. Close to dead flat and an amazing 5-30kHz (that's right 5 as in F-I-V-E) frequency range. If you're a bass player, these are ideal for plugging into a headphone practice amp or jack. Plenty of accurate bass response without those eardrum damaging overtones you get with general purpose or gaming headphones which are designed to "enhance" the low end.

You can buy them for around $80 street/online. They're amazing. To get something better you'd need to spend a few hundred (and then some) on top of that $80. And the sonic improvement wouldn't be as great as you'd think it would be.

Great for studio and recording use. And exceptional for dealing with bass frequencies. A quick Google will spot you numerous rave reviews.

Highly recommended.

ayryq · « **Reply #258 on:** February 20, 2016, 04:57 PM »

Check out the Sony MDR-V6 Studio Monitor headset.
-40hz (February 19, 2016, 07:24 PM)

I have (and love) the very similar MDR-7506 headphones and I think they have the same ear pads. On mine the vinyl coating on the ear cushions started flaking off after a couple years. Got in my hair and shirt every time I wore them. So budget an extra $30 to get the Beyerdynamic EDT250V "velour" ear pads which are much more durable, and just as comfortable as the originals.

40hz · « **Reply #259 on:** March 04, 2016, 12:18 AM »

I found this flat out fascinating...

Craig Leon, famous for his work with The Ramones and Blondie, as well as his work in the classical arena with such leading artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Joshua Bell and Sir James Galway, talks about the inspiration behind and the process of creating his latest record: "Bach to Moog."

In 1968, the album ‘Switched On Bach’ inspired many musicians of the time to explore the wondrous new world of synthesized music making. This ground-breaking album was the first ever to take standard classical repertoire and interpret it solely on a device which generated new sounds electronically. Although there had been research and sonic experiments earlier, it was after this breakthrough release that the synthesizer entered the mainstream of modern experimental and pop music recording.

As a welcome extension to the synthesized exploration of Bach’s music and the many creative opportunities that opened up 50 years ago, ‘Bach to Moog’ album integrates the Moog modular synthesizer into the orchestra as a solo instrument, in ensemble and also as a processor of other instruments.

Vurbal · « **Reply #260 on:** March 25, 2016, 08:40 AM »

Last night a friend helped me install a preamp (Bartolini AGB 918-2) in my bass. By helped, of course, I mean I double checked which wires he was rerouting where (he's always worked on passive guitars), and set up my amp to test it out when he was done.

It sounds amazing now! Since I no longer have to roll off the bass and mids nearly all the way, while boosting the treble to about 3/4, the noise floor has dropped to near nothing. This morning I tweaked the gain trimpot on the preamp. Now I can keep the bass volume at about 80% running through my Joyo American Sound, and a little extra for bypassing it without having to adjust at the amp.

Besides the pedal, which does an amazing job of copping a Fender amp feel, I recently bought an Ampeg 210 (AV) cabinet, and I'm searching for his twin brother. Together they'll make a fantastic stage rig. For the time being, it's great by itself at surprising volumes - perfect at practice and rehearsal volume. Actually, I imagine it would carry a small bar just fine.

superboyac · « **Reply #261 on:** March 25, 2016, 02:10 PM »

Bach to Moog’
-40hz (March 04, 2016, 12:18 AM)

totally fascinating. thanks!!

40hz · « **Reply #262 on:** March 25, 2016, 06:53 PM »

Last night a friend helped me install a preamp (Bartolini AGB 918-2) in my bass. By helped, of course, I mean I double checked which wires he was rerouting where (he's always worked on passive guitars), and set up my amp to test it out when he was done.

It sounds amazing now! Since I no longer have to roll off the bass and mids nearly all the way, while boosting the treble to about 3/4, the noise floor has dropped to near nothing. This morning I tweaked the gain trimpot on the preamp. Now I can keep the bass volume at about 80% running through my Joyo American Sound, and a little extra for bypassing it without having to adjust at the amp.

