BigRedX

Now you've posted some photos I can see why the conversion to BEAD might have been a bit more "challenging" than I was expecting. It looks as if you tech has had to bend the metal of the string holder in order to accommodate the thicker windings of the B string.

For me the Helix really brings home how much of a compromise traditional bass rigs are and often with the amp sound you are fighting against the limitations of the cabs. Devices like the Kemper and Helix are never overkill if they are delivering the sound you want, even if it's just a single sound with slight variations for the whole set. I currently have a separate Preset (the Helix terminology for a patch) for each song, sometimes with up to 4 "Snapshots" variations for the different sections in the song, so I'm getting a lot of milage out of the various features. However even if I found that I all I needed was a single (killer) sound for the whole set, I'd still be using the Helix because it is essentially "my sound" in a single easily transportable box.

I'm a Line6 Helix (similar idea, different manufacturer) user and I'm now in my 60s - but then again I've been using the tonal components of multi-effects units for my core sound rather than characteristics of whatever amp and cab(s) I've been using since the late 80s. What I would say is not go down that rabbit hole of trying the compare the modelled sounds with those of the "real thing". As far as I am concerned there are only two types of sounds - ones you like, and ones you don't; and how they are derived as far as I am concerned is irrelevant. And don't be tied to bass amp and cab models. A lot of my patches don't use any amp or cab sims, but separate EQ and drive/distortion "pedals" which allows me to "decouple" the EQ frequencies from the drive sound and pick an EQ module that give me control of the frequencies I like and a drive/distortion that has the right sound for the band/song/song section. Also when I am using an Amp sim it is often one "designed" for the guitar. When everything is modelled the worst that can happen is that you won't like the sound, in which case you can try something else instead. The way I work when constructing new sounds is to build them up one segment at a time. I start with EQ then drive and then compression (if the sound needs it). I do most of my basic set up using a computer editor and then fine tune the patches when I get in the rehearsal room and can hear them in the context of the band mix. Good luck!

I have clothes that are supposedly reserved to wear on stage, but that won't prevent me from wearing them on other occasions as they are only a slightly more exaggerated version of what I'd wear normally. I do make the effort to have a different image for the two bands that I currently play with, although both a variations on a common theme. It made for a hectic change over a couple of years ago when both bands played one after the other at the same festival.

To go back to standard EADG tuning, the bass may need a new nut cutting, and may need the truss rod tightening slightly. It will probably need the intonation adjusting. None of those things should be challenging for a decent tech. And adjusting from EADB to BEAD should have been even easier as the existing nut could just have its slots widened rather than needing to be replaced. Time to find a new tech I think.

Since I ditched my amps and cabs I've never been happier with my sound. TBH nearly all of my previous rigs over the past 35 years no matter how "conventional" they looked were about making the line level output from whatever multi-effects unit I was using loud enough to hear, and any colouration they added to the sound was both unintentional and unwanted. For one band we all go direct into the PA, and for the other where the guitarists still use backline and we have a drummer with a conventional kit, I use an FRFR cab for rehearsals and those gigs where the quality of the foldback is unknown. I can't ever see myself going back to a conventional amp and cabs set up. If I was to join a band where the image required it, I'd probably have a fake folding up rig that I could hide the FRFR inside.

In that case I'd wire it with both pickups wired in parallel, one volume control, a tone control and a switch to bypass the tone and leave it at that. From experience once I have a sound/configuration I like I never touch the controls again, as 99% of the time IMO any changes just make the sound lees good.

I think before you start changing things what don't you like about the sounds your are currently getting?

AFAICS while posts in Off Topic don't count towards to the post count that is visible to others, any reputation gained from those posts does count which is how you can win the day and why most people who win the day are those who post frequently in the popular Off Topic threads.

Helix Native and run it on the computer that is our drummer.

