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vates

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  1. vates
    This amalgam never ceases to amaze me.
  2. vates
    Spotted a Mullarkey in the wild! Steve of Morcheeba played the whole set with it.
  3. vates
    Yep. It's obviously imperfect and that's what makes it special. The main merits are there though: it plays great and sounds killer.
  4. vates
    So. One month since we’ve finally reunited with my first (and so far the only) Serek. 10 gigs in 10 cities with an audience of roughly 4000 people in total. 10 rehearsals and a few dozen hours of practice. I think I have a proper opinion re.the bass’ durability, pros and cons. Well, the bass is durable alright. The finish albeit rather rustic (see below) is sturdy enough. The hardware works as it should. The gig-bag is not perfect (see below) but it works well. It saved the bass from the harsh loading and unloading on buses, cars, trains, hotels, station premises, lockers etc. Saved if from a few more than likely bumps and bruises. Cons. The body finish looks a bit amateurish up-close. Strong DIY vibes. The color is spot-on though. And a few feet away it looks fine. I personally don’t like the texture contrast between the stripes and the main finish: how it feels to the touch under my elbow. But it works and it’s rather durable. The neck heel plate is horrible. Just an unfinished square of sheet metal with rough edges. It will ruin the insides of the gig-bag one day. And it was hard on my clothes as well. The pickup is rocking a bit inside the pickguard. And it’s unprotected: I had to rest my finger directly on the blades. I guess one day the perspiration will get through them to the coils and kill them. Rather unsustainable. The gig-bag is nice in the pictures. Looks almost like a Mono. But in reality it’s a rather budget Chinese product: the quality of zipper seams and straps is not very high. The pocket is poorly designed and struggles to hold even the basic necessities (strap, cord, rag), the neck cushion is crooked. But again, it works. (turned out to be) not a con. The presumably silly built-in fuzz circuit is surprisingly useful. And the rather radical switching between the full tone and tone cup is amazingly practical in real life situations. I got used to it and will not change it to the stacked vol-tone (as previously planned) until it’s broken. The purchased parts are going to wait for now. Pros. The sound. It’s there. The stock rounds are fine. But I changed to Dunlop flatwounds right away and never looked back ( ). After the swap - it’s just the sound from my head. I can’t put my finger on it. It’s just right. Sits perfectly in our rather motley alt-country mix. It’s different from my preferred P-bass tone. But it works in the similar manner by being both unobtrusive but always present and fundamental, and by firmly moving the whole band in the right direction. The ergonomics. Although geometrically the shortest one from my stable, this bass doesn’t feel small. The body is shaped in such a weird off-set way that it feels like a full-size instrument. The upper frets reach is even better than on most of my “traditional” full-scale basses. And the balance is strange but somehow works properly: you may swear that you feel the neck dive but in reality there isn’t any. A rather uncanny feeling that goes away after a few hours of play. Overall, the bass feels to be meticulously designed by a rigorous engineer. A lot of thought went into this design. Heck, even the lower Dunlop strap lock once connected forms a firm standing base together with the lower bout of the bass’ body. The neck feels and looks fantastic! Now, this is probably the best part of the instrument. I like everything about this neck: back shape, radius, how it feels in the hand, how the wood looks and the shade of it. It looks tasty and feels sublime. The color scheme is beautiful. It came right from my dreams and I’m happy that I didn’t pull the trigger on the earlier batches. The quality of plastic parts is on the highest level. Conclusion. A unique instrument with rather appealing vibes despite all the quirks. I will definitely keep my eyes open for another Serek. Preferably a Midwestern with a single B-90. Thanks for reading!
  5. vates
    How about a Serek, a Gibson, and a Fender MMB?
  6. vates
    Thanks!
  7. vates
    that’s definitely a pickup issue. That E string was very weak in the demo vid. also, what’s the nut width and the string spacing at the bridge?
  8. vates
    Acinonyx is a great little bass. And Carey's design and engineering, and general approach are the best in the biz. (owned three Nordy's and still own two, one of which is my main bass currently) I'd like to snatch a Cat. But the ridiculously narrow nut width is a deal-breaker for me So enjoy it: those, who don't have this issue! I'll envy you from the distance :)
  9. vates
    Thanks for sharing!
  10. vates
    Looking forward to your findings then!
  11. vates
    Has anyone (who owns and plays both) compared a Serek and a Wilcock? Pickups configurations aside, how’s the feel and overall build quality different ? Cheers!
  12. vates
    Time to share my shorties here. Gibson LP DC Tribute and 1973 Fender Musicmaster Bass
  13. vates
    Tried a new V2 Mustang in a Berlin store. The blue one. The stripes are not that bad in person. The bass is well balanced. Liked the neck shape: rather beefy. Sounds well, the tone control is rather useful. Overall quality is nice. However, the A string buzzed like crazy: not enough tension on the nut. A couple of additional loops on the peg would’ve probably solved the issue. Or something like a Fender peg retainer.
  14. vates started following Mustang Bass dimensions (for gig bags)
  15. vates
    Yeah, as mentioned above, the nut width is different. The shape is also technically different: 'C' shape vs 'Modern C' (the latter is a tad slimmer). Also the finish is different: nitro vs urethane. So, for you they may feel the same but, given my previous experience, I'd probably perceive them as two rather different animals (nut width being the most important difference for me). Thanks for clarifying!
  16. vates
    Congrats! Looks great. Why do you call it a JMJ neck? The specs are entirely different.
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