NBD - Reflex HH with the Game Changer

[drewbixcubed]

I've wondered about this: If the batteries died (needed changing, whatever), would the gamechanger reset itself to the factory defaults or would your last settings still remain?

If the batteries were to die, the instrument will not make sound, but it will retain all of the settings the user previously had loaded. Also, note that TGC has 100+ hours of live play. When the USB is connected, there is no power loss (however, there is no recharging of batteries).

 

[drewbixcubed]

Right on!!! So glad you like it!

 

[OldManMusic]

Here’s a few more observations on the Game Changer. All of the tones available kind of fall into 2 areas, in my opinion. One area would be the large group of standard tones that are used by most bass players. There are hundreds of them, some that have very subtle differences, but they are the typical big fat juicy tones most of us use. For example, coils 1 + 3 in parallel doesn’t sound radically different that coils 1 + 4. It’s a different shade of the same general sound. Then there are the radically different out-of-phase sounds. Some are quite bright and thin – not your normal big fat MM sound. I programmed a couple of them into my active bank to play around and found myself there quite often over the weekend. I starting coming up with the idea of using these odd bass tones in an intro or middle 8. I was thinking that I could use the plinky, thin tone in an intro, then clicking into the normal MM thunder for the rest of the song. It would be like a singer using an effect that makes them sound like they are singing over the phone lines, then breaking out of that into a “normal” tone for the rest of the song. And if you like dialing up weird, unique tones for entire songs or gigs (imagine jamming with someone like Jack White), you’d be in heaven.

A couple of other observations. Most of us are used to the switches on a dual humbucker basses – switch toward the neck is the neck pickup, switch toward the bridge is the bridge pickup and so on. But with the programming on the Game Changer, you can set them any way you want, even completely backwards to a normally hard-wired dual pickup bass. It was weird to be in the positions thinking “I’m on the neck pickup” and remembering that I programmed it for all 4 coils. Certainly not a bad thing, I just have to think differently.
And the “Z” bank took a trick to find where I was when toggling through the tones. I used the same method that motorcyclist use with gears – once you know where neutral is you can go into 1st gear. On the Z bank, #15 is mute, so I’d just find the mute and click up or down to go to a particular tone setting in that bank.

The dual AA batteries are very easily accessible on the back. You can see the battery energy level by using the web app settings tab. Super simple.

Overall, I’m beyond delighted. I have been using my single H Bongos for some time, which are very “set it and forget it” basses. But I’m really diggin the variety on the Game Changer. Studio cats would have every tone that someone could ever request. Live players have some options that were only done with pedals. The Game Changer may not suit everyone – it takes some time to really dial it in to your needs. Bottom line, it’s a killer Reflex HH with limitless tonal variations and advanced electronics. I love it.

Kevin

 

[jadams]

AWESOME!!! Totally jealous! Congrats, that this is so cool. So, ah, Kevin, my brother is getting married in September in Denver... *aahhem (clearing throat)... All kidding aside, that is one sweet axe with the most ingenious system ever. I'm stoked for you.

 

[Big Poppa]

You haven't even dove into the programming options of bank z and midi in and out! Like I said I will be long gone before we see any profit....I spent a fortune on a dream and couldn't be happier

 

[JayDawg]

BP, thank you for this bass! I can tell you have poured your heart and soul into this bass as well as the rest of the folks at EBMM. That is why I want to be one of the first to get one of these basses. 30 years from now, I want to look back with my Game Changer and tell my off spring, I remember when this first came out and here is one of the very first ones or at least here is one from the very first production year.

 

[MSilvers]

I got word that mine has landed in NYC. Can't wait to finally play it!

 

[pnts]

..oh, envy!

 

[drTStingray]

Indeed - I would love one of these.

 

[OldManMusic]

I've been playing with my Game Changer for a week now and am really diggin this thing. Tones, tones and more tones - fun stuff. I was a little concerned that it might be a bit too much or complicated. After all, I love single H basses. But dialing in the tones is easy and saving them is a snap. I cannot say enough good things about this bass. The tones can be so varied that it's revitalized my desire to play. It's given me new "juice" to get down in the man-cave and play. What a brilliant advancement the EBMM team has given old coil hackers like me!

 

[keko]

Glad to hear that mate!