Besides the pedal, which does an amazing job of copping a Fender amp feel, I recently bought an Ampeg 210 (AV) cabinet, and I'm searching for his twin brother. Together they'll make a fantastic stage rig. For the time being, it's great by itself at surprising volumes - perfect at practice and rehearsal volume. Actually, I imagine it would carry a small bar just fine.
-Vurbal (March 25, 2016, 08:40 AM)

Sounds like a nice kit! Play it well.

I recently added an Iron Ether Nimbus Bass Reverb pedal to my collection. Amazing little boutique box that finally makes reverb workable for bass without resorting to a $500+ Eventide H9 or a $480 Strymon Big Sky pedal. Great for adding a hint of air and motion (i.e. ambience) to your mix. It also has more extreme settings if that's your thing.

Do we have any musical people on DC?

Edvard · « **Reply #263 on:** March 26, 2016, 01:43 AM »

OK, I dropped this on the guys at GuitarNutz, and got a little (as in mostly one guy) feedback, but today I turn to my good friends here...
A little history first: Ever since I saw this ad in a 1977 issue of Guitar Player(?) magazine, I've lusted for one of these babies -

Do we have any musical people on DC?
It was the middle of the 80's and I wanted a guitar that was different from the gold standard Strats, Pauls, and SG's, but not like the trendy Floyd-Rose-and-pointy-headstock 'superstrat' things being pumped out by the likes of Kramer, Jackson, Ibanez, etc., nor like the pointy monstrosities presented by B.C. Rich, Dean and Gibson. This organic-but-awesome product of Ovation fit my bill perfectly, and I scoured the pawnshops and instrument stores anywhere I happened to be. In the early 90's, a Breadwinner could be found for $450 - 600 in great condition, but they were on the rare side, and always showed up when I was out of money.

They began to get more popular when Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine was seen playing them, and so somewhere around the mid-2000s the price started creeping even further out of my budget, and now can be had in the low $1000s on eBay.

Now I'm married with a steady job, so I no longer have the time nor inclination to blast some chords on the road with some long-haired metal freaks, but I still play a bit here and there, and I still lust after that Ovation. Eastman Guitars put out their loving tribute to the Breadwinner in 2009, and my heart leapt at the possibilities. However, at $800+ it was still out of my reach, and I my big fingers wanted a Fender-scale neck anyway, so... I went to work. A few restless nights with a CAD program and some photos and tracings of the gem in question, and I finally have my dream in reach. It may have to be built with pine or plywood, but so be it.
Ladies and Gents, in humble tribute to the Ovation Breadwinner, but adapted for a longer neck scale, I give to you...

The Loaf Champion:

Do we have any musical people on DC?

In the zip, I have included DXF and DWG files, openable by any capable CAD program, and a Readme file explaining what's going on with the layers. I use QCad, so they will definitely work in that, and have used DoubleCAD 5 successfully in the past.
For those who are experienced builders, please advise where I might have gone wrong on this, and for those so inclined to actually build the thing before I do, I require a surcharge payable in build pictures.

wraith808 · « **Reply #264 on:** March 26, 2016, 08:58 AM »

So I have a question that I've not really found a reliable answer to.

First, I was using a Korg GA-40 for a tuner.

I moved on from that to a TMR50BK, mostly for the dual use of recording and a metronome.

As of late, I've switched to a Snark SN-5 after seeing it in use in one of my local shops.

I just saw a GoGo Pedal Tuner on massdrop. The lowest drop price is 39.99, and I'm thinking about joining.

Is there any real discernible functional difference between different tuners that any of you have noticed? The Snark is convenient, and doesn't actually plug in, but I don't hear any difference between that and a plug-in tuner. I can hear the difference on lower end tuners for sure. But once you get past a certain price point, it doesn't seem that the difference is anything but form.

Thoughts?

