[VS] Lace Helix vs. Peavey T-40 | Which should I buy?

Those basses are very different, so you might have to play both of them to see what you like best. Also, those are not very common to see in stores in my experience, so they may be hard to find.

How are you recording? Are you using a microphone on the amp, using a direct out from the amp, or going direct from the Zoom? I say this because you might find changing the amplifier has more effect on the tone than changing the bass.

 

I'd go with the T-40 without a second thought if it plays, feels and sounds right.
Over here in the USA they're hard to find for the right price…so many owners are listing them for $200 to $300 more than they're worth...so if you found one for a good price that's something to consider.
You're young, if you can handle the weight, you're going to have yourself one of the most versatile basses made.

 

Are you maybe referring to mixing? Or perhaps overdubbing?

And what's a Lace Helix?

 

Welcome to talk bass! And your English is excellent! I am partial to T40's myself.

 

I have a nice T-40 yet it along with my sweet G&L L2KT sees the least amount of action, flats will be coming... in checking out the LACE Helix I want one of those now! lol they seem to go for less than normal prices for the Peaveys too so that's in their favor, but maybe not as well built. if only out of curiosity's sake I fall on the side of the Helix. Anybody familiar with the Lace Helix basses?

 

Mine is an 83' model, thinner (more jazz type) neck and about 11lbs. I had a 78' in natural and sold it (much regret) because it was heavy and very powerful. I tamed it a touch with black tape strings. The white one can cut through with best of them with a large array of tones available. It prefers straight ahead amps with an uncolored tone, and works great with some octaver added. Best of luck with your search.

 

Buy which one feels best and wont give you excess baggage charges.

Own 4 T40's so I guess I like them Don't get too excited about the secret sounds of a T40, unless your amp is top notch and your sound man knows his stuff it'll make no difference to an audience. Of the few fellas I know who gig T40s I can't think of one uses anything but humbucker mode, I clipped the red wire on mine

 

My T40s are set up slightly different.

1 is an old 78 toaster with flats, wired for humbucker.
2 is a 79 toaster with nylon tapes, have a 2 band EQ preamp in that.Humbucker wiring
3 is converted to 5 strings,again with flatwound.Humbucker wiring.
4 is a stock 82 with blades with roundwound strings.It sounds brighter than the other 3 but that's mostly on account of the strings.

I'd think the hot picups on the Lace will be brighter than the T40 but that's just a feeling. Can you bring the Zoom on your trip ? I'd record something with your current set up and bring it with you. Sit down and play the 40 and the Lace through your Zoom unit all the time comparing them against the recording.

Testing basses but using a different amp is crazy,you need to recreate your home set up as near as possible to judge properly.

If the T40 feels better in the hand but the Lace wins on tone,think about an EQ pedal. Doesn't need to be anything fancy,EQ is very old technology. Hopefully you will be testing basses in a shop,tell the staff you'd like to try a graphic EQ.

Sorry I can't go further tonight. It's 2am and I leave for work in 4 hours.

 

I tend to go single coil neck and humbucker bridge most of the time.

 

If you like the way it feels, I don’t think you can go wrong with a T-40. Very versatile, and super durable.

 

I've tried both, they're pretty different basses so pretty hard to compare. Personally I'd go with the Lace Helix based on the kind of music I like to play- funk, rock, jazz - it's a very nice sounding basses, you don't see them as often these days, the one I tried only had one pickup but the tone and sound was really something else. The neck felt a little thick to me though.

 

I’ve owned two T-40’s. The pickups are beastly. I had to use the active input on amps. If you want to dial in a Rickenbacker tone, you’ve got it there in a few twists of the knobs. I had a “light” one at 10.4 lbs and an average one at 11.8. I think they are beautiful instruments, and they are built like battle axes. But I don’t own them anymore because of those necks. Not because they were wide, but rather because the fretboards were so flat. I was never comfortable fretting, and so they became something to look at. I would rather spend money on improving my sound, so off they went. For me, the idea of owning a T-40 was better than actually playing one. But if your hands like the feel of it and you can shoulder the weight, it is 4 strings of gnarly power.

I’ve never played a Lace Helix so I can’t contribute anything there.

 

Other than being super heavy, the T40 is a great bass. Get a wide leather or padded strap, the cheap nylon ones HURT. I have now knowledge of the Lace, I'm sure it's nice, but the T40 is the way to go.

 

I consider a T-40 to by my first bass with so much fundamental in the sound (due to the mass) that it established the line of what the best basses are capable of in that one thing, the fundamental. It also has lots of sound options which I like. Too heavy for me though, so it went ...but learning to play on that neck made other necks seem fast. Everything that bass recorded sounded awesome, it was a tom tom club type African drumming based band and having that low end was great.