Russ

JMB seems to be the go-to these days. Gumtree used to be reasonably good too, but I think people have gone off it in recent years. I do kinda miss the days when the one and only place you ever needed to look was Loot.

Still seriously contemplating getting one. I figure I can create a NAM model of my current main tone from my Zoom gear as a starting point, and go from there! What would be a good, small expression pedal to use with one of these? Something that would go well with the unit's small footprint?

Something like this is best suited for someone who plays live, with features for people who play through an amp, but other features for those who do the "silent stage" thing and go direct with IEMs, like routing one signal with just a preamp and effects to an amp output, and another with amp simulation/IR to an XLR to the desk, but who also wants a recording and production tool so they can get those exact sounds into their DAW of choice without using plugins. If it's purely for live use, there's cheaper solutions to get the sounds you want, from more basic multi-FX to common-or-garden stompboxes.

If the hardware supports it (ie, if it actually contains a Bluetooth radio), then somewhere on the case it'll have the Bluetooth glyph and probably the FCC logo. Can anyone who's got one already confirm? It could well be that it might need a Bluetooth "kludge" to be put into the USB port to enable the functionality, like on my Zoom B6 (which has a dedicated port for it).

Line 6 haven't updated the Helix hardware in years. It's starting to look a bit... tired. I thought they'd be chomping at the bit to release an upgraded version after the Quad Cortex took off, but no. I want to see an upgraded version of the POD Go - just stuff the guts of the HX Stomp in there and you've got a solid, compact single-box gigging solution, complete with expression pedal and built-in wireless. The current POD Go is a bit underpowered compared to the Helix or even the HX Stomp. A few more bass-oriented models wouldn't go amiss either, especially preamps.

Texas has a bit of an "exceptionalism" thing going on - in most places in the US, you see the American flag flying outside peoples' houses. In Texas, you're more likely to see the "lone star" state flag. They regularly threaten secession from the union and think they're better than the rest of the US. They're kinda the "Brexit Britain" of the US. Austin is a cool city - been there a few times. One of my favourite places over here. And it's very different from the Texas stereotype - young, progressive, geek-friendly, music everywhere, people bike and use public transport (they have a decent light rail system), and so on. Great food too - proper authentic Mexican food, Texas BBQ, good steaks, and surprisingly good Indian food! As a Brit in the US, it's also nice because they have a good football team (Austin FC), Nando's and a decent British pub (run by Brits) that does a Full English and a good Sunday lunch! But you don't have to go far out of Austin to be reminded where you are - miles and miles of nothing, megachurches, people in the biggest, most jacked-up pickup trucks you've ever seen (all the big car manufacturers make special Texas-only models!), people carrying guns, and so on.

Well, there goes my only criticism then. I should have RTFM!

Looks amazing. Small too, so very gig bag-friendly (looks way smaller than a QC). I'd love to try one out. Only thing it appears to be missing is an expression pedal, or even a connection for an external one. Not a dealbreaker though.

We're planning on moving back to the UK from the US later this year. Been keeping an eye on what the approximate equity in our house will be worth when we convert it back to £ - basically, it's worth about £8,000 less since all this f**kery started.

Minnesota. Same difference though. I hung out a bit with Ian last year. Nice bloke, knows his s**t, grooves hard and knows his HX Stomp like the back of his hand! He's also huge - I'm 6'1, and he was a good couple of inches bigger than me! He's a big fan of Mike Lull basses, which aren't a million miles away from the Sadowsky template - souped-up Jazzes, basically. I guess it's a case of picking what feels right in your hands. (that's the Minnesota state flag on his hat, by the way...)

Saw them at a "secret" gig at The Marquee back in January '93. That was an insane gig. Nearly tripped over Dimebag's pedalboard when stagediving. Subsequently saw them several more times. They were amazing live. But I've no interest in seeing the new version - not because of it "not being Pantera" (I'm fine with the idea of Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante being in the band), but entirely because of Phil Anselmo and his bigotry, and buying a ticket would be a tacit endorsement of that.

He said so himself in an interview - the Jag was the only active fretted 4-string he had at the time, so that's what he used on the gig to start with. Remember, he only had a few days to prepare! He got the custom P's with the Thunderbird pickups later. I agree he didn't sound like Entwistle, but he'd have sounded even less like him had he played his Fiesta Red P with flats!

Pino uses what's right for the musical situation he finds himself in. Flats, rounds, fretted, fretless, whatever. His P-with-flats sound has been in demand since he had the D'Angelo gig, and he's probably done more of that sort of thing than anything else in recent years. He played a Fender Jag with rounds during his stint in The Who. I recall an interview with him at the time saying that the Jag was the only bass he had that got close to Entwistle's sound.

To be fair to Carlsbro, they also made the Delta Bass range from the late 90s, which they co-developed with the Overwater guys. They were rather good, with some innovative features for the time. I don't think they sold too many of them though.

Wunjo, Rose-Morris, etc have the enviable position of being on Denmark St. Everyone knows Denmark St, and it's a tourist attraction. Some of these shops can make their rent for the week by selling a guitar that Noel Gallagher once snotted on to some rich tourist, or anything with a tentative Beatles or Stones connection. It used to be the same with 48th St in New York City - Rudy's, Manny's, etc. Rudy's moved, and Manny's ended up becoming a Sam Ash, and has now closed, along with the rest of them.