krispn

I’ve a P bass with a Lull Tbird pick up you’re welcome to come round and try out. It’s got a tone styler pot too so does a great range of sounds. I know you’re probably after the TBird look but if you’re after the sound in a familiar package it’s worth a look.

The Helix Stompmis a solid unit and now you’ve mentioned that you double on guitar it will be a very useful piece of kit to have. I have a lot of flexibility with my DAW for getting different sounds if I need them for home use/recording but live I keep it pretty simple on bass. IME the Stomp while sounding great wasn’t really something I was gonna maximise the use of and as I already have a couple of pedals I like it went back to the shop. If I went down the iem route and was amp less then I’d revisit the Stomp (I’d still only need a very basic set of tones) the quality and flexibility of the unit is impressive.

I had one of these briefly and while I’ll agree there are many many options if you already have an interface you know and like using (I already do), you have a couple of pedals which you use and enjoy (I already do) and you aren’t likely to be needing your bass to recreate a multitude of amps and cab with a host of I/O options or might not be for you. If you’re a tech geek and love shiny new things with loads of the latest cool tech and don’t mind spending £400+ for the two or three effects you’re realistically going to use then then you’re in trouble 😀 A good suggestion already mentioned is to download the Helix Native software and play about with the effects and amps and if it feesikw value for money to have the Stomp you’ll at least have road tested the actual effects - the hardware is a delight to use but you might find like I did that my limited use of pedals makes the whole package redundant even if it is cool as!

db Embee 112 should be available to demo in the bass gallery too as another option.

I think Holger saw it more as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

There’s a user review video posted so you can hear for yourself. Someone else has already taken the plunge on our behalf.

How many folks over these last 10 pages have spent £1299 or more on a single item of gear? Sure this amp is more expensive than in the USA but it's funny to read comments about cost when folks are playing £1500+ basses, amps, pedal boards with a months wages worth of boxes and devices. At the end of the day we spend our money how we want on the items we feel offer value etc. I get that it's more costly here than the USA but it's Mesa! The Strategy head is nearly £3500!!! Everyone is free to express their outrage of course... To add to thodrik's comment. I'd be more outraged at the cost of the cabs if anything! The amp seems positively affordable compared to the cabs!

1. Four days, not five. 2. It's going back to the shop so yeah I'm pretty confident I can move it on. Plus... It has a Mesa M series bass pre-amp/amp model so it'd be great to hear your thoughts comparing the two if you get round to it and the patch you posted in the HX Stomp tips/advice section didn't show the second page of the menu so it wasn't sure which band pass filter etc you had on opted for. Might be worth an update for folks.

So I bought HX Stomp last week and have been using it extensively in a variety of settings! At home via an amp, via headphones and then into my DAW (individually and simultaneously with the amp), I've been down the rehearsal room trying it into my amp and into the desk (again both individually and simultaneously) A/B'ing, comparing at volume. I've ran it directly into the 'power amp in' on my amp and used it for all preamp and eq duties V's into the front of the amp, running into the front of the amp with 'fx only' while running the DI to the desk with amp and cab sim engaged etc. I have also, naturally, used it with my band at rehearsal last Sunday. I've pretty much used it in all conceivable application which I might need it! It's a nice wee unit with a heap of great sounds and I/O options. I'm not gonna keep it though as the gear I have does everything I currently need and comparing the direct sounds against what I have, give or take a bit of eq'ing at the desk, it's far more than I'll ever need and would be wasted on me. Is it pretty? Yes! Is it a great sounding unit? Yes! Is it intuitive and easy to use? Yes! Is it for me? Nah! *Some context* I don't really use of need any effects other than a bit of compression and the occasional drive. I run a Tone Hammer DI which allows me to cop a pretty decent ampeg type vibe either the more scooped SVT sound or a more rounded vintage B-15 thing as needed (great wee pedal)! None of my three bands really need much in the way of wacky sounds or filth and the two amps I have offer me a good variety of tones between their tube pre amps and on board eq/drive options. The HX Stomp wasn't likely aimed at me as the end user but I can see it's value in a bunch of settings as I think I've pretty much tried them all

12kHz for me into 5 driver IEM type ear buds

Here’s the other plate fitted on the bass Tim. Hope to get some live gig shots this coming weekend and I’ll forward them on. I think the guitarist might be in touch soon to get some plates done too!