Edvard · « **Reply #265 on:** March 26, 2016, 12:40 PM »

For guitar, anything that gets you in the ballpark should be just fine. Guitar is NOT a well-tempered clavier, and attempts to 'fix' it have resulted in some of the ugliest things you'd ever lay fingers on. The weird thing is, I usually have a pretty good ear when it comes to detecting things out of tune, but my cheap little black box tuner does a better job most days; Tune string-to-string by ear and I have an awesome Gmaj, but a slightly flat Dsus, tune by blickenlichts and I have everything from Emaj to C7 down cold (and yes, I adjust intonation every string change).

TL;DR: If you can swing the price for one you like, go for it.

wraith808 · « **Reply #266 on:** March 26, 2016, 10:45 PM »

Didn't know if anyone was looking for some good, reasonably priced, effects pedals.

An assortment of valeton pedals are on massdrop. 3 days left on the drop.

40hz · « **Reply #267 on:** March 28, 2016, 01:37 PM »

...

Now I'm married with a steady job, so I no longer have the time nor inclination to blast some chords on the road with some long-haired metal freaks, but I still play a bit here and there, and I still lust after that Ovation. Eastman Guitars put out their loving tribute to the Breadwinner in 2009, and my heart leapt at the possibilities. However, at $800+ it was still out of my reach, and I my big fingers wanted a Fender-scale neck anyway, so... I went to work. A few restless nights with a CAD program and some photos and tracings of the gem in question, and I finally have my dream in reach. It may have to be built with pine or plywood, but so be it.
Ladies and Gents, in humble tribute to the Ovation Breadwinner, but adapted for a longer neck scale, I give to you...

The Loaf Champion:

In the zip, I have included DXF and DWG files, openable by any capable CAD program, and a Readme file explaining what's going on with the layers. I use QCad, so they will definitely work in that, and have used DoubleCAD 5 successfully in the past.
For those who are experienced builders, please advise where I might have gone wrong on this, and for those so inclined to actually build the thing before I do, I require a surcharge payable in build pictures.
-Edvard (March 26, 2016, 01:43 AM)

Now that is a labor of love if I ever saw one!

One suggestion. Do it as a template first. By that I mean do it to scale on a 1/2" piece of MDF before you commit to cutting expensive woods. Sometimes something that looks really good on a blueprint or drawn on paper doesn't map out quite as nicely in the real world. Having that template also lets you get really precise cuts for the body etc, because you're going to only rough cut with a saw. The final shaping is going to get done with a router. And having an accurate router guide is going to be worth its weight in gold when you reach that point in your build and you're cutting a $25 mahogany or swamp ash body blank. It's also great for pickup routes and getting the tuner and bridge positioning exactly right.

(Note: I sent you a PM)

Vurbal · « **Reply #268 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:04 AM »

So I have a question that I've not really found a reliable answer to.

First, I was using a Korg GA-40 for a tuner.

I moved on from that to a TMR50BK, mostly for the dual use of recording and a metronome.

As of late, I've switched to a Snark SN-5 after seeing it in use in one of my local shops.

I just saw a GoGo Pedal Tuner on massdrop. The lowest drop price is 39.99, and I'm thinking about joining.

Is there any real discernible functional difference between different tuners that any of you have noticed? The Snark is convenient, and doesn't actually plug in, but I don't hear any difference between that and a plug-in tuner. I can hear the difference on lower end tuners for sure. But once you get past a certain price point, it doesn't seem that the difference is anything but form.

Thoughts?
-wraith808 (March 26, 2016, 08:58 AM)

Personally, I wouldn't want to be without a pedal tuner. At the very least I'd want something I can plug into. Fortunately, a friend (with more money than sense) gave me a Pitchblack+ he decided he didn't like, but I don't recommend that for you, or most people in fact. I'm damn happy to have it, but I certainly wouldn't pay $150 for it.

You want something that's accurate to +/-1 cent, which the more recent models of clip-ons from Snark and TC also are, if I'm not mistaken. The Monoprice knockoff of the regular Pitchblack is supposed to be quite nice, and only costs $20. Some people claim it's the actual Pitchblack, which it might be, but I've never seen any proof of that. In any case it's supposed to be an excellent pedal.

