fretmeister

I've got a BSW in a loop. Hidden in the back of my rack. That's it!

That's a damn good question! I don't know. I've never tried it - BUT as you can record a totally dry signal via the Helix and then reamp later I'm going to guess Yes. But I'll give it a try when I have a mo - I suppose it might need a volume block if the gain is too low without an amp model. The GK model has a load of low end, and the beauty of the 2 main paths with a secondary path each is that you can blend direct with a Cab model, and muck about with Mic type and placement too. You can even set it so the XLRs have cab sims and go to the PA, but the 1/4 inch outputs don't have cab sims for use with a regular amp or power amp and cab. - at the same time. Even though I use a head (just the power section) and traditional cab, I sometimes mix in a cab sim as well. It's just an FX block after all. If it sounds good...

I went for the Helix rack with the foot controller. Partly because I wanted to keep the brain away from the beer, but also for ease of use on a desk when recording. The floor unit is pretty big and would take up all my desk room! I already have a rack sitting there so it was an easy choice. There's also the bending down to tweak stuff rather than having it at waist height. (Although you can actually tweak with your feet too - and the buttons are capacitive so you can touch them to see what is assigned to that switch and the settings without actually turning that button on or off) The Rack and controller option does not have an expression pedal. I got the helix specific Mission L6H model to go with it. It plugs either into the brain, or into the footcontroller. I have mine into the foot controller with a couple of patch leads. It allows the toe switch to also be programmed for things beyond just turning the wah on. My Cliff Burton Patch (For whom the bell tolls) uses it for the intro section - the toe switch turns on the wah, and a second fuzz stacked with another to get the completely nasty grating sound he had. When it's off, it is just a volume, when on, wah and fuzz. IIRC the only physical addition the rack + controller has is that as a total it has another set of expression inputs compared to the floor unit- basically because the main one with toe switch is on both the brain and the controller. If you run out of them, then the Source Audio Reflex expression / midi controller would solve the problem. That thing is amazing. I haven't got one as I don't need one, but friends have and they are controlling all manner of things with it. 2 wahs at the same time in reverse, while controlling speed of a phaser etc. There is no Sub-Dub bass model on the Helix. At the moment there is the usual selection of SVTs. Mesa 400+, GK and others, but the EQ is very powerful. There are the amp EQs, then separate EQ blocks, and then global setting EQ as well. More bass models are in the next firmware update, due this month. The individual settings for the EQ blocks and the Amp EQ can be set as "Snapshots" - so a footswitch can change the values of any or all of the EQ settings without changing a patch- therefore no patch loading time. I'm biased because I bought a Helix, but the UI is amazing - so easy to use. It comes with a Beginners Guide info sheet, and the full instructions on a memory stick. I've never even looked at the stuff on the stick, I imagine that unless diving into MIDI it won't be needed by many people.

If you get one, make sure you do the firmware update as soon as you get it. If it's been in a shop for a little while it may well be out of date, and the updates are certainly worth having before you get stuck in saving patches. Join the facebook Helix Users Group too - loads of advice on there.

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2017/03/12/trace-elliot-announces-the-transit-b-bass-guitar-preamp-pedal/ Looks interesting!

I had a Dingwall ABZ5 and it was very good across the range but it was a bit polite for me. In hindsight I wish I had tried a pickup change as the basic sound and response of the bass was great. I've got a passive Yamaha Attitude Standard 5 which is excellent and great value for money, and I often use my Marleaux in passive mode.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 3 top machines anymore. They do sound a little different, and the way they operate is a little different, but the tech has now reached the point where it's pretty much down to personal choice rather than something more physical. Something else that is coming though is Helix Native as a full featured app for Win and OS. A Helix in your computer. Alone it is going to cost quite a lot, BUT if you have a Hardware Helix already, it's only going to be $99 - and apparently it will be a multi-machine licence so you can have it on your desktop and lappie too. The Helix is already awesome at doing re-amping, but if I can do that all in the PC, then that will be awesome.

The next Helix firmware update will have loads of bass amps, The DG B7K and other stuff on it. The 2 senior modelling guys at L6 are bassists.

This https://youtu.be/5eHNbhsh6Nc Awesome.

I've got a Helix and I love it. Amazing thing

I need to find a shop with some stock and give them a proper go.

I have a used Yamaha Attitude Standard 5 string and it was under £200. And the low B is awesome. Easily as good as my Ray 5

Lovely! Apparently really light weight too according to HF's own vid. I haven't got £2750 lying about though alas.

Pickup is here. Just need my new scratchplate to arrive now. Then I will turn my Ray 5 into a passive P bass. Possibly into a PJ at some point in the future too. (Cue the howls of protest from EBMM forum members and the usual "Don't change it, just buy the bass you really want" cries, while at the same time them not being able to name a single 5 string P bass with 22 frets and 17.5mm spacing)

Anyone tried both of these? I'm looking for a nice P bass and I know these 2 are quite similar in spec, main differences appearing to be the 'board radius and the pickup. Is there anything else I'm missing that would make a real difference? And would I be able to find either of them weighing 8.5lb ish? ta

Steve Harris on Live After Death. Still gives me shivers

I really need to try one of these 50s ones.

Or use a fender headstock string retainer. That's what PRS use.

Quarter Pounders are a good pickup but the don't really sound like a traditional P bass pickup. The mids are lower and the bass is higher. Great if that is what you need, but not so great if you want a 1960s sound. but there are other SD models to choose from that have the vintage sound with a bit more output if that is what you need. There's a lot of snake oil around about pickups, but SD's are well made and sound good. My regular guitars usually end up with them as well. I don't think I've ever tried the jazz QPs.

Thank you!

Can someone measure from the 20th fret to the edge of the pickup please? E side will do. Thank you.

Lovely! And gives me hope about my planned mods too.

This is a great thread. I've got one of those pickups incoming and I'm going to do something similar to my ray5.

They only made them for a while. Mid 1990s I think. Made in Taiwan. It's not really an Attitude despite the use of the name - mono output, P&J pickups. But the pickups have a nice bit of grunt to them.

Excellent! Thank you! I have ordered them. Any chance of a pic of them in your Sterling? I'm going to put it in my Ray5