Status basses - how versatile are they ?.

[Soliloquy]

Particularly the Kingbass, as it's one of those that I fancy getting.

I was listening to Level 42 live at Reading the other morning, and Mark Kings sound was awful, I really admire him as a player, so this isn't meant as a 'lets knock Mark King thread'.

It's a lot of money to pay, £2400 or thereabouts plus a 12 week wait, if I'm not going to get on with it.

I mainly play jazz and funk, but I'm really into more arty ambient stuff too, so it needs to be versatile.

My main basses are a couple of Sei single cuts, fretted and fretless, and my main rig is Epifani.

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='279099' date='Sep 7 2008, 01:36 PM']................I was listening to Level 42 live at Reading the other morning, and Mark Kings sound was awful...............[/quote]
And why is that - the bass or the signal chain through the PA?

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Allo!

They are a very versatile bass - I've got 4 older Status models (where's Rich and Moo?!) and as a pro player, I use them for many varied projects - I think MK has come under fire for his sound over the last few years but having played a number of Kingbasses (including demoing Mark's very first Artist model on Australian TV) I found them fantastic - perfect for the applications you describe!

[Josh]

I've only recently sold my King Bass, but I bought it with the same curiosities as you, and I was pleasently suprised with the results. It is a versatile bass, it does a pretty damn convincing P-Bass thump all the way to a very honky jazz like tone, and with the mid cut/boost switch, the tones are many and varied and could be easily used in other live situations other than Level 42 tribute gigs. And seeing as you have a Epifani rig, you'd have even more tones to play with.

[BassBus]

I was just listening to L42 "Live at the Apollo" yesterday and I was struck by just how good MK's sound was on his Kingbass. I'm awaiting delivery of an S2 and I like the idea of the variable mid range control which, I'm sure, would be very useful for you in funk and jazz. Just being able to select two different settings from the bass seems a great idea.

Why not visit [url="http://www.statii.com/forum/news.php"]http://www.statii.com/forum/news.php[/url] for any help on Status basses.

And here's a Kingbass sounding quite different to the usual.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYkRj7FEHQ4&eurl=http://www.statii.com/forum/viewpage.php?page_id=19"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYkRj7FEHQ4....php?page_id=19[/url]

Edited September 7, 2008 by BassBus

[Soliloquy]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='279104' date='Sep 7 2008, 01:56 PM']And why is that - the bass or the signal chain through the PA?[/quote]

Well I would have thought it would be a DI taken from his amp.

[6stringbassist]

I'm wondering the same thing, I'm waiting for Rob to email me some photos of facings at the moment.

Mine will be a 6 string Kingbass, only the 2nd one ever made.

I use an epi rig too, a very versatile set up.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Both the S2-Classic & KingBass are extremely versatile. The KingBass has more "boom" to it, but they're both excellent basses. I tend to avoid the mid control and run it in the "flat" central switch position, as I prefer the 2-band sound. I use mine for rock, funk, jazz, shows, you name it! I only have a Yamaha TRB because I can't afford a Status 6-stringer at the moment!

Rich.

[G-77]

I think what you need to do is try one first , a lot of people buy a kingbass to find they don't get on with the body shape, there is a thread about that on the forum somewhere.

Edited September 8, 2008 by G-77

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='279208' date='Sep 7 2008, 05:05 PM']Well I would have thought it would be a DI taken from his amp.[/quote]
Or even from a DI box. The point is that the sound on telly (or live for that matter) tells you f*** all about the sound of the bass and cabs, and everything about the ability or otherwise of the soundman.