uk_lefty

That is a stunningly beautiful bass. From the list of faults... Strings, easy to change to your preference or whatever suits the bass best; neck dive, not something that's ever bothered me because I don't let go of the neck but can be sorted with a decent strap, and a bass like this should be dressed up well; Mid range honk... Shouldn't a P give you really rich mods and the J be dialled in for some bite ramping up to honk as it takes up more of the mix? Seriously, that could be my "dream bass" if it was left handed.

Interesting. Is it because being a "top class" bassist you've often got to do the things that go unnoticed rather than being showy? A but like being a "top class" referee in Footy or rugby, you've done well if nobody really noticed you're there.

I've never understood this attitude. I love playing with drummers who are not rock drummers, you get something different and less predictable to play along with. But if they can play the songs and they're not trying to play weird time signatures or something why does it matter? Anyhoo, good luck getting this sorted. A good drummer is hard to find, a guitarist without a massive ego even harder. Not sure of age ranges but perhaps try to find some youngsters who would be grateful for the opportunity to play with experienced musos and learn from you rather than people who want to pull things in their own direction? I know that I was brought in to an amazing band when I was 17 because I was young, naive, and not very good, but I learned and grew with the band. The guitarist got to swing his ego about unopposed and I got to jam with far better musicians and learn tons.

I've often wondered about setting a drum kit up on a trampoline...

Yes. Headless basses are AWESOME. Though some bands may threaten to shove it where the sun don't shine. They are quite marmite. I had a Hohner B2A, loved the sound. Active EMG pups though I only ever played it passive. I used Pyramid double ball end strings and loved the tone. This is it being played in rehearsal 4 or 5 years back on a blues track of all things: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/Fw9Rv They also attract photographers to you. I had to move it on because the string spacing was too tight. Though I do regret it slightly. That was until a few weeks back when I happened upon this gem, a Washburn Status. It now has new status strings and a full service from a luthier and its AWESOME. Played it with a new 80s band project last week through a Trace Elliot and I was in bass tone heaven. I may at some point upgrade the pre amp to something more sensible but for now slapping out Club Tropicana on this is the stuff dreams are made of.

I have but not made a massive feature out of it. I occasionally used it to thicken up some higher register playing, using the dial up to half way, never over, to keep a subtle octave effect. It works OK as an effect for a bit of subtle emphasis or assistance but I'd never leave it "always on". Before I went back to multi effects I bought the 2 button footswitch so I could bring in and out the drive or sub whenever I wanted. Now I have a Helix I can't see me using these functions at all, not even at home.

I get what he's saying, some amps and basses complement each other better.

Yep, done that now

Editing mutlis is very easy with this current generation. I used to get lost in all the bank and patch terminology and mutli use buttons on a very old zoom unit but the Helix is very, very easy to do most things. Of course, there's bucket loads of technical stuff I've not uncovered yet but if you wanted me to build you an effect where you could have an Ampeg B15 amp and cab with chorus always on, a driven flange on footswitch 1 and an envelope filter on footswitch 2 I could do it very easily through the PC edit software.

I did sparingly for a short while until I got a decent octave effect. Now I can't see me using the onboard drive or octave again.

Loved it. The only slap tutorial video I've seen where you can actually follow it, what you're supposed to be playing, rather than watch the tutor show off with a flurry of thumbing and no real way of keeping up. Great work, will be subscribing!

The 500 isn't at all short of oomph, so I wouldn't worry about it if that's as far as your budget can go. I own a 500 with RM cabs and sometimes use an 800 in rehearsal rooms with ABM cabs. Definitely more oomph from the 800 and ABMs but I've never felt the 500 and RMs lacked anything.

One of my guitarists thinks he can do BVs. He is very shouty and has no concept of whether he is in key, or tune or anything. He just enjoys the idea of it. When he's having a particularly bad time with it I ask him "are you trying to sing higher or lower than the lead?" and we work on it from there. I've heard of bands having just vocal lessons together to learn to harmonise, I'd love to have a go at this if I had limitless time and money to do so.

Think I've sorted this now. Testing it out tonight to see if it really is a Trace-a-like!

Singer in the project I'm starting sounded AMAZING using a TC Mic Mechanic a few weeks back through a rubbish PA, and a bit flat and lifeless this week through a great PA with no technical help. There's a whole massive thread about why people who use such things should be stoned to death, but.... 😜

As long as nobody is trying to pull the wool on others, what they do with their own time money and kit is their business. My bitsa is based on Fender shaped parts and was going to have part of my band name in Fender script on the headstock. I don't see that as a crime, it wouldn't say Fender but it might look like it from afar. Some would say "NO! Design your own logo" but hey, I'm playing covers so originality isn't my priority.

