Apparently cheaper :
Found here, Jdx is also mentioned… Iridium Alternatives | The Gear Page
Before the dramatic improvement in digital amp modeling, Tech 21 Sansamp was the way to go for recording without a real amp. It’s a solid state technology that attempts to emulate tube sound and behavior strictly through clever analog circuit design. Lately, Quilter has emerged as a strong competitor for Tech21 in the analog-only amp sim space. My main and favorite amp is a QES Retrofier, which also uses analog-only amp simulation.
Sweetwater’s list of amp-in-a-box pedals - one of them is of course Tech21
6 Likes
Wow @GovernorSilver thanks! That link is super helpful. This is definitely the route I’m going to take.
EDIT: I forgot to mention I looked up the QES Retrofier. That thing sounds incredible. Definitely on my list.
1 Like
I thought Quimperelectronic was from Brittany, not even 
Funny they claim to have a 21st century sound with a 1997 design website
1 Like
I don’t deny I was annoyed by their website when I was looking for info.
OTOH, it would have been a stupid mistake - for me - to pass on that amp, just for that reason, when i found it on sale used. I would have wasted more time and money looking for an amp sound that was pleasing to me.
I’d previously used tube amps - granted, low to medium end tube amps - and amp modelers. This is my favorite amp sound so far.
I’m going to be controversial and say that Bass guitar doesn’t need a speaker simm, ever. For my personal stuff that’s mostly an early post-punk vibe, on passive Bass I usually go into a active DI box (RNDI), into mixer channel 1 with an eq bump in the Bass for my “clean” mono sound. My DI’s parallel split goes to channel 2, which always has the (mic)HPF engaged and some low mid eq boost (broad 750Hz), but not too much, then goes in stereo to an OD (Oto Boum) and barely audible Reverb (ventris), for character.
Sometimes there is a Compression pedal in front of all this, in which case I use the Radial JDI. What I like about the JDI over the RNDI, is that it can flip the phase, to correct where some of my OD pedals (Bogner) do that and cancel some of the clean Ch1 signal. Anyway, most mixers don’t need DI boxes now.
The Guitar amp/cab simulators are getting better and better, but so far I’m not 100% impressed with the Bass ones. I did like the preamp in the Two Notes Le Bass a lot, but the speaker simm even though really good was locked. MXR do some Excellent Bass preamp pedals, but now for Bass I get everything I need out of the SSLsix. Just to be clear, the compressor on the SSLsix ch1&2 is not meant to take Bass or Guitar directly in (though never tried it for a mic’ed cab).
1 Like
Started taking the Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy guitarist) course on JamPlay, since it was 50% off. Good stuff so far. Out of curiosity, I looked up his guitars and found that he just got a signature model guitar. I like the Sugar Moon color. I don’t know if it’s because of the lighting but there seems to be a blue or purple tinge added to the white that makes it more appealing than straight up white.
https://www.prsguitars.com/electrics/model/fiore_2021
It doesn’t knock the Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster off the top of my guitar GAS list but it’s interesting nonetheless
Man I love this thread, you guys are the best. Great info.
What do you think of that tone @JamesM compared to the methods you use? I find it very pleasing and I think I would go with this or one of the MXR options. I would just go bass -> pedal -> audio interface (rme babyface Pro fs)
I like the sort of tone Peter Hook gets on his bass in tracks like ‘Isolation’ and ‘Colony’. From what I’m hearing, this pedal/box could get me there.
1 Like
For cheap I also had pretty good bass sound results with a Mooer Radar (power amp + IR cab sim).
(I prefer simulators with IR or similar)
1 Like
The only thing missing on this forum is an inner translator for annagrams. Between US shortenings of sentences and gear abreviations, i spend quite a good amount of time to try to know what FET or IR mean. 
If ever you feel like writing your messages with the full words once in a while that would be a pure delight 
I was just about to recommend SansAmp as well. I’ve owned a couple and they are great. I used to own their Bass DI. I wish I hadn’t sold it.
2 Likes
Speaking of basses. If I didn’t own a bass, I would love one of these:
2 Likes
Ymmv imho afaik.
T’as fait la FET I R ?
2 Likes
I really like the growl in that Mesa! I’d give it a shot for sure. It sounds different (not necessarily better) than the MXR ones.
Regards Peter Hook, I’d take a close look at his playing style. Plucking up high is mostly how he gets his tone. I don’t know if he was using the Electroharmonix Clone thing (their chorus pedal) on Isolation and Colony, there’s a delay that is probably just double tracking. All that and HiWatt heads.
1 Like
I got the Bass Driver DI for my brief stint as a bassist. Everyone I’ve lent it to has loved it. Glad to still have it around, even though I rarely play my bass these days.
Ahahh Non, GTKO
1 Like
Gosh i seriously hope all these guys have better design on the gear they’re selling than on their website’s! I’d say 1999 for the lapstick one.
I owned one of these for a couple of years, and I can say it was a really nice short-scale. Got rid of it only because (1) it was sacrificed in a trade for my Moog Subsequent 37 and (2) what I really wanted was a “proper” Mustang bass (hence my acquisition of a JMJ Mustang late last year).
1 Like
That’s good info. Thanks! Do you like the MIJ a lot more? I live in Tokyo so I can most definitely score an MIJ. A shop near me has a used one of those 2019 MIM mustangs for around $450 in perfect condition.
I have a MIJ G&L L-2000 right now (and I’m not much of a bass player to begin with) so I need a new bass like I need a hole in the head, but a short scale seems like it might be easier for me to get around on as a guitar player, plus I like the sound of short scales and have always loved the PJ configuration.
The devil on my shoulder is telling me that a short scale PJ would be different enough from my L-2000 to justify having two basses. Haha. 
I have the Justin Meldal Johnsen Mustang bass; made in Mexico…having owned a couple of G&L basses over the years, gotta say I love those as well. Haven’t tried any of their short scale offerings, so I don’t want to opine there…
1 Like