Al Krow

Thanks - do let us know what you find. I'm trying to have a break from new gear buying this year and already feeling like I'm already starting to make better use of my existing kit, rather than chasing after the latest shiny toy. Means that gig monies and gear sale proceeds are accumulating on the side and that Gretch is definitely a contender for 2021 What's a Gus Bass VI going to set you back, if I might dare ask, if it makes the Gretch relatively affordable?!

Here's my current "alternate" Bass VI - an Ibanez GVB36 strung E to E (with C string detuned to B as with a normal 6 string guitar). 14mm string spacing at the bridge down to 9mm at the nut.

BRX - you ever considered the Gretsch G6120TB-DE Duane Eddy 6-String? Not been able to find any info on the string spacing on this yet, so if anyone has to hand please divulge. Not cheap - but utterly gorgeous!!

Haha - very true about me and compression! I'm trying to spend less time in with the WC brigade these days...

That really is very good (as per the rest of your stuff), thanks Ian! I sense there's a touch more grit and smidge more sustain on the Puth track? But pretty darned close to the Dua Lipa bass tone.

@lee650and @dodge_bass - the thread I was referring to

Yeah but I think our goals are different here: I'd really like to get that sound as a core bass tone and not just for use on those two tracks - it would be a cool tone to use elsewhere.

Well in one of my bands it doesn't get much newer than mid 60s, with a couple of notable exceptions, but that's not an entirely a fair comparison - given that it's a rock n roll outfit 😁

Sounds like he's singing along to a vocal backing track, karaoke style! Agreed that the live bass version lacks the juiciness of the recorded version, which is kinda the sound I'd like to get to. But if Charlie's bassist with all the gear, sound engineering and awesome sound system available to the band at the gig couldn't get there, then I'm very probably being unrealistic in hoping to do so.

Have to say that black bass looks really good. Holger mentioned he is using Paulownia wood and touched on it being lighter and softer. Warwick were using the same wood for the cheaper end of their Rockbass range (which are themselves the budget Warwick model). I recall it being easily dinged - I guess that's a good thing if you want to relic your bass 😉 Quick check on Wikipedia: "More recently it is used as body material for low-cost electric guitars...as the core body, then laminated under a more durable wood." I think that last point of having a tougher outer protective shell chimes with my own, albeit limited experience, of this particular wood. Be interested to hear views from those more expert on the topic about this particular wood.

Or whether you're using a compressor or...or...I know, I know! With that comment you're definitely pushing at an open... It's just that on those two particular songs, that bass tone is lush (and I appreciate more likely to be a synth than an actual bass?) But I wouldn't mind being able to nail it on an actual bass with gear available to us. @krispn I'm not averse to taking my HX Effects out on the road if there was particular reason for doing so - my only hesitation is the amount of gear I'm already responsible for, so it literally is about minimising hassle factor for me. I'm entirely sympathetic to the likes of @dave_bass5 who's similarly looking for cutting down load despite having some quality gear back at the ranch. Suspect we're not unique in this - it's a key reason I use a BF SC for rehearsals and gigs rather than take my significantly better Fearless F112 which weighs pretty much double. But back to the plot: dunno if anyone has managed to come close to nailing the Charlie Puth / Dia Lupa bass tones? If so, please shout! ** except it's always not entirely true - P pup on my Yammy 5er entirely failed to cut through the mix on the low notes recently at a rehearsal; whereas the Nord bridge J on my Ibby did so effortlessly at the subsequent gig. Maybe need a change of strings on the Yammy, but the point here is that the band (in particular our drummer) very much noticed the positive difference and thought I'd been using a pedal to achieve it. Nope - it was just a change of bass, pup and pup position.

Any clips of you playing either track?

There's a tonal similarity (to my ears anyway!) of the bass line (048s in on Attention,, 011s in on Don't Start Now) on both these tracks and I particularly like them 'cos the bass is key to both. What fx would folk suggest to nail that bass tone?

