The Bartolini Sound

[BottomE]

Bought and sold a Lakland Skyline which had this setup:

" Bartolini MK-1 split-coil soapbars and an MK-1 onboard, 3-band buffered, active preamp."

Sold the bass as it was a 5 string and decided that 4 string is better for me but absolutely loved the sound and wondered if you clever folk knew of other basses that feature this as a standard setup? I know Lakland do a 4 string but just curious about other options.

Google shows a bunch of Ibanez's but would be nice to hear your experiences.

[Cameronj279]

Quite a few Ibanez basses have this setup as far as I'm aware?

[Bassassin]

Sitting here looking at an Ibby SR500 which I've just rescued. Mine's one of the earlier, Korean-made examples & the spec sheet tells me it has US-made Bart MK1s, and Bart three-band pre. It seems the current SR500s still have the same setup, but no longer US-made, if that counts for anything.

Not played it in anger yet but it does sound lovely, and seems very versatile. If you get on with a very skinny neck, I'd definitely recommend an SR - very light & comfortable, and tend to come up at good prices.

Jon.

[Painy]

Cort Artisan basses come with MK1 Bart pre and pups. I had an A6 which was an amazing bass for the money. I'd think the A4 should certainly be worth considering.

[therealting]

As the others said, Ibanez Soundgears. I'm not a huge fan of the sound myself these days, but it's a cheap way to get that electronics setup and the Soundgears are comfortable basses if you like slim necks and string spacings.

[BottomE]

Thanks chaps some avenues to explore. I remember it sounding "fizzy" and modern and very versatile. Been looking on YouTube and some of the demos have put me off a little bit so need to get hold of one and have a proper go.

[therealting]

What are you playing at the moment?

[ben4343]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1453153030' post='2956968']
Cort Artisan basses come with MK1 Bart pre and pups. I had an A6 which was an amazing bass for the money. I'd think the A4 should certainly be worth considering.
[/quote]

I love the A4. A while ago I borrowed one from a friend for a year or so, and was very sad to give it back. Crazy fast neck, nice small and light body, big sound, beautiful looks. I keep my eyes peeled for a well priced one even now...