Lace-Helix?

[ack1961]

I was in Florida over the past few days and stopped by a shop and saw (but didn't have enough time to play) a neck-through 4-string made by Lace-Helix.
Natural Maple/Mahogany body w/ twin Lace "Alumitone" pickups, gigantic DAT-type knobs and a chunky neck.

Anyone here ever play one?  I'm curious, as I've never heard of Lace-Helix before.  They're not giving it away either...

The bass in question is on the top-left of the bass section:
http://www.lacemusic.com/guitars/Helix/helix_series.php

Thanks,
Steve

[Dave W]

That would make my list of ugliest basses 

Lace is always claiming to have pickups that improve on conventional designs. The only ones I've heard are their Sensors, which IMO didn't sound good at all.

[jumbodbassman]

fugly..  someone on here has some experience with the pups.  Carlo maybe?

[Chris P.]

I played the pick ups and they're sound very wide and big. They're very strange.. It's just a cover and a wire. No magnet, no coils.... So very light. At the Lace booth at the NAMM I saw some Alumitone guitar pick ups... ... with Fender on it.

[dadagoboi]

I played the pick ups and they're sound very wide and big. They're very strange.. It's just a cover and a wire. No magnet, no coils.... So very light. At the Lace booth at the NAMM I saw some Alumitone guitar pick ups... ... with Fender on it.

Great pickups, I agree with Chris on the sound, big and wide from top to bottom.  They weigh 2 ounces.  Don't mind the basses looks but it's VERY poorly set up from the factory, saddles need major filing to get decent action.  Uwe has one.  I bought one from Musician's friend just to try the pup in 08, then returned it.

I'm gonna put an Alumitone in my JAEbird II, have one in my ERGO.  Quite a few threads on TB about these pups.

[Highlander]

You might like to watch this - techie stuff about the pups...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI8sMJVjHrY&feature=related

[Highlander]

Fell on this whilst looking up the Lace stuff...

Anyone know of anything more "out-there..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRRQHRqWZ6s&feature=related

[ack1961]

You might like to watch this - techie stuff about the pups...

good information, thanks

[ack1961]

The Lace-Helix is even fuglier in person...however, the top contour was really nicely done and the Maple/Mahogany itself (especially when looking at the back of the neck) was beautiful. Those pickups would look great on almost anything.  The knobs are simply atrocious as is the headstock (reminds me of Brownsville). All that being said, it's almost so fugly that it's almost appealing. Next time I'm in FL, I'm going to see how it sounds.

IMO, the alien stingray brain-stem bass might take the cake for fugliness. Unique, but fugly.

[rahock]

Fell on this whilst looking up the Lace stuff...

Anyone know of anything more "out-there..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRRQHRqWZ6s&feature=related

Wow, this guy has obviously just had his dream come true but that mans' dream is this mans' nightmare .
That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.
Rick

[nofi]

i like the fretboard. otherwise...

[the mojo hobo]

The bass in question is on the top-left of the bass section:
http://www.lacemusic.com/guitars/Helix/helix_series.php

Just so you all know, when I clicked on the above link my Norton Internet Security blocked access to it saying it is "a known malicious web site"

[Dave W]

Just so you all know, when I clicked on the above link my Norton Internet Security blocked access to it saying it is "a known malicious web site"

I won't click it again -- no need to hurt my eyes a second time -- but Malwarebytes and MS Security Essentials show my computer is clean.

[uwe]

I like its look a lot. Was immediately endeared by it, reminded me of the Suzuki Katana motorbikes that cane out in the early eighties, classic Asian design.

Those basses sound great. A big sound but nuanced. Very natural. Neck is wider than to my liking - 4 and 5 string have the same width, but it nevertheless is easy to play with lots of sustain.

I like some basses with an off the wall modern design. I like the Kubicki, the Parker Fly bass and I like this here.

[ack1961]

Good observation about the neck, Uwe - that was the widest 4-string neck I've ever had in my hands.