Thanks - the 12Ax7 is definitely decent (have one in my Mesa M6 pre). But is a valve pre actually going to do much at 9V?

Decent feature set - like the fact that this provides DI out, MB's classic VPF (mid scoop e.g. for slap) and VLE (treble roll off for vintage Motown) Tube and solid state drive with ability to blend sounds good. Also really like the fact it has aux in and headphone out. Anyone know what tube it's featuring and whether any good? Never really convinced that a tube pre running off a 9V power supply is going to be anything other than a bit of a gimmick. Only (but major) gripe is that the amp, on which this pedal is based, still features the older less-than-stellar centre frequencies e.g. nothing in the important low mids of 250Hz and the high would be much better at around 5 kHz; which they have sorted on their other new amp head ranges. Centre Frequencies: Low: 68 Hz; Low Mid: 400 Hz High Mid: 2200 Hz High: 10 Khz Review would have been improved if she hadn't kept thrusting her Thomann mic in front of the pedal - lol!

I take your point Woody about doing computer editing on a computer screen: that's the approach taken by a significant proportion of Helix users - me included. But that's partly because it's relatively painful for luddites like me to edit 'on pedal' although I know there's a whole bunch of fellow BC'ers who do so happily. I suspect touch screen editing would, nevertheless, still benefit them as well as encouraging a few of us computer editors to make more of editing 'on pedal' The only model that doesn't lend itself easily to a touchscreen upgrade is the 'entry level' model HX Effects which just has scribble strips; so I guess I can stop concerning myself with the possibility for my own model for a while yet. But if I was to make a prediction for the rest of the range for late 2020 early 2021, I'd a give touch screen UI a pretty high likelihood, especially now that Zoom are bringing this in. Just my tuppence worth of crystal ball gazing!

Editing. See the Neural Quad Cortex thread to see what a significantly better UI it provides.

Zoom have just released a touch screen interface (see G11 thread). The new DG / Neural DSP Quad Cortex similarly boasts one. Be interesting to see how long Helix can resist providing something similar on their line up.

+1 for the Legend. I got a used one of the Legend Custom range from off here, which I believe was an older top end Legend with set neck and 3 band EQ. Lasted literally about a month before I had to concede I was liking it rather more than I was expecting to and if that was true for the Legend what was a Euro LX going to be like? Not a helpful question to be asking, particularly when Andertons (their pic below) promptly put a 5LX on sale and knocked a chunk off the new price... sometimes resistance is futile, eh?😁

Very nice! I see that we share a similar taste in basses AND wood flooring 😁

Been giving the whole string spacing a bit more thought. @Wilco agree that perseverance may be the order of the day - kinda feeling a fair bit of this may be "all in the mind" particularly if 16.5 mm is comfortable in the first place. What's done it for me is checking and finding that my Spector is 17.0 mm i.e. also narrow but also comfortable to play as are the 18.0 mm on my Yammys and KS. So I think it's going to just be a case of making a mental adjustment and warming up beforehand to re-familiarise the muscle memory. I guess particularly so should I ever venture down the fan fret route. Looks like my SR 1825 is going to survive in the Krow herd for a while yet.

@White Cloud - that's a very positive review, but I guess I'm not surprised: kinda had a very similar reaction following getting my own first Spector Euro LX (a 5er in my case) and it's a had a somewhat unexpected deflationary effect on my bass GAS! Must get around to turning my Tonepump down, soon, too! Congrats on the new acquisition - pics please!

@Raslee - had a quick listen to the video Woody has posted but couldn't see anything mentioned about the weight? My Ibby SR1825 is 8.6lbs. Lose the headstock and tuners and add in the benefit of the chambered body and I'm guessing this new range will be 7.5lbs or possibly less.

When you say subtle mid range, are you saying lacking mid punch? Meaty mids would be high on my list for any amp head.