Gear Review: Line6 Toneport UX-1

Acquired From: Guitar Center
Price Paid: $100

I cannot tell you how impressed I am with this little magic box! This was easily the best $100 I've ever spent on gear. It plugs into your computer via USB cable, and you plug your instrument or mic into it. BAM, instant recording studio! Another great thing about the Toneport is that it is a direct replacement for your computer's soundcard, and for most of us, it's a much needed upgrade to the one we already had. It's ZERO latency, and for all of you who've been fooled by that line before (as have I many times) Line6 actually delivers on this promise. You'll never have that "lag" between what you play and what comes out of your speakers. On top of everything else, it comes with not one, but TWO great pieces of software. You get the "Gearbox" software, and the new "POD Farm" software. Both of which are just about the coolest things your computer will ever have installed on it, and definitely the most fun you've had in a long time. For awhile I had been picking up my guitar maybe once a week. Since I purchased my Toneport UX-1 I have literally been playing for hours a day. You'll just never get bored with it! Imagine having every single amp or effect pedal that you've ever dreamed about, without taking up a room of your house, and for the mere price of $100. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS!!! You open up Gearbox or POD Farm, put together your amp/effects chain, and just start jamming. On top of that, there is an online element to it. Right from the Gearbox program there is a button called Tonelocker. You click on it, a web browser opens in Gearbox, and you pick through a HUGE inventory of presets arranged by Song, Album, Band, and Guitarist. Say you want to play the lead from "Voodoo Child". You just look it up, click on it, and instantly you are playing with the exact same tone Jimi had when he recorded it! It also does vocal processing, using a diverse selection of preamp and mic models. Hell, the things even got a built-in tuner! The only drawback to it thus far is the absence of an expression pedal, of which I hear is going to be present in the next version of it. The Toneport UX-1 is compatible with all software DAW's that I'm aware of (and I'm a DAW freak), and it even comes with one. You get a special "Line6" version of Ableton Live Lite, so you can record with it right out of the box! Your computer doesn't even need to be all that fast to run it. My computer has only a Pentium 4 CPU and 1Gb of RAM, and it handles it without a single problem. So, to wrap it up, it's a zero latency recording interface, an amp and effects modeler, and a guitarist/bassist/singer's best friend. Buy one, you won't regret it!

The following specs and system requirements for the Line6 Toneport UX-1 were copied and pasted from Guitar Center's website:

Pro amp, cab, stompbox, and studio effects models from the PODxt and Bass PODxt
High-quality vocal preamp models
GearBox software provides hardware-like interface
18 guitar amp models
24 speaker cab models
5 bass amp and cab models
30 stompbox and studio effects
6 mic preamp models
1 XLR mic input
1 - 1/4" guitar/bass input
Stereo line inputs
Stereo line outputs (2 - 1/4")
Stereo 1/4" monitor input
Headphone out
Over 100dB signal-to-noise and dynamic range
Unique low-latency monitoring regardless of recording software's buffer size
44.1/48KHz 16-/24-bit recording
96kHz mode with built-in sample rate conversion for simultaneous input and output
USB-powered
Rock-solid drivers: ASIO, WDM, Mac OS X

Windows system requirements:
Pentium IV 1.2GHz or better (2.5GHz or more recommended)
Windows XP (with SP2 only) or Windows 2000 (with SP4 or later)
512MB RAM minimum (1GB or more recommended)
1GB free HD space minimum (10GB or more recommended for recording)
Drive speed 5400rpm minimum (7200rpm or faster recommended)
CD-ROM drive
Internet connection for online features

Mac system requirements:
G4 800MHz or better (G4 1.5 or better recommended)
OS X 10.4 or better
512MB RAM minimum (1GB or more recommended)
1GB free HD space minimum (10GB or more recommended for recording)
Drive speed 5400rpm minimum (7200rpm or faster recommended)
CD-ROM drive
Internet connection for online features

USB:
One free USB 1.1 or 2.0 compatible port on computer, or self-powered USB hub (requires power from USB, so bus-powered USB hubs are not supported)

