slownews's Reviews

Useful effects tool for sound manipulation

This is a tool that is popular with electronic artists and DJ's but I have found this just as versatile for use with my guitar music. There are many styles of effects on offer here which can be utilised to your taste using the X and Y pad. The only naff thing I have to say about the KP3 is the vocoder, it's the cheapest part of the unit. Other than that, worth checking out! For an example of guitar based music using the KP3, click here - http://slownews.bandcamp.com/track/4

Ideal cleaner for stringed instruments.

I have used this product for years and probably always will. GHS string cleaner is best used before and after your jam sessions. It will help prolong the brightness of your strings and clean a lot of the sweat and gunk that is picked up off of your fingers/hands. It's comes with a lubricated stick and cloth. You run the stick across the strings and rub the cloth afterwards to clear away any excess oil. The lubrication will also help you play faster, if that's how your style. Great stuff.

Almost lefty friendly..

When I was shopping around for an ideal beginners double bass, I stumbled upon a chap on YouTube discussing the Stagg 3/4 EDB, which convinced me to buy one of these. As double basses go, this instrument comes at a reasonable price and there was even a soft gig bag thrown in (www.musiciansfriend.com). It is electric and accepts only a 1/4" jack lead. The EDB is also battery powered only, so you cannot plug it into the mains. It takes one 9v alkaline battery. Remember to carry a spare 9 volt battery with you when rehearsing, especially at gigs! There is a bright blue led light that springs to life the moment you plug the jack in. To turn the EDB off, you take the jack out.

It is a fairly comfortable instrument to hold and it comes with additional screw-in handles to emulate the feeling of a traditional body of a double bass. One handle sitting against your hip and the other, to aid you with bowing I believe. Unfortunately, being a lefty, these handles are useless to me as the screw holes are positioned for right handed musicians only. Had Stagg considered musicians such as myself, we could have enjoyed 100% of what the instrument had to offer. Instead, I find myself being restricted to holding the DB when bowing a simple bass line.

Tone-wise, it sounds great and carries all the warmth you want from a DB. I managed to reverse the strings to lefty mode with a new set, no problem. There is just the right amount of action on the strings and nut did not require turning around, which I feared I would have to do when I began changing the strings around.

It comes with two knobs, volume and bass tone. Both of which are sensitive to your requirements and will certainly give you the tone you're looking for.

I do recommend the Stagg EDB 3/4 if you're a beginner like me - but if you too are left-handed, I suggest you go out and try to find one to play first before you shell out some dosh.

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