Lace Helix Bass.......Once Again

[FL Knifemaker]

I know this has been done before but no one actually owned or actually played one.

Now they're being sold by all the large chain stores. Anyone try one?? Anyone BUY one?? Anyone try out the new 5 string model at NAMM????? I like the design and might just pull the trigger on one

Yes, I know the knobs look strange, I like them too

 

[jsingles]

indeed it is strange ... new to me..

ill be honest i think its ugly, but knowing nothing about how it performs I can't judge it.

I do really like the rear input jack though, thats a great idea.

 

[bucephylus]

I know this has been done before but no one actually owned or actually played one.

Now they're being sold by all the large chain stores. Anyone try one?? Anyone BUY one?? Anyone try out the new 5 string model at NAMM????? I like the design and might just pull the trigger on one

There have been posts here about them. I trialed a neck through from the Bass Place. Took it back. It was OK, the design was actually nice, but the truss rod nut was for a too small allen wrench, and extremely difficult to access. It seemed to me it would become round in about a year's worth of adjustments.

 

[Brendan]

Can't really get behind the aesthetic, but I'd like to give them a whirl, myself.

 

[bucephylus]

On the + side, they weigh about 6 pounds. Like I said, the design has some favorable points. Execution is an issue. But, the pups are nice too. I just couldn't get past that truss rod....

 

[Brendan]

Huh, just dug up some YouTube vids, and it looks better on a person. Just sitting there in the pics, it's kinda wonky, but with a person playing it, it's pretty decent.

And, the 4s have a 1 and 5/8" nut width, so I could actually play one. Hmm.

 

[Smallequestrian]

I owned one and returned it. I really wanted to like this bass. It sounded nice, it was cheap, but it was by far the worst balancing instrument I had ever strapped on.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

There have been posts here about them. I trialed a neck through from the Bass Place. Took it back. It was OK, the design was actually nice, but the truss rod nut was for a too small allen wrench, and extremely difficult to access. It seemed to me it would become round in about a year's worth of adjustments.

The trussrod problem doesn't sound good. If the allen screw or nut comes out, I could probably make a more user friendly one. I did that one of my Peaveys.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

I owned one and returned it. I really wanted to like this bass. It sounded nice, it was cheap, but it was by far the worst balancing instrument I had ever strapped on.

HHHhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm..........

I really wanted to like it too

Maybe I'll just order my ZZ Top inspired reverse Tele parts from Warmoth instead

 

[seventhson]

fwiw, it got a pretty good review in a recent Bass Player issue.

 

[BobXboB]

fwiw, it got a pretty good review in a recent Bass Player issue.

They also had a picture showing the inside of the pickups, they're practically empty. I'd love to try one.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

I've owned several BC Rich's and a few other neck DIVEY basses. I can't see how the Lace would be that bad. It's not like they cost a million bucks and I never MAKE money buying and selling basses anyway......................

I'll think about it over the weekend

 

[Bone]

I tried the neckthru, a friend of mine who is a builder swears by the alumitone pickups. The neck felt good but after about 20 mins.(I know not much of a test drive) I could'nt seem to get any kind of tone that was pleasing to my ear YEMV. I gave it back to the salesman to hang back up, gas cured. You'll have to try one for yourself.

 

[redstrand]

The neck through is looking like a winner. Keep us posted.

 

[blueflamerick]

I played a neck-through model a few months ago. Sounded & felt great. No neck dive issues. I didn't like the knobs and thought the output jack was in the worst possible location.

 

[Baryonyx]

I'd love to hear how they sound. Ugly as heck, but they might sound nice!

 

[Bone]

I played a neck-through model a few months ago. Sounded & felt great. No neck dive issues. I didn't like the knobs and thought the output jack was in the worst possible location.

Oh yea, forgot about the output jack thing, the bass I played might just been one of those basses that didn't have "IT".

 

[matthewbrown]

I"ve just ordered one of these to try out; I'll let you know what I think when I've played it awhile. I got the neck-through model, cuz I wanted 2 pups

 

[RED5]

I know this has been done before but no one actually owned or actually played one.

Now they're being sold by all the large chain stores. Anyone try one?? Anyone BUY one?? Anyone try out the new 5 string model at NAMM????? I like the design and might just pull the trigger on one

Yes, I know the knobs look strange, I like them too

I tried one this last weekend. The 2 p/u neck thru. Aside from the look? it wasn't so bad. Balanced well, fell to hand really well, weighed next to nothing and sounded clean. It was run through a small Orange amp so I could'nt really stretch it out but it had decent low end and good definition between the pups. The knobs are cool you can tell your setting at a glance and grab them easily to change. the pickups are a trip,. Held at an angle you can actually see through them! Space age look I'm not too sure about but I'd say they got alot right here..

 

[cdef]

This is an interesting bass. I even like the look. If there was a two-pickup bolt-on available I might go for it. Did they abandon the twisted neck? And am I correct in recalling the Lace Alumitone pickups are a Villex construction? Lace had it on their website that a Precision version was "coming soon", but I can't find it anymore.