uk_lefty

I sometimes use a two button footswitch with my RM500 for the drive and sub, it can be quite usable. I quite like the compressor on mine though, it's always on at 12 o clock.

I go through phases with it. I had all separate pedals but couldn't quite get what I wanted and had to move pedals on a lot, especially those that caused unwanted noise. I reluctantly went for a multi and realised that I spent more time faffing about with trying to create sounds, unsuccessfully, and ended up just using two or three essentially EQ based effects. I have now ended up with a Helix Stomp. I do hanker for the simplicity of a good quality EQ and DI pedal that I could dot a few other choice effects around but when I consider what I actually use in the Helix I'd be spending a LOT to go for separates and I'd lose a lot of functionality that I quite like. For example, one of my 80s fretless sound patches has two Chorus blocks next to each other. I'm trying out for a new band where I will need distortion/ OD, fuzz and some other wizardry so the Helix is staying, I've even got my way pedal involved in a couple of different ways too. But on the other hand, you just can't beat a good solid bass tone. I'm lucky enough to have two good quality gigging amps, so sometimes just a bass, a cable and an amp is enough. In my old band I rarely used effects beyond compression and EQ based stuff so I would often practice and gig with no effects in the chain at all and never felt I was missing anything. Suppose it all depends on what you need for the situation you're in. I'm not a fan of distorted bass tone for me and my playing but I know a lot of people here love "dirt" and it's there in a lot of music I listen to. I'm more of a light drive person myself but that's just my playing. Most wouldn't entertain my reverb and double chorus pedal fretless patches but this is part of what makes us all so different and why we can't yet be replaced by software.

A few on eBay at the moment. A Westone Thunder 1A and a Sire V7 5 string. I'd have jumped on the Sire but the colour just isn't for me (Sherwood green 🤢)

Yep, decent covers band needed someone and I killed off the 80s band (long story cut short: too much stress) and my long standing covers band has kinda fizzled out. This outfit are a bit more professional and Weds night is kind of an "audition part 2" I think. They've actually told me what key they play some of the songs in beforehand for this one so a bit less transposing on the spot. Anyhow, the Zoom pedal... If it were £250ish I'd be tempted. But as it is, my Helix does a lot more that is useful to me right now. I'll watch with interest though, always had a soft spot for zoom since having a BFX-708 a very long time ago.

It's funny what does and doesn't work synth wise. I auditioned with a band a few weeks back and ended up getting a good soft fuzz synth like sound by just using an amp SIM on my Helix to use on a dancey pop song. Weirdly, can't reproduce it at home, but I found something else which sounds great at home. So for my call back on weds it's guaranteed to sound pants in the mix!!

Interesting indeed!

Yes I see your point. The first thing that struck me about the video demo was that there was actually a useable bass synth patch that didn't sound completely ridiculous.

Del Boy and the Plonkers.

Band name suggestion... 80's GOLD.... gold. Maybe works best sang out loud...

Even better!

Line 6 have managed it. Then you can choose to put guitar effects/ amps etc. on your bass if you so desire and the other way around.

I'm with you 100%. How I justified the outlay on my Helix was that it would replace the effects boxes I have for electric guitar, acoustic guitar AND bass. Making a box "bass only" is a bit wrong, surely when these are all powered by software it can be open to all zoom patches? Why restrict it?

Well, seeing as my 80s pop covers band fell through before it started here are, in no particular order, the names I was brewing for it: Boys of Summer. Risky Business. Just for a gig for certain political groups... A Flock of Illegals (that's a joke) Stocky, Aching and Slaughterman. Now that's what I call 80s Club Tropicana.

Not a daft question at all. I am currently trying to find the right EQ settings on both amp and 3 band Stingray right now, having never really used it with my Trace Elliot 12 band EQ combo. I find the simplicity of the Ashdown RM a lot easier to take the Stingray, but probably because I've used them both together for a few years now and the Trace is only a few months in.

Lovely looking and sounding bass. As an Aria SB fan and someone who has lusted after a Zoot for a while that ticks every box. Great sounding bass, love the top woods and the body shape too.

I used to do that with my Ashdown head unit but I'm trying to trim down the amount of gear I've got and have to cart around. One well placed speaker should be sufficient, though having a stack of 15s did give a certain authority to both the look and sound.

That and re-stocking, selling it to someone else as B stock at a discount.... And so on.

It would need to hold a Trace Elliot.

That's awesome!!! Will have to show my daughter (who is nearly 5) and who loves tinkering with my guitars. I always let me kids play with my guitars, even my US Stingray, as long as I'm in the room. If I didn't let them I'd be worried they see music as something they're not allowed to do or they get told off for. I think my daughter will play some kind of instrument, not so sure about my son yet but there's still time....

That's awesome, especially you giving him one of your basses instead of going out and buying a cheap beginner one for him. The bass itself has the connection to you, not just the act of playing bass, hopefully he loves and treasures it.

Yes and no... To not faff about swapping basses like a prima donna at an audition last week I played a bit of a pop punky type thing with a pick on mine and it was pretty good, brought through some bite with the high end. These really excel at the slappity slap stuff, even for me who isn't very good at it at all, it just seems built for it and the synthetic fingerboard and the treble boost/ cut EQ really helps. You can't get a vintage J bass sound out of it, for example, but you wouldn't really expect to. It's great to stick in a guitar gig bag and travel very light to rehearsals. Sound and feel-wise I find mine best played through a Trace Elliot amp, mid scooped, bashing out 80s covers. Some comments on the neck/ Truss rod... I accidentally discovered that playing a harmonic then bending the neck like I was Slash or something was good fun. I left the bass a while, it got hot in my office, and it was unplayable at the "money" end of the neck. It needed quite a lot of adjustment at the truss rod which needs a metric Allen key. Adjustment done, bass is back in perfect condition and got used in an audition.

Or glass?

That looks great in that it's adjustable. Sadly my Trace combo is a bit too heavy for it. The cheaper Thomann one claims to hold 50kg but doesn't have as much adjustment.