Prose

[beerdragon]

I'm tempted. but it's slighty more than i want to pay for a bass to play around the house. nice though.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prose-Custom-Twin-Humbucker-Jazz-Special-Electric-Bass_W0QQitemZ150283707133QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150283707133&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prose-Custom-Twin-Hu...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url]

[Bassassin]

Saw that earlier myself. very striking looking.

He says "hand-built in the UK", I'd take that to mean bolted together here - not that that's a bad thing. I'm curious as to what that sounds like with those big Mudbuckers mounted where they are, and aesthetically, the only thing I don't like is the big MM-type bent tin bridge - but that's really just a detail. Doubt I'd've put speed knobs on it, either, though.

He's saying £175 or best offer - he might go down to £150 or so.

EDIT: Actually, £160 shipped!

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25921&st=0&#entry267307"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry267307[/url]

Jon.

Edited August 21, 2008 by Bassassin

[bassaussie]

[quote name='beerdragon' post='267281' date='Aug 21 2008, 07:01 PM']I'm tempted. but it's slighty more than i want to pay for a bass to play around the house. nice though.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prose-Custom-Twin-Humbucker-Jazz-Special-Electric-Bass_W0QQitemZ150283707133QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150283707133&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Prose-Custom-Twin-Hu...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url][/quote]

I quite like this, I just think it's a shame he used a Stingray style bridge rather than a Fender style.

[quote name='Bassassin' post='267346' date='Aug 21 2008, 08:34 PM']He says "hand-built in the UK", I'd take that to mean bolted together here - not that that's a bad thing.[/quote]

Yeah, I thought the same. I can't see anyone complaining, but I think he needs to be careful with the manner in which he describes the manufacturing process.

[kevbass]

I very nearly bought this myself, Im not too sure about the bridge actually touching the bridge pickup, do you think this could affect the sound in anyway? The bridge also looks slightly offset on one side, at it appears to touch the pickup on one side but not the other

[pete.young]

The guy is a member on basschat, why don't you ask him?

[Prosebass]

[quote name='pete.young' post='268349' date='Aug 23 2008, 10:26 AM']The guy is a member on basschat, why don't you ask him?[/quote]


Cheers Pete

and yes I am indeed a member on here ........for my sins I sometimes think.

In response to the points raised.

1. Bodies and necks on this model are manufactured in China to my specification.
2. I "build" as opposed to "make" this model, would anyone expect a totally hand-made bass for that price ?
3. It has a musicman style bridge for a change to my usual fender style one's
Everyone I make is slightly different , bridge, controls, hardware color etc.
4. The slight misalignment can be rectified

Just ask if you need anymore info.

cheers...Paul

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Alo!

For the money, they look very good - if it were me, I'd say `assembled' in the UK as 'hand-built' suggests that they are actually built by you from scratch from raw materials here as opposed to being crafted in China etc. You can of course argue that `hand-built' is not the same as `hand-made' but to many punters, the terms are interchangeable! Good luck with what you are doing; I've been there (bass company - E Basses) and its tough! I recall both Rob Green and Chris May telling Ian Hancock and myself to `treat it as a paid hobby' - on reflection, they were right. At that time, we sold around 19 completely hand-built custom basses over a period of two years which was commendable given that we were just working at weekends etc but to compete with established marques is nigh-on impossible.

[Prosebass]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='268705' date='Aug 24 2008, 01:47 AM']Alo!

For the money, they look very good - if it were me, I'd say `assembled' in the UK as 'hand-built' suggests that they are actually built by you from scratch from raw materials here as opposed to being crafted in China etc. You can of course argue that `hand-built' is not the same as `hand-made' but to many punters, the terms are interchangeable! Good luck with what you are doing; I've been there (bass company - E Basses) and its tough! I recall both Rob Green and Chris May telling Ian Hancock and myself to `treat it as a paid hobby' - on reflection, they were right. At that time, we sold around 19 completely hand-built custom basses over a period of two years which was commendable given that we were just working at weekends etc but to compete with established marques is nigh-on impossible.[/quote]

