Skybone

I had one for a little while, great little amps.

Did you not try the Zero Amp for some dirt, with a blend of clean bass? Did you try and set up a parallel signal path? One signal as your normal clean sound, the other one dirty as you like, then blend them together?

Instead of the Helix, maybe look at the POD Go. There's one in the Effects For Sale for £300, inc bag. Bargain.

Did you use the Effects Return, or plug in to the preamp?

"I tried a Ric, and I liked it, Hope my forum friends don't mind it" No cherry chap sticks were harmed in the making of this post.

I wish I hadn't part-exed my old Aria SB Special II for a red Encore Strat (WTF was I thinking?). I wish I hadn't sold my old "script logo" Westone Thunder 1A & kept the Washburn MB4. I wish I hadn't sold my old 4003 from 2005. Though it was for a reasonable profit that helped me out of a financial hole at the time. I wish I hadn't sold my old "Open Book" headstock MIJ Tokai Love Rock. Minimal profit which helped me out of a financial hole at the time. I wish I hadn't sold my old 1979 Ibanez Artist 2619. Marginal profit, financial hole. I wish I hadn't sold my old 1978 Ibanez Iceman IC200. Marginal profit, financial hole. Hey ho, you live & learn.

Back in the USSR - Dem lovely scouse mop-tops

Flipping Salty Olives Fabulously Shameless Oryx Flatwounds Sound 'Orrible

Fender Shaped Object, but Flatulent Sheep Owner is funnier. Most of the people who complain about the ergonomics of the 4000 series tend to come to them after exclusively and extensively playing Farting Slug Ovulations, and are therefore used to playing bass that way, with little willingness to adjust their playing style to match the instrument. It's kind of like expecting an SUV to drive in exactly the same way as a Hot Hatch. The principles are the same, but each have their own idiosyncrasies that the driver has to adapt to, in order to get the best out of each, rather than expecting the SUV to drive exactly like the Hot Hatch (and vice versa). I'm quite sure that each and everyone of us has spent a considerable amount of time playing Flying Saucy Onions, but have all come to the 4000 series basses with an open mind and a willingness to adjust & adapt in order to get the best out of them. But there again, some people might just simply hate the ergonomics of them. 🤷‍♂️

Misery - Soul Asylum

IIRC, that list is 75% plectrum, 25% fingers. That's obviously not helpful, and not constructive. Sorry.

Psycho Therapy - The Ramones

Very reliable amps.

Fingers. Used to use a plectrum many moons ago, but decided to re-assess my technique using my fingers. I think it paid off. I think that a lot of people who complain about the ergonomics of a Ric are more used to playing FSO's, and don't spend the time to assess how and where they play when they try Ric's, expecting that the techniques used on the FSO's will work. In fact, if you look at most Ric player's, they tend to play between the pickups (there are, of course, exceptions to this sweeping generalisation). If you play them between the pickups, then the wrist of the playing hand is away from the bit of the body above the bridge (where the forearm chamfer is on an FSO). That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

So a few years ago, I couldn't afford 1, now I have 2. Yay. Just like TB above, I lusted after one for many years, nearly bought one on a few occasions, but always bottled out for some reason or other (mainly due to being young & skint, or the "relic" condition of the bass, when relic wasn't a thing). Anyway, some years later, finally managed to find one when I had some cash, played it, loved it, bought it. Spent a long time re-evaluating how I played it in relation to other basses, but it was worth the effort. They just feel right.