10 Gadgets to Make You a Better Bassist (Or NOT?)

Do these bass gadgets improve your playing, or is it just marketing B.S.? I put them to the test - no sponsors, no punches pulled.

Gadgets reviewed:

  • Creative Tunings Spider Capo
  • TC Electronic Aeon String Sustainer
  • Guitar Triller
  • Vox amPlug 2 Bass Headphone Amp
  • Blackstar Fly 3 Bass Practice Amp
  • TC Electronic Unitune Clip + Korg TM50
  • Gruv Gear Fretwrap
  • Gruv Gear Fump
  • Hipshot XTender Drop Tuner

Anybody have their own reviews of any of these gadgets to share? I know there are a few Vox headphone amp fans around…

Hope I didn’t shatter anybody’s reality with my Blackstar Fly 3 review. :smiling_imp:

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I love the facial expressions :smiley_cat:

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Awesome, new BassBuzz video day. I Love it.
Gonna watch it now.

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This video gave me GAS

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Love the Flight of the Concords clip :+1:t2::+1:t2::+1:t2::+1:t2:

Great alternateuse for the fret wrap.:roll_eyes:

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That TC Electronic UniTune Clip is unavailable everywhere I looked. The more expensive PolyTune one keeps popping up instead.

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Nice, @JoshFossgreen

Re: guitar triller

Re: drop tuner

:joy:

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Josh, Just a great review, and funny as well, fair cheered me up

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That video is fabulous in every possible way! Fascinating, original, useful and hilarious. The triller reminded me a bit of hammered dulcimer sound. Sure enough, they reference the dulcimer as inspiration on the triller website. I suppose a slight chorus setting would simulate the unison strings creating an even more believable bass dulcimer.

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Unfortunately, more than $200 in Canada.

Is it still worth it even if no gigs and enough time to drop D manually?
I’d love one, but my wife will kill me :joy:

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One minor correction, the vox has 9 drum rhythms (one being basic metronome) not 3. Great video though, I love the equipment reviews.

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For those of us in Europe:

I have a clipon tuner from Thomann that is ridiculously straightforward to use, and bang-on. No fancy stuff in there like a metronome, only a clip-on tuner. It agrees fully with the Zoom B1X Four tuner too.

And the worst part is the price. I date back to the times that a tuner would cost hundreds of dollars. This thing costs €6.90. Six euro ninety, no typo. It’s ridiculous.

The Blackstar Fly 3 made me laugh hysterically!

I had been looking at string dampeners, but decided I’d rather work on my muting technique first.

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Would people want a Blackstar-like thingy designed better? If so, how big could it be?

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How do you set the other ones? And the metronome?
I’ve only been able to choose between 3

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Here’s how to get the variations …

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:scream::scream::scream::scream::scream:
MIND BLOWN!!!

Thanks Dave!!!

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I love this thing even more now!!!

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I’m just not watching it.
I will be watching it before buying any gagdet, but not before I want to buy something.

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Vox amPlug 2 Bass Headphone Amp would be an awesome thing for those who live in apartments or just don’t want to disturb the family; but why wouldn’t you just use the headphone jack on the back of the amp, since it does mute the amp?
I can see this for traveling so you could practice in the hotel room, or for those who just don’t want to invest in an amp.

P.S. I’m tempted to buy one, just to prove myself wrong :smiley_cat:

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It frees you from the amp. I can go sit on my deck outside and play without dragging my amp around.

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