The two main reasons I went into mostly software was partly because I ended up with so much hardware that by the time it was all powered up I had lost much the inspiration that I had when I started switching things on. The other was I had a couple of very expensive non-repairable hardware failures that made me realise how much I was relying on devices that were getting less easy to replace with each year when they would eventually fail. Making the decision to not only ditch the hardware but also to stick with mostly what came as part of the Logic package has meant that my spend just for recording purposes over the last two years has been under £200 for a controller keyboard and Helix Native - everything else is used for live performances as well. I separate recording from the compositional activities, and TBH I don't enjoy it as much either. For me it puts too much of a microscope on my playing abilities or lack of them. Most of the time Logic is used a as massively featured MIDI sequencer with instruments built-in rather than multi-track recorder. I never record the live parts until the band are actually going to make a version available for public consumption.

As this is a song I used to do in my Dad Rock covers band days, and consequently one I know inside out, I didn't think there was anything particularly wrong with this live version other than the rather sludgy sounds and the fact that it's missing the plethora of overdubs that are on the recorded version - pretty much like any other hit from that era.

But Jim (also?) played the violin, which IIRC is his "first" instrument and since he can't play both at the same time live someone would have to do the bass.

What's not quite right about it?

The position of the black in the sunburst suggests otherwise.

Unless you are using lots of sample libraries, you should find your current Mac perfectly fine. I'm still running a 2010 MacPro which for music is more than adequate for my needs. If you like GarageBand you should consider Logic rather than anything else if you need more facilities on your DAW. It will import your GarageBand projects directly and uses many of the same instruments, just with more editing parameters. For my band apart from the bass and vocals everything is done "in the box" mostly using the plug-ins that come free with Logic. For the bass I use the Line6 Helix along with the Helix Native plug-in (one of only two 3rd party plug-ins I use). The Helix allows me to record both the direct and effected bass sound simultaneously on separate tracks and then I can import the presets from the Helix and start by applying the same Preset to the direct sound than then tweak it as the arrangement/mix progresses. Once the recording is complete I can export the final edited version of the Preset back to the Helix for live use. I used to have racks full of hardware synths and samplers, but they have all been sold in favour of ES2, Retro Synth, Alchemy, Drum Machine Designer and Drum Kit Designer all which come free with Logic plus VSDSX (Simmons drum emulator) which is my other 3rd party plug-in.

Unless you have very specific effects that can't be replicated or your computer is very old and lacking in processing power, I would try and avoid recording with the effects in place and replicate them "in the box". If recording with effects on the sound makes the parts easier to play then I would consider splitting the signal and running one trough the effects and the other dry straight into the computer. If you really want you can record both signals and separate tracks. I always find that my effects settings need to be tweaked once mixing starts and it's always easier to do this to a dry signal than try and add (or remove) effects that have already been recorded.

I would only fill the sides, not the end. If you have a gap between the end of the neck and the top of the body, you will need to plug and redrill the holes in the neck.

The best thing you can do to increase the "fit" of a bolt-on neck is the following. Attach the neck to the body along with any shims required to get the correct neck angle and saddle height. Don't tighten the screws/bolts up all the way, you want the neck to be fixed in place but still able to move very slightly under force. Then re-string, bringing all the strings slowly up to pitch at the same time. Leave until the tuning has settled down and then apply the final tightening to the neck screws. What this does is to use the force of the strings to pull the neck as tightly as possible into the pocket, giving you the maximum contact area and pressure, and best amount of contact possible with bolt-on neck construction.

When I first started playing I used to break hard plastic picks all the time. Once I'd switched to nylon Herco Flex 75s that stopped, although they still wear away. Using the same pick will render it useless after about a month a playing. As for storage I try a keep at least one pick in every compartment of every case that comes to gigs with me. At the gig itself I keep my spare picks on the front of the rack shelf that holds the laptop which plays our backing track.

Or your amp...

But are you as good an engineer as you a musician and/or songwriter? I know I'm not, which is why the only part of the recording process I take part in these days is the tracking and the final mix decisions. Everything else is handed off to people with better skills than me. Right now AI is slightly worse than what I could do myself, which means it's not really suitable for what I want, but I'm sure within the next 5 years it will be doing a much, much better job.

Especially one that wasn't the latest version of the design...

I don't want to wear no dead mans boots!

Interesting that none of the items of clothing appeared give any size information. What's the point of bidding on them if you're not going to wear them?