How To: Defretting a Bass Guitar

Eight years or so ago I decided I'd matured as a bassist past the point of needing frets. Not only that, but I was looking for a new challenge, and the new tones that would come with it. I was also completely in love with the way Les Claypool's bass sounded in the song "Over The Falls" (Primus - The Brown Album). However, I was too poor to go out and buy a fretless bass. Was it worth it to take a risk and possibly ruin my precious baby? After much debating with myself over it, the hunger finally won out, and I started defacing my prized possession. In the end, I've been pretty happy with it. The only downside is that you can't use roundwound strings on a fretless, so you better love the sound of a tapewound. You're committed to them now...

Step 1: Apologize to your four stringed friend in advance, and pray to God that you don't screw it up!

Step 2: Remove the strings (Duh!).

Step 3: Find a set of end nippers (it's a type of wire cutter, google it) and needle nose pliers. You'll need both. Some write-ups on this process say to use a soldering gun to heat up the frets. This is useful if you have frets that are glued to the fretboard. However, most aren't, so the soldering gun is optional. If it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to use one, go ahead, but you probably won't need it.

Step 4: Start with the highest fret ( the one closest to the body) that way if you screw your first one up or change your mind, it's probably a fret that you rarely, if ever, use. Use the end nippers to grab the very edge of the fret. It might take a little force, but the key words here are CAREFULLY and SLOWLY. Gently lift the end of the fret about 1/8" from the fretboard. By this point, you should know whether or not you'll need a soldering gun! If you do need one, you'll basically just be using it to heat up each fret before you pull it, softening the glue.

Step 5: Pick up your needle nose pliers. You should have enough room (provided you followed Step 4) to get a decent grip on the fret, grabbing it from on top and underneath. Slowly pull up on it, being careful not to rip wood from your fretboard. You need to pull as uniformly and straight as possible to accomplish this. If the fret is curling too much, it could be trouble!

Step 6: Wash, rinse, repeat until you have all of the frets removed.

Step 7 (optional): Some who have defretted their bass have chosen to fill in the lines left behind with wood filler. I didn't do this (I wanted the option of refretting it later if I chose to) and I've had no problems arise from not filling the fretlines.

Step 8: Forget everything you know about roundwound strings, or playing the bass for that matter. It's a different instrument now. It'll take as much practice to learn how to play it as did your bass when you first bought it.

Step 9: Restring your bass with tapewound strings or flatwound strings. I've been using the same set of Fender Nylon Tapewound bass strings since I first defretted mine. They're great sounding, last forever, and on top of that they look really cool (black strings!!!).

Step 10: Enjoy your fretless bass!!!

Gear Review: SX Les Paul Custom

Acquired From: eBay
Price Paid: $300

I bought this guitar about 3 years ago or so, and WHAT A BARGAIN!!! If you want a guitar that not only looks like a Gibson Les Paul, but sounds like it, plays like it, has everything that the Gibson does except for the high price tag and the name on the headstock, your search is OVER my friend. This guitar was easily one of the greatest purchases I've ever made, and trust me, there have been a lot over the 12 years I've been playing. For starters, it's a beautifully crafted instrument. Wine Red Mahogany, mother of pearl inlays, cream binding, chrome hardware, etc. Just click on the image above to see it up close if you have any doubts... The wonderful thing about it is that it FEELS like a very expensive instrument. There are no visible flaws whatsoever, and it plays like a dream right out of the box. It came set up from the factory, and with D'Addario 10 gauge strings. I just recently strung it with some 10 gauge Elixir strings, and it totally came alive. The pickups are great, dual chrome humbuckers just like it's Gibson brethren, and they were not cheaply made either. A buddy of mine has the exact same Les Paul Custom in a Gibson (same finish and everything). I've played on both, thoroughly examined both, and I'm telling you, he paid ten times what I payed for my SX and the only difference was the name on the headstock. I'd buy every guitar SX makes, as long as they can all live up to the very high bar that their Les Paul Custom has set.