The Pitchblack+ is accurate to 0.1 cents, which mostly just makes it suitable for setting intonation. In my case, it also has a couple additional benefits. Unlike most people, my perception is a lot more accurate than +/-1 cent, and I have perfect pitch. Even in a mix, extremely small intonation issues can bug me.

Vurbal · « **Reply #269 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:38 AM »

So I've been playing my re-engineered bass for almost a week and it's like a whole new instrument. I ended up turning the preamp gain almost all the way up - to about 5db. Initially that was just to compensate for output level differences when switching from mid focused (bass/treble cut technically) to mid cut tones. As it turns out, it also makes fine tuning the amount of dirt I'm getting from the overdrive pedal.

The difference with the buffer is so significant that my wife, who does not at all have the ear of a musician, immediately noticed it sounded clearer - before I actually got a good tone dialed in BTW. At rehearsal last week, it cut through the mix at a significantly lower volume. Just as importantly, the volume and tone from one string/note to the next is relatively balanced for the first time ever.

On the good side, struggling to tame those problems for nearly a year has done wonders for my technique. Even better, the guys I've been regularly playing with for the last few months, are actually sounding like a real band. If that doesn't work out, now I've got everything I need to look elsewhere.

wraith808 · « **Reply #270 on:** March 30, 2016, 10:38 AM »

Personally, I wouldn't want to be without a pedal tuner. At the very least I'd want something I can plug into. Fortunately, a friend (with more money than sense) gave me a Pitchblack+ he decided he didn't like, but I don't recommend that for you, or most people in fact. I'm damn happy to have it, but I certainly wouldn't pay $150 for it.

You want something that's accurate to +/-1 cent, which the more recent models of clip-ons from Snark and TC also are, if I'm not mistaken. The Monoprice knockoff of the regular Pitchblack is supposed to be quite nice, and only costs $20. Some people claim it's the actual Pitchblack, which it might be, but I've never seen any proof of that. In any case it's supposed to be an excellent pedal.

The Pitchblack+ is accurate to 0.1 cents, which mostly just makes it suitable for setting intonation. In my case, it also has a couple additional benefits. Unlike most people, my perception is a lot more accurate than +/-1 cent, and I have perfect pitch. Even in a mix, extremely small intonation issues can bug me.
-Vurbal (March 30, 2016, 09:04 AM)

Thanks for that! I only have relative pitch, and it bugs me when the steps are off, and is very obvious to me, and I look at other people and wonder why they are sitting blissfully. I can imagine it would be that much worse with perfect pitch.

ayryq · « **Reply #271 on:** March 30, 2016, 10:47 AM »

I like Korg tuners, and I bought the CA-40 (actually I have a couple of them) because it goes low enough to tune my low B on the five-string bass.

I can imagine it would be that much worse with perfect pitch.
-wraith808 (March 30, 2016, 10:38 AM)

I wonder how "you people" deal with off-of-440 pitch situations? I regularly play with a pipe organ which is at A4=439Hz. Does that drive you nuts or do you adjust?

40hz · « **Reply #272 on:** March 30, 2016, 12:01 PM »

I like Korg tuners, and I bought the CA-40 (actually I have a couple of them) because it goes low enough to tune my low B on the five-string bass.

I can imagine it would be that much worse with perfect pitch.
-wraith808 (March 30, 2016, 10:38 AM)

I wonder how "you people" deal with off-of-440 pitch situations? I regularly play with a pipe organ which is at A4=439Hz. Does that drive you nuts or do you adjust?
-ayryq (March 30, 2016, 10:47 AM)

I don't have absolute pitch - but I do have excellent relative pitch. So once I hear a few notes of anything, my brain just locks into the first few intervals for reference and I'm perfectly fine. You wouldn't want to tune an orchestra just to me. But I'm never playing out of tune - no matter what the standard for being "in tune" is.

