BigRedX

[quote name='Machines' post='125222' date='Jan 22 2008, 07:35 AM']Have you seen how much it is ?! I wouldn't want to review a bass i'm automatically biased against based on price.[/quote]

Yes... IMO that's a very good price indeed for the quality of the instrument. As the info says these are hand-built in the UK. I would imagine that the Blue Label Esprit Bass is built somewhere in Eastern Europe like the previous EU series instruments were.

I own a UK built Esprit guitar made when Fretking were operating out of a workshop behind Musical Exchange? in Birmingham. This is a first-class instrument in every aspect of build, finish, playability and sound. Having played an EU Esprit as well there is no real comparison - don't get me wrong it's not bad but it's not in the same league as the UK made instrument

I've also played the original Europa Bass (with the 3 split P pup configuration) on a couple of occasions when it was at various UK musical instrument shows. It's a monster in both size and sound. Overall the Green Label Europa Bass seems to be a more interesting design while the Blue Label Esprit Bass comes across as a PJ with an unusual body shape...

Maybe you should review both and compare?

Personally I prefer the [url="http://www.liveitlive.co.uk/europaiv_spec.html"]Europa Bass[/url] to the Esprit. I see they've dropped the original 3xP pickup configuration of the Europa (mk1) in favour of a rather ordinary PJ configuration.

If you're getting one for review go for the Europa with the 3xGibson style Pups.

My boss worked in the John Player Graphics studio in the 70s (before leaving to start his own agency where I now work) and one of his projects was the design of those black and gold graphics for the Lotus JPS F1 car.

While I'm still waiting for a coupe of luthiers to get back to me if they're still in business...

Here's a NAMM update for some of the makes mentioned previously in the this thread.

FretKing.

After casting doubts about FretKing's current existence and the fact that the website I had book marked is pretty moribund, here's a brand new Europa bass spotted at NAMM





And more importantly a new [url="http://www.liveitlive.co.uk/"]FretKing Site[/url]

I was lucky enough to catch Trevor Wilkinson on the Vintage stand at Music Live 2007 and mentioned that I had a custom FretKing Esprit Guitar and was after a Europa Bass. He mentioned that he was just finishing off a white Europa and would I be interested? Unfortunately I managed to lose his email otherwise I might now be the proud owner of this bass and not have to content myself with pictures of it from NAMM.

Anyway moving on. Here's 4 new Lace Helix basses



Five strings and fretlesss models. Can't wait for these to be available in the UK
More details [url="http://lacemusic.com/news/news_articles.php?articleID=18"]here[/url] and good to see a company offering fretless models for less than the fretted equivalents.
There's also rumours that there will be a helix with the twisted neck to match the original Cybercaster guitar.

Finally a halfway decent photo of a Moses Graphite bass...



A 5-string Vertical Jump Bass with a blue acrylic body. Very nice indeed... And amazingly more pictures on the Moses Graphite website [url="http://www.mosesgraphite.com/customguitars.html"]here[/url] including some of the Custom Headless Starhawk Bass.

I hoping to have some new basses for your enjoyment (or ridicule) at the end of the week and then hope to be updating at least once a week for as long as there are instruments out of the ordinary out there.

It means he's wearing one of those naff thick material short sleeve collared shirts that companies after a corporate look but trying to be trendy want their shop floor employees to wear, plus some trainers (doesn't seem to have any trousers though...). All second rate 'designer' labels.

;-)

Ta... ;-)

In the end not too bad a price. Was I bidding against any other BCers?

I'll post a review in a couple of weeks.

What strings have you got on there?

Seriously overpriced...

Maybe in 1990 but now? No way.

Actually the seller has probably pitched this just right.

The BIN price plus postage is slightly cheaper than the last couple of 'Fish I've seen on TB would have been plus postage and customs and they were in more 'desirable' finishes.

I'll expect this to go for somewhere between the BIN and £500. Any more and the winner would have been better off importing...

[quote name='bassbloke' post='123646' date='Jan 20 2008, 09:05 AM']Could go for a song.[/quote]

Not now it won't.

No bids all week and now 6 since this morning...

Actually that semi's not at all bad looking for a Warwick...

Are those the same pickups as the Jack Bruce Reunion sig model?

That is looking absolutely gorgeous!

The last two times I've been to see Martin about my build it was still bare roughly shaped wood.
What a difference finishing makes

*want mine to be progressing now*

[url="http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=plek&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8"]Google is your friend[/url]

120V only according to the web site blurb. So you'll need a step down transformer for use here in the UK.

Looks like the truss rod needs some attention in that second pic...

The Epiphones have bolt-on necks. Thunderbirds are designed as through neck instruments.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5525"][b]THIS THREAD[/b][/url] will answer all your questions. Be sure to check all the luthier/manufacturer sites linked for even more weirdness...

Forgot to ask - what note is the one-string tuned to?

Also does having the whole pickup dedicated to the single string produce a stronger output than if it was conventionally aligned?

[quote name='wayne58' post='117882' date='Jan 10 2008, 02:51 PM']Exactly, choosing the Wal bass wasn't a bad idea either.[/quote]

However the majority of the classic Japan Fretless sound is from a Travis Bean TB2000


[quote name='bassaussie' post='117975' date='Jan 10 2008, 04:48 PM']About the whole "did they play/didn't they play" thing with Duran Duran, I once had a conversation with a bass player in Australia who did some of the support slots when Duran Duran first toured Australia back in 1983 or thereabouts. She told me she'd often watch them from backstage, and said that there was no doubt in her mind that JT was actually quite a decent bassist. She said that one of the guys was a bit suspect, although didn't let on who that was. Since it would be hard to hide Simon's ability or lack there of, that leaves Nick, Roger or Andy.[/quote]

I saw Duran Duran live in a smallish venue at the time the Planet Earth single was in the charts and the bass parts were definitely being played by JT. I think Nick would have been the one with less than stellar music skills but I don't think he's ever claimed otherwise.

An excellent selection of basses!

And great to see someone with one of Bas' wonderful instruments. I have to admit I'd been wondering which luthier's instruments had caught your eye, but I'd have never guessed it was that particular one. I now wish I'd decided in time that I really wanted to buy the fan-fretted bass before someone else got there first.

Absolutely not!

I paid less than that for my Bass Pod XT Pro and Shortboard brand new form a real store with full guarantee etc...

+1 for Mick Karn, Paul Webb, and Mik Sweeney of Classix Nouveau (who I believe built the rather unusual bass he used in the band as well as the mirror guitar that Sal Solo played)

Also Kevin Bacon of The Comsat Angels; Tim Wright of Danse Society and Alan Turton of Medium Medium.

That looks like it'll do the job well. I'd move the dots up a little so their either under the highest string or between it and the next one.

I saw a fretless Ovation on ebay a couple of years back but it was in the US and I hadn't got the nerve up to buy something from outside the UK then...

If you do go for something fancier on the front face make sure that the 'important' (3, 5, 7 etc.) frets are more clearly defined that the others. My Traben Phoenix 5 has a larger inlay on one off the 'wrong' frets and several times it's caused my to play the wrong note. When I'm using it I have to remember to go by the side markers only.