I've been in your position. It depends just how bad they are. Are they a little flat and they could be having an off night, a cold, singing through a rubbish PA, just need a bit of Reverb or confidence? Or are they kidding themselves? Hadn't been in a band for years and someone contacted me doing country, loads of gigs and he's recorded ten albums several of which in Nashville. I said Yes, agreed a date and time to meet with him and his band. Only then did I do my research. Saw him on YouTube with an edited video and recorded vocals. The vocals were absolutely dire. My (now) wife absolutely wet herself laughing saying he sounded like kermit the frog. Actually kermit would be incredibly offended by that description. I pulled out because I couldn't do it to myself. Recently I started a band with the intent of doing lead vocals. However, it quickly became clear that this wasn't a realistic prospect and we brought in a singer, something I was open to at the start. No offence taken, I'd rather be in a good band than forever try to put one together with me as the weakest link that always broke the chain. Also, I can play much tastier bass lines if I'm not singing at the same time, win win.

Sorry if this is somewhere in the previous 61 pages. I'm having trouble loading up some 3Sigma Audio presets and one of their IRs I've bought on to my HX Stomp. Their help section on the website is fairly useless. Some of the presets contain IRs that cause an error, and I have no idea how to get the IR files, loads and loads of files, loaded on to the Stomp. If anyone can help please let me know! Thanks

Constant pedal buying and selling was why I went back to a multi a few years back with the Boss and then "upgraded" to the Helix Stomp. I bought and sold pedals all the time to try to find the right sound but also had to battle interference issues, pedal board space, more links in the chain for things to go wrong. Then when I got a good quality bass multi I realised that most of the effects were there for small parts of individual songs and really it was good solid bass tones, and by that I mean amp and cab and EQ sounds, that made it for me. Review how you use effects to see if one of these is worth it for you. Even when I was in love with my Boss multi I'd still do some rehearsals and even gigs without any pedals at all in the chain because my covers band didn't need it as much as it needed a big solid bass tone.

It is the easiest multi effect to use that I've seen. I bought a zoom 708 back in the early 2000s, had some other zoom models for guitar and bass, and most recently had a Boss GT10B which is an awesome bit of kit. I get a bit lost with a lot of effects talk but what I loved in the boss was the amp and cab preset effects giving you tones to sound like Jack Bruce, Mark King, Entwistle, etc. The Helix Stomp does all this stuff and more, it's tiny, lightweight works for electric and acoustic guitars and keys too, and has endless possibilities with the effects types. The drawbacks for me are that all the bass presets assume you want a dirty driven sound, when sometimes some bassists like a clean sound. However, research around enough (ask on BC!) and you may find solutions to other tones you're searching for. Integrating it with other pedals... Well, I've got a bass wah that I don't use in the fx loop of the Helix, and I may add some kind of synth pedal in to the loop as I'm not keen on the Helix bass synth sounds. Again it assumes you want some wacky distorted noise that for me wouldn't be usable, instead of subtle squashy synth tones you hear on pop records from the 80s. The Helix Stomp only has two usable buttons, I can't see how to change the third out from tuner, but you can buy additional buttons from bright onion and others. PC editing is a doddle, really really easy. There's not many big minuses and I'm sure they can be overcome over time and with more people making their own patches to sell.

Once retailers get their stocks replenished I'd recommend buying/ trying a handful of Sire basses if you want something loosely based on a jazz. Sire have so many options: maple, roasted maple or ebony board. 4 or 5 string. Active or passive. Alder or Ash. PJ and JJ. I bought one off Thomann and quickly learned: maple boards look great but sound brittle to me, I rarely used the low B and so I'm happy with D tuners on a 4. I can get on with active electronics as long as they're well made and not the nasty 2 band rubbish I'd used in the past. I don't like gloss finish necks. If I was right handed and had the option to go to a retailer with loads of Sires I could have tested out PJ configs and allsorts to find what really works vs what looks best or what I think will be best.

Thanks! I've donwloaded their bass presets pack and got the Trace IR. Having trouble loading it to the Stomp though, and then I read the manual and it says to buy their IR Loader!!!! Is this essential or is there a way round it?

I think the argument put forward is if they are both identical spec stats why would Jimi's be worth more than Smith's? I wouldn't go out of my way to buy something with provenance myself. But I'm from Yorkshire and I'm tight. I can understand why people do and fair play to them. However, I'd much prefer if having a coffee with Paul McCartney and he offered me a go on his Hofner bass I would be delighted to, but even if I had the Euro millions winnings to buy it I don't think I would.

Ebay.

Mick, as a Trace connoisseur do you think you can get the sound from a head paired with a lightweight cab?