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Flea bass no more


fleamail
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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 by Marcus
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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.

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[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.

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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 by SJA
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[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!

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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

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[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.

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[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.

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[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.

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[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?

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[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.

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