Low End Bee Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I think those Gus Basses look very cool. If they did a passive single pickup one for about £800 I'd be sorely tempted. As for the design flaws in a Precision the only one that bugs me is the A string break angle. I celebrate it's crudity. It's the only bass I feel at home with and comfortable playing. I guess this is mainly because it's the bass I played in my formative years. I also have a bass sound I want in my head and I find this easy to get with a decent Precision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I know pretty much nothing about Gus basses - I didn't even know that's what it was. Having been to the Gus website I'd say design-wise it looks to me like something from the mid-1970s - probably a kitchen stool. Ugly as ... you fill in the gap. However, I also listened to the sound files and that's why I'm out. But who cares anyway. I'll still be playing a Fender when Gus basses are no longer looked at with rose-tinted glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='EssentialTension' post='898870' date='Jul 19 2010, 01:03 PM']I know pretty much nothing about Gus basses - I didn't even know that's what it was. Having been to the Gus website I'd say design-wise it looks to me like something from the mid-1970s - probably a kitchen stool. Ugly as ... you fill in the gap. However, I also listened to the sound files and that's why I'm out. But who cares anyway. I'll still be playing a Fender when Gus basses are no longer looked at with rose-tinted glasses.[/quote] I just went on the Gus site as I was curious to what they actually sound like. Very middy would be the response. I like mids but that sound is not my cup of tea. How much are they?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Exactly why I think sound clips on the internet are pretty much useless. When I play my Gus basses they don't sound anything like that. I'm sure with someone else playing them they'd sound different again. TBH I'd never ever looked at that page of the Gus site, so I was also somewhat underwhelmed by what I heard. For an alternative idea of what they sound like (with me playing them) have a listen to any of the tracks on the MySpace page linked in my sig. Prices start at £4500... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 (edited) [quote name='BigRedX' post='899003' date='Jul 19 2010, 02:45 PM']Prices start at £4500...[/quote] I've always admired the thinking behind these basses, and their styling, although a bit bonkers is pretty unique...i'd own one, but would look well out of place in my band... but £4500 starting price is well out of most leagues - do they sell for similar prices used? Start a gus thread... My expected response to this would be...."you could have a nice pre-CBS Precision for that kind of money" lol. Edited July 19, 2010 by AndyTravis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 This will be my last post in this thread, and then I'll bow out and let you get on with what it's really supposed to be all about - Precision love... Price-wise the Gus instruments have gone up a lot in the last couple of years (although a lot of other high-end basses have gone up by pretty much the same amount). Mine were bought quite a while back when the prices were slightly more in line with other custom instruments. As for second hand I've only ever seen 2 come up for sale. One was in the US and the price was even more outrageous - in this country you could have ordered a new one of the same spec for only slightly more than the advertised asking price. The other is the CAR one in my user pic which was pretty cheap (under £1000), but that's because it looked a wreck. It cost me almost the same again to have it refinished in CAR (it was originally green/purple flip) and have all the other damage put right. I'm sure I could have a nice pre-CBS precision for the current list price of a Gus but for me it wouldn't be any use as a musical instrument because I wouldn't be able to play many of the things that I want to on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='899003' date='Jul 19 2010, 02:45 PM']Exactly why I think sound clips on the internet are pretty much useless. When I play my Gus basses they don't sound anything like that. I'm sure with someone else playing them they'd sound different again. TBH I'd never ever looked at that page of the Gus site, so I was also somewhat underwhelmed by what I heard. For an alternative idea of what they sound like (with me playing them) have a listen to any of the tracks on the MySpace page linked in my sig. Prices start at £4500...[/quote] I like Notts and I like what your band are doing Still could do that on a P bass though £4500....wow....you must be really careful with that during gigs?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='899003' date='Jul 19 2010, 02:45 PM']Prices start at £4500...[/quote] I've got a fretted Fender P, a fretless Fender P, a Squier J, a Lakland, a Michael Kelly acoustic, and a NS EUB. The lot cost substantially less than £4500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='899029' date='Jul 19 2010, 03:07 PM']This will be my last post in this thread[/quote] I hope you'll start that other thread about the design problems with Fenders. I am genuinely interested and open minded as to know what you think they are. I love my Precision but if somebody offered me something that suited me better and was as aestheically pleasing to my eye within the same price range I wouldn't be averse to jumping ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='Musicman20' post='899054' date='Jul 19 2010, 03:41 PM']£4500....wow....you must be really careful with that during gigs?![/quote] Actually no... They're made to be played, and it's probably a harder wearing finish than a Fender Nitro. ;-) If I was really worried about playing somewhere very dodgy I might consider taking the all-black Gus instead. No-one ever looks twice at that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 BigRedX Just checked out your band from the link as I was interested to see what you do considering what you have posted re precisions Im really impressed as you don't see that style of music much these days (I really loved the stingrays!), love to see your kind of band again one day (yes I was i teen in the 80s) However I am a little shocked that you feel a precision wont do that for you, or is it more you and fenders, surely some of your piers in that scene must use Ps? Each to there own and no offense meant, just curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilb Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 BigRedEx The mere fact that you can wear your bass on a strap around your neck and not have to stand it on the floor is down to Mr Fender and his 1950's limitations. Anyway, I thought the post before the post before your last.....was gonna be your last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 When I was at college in the late 90's. There was a 73 P bass just lying around battered up with flatwound strings on that hadn't been changed in years. And it still sounded pretty mint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kongo Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='898637' date='Jul 19 2010, 09:19 AM']I've been thinking about a complete what I consider wrong with Fender basses for a long time and I think it's worthy of its own thread so I'll be starting one shortly, rather than clog up any more space on this love-fest ;-) I'm not out to make friends. I'd just like people to look at instruments without the rose-tinted glasses... There's no denying that Fender basses have had an impact but 1960 was 50 years ago...