New Lightwave Saber Basses by Willcox Guitars

[TomRichards]

Hello Everyone!

I am headed to Nashville for Summer NAMM to meet with a bunch of companies about some new, exciting projects. I wanted your thoughts on the new Willcox Guitars webstie www.willcoxguitars.com and the new HexFX Saber basses.

Interesting how you can use the optical pickup now as a midi controller.

Let me know here.

Thanks!

Tom

[Geek99]

Not my cup of tea but quite stylish in my humble opinion

[discreet]

If you're not a 'traditionalist' they would probably be worth a look, but it's all about how they play and sound, obviously.

[TomRichards]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1436187077' post='2815688']
If you're not a 'traditionalist' they would probably be worth a look, but it's all about how they play and sound, obviously.
[/quote]

They actually have super fast necks and the optical system gives you much deeper low then you would think you would hear. I owned one of the original Lightwaves from 20 years ago. I am curious to see how the HexFX interface works. Finally, a bass that can do midi without having wires and special frets and should have real time tracking.

[tauzero]

I don't see why the tracking would be any better than an instrument with a well set up Roland GK-3B or Graphtech bridge. It's outputting string vibrations to a 13-pin socket just as those do, so still needs vibration to MIDI conversion.

[tauzero]

I've never owned, used, or had any sort of contact with a Lightwave bass, so in that spirit of expert ignorance, ISTR that string changes required the pickups to be set up. Was that the case, and if so, does it still apply?

Edit: having actually bothered to read the manual, I see you do but it doesn't look like a terribly complicated process and it's only when you change string type or gauge.

Edited July 6, 2015 by tauzero

[warwickhunt]

Are these meant to be 'different' to the original series of Lightwave i.e. built by someone other than Lightwave? Other than the Hexfx they look the same!

I've owned one and whilst I found the tone was pretty much up there or better than any trad mag pup system, the bodies were light and ergonomic, the necks however were decidedly average. Not bad in any way but my other basses had better necks.