You might want to consider taking your Bass to a decent guitar shop for a setup adjustment regarding the dead spots. A pro setup can do wonders for a Bass. The easiest way that I have found to test for tone combos that I like is to use a digital guitar interface such as an iRig HD and apps such as Jamup, Bias, Amplitube 3, & Ampkit. There are many good Bass Amp and effects pedal sims that you can try out this way. All of the advancements that have been made over the last couple of years with simulations make them a very useful and fairly inexpensive tool in your kit. This is especially true if you already own an iPad. Android tablets have too much latency, so you can't typically use a non-Apple device. Anyway, when you find a tone that you like, go to a store and try the same hardware out. This can really save you a lot of time and frustration.
I am someone who was never for years and years happy with my guitar/bass/amp tones and I like to play around with tone possibilities a lot. I would gamble and just go buy an amp and end up hating it, plus this gets very expensive after a while. These apps had a really positive effect on my musical universe. Really, these emulations have actually now become a permanent part of my setup. I plug the sound out of the iPad to the aux input on my Fender amp, and it's golden with no preamp coloring to the emulation. My Bass amp sounds like a Trace Elliot, Orange, classic Fenders, & Classic Ampegs, etc. Close enough for me anyway, considering I could never afford to buy all that hardware. It's also helped me to understand better what some of the true classic tones are all about, Hope this helps!
Last edited by muleskinnerslider; 04-12-2014 at 03:06 PM.
Squire Jazz Deluxe IV Active Bass (Black)
Fender Rumble 100 Watt (15")
Fender Custom Shop Tweed Cable
Ultimate Guitar Stand
Planet Waves Locking Strap w/ Planet Waves Gel Pad
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