[/quote] Same as with British Layland Classic cars had major issues, but people love em for it. I don't look at em rose-tinted, I came the other way I HATED Fender I would spew flames if you gave me a P-bass maybe 5 years ago, but when out of the blue I decided as a project to put one together from this and that I found that they not only fit like a glove but play wonderful and although the P-bass itself only does one kinda sound it does it SO WELL it cannot be contested. Each to their own indeed, but I started with hating Fenders and ended up loving them, problems and everything. But remember, Leo himself had not been involved with Fender for a LOOOON time now, and I do agree that they should move on and release something a tad more...inspiring, but I guess it's that old gag of if you cant beat em, join em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Well it was going to be my last post in this thread but you guys keep asking me questions that need to be addressed here... lojo - thanks for the comments about the band. However Dick Venom is not really a Pschobilly band. Sure it's a band with Pschobilly influences, but lots has happened musically since the 80s and I'd like to think that we've taken some of that on board. At the moment we're not really part of 'the scene' the band has only been going for 4 months. However next month we're on the bill for a Pschobilly all-dayer so it will be interesting to see what the reaction is from a more 'traditional' audience. The Precision won't do for me in this band because it doesn't have enough frets and then I find most of them above the 15th too difficult to play comfortably. Also it doesn't have enough strings - for such a supposedly 'traditional' group I find my myself playing more low notes below E than I ever did in any of my more electronic-orientated bands! For me the fact that my peers ought to be playing Precisions is for me an excellent reason not to. Besides the music that we take our inspiration from was looking more forwards than backwards and so here in 2010 we want to continue doing that. I also think that my choice of instrument has the right mix of futuristic and retro elements needed for the image. (IMO the Precision is only retro). And of course it's not just the image the Gus has the right sound for what I want to do too! My issue with Fender basses is not that they exist, but that without any real development they are still taken seriously as a musical instrument, when IMO they should really be regarded in the same light as any other quirky 50s/60s instrument such as the Hofners. Fine for their time but we've moved on and taken advantages of the improvements that have been made in instrument design and construction since then. And that hopefully is it from me in this thread. I'll be posting my full opinions of Fender basses in a new topic later in the week when I've go all my thoughts together in a coherent and hopefully eloquent manner and you can all pile in flame me there! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='899725' date='Jul 20 2010, 09:21 AM']I'll be posting my full opinions of Fender basses in a new topic later in the week when I've got all my thoughts together in a coherent and hopefully eloquent manner and you can all pile in and flame me there! ;-)[/quote] Excellent! I look forward to flaming you in due course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='Kongo' post='899595' date='Jul 19 2010, 11:36 PM'][snip] I do agree that they should move on and release something a tad more...inspiring, but I guess it's that old gag of if you cant beat em, join em.[/quote] Eh? Not only has there been a bunch of "super" Fender P and J basses, signature and artists basses like the Urges, Hoppus, 6 string Steve Bailey Jazz, but a whole load of different basses that probably did OK for some years ... Here's a few. 5 stringers in the 60's (with a high C. Missed a trick there chaps ) The P Lyte in many finishes including "fotoflame" and laminates Zone bass, HM bass The performer Katana .. now I wonder what bass they wee influenced by here.... JP-90 In reality though these sell very few examples compared to the old staples of the "normal" Jazz and P bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 This is kind of like a blonds are better than brunettes thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='merello' post='899752' date='Jul 20 2010, 09:54 AM']This is kind of like a blonds are better than brunettes thread! [/quote] No, I can't be doing with maple, rosewood every time for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='BigRedX' post='899725' date='Jul 20 2010, 09:21 AM'].... and you can all pile in flame me there! ;-)[/quote] No, you're alright, if I want to speak to a knob I can unzip my own trowsers, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajrt Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='899766' date='Jul 20 2010, 10:07 AM']No, you're alright, if I want to speak to a knob I can unzip my own trowsers, thanks.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly deluxe Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Of course they are fantastic,so are Jazz basses.Almost everybody that ever played bass has played one of Fenders products,or at least something that was inspired by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggy Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='899766' date='Jul 20 2010, 10:07 AM']No, you're alright, if I want to speak to a knob I can unzip my own trowsers, thanks.[/quote] Coffee>>>>>>Screen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='OldGit' post='899749' date='Jul 20 2010, 09:51 AM']Katana .. now I wonder what bass they wee influenced by here.... [/quote] Are you sure about this OG? All the Katana's I've seen have been more Flying-V than Explorer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I think its telling that a number of the older bass 'greats' (eg, Willie Weeks, the guy from the Meters, Nathan Watts, Joe Osbourn, Bob Babbitt etc) still play Fender Ps (in some cases Js) and their derivatives (eg, Alleva's, Laklands), even though they will have had all manner of more "advanced" basses thrown at them by willing sponsors over the years. You could say its just familiarity but these guys are not going to cut their noses off to spite their faces as they are working musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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