fretmeister

I ran a pair of the VBC412 for a couple of years. Was amazing. Still my favourite. The closest lightweight I can find to that sound is the Retro series Barefaced. I now use them

[quote name='Sonic_Groove' timestamp='1491327045' post='3272174'] Oh that's good to hear, the website makes it sound complicated (I didn't read all the blurb) I was worried it sounded like a complete reset was needed! (If You do that to a HD500 You have to reprogram the ex-pedal, etc.) If it can do the different output to XLR or Jack (amp sims to PA not monitor) then I am starting saving!! B [/quote] Yup it can. So you can have the 1/4 inch outputs to your real amp without cab sims / IRs, and the XLR going to the PA with cab sims. The interface is brilliant. The whole screen shows your signal path. Just put the blocks in place that you want going everywhere (so FX, and amp but no speaker sim) and route that to an output, then just before the spot you'd want your Speaker Sim / IR, split the signal to the secondary path, put the speaker sim onto that secondary and then route that to the XLR. There are 2 main paths, each with a sub path. You can run the main paths separately if you want, so Path A to the 1/4 and Path B to the XLR, or if you have a particularly heavy FX load you can run path A into path B, thereby doubling your processing power in 1 long path. I have the full fat Rack and Footcontroller and it's oe of those purchases that was a bit painful when handing over the money, but there has been zero buyers remorse. I love it. It gets used every day.

Nah - it's dead easy. There's even a video walkthrough for the nervous. Install the Updater on PC or Mac. That also installs the Helix Editor. Plug into the helix and boom - does it for you. The only thing you have to remember is to back up your presets before you update. If you want to keep them. The lastest update had tons of new bass amps and fx so I started from scratch.

Price war has started - its £839 at Dawson's

There are no real rules. The only thing to watch for is that some fuzz pedals are very picky about input impedance and may have to go first in the chain. If that isn't an issue, experiment! Fuzz and wah can sound quite different depending on which is first.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/GHELIXLTUK/multi-fx-units/line-6-helix-lt-floor-pedal?_ga=1.12477235.60841776.1491236702

[quote name='sk8' timestamp='1491240332' post='3271500'] £1224 on Anderson's [/quote] That's the full fat version. They are now showing £849 for the LT

[url="http://line6.com/support/topic/26575-helix-lt-faq/"]http://line6.com/sup...5-helix-lt-faq/[/url] [url="https://blog.andertons.co.uk/guitars/line-6-helix-lt?utm_campaign=170403-SPE-Line6Helix&utm_source=emarsysemail&utm_medium=email&sc_src=email_1428077&sc_lid=97415431&sc_uid=PQGIQbNOFT&sc_llid=16431&sc_eh=b745c84bb083a3821"]https://blog.anderto...45c84bb083a3821[/url] Internal tech is the same. Same sounds, same routing etc. Savings made on having fewer IO options, cheaper chassis, no scribble strips, no mic preamp etc (detail is in the L6 link above) No idea about UK prices yet - but in the USA it is about a third cheaper than the full fat version.

They interest me too - for using with a Line 6 Helix

I like the Darkglass VMTD for that use. I have a very clean TecAmp Puma and they work very well together

I'm wishing I hadn't sold my ABZ5 and had just put the DG Preamp in it instead.

Lots of punters never notice anything except out of tune singers and dodgy time keeping. I'm reaching the point of getting me some Dave Lee Roth leather chaps with the arse cut out of them just to get them to notice!

My kids play in a local educational trust music group (multiple ensembles) and parents are allowed to join in. So that's what I do. Every Saturday morning in term time I got and play for 3 hours. Sometimes I'm playing for all of that, sometimes for only an hour - depends what the kids' need as decided by the ensemble leaders (all pro teachers). There is also a "Grown Up Band" for the adults. I play rock, jazz, orchestral, film scores, beatles, Sinatra, Sheeran, Adele, Buckley, even Fiddler on the Roof etc. There's 1 gig per term too. Some of the "Grown Up Band" kids left years ago but the adults keep coming - to practice and have a laugh. I'm in my 40s, I've had some health issues, so this is perfect for me. It's really improving my reading skills (which were a fat ZERO when I started there), it is a sociable hours, and I get to play a massive variety of stuff.

I play a bit of guitar as well so it was always good value for me, but with the new Bass related update it has really become a far better bass product. I think this will continue - the main product chief is a bassist himself. As usual though, if you try one in a shop it won't have the latest firmware on it! No doubt any new ones that ship from now on will have it, but existing stock won't. I've been playing with the Pearce BC1 jumped on one pathway, and a B7KU into a Mesa 400+ on the other. Each side blending cleanas well as their own drive flavours. It sounds huge. The Pearce is particularly good. I've got an Ampeg SVP-BSP which sounds the same, but the L6 model of it has far less hiss when dimed. It really is better than the real thing. I'm very happy!

I'm an Equity member so I have it anyway. But MU membership is often the cheapest, and you get other support too like if you have non paying landlords!

I've had a quick blast with the B7KU model. It's bordering on perfect. Thick, grindy, had all the switches. Lovely. The Pearce BC1 models are equally awesome. There are 3. Clean, dirty, jumped. And Line6 actually borrowed Billy Sheehan's favourite BC1 to model. Very happy! Time to make loads more presets!

It's always been able to plug into a power amp. That's how I use it

Update is live. I'm doing it now.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490883906' post='3268797'] Or one of these... [/quote] I;ve got one of them. Lovely thing it is. Very sensibe switching system too. Just the Js - with a pan pot Just the P The whole lot - pan pot still working on the Js. Well worth trying out.

I like that!

Streamline 5 has 18mm spacing at the bridge as standard, or 16.5mm Custom. The OP has said he doesn't want 18mm, but I don't know if 16.5 would be too tight for him. It is for me! The nut width on a Streamline 5 is 48.2mm as well. That's 4mm wider than a Ray 5. That's why I don't own a 5 string Status. I'd have a Streamline 5 in a heartbeat if they did a Ray5 shape for it

[quote name='crompers' timestamp='1490777190' post='3267800'] Can you get a good mids growl with the QPs? considering changing pickups myself [/quote] Not really. I've had them and I like them, but they are not a classic P bass sound. I've not tried the Steve Harris model - apparently that is like a proper one but with a bit more welly.

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1490775434' post='3267783'] Slick. Expensive bass to mod, but slick. [/quote] The MM5 and the tuners were new. The rest I got used or in trades. If you weren't so far away you could pop round to try it.

There you go. I also replaced the large plate tuners with Hipshot Ultralights and saved half a pound in weight. If you did the pickup mods with a 5HH already, then you wouldn't have anything you couldn't put back to stock. Mine was a single pickup version so the router had to come out.