Gore Boards brings a whole bunch of weird tones to the Line 6 Helix party

(Image credit: Line 6)

Builder of guitar effects pedals, music journalist and tone geek Joe Gore has programmed a baker's dozen of weird, unorthodox aftermarket sound sets for Line 6's flagship amp and effects modelling platform, Helix.

The 13 sound sets are available now for download from the Line 6 Marketplace, priced at $13 (just over £/€10) each or as a $99 bundle. Just don't go in there without being warned that these tones are from the very outer frontier of strange. 

As Gore explains: “Helix excels at mimicking analog guitar gear. That’s great, but it’s not my focus. Instead, I’ve approached Helix as the unique and complex instrument it is. These sounds will appeal most to players who dig unconventional timbres and eerie, expressive textures."

There is the Back-Assward Board, created as a sort experimental rejoinder to signal path orthodoxy, and the Broke-Ass Board, which aims to make your Helix tone sound "like pawnshop crap." The Beezleboard goes for ultra-high, bit-crushed gain tones, Board of the Rings offers ring modulation, Bigfoot Board actual monster sounds, Fuzz Board for fuzz, Glitch Board for digitised textures and blips, while Bogus Bass Board gives you bass and bass synth tones for guitar.

Where it really gets interesting is with the Blood and Pasta Board – a compendium of spaghetti western twang – the Psych Board, which offers a sort of skronky digital  take on psychedelic shimmer, and the Twilight Zone theremin vibes of the Ouija Board.

These sets are compatible with Helix Floor, Helix LT, Helix Rack and Helix Native.

See Gore Boards for more details.

Jonathan Horsley

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.

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