I seen it written by folks on here when some advice is given about sound and mix and the reply was I’m a bass player not a sound engineer but having an understanding of what works in a mix for your instrument at least, will reap dividends. If you take this a step further and as @Dood says understanding the space in and around the kick drum frequency will help with the bass on a live mix for oomph/heft/thump etc A quick aside... I was laughed at in one of my bands for having a wee quick reference chart for helping manage feedback/resonance issues and lo and behold following a quite important gig and two sound men arguing over what the issue was I walk up and whip out my wee chart, diagnose problem and the issue was mitigated. My band now have a new found respect for my wee bit of laminated paper and when things aren’t going right in a sound check they all give me ‘the look’ and a nod.

Bdonkey Direct advertising in stock at £1299. Makes the Monique Tardis on here look even more tempting. Just back from gigging it. Big, tube di sound to the desk which made my humble bass (playing) sound great out front if the sound man is to be believed.

I couldn’t compose bass lines like Jamerson if I was being held at gun point let alone drunk!! Phenomenal musicality and music IQ that man!

Yeah I think just having played with three new to me drummers is such quick succession really brought it home. A good band/rhythm section or whatever works best when they are listening or understanding each other. I’ve overheard people saying me and Gig 1 drummer are tight - y’know when you over hear punters at gigs waffling to mates in between songs and to be fair we do play well together. Some of the best musicians I know are drummers without a doubt. I think they hear more of the band or think more about the whole band rather than just their moment in the spot light .

No he left of his own volition. Kenny is magic but sadly moved on from the choir gig. I’m off at the end of the month. I’ll pass on you said hi when I see him next.

So I've been in a funny predicament where my main pub band (Gig 1) has been getting a new, dep drummer up to speed while our main tub thumper is doing the final studies on her masters. My other main gig (Gig 2) has had a new drummer come on board since Dec (and a third band I've recently joined has a recently acquired cajon player)! I had a written out a big thing but condensed it into this simplistic question... What makes a good drummer? Is there a difference between pocket and groove? From my experience the new drummers, the dep and our new Gig 2 drummer just don't have that same magic. Gig 1dep just ain't listening and he's drummer away to his own agenda and not really listening to me or how we play as a band. He's a regular on the local circuit but just not a fun guy to play with. He's been shown the door following the last gig and I hope a buddy of mine can fill in for the remaining shows! We want to have a good dep for those occasions where our regular drummer night want a break so it's important we get someone who listens. Gig 2 drummer is competent but I feel lacking a little something...consistency maybe. Kick patterns aren't quite locking in the same and as I'm planning to leave this band at the end of the month I'm not too bothered about doing too much but still want us to sound tight! I know with both 'my drummers' in Gig 1 & 2 we 'listen to each other' and lock in really well. For all the fancy stuff Gig 2 drummer can and does play it's always tasteful to the song and him I agreed the most satisfying song we played together was in an original tune where it's just a really simple 4/4 beat with an equally simple 8th note low E pounding away which just sounds massive and fit's the song perfectly. The thump/punch we get with that locked in is just smile on the face stuff... and we both know it - we can feel that connection between kick and the bass and it's powerful. In Gig 2 we have tunes where we play little things our way and it just feels like it grooving hard even on bog standard tunes. Again I believe it's the connection/understanding from over 10 yrs of playing in various original bands and side projects together. So what makes a good drummer? I know familiarity is a big factor and I can't deny that we probably all play better with people we've know longer. I'd be keen to hear your thoughts!

If you see a 4 string passive going for a good deal anywhere let me know