Just picked up a Beatstep Pro too.
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Here you go @eric.kiser Itās the NUX Bumblebee in a medium size.
I really liked my old Gator aluminum pedal board but it was just a bit too small. Sadly they only make two sizes. Small and the next size up which is basically Texas. So way to much room on my desk. Itās a shame because the Gator is a nice build and comes with a really quality gig bag.
So the Bumblebee seems pretty sturdy (Itās heavier than the Gator) and comes with an Ok ish padded gig bag. You can move the bars to make them wider / narrow apart.
But the slightly bigger board has really cleaned up my desk space.
I knocked up a simple stand from a old MDF cabinet shelf I had in the shop to make the pedals easier to read sitting down. Not pretty but 10 mins of work and itās functional.
Pedals:
Boss WL-50 wireless > Korg Pitchblack X tuner > Origin Cali 76 compressor > HX One > MXR Bass synth > NUX MLD preamp (with DI out)
All powered by a Cioks DC7 hidden at the back.
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Really nice! This board is also perfect for housing a loop switcher on the lower tray.
got a pink bass acquisition syndrome. ive got my eye on 2, which would you recommend?
orā¦ā¦.
for Ā£100 less?
what do you think?
thanks
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Iād go for the Ashdown on looks alone
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I agreed with Howard right off the rip then I read the write upās and the options that the HB has. Get em both lol. Seriously, Iād get the HB.
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Yeah Thomann is doing great things with HB
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Iād never heard of them until I started BB and there are many posts about them so I started reading and looking. They actually have some very nice stock options. Also 30 yrs ago I wouldāve bet money Iād never own a pink bass. Pick mine up tomorrow lol.
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awesome 
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Yeah my plan for it is almost entirely its drum sequencer and as a DAW controller.
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so thats 1 vote each 
what options does the HB have over the Ashdown? Do you just mean colour options? Or more tone options maybe?
The HB has an alder body, inlays on the fretboard and comes with DiAddario strings.. Thatās what grabbed my attention. It would be really nice if you could play each, is that a possibility? Howard is waayyy smarter than me on things like this. He probably would be a better advice giver.
no, theyre both online purchases, so no chance of trying them out, but as a newbie, im not sure id be able to recognise any important differences. soā¦.. @howard to the forum please
my preferred style of intended play would be punk really, a nice āchunkyā bass sound, (think JJ Burnel) altho i do intend a mixed bag too.
thanks
EDIT: looks are also important too, i previously thought precision shape was always the āgo toā (and i have a sunburst squier affinity as my first bass) but with howard stating that heād go for the ashdown on looks alone, im perfectly open to having my mind changed, and to why he thinks it looks better than the standard precision shape 
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I have the short scale version of that HB. In terms of build quality itās about the same as the Sire U5, so thatās great.
The DāAddario strings should not be a deciding factor. They are ok-ish and cheap (20ā¬) ā¦ and once you replaced them with better strings youāll never look back!
The Ashdown has a very interesting shape. If I knew that that bass is great I would get that one, just cause of the looks. But than again I only do short scales, so no
For the HB you know that you will outstanding quality. And Thomann has a great return policy in case you donāt like it.
Tough choice!
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If I walked in my music room and they were sitting Side by side Iād probably pick up the Ashdown. Looks to me is actually what attracts me to a bass at GC or online for sure, Iām very picky how MY basses look. So with the recent info provided, Iād go with the Ashdown. I do have an Ashdown Amp and I love it but thatās neither here nor there lol.
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Honestly I donāt know anything here that you canāt find online; I have never played or seen either instrument. The Ashdown looks better to me and has a nice roasted maple neck, but really I donāt know anything about the brand.
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Yep yep, Sadexpunk, go with your gut on this one.
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You can always change the look
You will find out that look is less important than feel (= ergonomics).
Best is to order both and send back the one that does not feel perfectā¦
By the way: for the price of the Ashdown you are getting close to brand basses, maybe 2nd handā¦
The HB has a ācaramelisedā Canadian sycamore ā¦ thatās also āroastedā, but tastes better
But it has a rather conventional body. The Ashdown is much cooler in that respect!
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thanks all. i found myself asking chatgpt all sorts of questions on tone, weight, looks etc, answers were evenly divided with more versatility for the ashdown. and the only one where the answer came back in favour of the HB was which plays that old-school uk punk sound better and when it said HB i found myself a little disappointed, so i suppose thats telling me my gut prefers the Ashdown haha.
thanks
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Either will be fine for punk. Go with your gut here
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