Thanks for the encouragement it is very welcome.
I take it you are no longer running your enterprise ?
I agree with the "paid hobby" tag as that is what it is at the moment.
My original idea was to be a box seller (ready made items) but having done that previously with other goods it is not very satisfying, needs large premises and high capitalisation.
This model is more than just "assembled" here as all the machining of the body is also done so it is difficult to label.
Other basses I make have Mighty Mite or All-parts necks and the rest is completely hand made.
[attachment=12592:hum_fretless.jpg]
It is difficult to get across the quality of my budget basses as people just think they are a cheap import. I have done a few commissions though as nobody else offers a Jazz with humbuckers like this.
Maybe they too cheap and I am stuck in the "price = quality" perception problem. If I offer them at £299.00 people would expect them to be good because of the price tag. If offered at £199.00 then the quality is perceived as lower !!!! its a problem when you do not have a recognized name.
Look at the new American Jazz models .....£750.00 ? what for ? it can only be the name. I personally wouldn't pay more than £300 for one, the parts alone are worth about £200 so all we are doing is making a corporation even richer. A review in Bass Magazine noted that their test model still had sawdust in the cavities !!! thats poor on a £750 bass.
I have learned enough to realize that if I am going to be successful I need to offer something different so I am currently working on a sub 6 lb bass and a short scale headless travel bass.

[ironside1966]

Well done Prose for bringing out good value for money guitars, keep up the good work.

I was looking in to bass around your price range and did consider one of yours,

Two things put me off your basses.
1 wanted a Jazz
2 I had no idea what they sounded like,

Maybe some sound clips or a video of your basses will help sales, or at least a good review from someone in this forum.
I bought some Irongear guitar pickups from a new company called Axtec starting and still happy with them because I liked what I heard from the sound clips.
The clips where nothing flash no grate playing with nothing added to give a false impression, when I fitted the pickups to a Stagg cheap Les Paul the guitar did not sound a million miles away from the sound clips

[Prosebass]

[quote name='ironside1966' post='268851' date='Aug 24 2008, 01:03 PM']Well done Prose for bringing out good value for money guitars, keep up the good work.

I was looking in to bass around your price range and did consider one of yours,

Two things put me off your basses.
1 wanted a Jazz
2 I had no idea what they sounded like,

Maybe some sound clips or a video of your basses will help sales, or at least a good review from someone in this forum.
I bought some Irongear guitar pickups from a new company called Axtec starting and still happy with them because I liked what I heard from the sound clips.
The clips where nothing flash no grate playing with nothing added to give a false impression, when I fitted the pickups to a Stagg cheap Les Paul the guitar did not sound a million miles away from the sound clips[/quote]

Hi
thanks for the encouragement.

I am having a re-think on the direction that I am taking with the basses.
I was hoping to have 3-4 basses in my range , a Precision, a Jazz , a Jazz / Precision hybrid and a fretless model.
The forum moderators have kindly offered to review the humbucker Jazz but I have not supplied them with one for the following reason.
Unfortunately the margins at the "budget" end of the market mean this type of bass is uneconomical to build / assemble by hand also it is difficult trying to bridge the gap between say the "SX" basses and a Fender, so I will be concentrating on something a little different from the mainstream
My new models will hopefully be featured here on the forum along with sound clips.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Prosebass' post='268592' date='Aug 23 2008, 08:29 PM']3. It has a musicman style bridge for a change to my usual fender style one's[/quote]

It jars a bit - the rectangular Fender style (or preferably a cast rectangular-based one rather than a bent tin one) would follow the rectangular theme of the humbuckers. Those come as a bit of a jar in themselves, just as you're thinking "ohgodanotherfenderclone", the pickups make you switch mental gear, but the oval bridge just doesn't fit in. A cast rectangular one would help the rectangular theme while maintaining a gap from the Fender style bridge.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Prose!

Just for info purposes:

[url="http://www.freewebs.com/ebasses"]http://www.freewebs.com/ebasses[/url]

I'm not really involved any more (and never actually took any money out of the business when we first took off - everything was ploughed back in!) as such but have helped Ian design the new basses/pickups/circuitry etc! He's now my bass tech - anything I need doing, he is the man! His new basses are incredible - he's building me one at some point!

Nick