Worth noting that Ballou's grievances on the Helix were addressed by Ben Adrian of Line 6. His amps are based on modelings chasing a Diezel (Das Benzin Mega) and PRS Archon.
He does use a phase looper for the song “Eye of the Quarrel” that allows him to play both guitar parts featured on it. All of these are engaged and omitted by Ballou as if they were pedals on a standard board.
Another perk is that his setup is in a stereo configuration, and the Helix’s direct-out function allows him to run front-of-house a stereo signal without having to worry about miking cabs (and possible phasing issues) that inevitably happen when mics and cabs get bumped and moved during Converge’s chaotic performances.įor these “Converge Classic” ** headlining shows, Ballou operates the Helix in stompbox mode with a “Kvrt Preset V6.” Some of the pieces of the puzzle include a Centaur-style distortion, two separate noise gates, a Tycoctavia Fuzz, a Dual Pitch setting, Ping Pong (turning on stereo delay and reverb at the same time), and a Searchlights reverb patch. He says it gives him a consistent, reliable sound each night that can be stored as a carry-on. They understand the compromise a modern hardcore band must make to pull off shows to their high standard, while also staying in the black, so for a few years Kurt has turned to the Line 6 Helix. Ĭonverge would love to tour with stacks of gear, but they also live in the real world. Plus, he detailed why his goal is to get to a place where “gear doesn’t matter.” And then, longtime bassist Nate Newton joined the fun by showing off his “Riffblaster” setup and how a special P-Bass helps him honor a dear friend.īrought to you by D’Addario String Finder. Ballou has even developed a gear brand ( God City Instruments) that includes guitars, pedals, and pickups, all in the pursuit of turning ideas into art.ĭuring our conversation before Converge’s sold-out performance at Nashville’s Basement East on May 22nd, Ballou dove into his Line 6 Helix spice rack and shared how 30 plus years as a guitarist and in-demand producer have informed his guitar-design philosophy. His sonic temple, God City Studio, is the destination for artists looking to make their rawest, heaviest, brutalist work. He’s been on the leading edge of aggressive guitar sounds since 1990, and Converge’s fourth album, 2001’s Jane Doe, is still seen as a game-changing release, with its ferocious performances and masterful production. They should be on the shortlist of anyone who seeks a modern P bass tone.Kurt Ballou takes tone very seriously. Lace knocked it out of the park Nate Newton can be proud of these. This is the P bass tone I've always had in my head. I've only had these for a week and yet they've killed any GAS I may have had. With low action and aggressive finger picking, à la Steve Harris, they give you the most wonderful clanky tone percussive yet musical, with warm highs, crushing mids and punchy lows. With bright strings and a pick they can pierce through most any mix with gusto. These pickups truly shine when you start digging in. That being said, there are a ton of P pups which can give you that. Played lightly and with the tone rolled off they can be tamed and offer everything you love about a P bass. These pups drive my terror bass into the perfect sweetspot with no hassle. I don't even feel the need for OD pedals anymore. No battery to swap out - which is always a bit of a pain to do on a P since you have to remove the pickguard - and no additionnal drilling required to carve a spot for the battery. They sound like active pickups with none of the downside of active pickups. Hot, aggressive, well defined, dead silent, and with enough midrange punch to kill a mammoth within a few bars. Now I'm not a hardcore Converge fan I like them well enough, but I've always loved Nate Newton's tone, so I figured I'd take a plunge and try these out and they didn't disappoint in the slightest. I wanted more bite out of my P so I started shopping around. The original pickups were *fine* but a bit too traditionnal sounding to me.
I wanted to replace my stock Fender pickups on my MIM P with something with a bit more oomph. So I typically don't leave reviews, but seeing how these pups don't have any right now I thought I'd leave my thoughts on them after a week of intense usage.