I prefer the sound of A=432 as it was during the Baroque period. (Actually A=438 is my own personal favorite.) But that's me. I don't buy into any of the metaphysical discussion surrounding the whys or wherefores, nor get into the political discussion of the "Nazi origins" surrounding A=440. I just like the way the lower A standard sounds. Modern tuning always sounds a little sharp to me. Especially that all important B tone - which always sounds 'out' to my ears - no matter what the tuner (even a Peterson strobe unit) says.

If you haven't heard much with A=432 (or possibly didn't know when you were - because many bands (like some of mine) will routinely drop their A down a few cents even though they don't feel the need to make a big deal or wave a flag around about it. This guy did up some comparison listening clips. Give a listen below:

40hz · « **Reply #273 on:** March 30, 2016, 12:46 PM »

Didn't know if anyone was looking for some good, reasonably priced, effects pedals.

An assortment of valeton pedals are on massdrop. 3 days left on the drop.

-wraith808 (March 26, 2016, 10:45 PM)

Nice! Didn't know about those. Another good inexpensive line of effects (especially the tiny Nano Legacy series) are the Hotone pedals and mini amps. The mini amp heads in particular are pretty impressive. Priced nicely too.

40hz · « **Reply #274 on:** March 30, 2016, 12:54 PM »

So I have a question that I've not really found a reliable answer to.

First, I was using a Korg GA-40 for a tuner.

I moved on from that to a TMR50BK, mostly for the dual use of recording and a metronome.

As of late, I've switched to a Snark SN-5 after seeing it in use in one of my local shops.

I just saw a GoGo Pedal Tuner on massdrop. The lowest drop price is 39.99, and I'm thinking about joining.

Is there any real discernible functional difference between different tuners that any of you have noticed? The Snark is convenient, and doesn't actually plug in, but I don't hear any difference between that and a plug-in tuner. I can hear the difference on lower end tuners for sure. But once you get past a certain price point, it doesn't seem that the difference is anything but form.

Thoughts?
-wraith808 (March 26, 2016, 08:58 AM)
Personally, I wouldn't want to be without a pedal tuner. At the very least I'd want something I can plug into. Fortunately, a friend (with more money than sense) gave me a Pitchblack+ he decided he didn't like, but I don't recommend that for you, or most people in fact. I'm damn happy to have it, but I certainly wouldn't pay $150 for it.

You want something that's accurate to +/-1 cent, which the more recent models of clip-ons from Snark and TC also are, if I'm not mistaken. The Monoprice knockoff of the regular Pitchblack is supposed to be quite nice, and only costs $20. Some people claim it's the actual Pitchblack, which it might be, but I've never seen any proof of that. In any case it's supposed to be an excellent pedal.

The Pitchblack+ is accurate to 0.1 cents, which mostly just makes it suitable for setting intonation. In my case, it also has a couple additional benefits. Unlike most people, my perception is a lot more accurate than +/-1 cent, and I have perfect pitch. Even in a mix, extremely small intonation issues can bug me.
-Vurbal (March 30, 2016, 09:04 AM)

Agree 100% about the pedal tuner. If you're a bass player, a bombproof professional pedal tuner should be the first electronic accessory you buy. A stage-worthy tuner and a really good amp are all you'll really ever need to work in a band or studio environment. I tell anybody who asks: get yourself (in the following order): a good instrument, a tuner, and a really good amp before you even think of buying anything else. Once t hat's squared away, let your common sense and your wallet be your guide. And when in doubt about buying another pedal - try waiting a week and practicing a little more before you reach for your plastic.

I'm alternating between a TC Electronics PolyTune-2 and a Korg Pitchblack. For the record - I prefer the Korg because it's a rock solid and no-frills stage tuner that handles a low-B string just fine. And the $80 it goes for won't break the bank. I don't use any of the bells & whistles the PolyTune brings to the party. That said, the Poly is also quite nice. But it's definitely geared more towards guitarists and their needs. I keep mine as a backup.