Flea bass no more

[fleamail]

[url="http://www.modulusguitars.com/v3/funk_unlimited.php"]http://www.modulusguitars.com/v3/funk_unlimited.php[/url]

I guess flea's endorsement is over. Well you could see it coming!

[Doctor J]

Has someone else thrown a bag of money at him?

[thedontcarebear]

He plays Fender now doesn't he?

[stingrayfan]

He must have fallen out with them because I doubt they'd pull his name off a signature model in haste - all that rebranding must be a bit of a nightmare.

Sure there's a good story there...

Edited August 14, 2008 by stingrayfan

[Marcus]

I've got a 2008 model and it's a fantastic Instrument

could become a collectore piece now.... final year of production

The Peppers are having a year off now..... so any potential new album / world tour is 2-3 years away, I guess Flea isn't that much use to Modulus now either, no doubt he'll be asking mega bucks to keep his endorsement going.... maybe Modulus pulled the plug on Flea ?

Watch out for his basses ending up in the Hard Rock Cafe !

Edited August 14, 2008 by Marcus

[rjb]

Not necessarily any politics there - players just like to move on and try new sounds.

[fleamail]

The strangest thing is that he is referred to as X on their site so I guess the story is not so good. Don't forget that he started the SA tour with his fender and he only switched back to the modulus after their sound engineer (Dave Rat) complained that the jazz doesn't sit well in the mix.

[OutToPlayJazz]

The Modulus UK distributor is a member on here, so I'm sure he'll be along soon to put the story right

[Kev]

how interesting

[ashevans09]

hmm...intriguing...will be watching with interest...

[7string]

It's similar to when Van Halen left Peavey for Musicman.

Peavey took his name off the guitars, re-named them (to the Axis) and kept selling them.

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='ashevans09' post='263413' date='Aug 15 2008, 11:19 PM']hmm...intriguing...will be watching with interest...[/quote]


i believe his endorsement just ended? remember it went from the flea bass to the fb4,

he only uses the fb4's live i think? most studio stuff is done with the trusty pink salmon jazz.

[SJA]

originally the Flea Bass was called the Sonichammer, before Flea fell out with Musicman (allegedly because they wouldn't give him a signature model) and switched allegiance to Modulus.
so it's back to their own name for it.

Edited August 16, 2008 by SJA

[0175westwood29]

yeh but the rumour is hes going back to fender apparently id like to see if he gets a sig! that be sweet! i'd love to see how that would look

Edited August 16, 2008 by 0175westwood29

[Kev]

iv never liked flea with a Fender, he needs to get over his thing with musicman and start using them again

i doubt he'l pick up a modulus again now

[joe_bass]

[quote name='SJA' post='263553' date='Aug 16 2008, 12:11 PM']originally the Flea Bass was called the Sonichammer, before Flea fell out with Musicman (allegedly because they wouldn't give him a signature model) and switched allegiance to Modulus.[/quote]


Chad Smith was getting $100k for royalties regarding snare drums. Flea liked the sound of this so went to Sterling Ball asking for a signature model. He got told no as it wouldn't be fair on all the other famous Stingray users, so off he went!

[Waldo]

Flea always sounded best with a musicman, and worst with a fender if you ask me.

I'm sure Ian at SMART will give us an explanation soon.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Waldo

[ped]

I think flea made every bass he used sound great on the records, with the exception of the Jazz which didn't suit many of the songs on the latest album if you ask moi.

I think his best sound is between BSSM and some of the tracks from the album before last using the Modulus. I think the best live sound without a doubt is the Modulus. Nothing cuts with such clarity and tone than graphite imho!

ped

[Waldo]

[quote name='ped' post='263674' date='Aug 16 2008, 06:13 PM']I think flea made every bass he used sound great on the records, with the exception of the Jazz which didn't suit many of the songs on the latest album if you ask moi.

I think his best sound is between BSSM and some of the tracks from the album before last using the Modulus. I think the best live sound without a doubt is the Modulus. Nothing cuts with such clarity and tone than graphite imho!

ped[/quote]

Totally agree.

I've seen them live twice and when he uses the modulus it's like you're listening to the bass through headphones! Never heard anything cut through so well.

[s_u_y_*]

[quote name='fleamail' post='262183' date='Aug 14 2008, 09:14 AM']Don't forget that he started the SA tour with his fender and he only switched back to the modulus after their sound engineer (Dave Rat) complained that the jazz doesn't sit well in the mix.[/quote]

I found it funny that he used his Fender Jazz on Stadium Arcadium, and to my ears at least, they tried hard to make it sound like a Musicman Stingray.

Oh well... Funk Unlimited sounds like a cool name for a bass.

[Kev]

yeah i dont know why he bothers with the jazz, i guess it must be real nice to play, coz IMO without doubt it produces his worst sound, it just doesnt work for his style

[s_u_y_*]

[quote name='BassManKev' post='263720' date='Aug 16 2008, 08:15 PM']yeah i dont know why he bothers with the jazz, i guess it must be real nice to play, coz IMO without doubt it produces his worst sound, it just doesnt work for his style[/quote]

I think I've heard him say it is because John Paul Jones is his idol, so always wanted to play a Fender Jazz. Went he played on the The Mars Volta album De-Loused in the Comatorium, it sounds like he was using the Jazz on that. He sounded pretty kick ass... but with Chilis, it just doesn't cut the way the Stingray or Modulus Flea can. It is his sig sound with the band.

[0175westwood29]

[quote name='Waldo' post='263675' date='Aug 16 2008, 06:15 PM']Totally agree.

I've seen them live twice and when he uses the modulus it's like you're listening to the bass through headphones! Never heard anything cut through so well.[/quote]


i couldn't agree more! saw them at earls court in london and his modulus sounded awesome! after that gig i decided i had to get me one!

although i think he did use the jazz in the studio rather than the mody?

[Muse_Cubed]

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='263712' date='Aug 16 2008, 07:50 PM']Oh well... Funk Unlimited sounds like a cool name for a bass.[/quote]

Yeah. That said if there were any bad blood there you can be sure there would be a line of "Mite Series" basses out next year.

[JoeS]

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='263734' date='Aug 16 2008, 08:47 PM']I think I've heard him say it is because John Paul Jones is his idol, so always wanted to play a Fender Jazz. Went he played on the The Mars Volta album De-Loused in the Comatorium, it sounds like he was using the Jazz on that. He sounded pretty kick ass... but with Chilis, it just doesn't cut the way the Stingray or Modulus Flea can. It is his sig sound with the band.[/quote]

I think he used a Precision that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez gave/lent him ond De-Loused. Having seen RHCP twice in the last few years I have to agree that nothing cuts through like the Modulus live, it'll be interesting to see what Fender come up with if he really is getting a deal with them.