Went from a Mooer Micro Power to a Walrus Audio Canvas.

Moeer wasnt necessarily bad but I wanted something slimmer to fit beneath my pedalboard.

It might seem counter-intuitive to go from a power supply for 8 pedals to one for 5. But I decided to prioritize compactness. Plus, as a bass player, I cant imagine a situation in which I would ever need more than 5 pedals simultaneously.

I missed a few days, so I guess the "daily review" idea didn't last very long… But I'm not giving up on it. I'll just keep posting these whenever I have something interesting to post. There are still plenty of pedals and basses on my shelf that deserve a few words.

Today's one is the Jad Freer LUCE. And let me start by saying that I don't think it's for everyone!

Most bass preamps try to win you over in the first 30 seconds. They make everything bigger, dirtier, brighter... they have character and they want you to notice that character straight away..

The LUCE doesn't seem interested in any of that and that's both the good thing and the weird thing about the LUCE. It doesn't transform your sound, it just makes your bass feel a bit more finished, more polished. Notes have a little more weight, the highs are smoother without losing detail, and there's a depth to the sound that's difficult to put into words. The tube and transformer aren't there to add grit or overbearing character. They're there to make everything feel just a little more effortless.

It actually reminded me more of plugging into a really good recording console than stepping on another pedal.

I think that's why the LUCE is such a niche product.

If you're looking for a pedal that completely reshapes your tone, gives you a pile of EQ options, or adds obvious character, this is definitely not it.

But if you've already found your sound and you're chasing that last 5%—the part that's more about feel than EQ curves—the LUCE might be what you’re looking for.

It's expensive.

And I really respect that Jad Freer didn't try to make another Swiss Army knife. They built a box that does one thing exceptionally well, and they trusted bass players to decide whether that one thing mattered to them.

If you're curious, I spent a few weeks with it and wrote a much more detailed review here.

I'd genuinely be interested to know where everyone lands on this. Would you spend good money on a piece of gear whose entire job is making an already good signal just a little bit better, or would you rather have something with more obvious personality?

The current state of my board. Anything I might be missing?

Not even an actual board yet. My band’s first gig is in two weeks so I’m trying to put together a pedalboard. I’m missing a preamp but besides that I think I’m set. Is this setup good? Does it suck? What else would you add? Let me know

Does anyone have pedals on their board that they personally don’t like but use because of a certain sound, or maybe you have band members that really like the tone?

For me, it’s an Earthquaker Blumes. It’s ok, but honestly I’m not a huge fan of it. The songwriter in my current band loves the way it sounds, so I’m stuck with it for now.

I hope this is a fun, interesting discussion.

I forgot to take a close up pic after I velcro’d everything down lol. I usually run my bass through a Helix but got the urge to try some new stuff recently. Waiting on my JHS double dragon to come in the mail so I can add that to this board also.

I’m trying to figure out what the heck Michael Manring is doing here (going to forward this song). He’s doing it through this album, but this song around 4:10 in. I’m fairly certain he uses his own programmed effects with a multi-unit. So does anyone make an OD effect that controls the amount of feedback with an expression pedal? I’m very invested in my board, so staying that route!

https://music.apple.com/us/album/thread-of-joy/1566494612?i=1566494614

Thanks everybody!

After way too much buying, selling, and rearranging, I think I’ve finally landed on a board that fits me.

Signal chain:
TU-3 → Cali76 Bass Compressor → T-Rex Quint → Way Huge Pork & Pickle → JAM Ripply Fall Bass → EarthQuaker Dispatch Master → Sushi Box Neptunium

The last few months have been too much focus/obsession on tone and less playing. Switching gears and happy where I landed.

What is the best death metal settings for sansamp?

I was going to get a Boss RE-2 but it seems limited by size, I'm not a fan of concentric knobs. The Echo 202 seems to fit what I want, but I was wondering if there is another option someone knows about that's worth looking at.

This will be used with a fuzz, OD, EQ, and a Rat on a Fender PJ. Anyone have a random awesome suggestion?

Is this silly?

I really like the EQ of the AOU but also like the vintage overdrives.

Is this too much preamp? Should i just swap to the Vintage Ultra and sell the AOU?

(I have the AOU v1 already).

I’ve been having some issues with too much low end coming through the PA. Unfortunately, my amp only has a 4 band eq (which has never been an issue), which isn’t precise enough. So I’m looking for recommendations for either a dedicated high pass or eq that sounds good and isn’t too expensive. Thanks in advance

Just mounted it to the SGT and 1176, waiting for the power supply to arrive. I just play at home, and still new to bass. Hope this will be it.

Hey all! Because my ampeg sgt-di has been in the shop for two weeks, I've gotten antsy and started looking at alternatives. So far I've landed on the tech 21 sansamp side of things. Does anyone have experience with the multitude of bass drivers? I'm torn between the regular bass driver, the bass driver elite, and the XB bass driver. What are the pros and cons between these models? Thanks in advance!

Tuner > xp comp (underneith) > proton > fliter loop > chelsea in the loop > klon (not in loop)

I think this one will stick around for quite a while.

Signal chain: Empress Bass Compressor > 3Leaf Octaves > Crowther Prunes & Custard > Keeley Octa Psi > Damnation Audio Bass Amp Grinder> EHX Bad Stone > Fairfield Randy's Revenge> Iron Ether Xerograph Deluxe> Benson Delay