Helix- redux

It's quite apparent that Line 6 is pushing its way past its POD history. The Helix technology is a new chapter in this light & the HX Stomp here is currently the most fundamental but extensive offering. The manufacturer had basically shrunk the HX Stomp into this very portable format without compromising essential features & tones. Unlike the full fledge HX Stomp, this version was designed to operate without a real amplifier reliance so that's a big plus for those of us who, at performance venues, plug into the house mixer without any backline amp support. 

I just want to hear how the amp modules help refine tone. In my books, the Helix stuff still falls short of what POD had to offer in terms of driven tones. 

DM Helix: Pure nickel

The Dean Markley Helix is now offered in pure nickel- will give them a try when they get here.

There're so many stuff to check out this 2014 but somehow, the stuff I look forward to get my hands on, don't come my way.

DM Helix: 3 weeks later...

Dean Markley's Helix strings- it's been 3 weeks & they are still holding out. Some parts are beginning to look stained (llain strings, mostly) but no rust detected. A friend of mine tried them the other day, according to him, the wound strings, due to the compressed winding technology, makes them feel smoother. So is this a good or bad thing? Good if you have this need for constant movements. Bad if you tend to peddle some bass notes & you want a firm grip there, it feels 'slippery' but it's not excessively so, of course.

DM Helix: The difference

You know how it is with commercial slants- they make you believe the hype. But I'm in the midst of evaluating Dean Markley's Helix strings, I think I can do you good by giving some frank opinions.

Do refer to the DM literature above, the Helix is a little different due to its compressed winding feature, so over the same string length, you'd get more windings with the Helix compared to other string brands. So what's the big deal?

1. Less dirt: Because the wrap wires are closer together, there are lesser depressions to trap dirt from your fingers. This is the chief reason why your strings last longer. This won't make a difference if your finger fluids are very acidic though.
2. Less scratching noises. If you are greatly disturbed by that noise when you drag your fingers across wound strings, the Helix is less noisy. It's all about having narrower gaps between the wraps.

DM Helix: The week after

It's been a week since I installed a set of .009s Dean Markley Helix in my Ibanez S420. After each play, I did a wipe down using dry cloth only, these strings received no chemical treatments whatsoever.

I played this guitar for at least 15min each day. There were 2 days when the session lasted for more than an hour. There were no wipe-downs in between, only at the end of it all.

No corrosion was detected on the Helix but the strings (especially the plain ones) were tarnished, this is of course, normal. The Helix also felt less fresh (duh!) after a week's worth of hands-on but they could go on for sure; they are not dead yet.

To be cont'd...

HELIXed

Dean Markley's Helix strings come in a sealed black polymer bag. The individual string envelopes are inside.

They are in my Ibanez S420, performance report in due time.

Helix

Got Helix, will restring (tonight).