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I am going to buy a Flea bass


BenHorne
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The MM will likely be more versatile than the Flea and on that basis you'll almost certainly miss it if you let it go (the MM can do most of what the Flea can do but not vice-versa). Obviously the Flea feels a bit different and if set up correctly is an absolute dream to play compared to even the best 'ray I've owned. In my experience the older Flea's are better instruments.
Chris

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Hi......

I've had 5 Flea Basses and 11 Stingrays !!!!

Few instruments can play as well as a fettled Modulus Flea Bass..... however tonally they can be a bit thin in a band, I've struggled to get a Flea to carry any weight to the D & G (using some of the best amplification out there)

Ironically...... even in the context of a Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute i've found the instrument wanting, all that said.... I'd have another at the drop of a hat !!

A good Stingray without question provides a more usable tone.....

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[quote name='MB1' post='364320' date='Dec 27 2008, 05:48 PM']MB1. :huh:
............Oh! No Your Not!

Panto Season Again! :huh:[/quote]

I'm behind you! :huh:

But i'm not the dame in drag where ever he, err, she, Came from!? :)


On Topic, I haven't had a chance to use the Flea in a gig situation yet, practise in a couple weeks gig in under a month so i'll see then. Surprised to hear about them sounding "thin" i thought they were known for cutting and punching through?

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[quote name='BenHorne' post='364765' date='Dec 28 2008, 12:44 PM']Argh, this is not what I wanted to hear...[/quote]

I guess it all depends on what you prefer playing... I tried a number of different basses before buying the Flea because i enjoyed playing it the most.

If the 'versitility' is an issue, then i'd ask myself what kind of sound i need, will i be gigging with a reggae band one week, rock another and pop another? Add onto that if you're DI'ing into a PA and you can loose a lot of your tonal options into the sound engineers desk.

If you want a Flea, have tried a Flea, enjoyed playing it and got a sound out of it you liked; get it. Same with the 'Ray imo.

I've found that even if i have found settings on my amp, with my cab set up how i like it and the settings on my bass how i like it... once i come to gigging i could be using someone elses backline, or P.A, in a completely different room etc and at the mercy of the sound engineers fingers.

Long winded, and imo which could be completely wrong... i'd get the bass i enjoy playing the most and play with amps/cabs/effects etc to get a sound i like, if i havent already found it with the bass itself.

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Buy one and gig it. That's my advice.

But buy second hand so you don't lose much/anything if you decide to sell it.


I wouldn't have the basses i do now if I hadn't tried lots of other basses in [b]gig[/b] situations. That's the most important thing, how it sounds when you play it live.

I bought a Flea & and a Thumb NT5; used them for one gig and then sold both of them.


Back to the original question - I've had 7 Stingrays but only one Flea. The Flea sounded light and brittle compared to the warmth of the Stingrays but I had the strings about 2mm off the fretboard and it played like a dream

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I very nearly bought a F bass earlier this year - and would have had to sell my Ray4 to finance it. In the end it didn't happen but in some ways I'm glad. I've rediscovered the Ray, I found that while I hate the sound of it at home or while recording nothing much beats it live. Like some of the guys above I love graphite necks - not so much for the sound/feel but for the stability and fantastically low action you can get. On this basis if I get GAS again I think I would stick with the Ray and stick a Status neck on it and get the best of both worlds.

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I thought about the Status neck. Then I would have to send my ray to your little Island all the way from Norway to get Status to fit it. (I would prefer Status to fit the neck..) This would mean that I would never use the original neck again, and then I would have a Stingray that probably would be very close to the Flea, so I'd lose the versatility of the Stingray. (If a Stingray w/status neck = a Flea sound- and playwise)

But I have to admit, the graphite stingrays are very sweet.

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[quote name='BenHorne' post='366379' date='Dec 30 2008, 04:42 PM']I thought about the Status neck. Then I would have to send my ray to your little Island all the way from Norway to get Status to fit it. (I would prefer Status to fit the neck..) This would mean that I would never use the original neck again, and then I would have a Stingray that probably would be very close to the Flea, so I'd lose the versatility of the Stingray. (If a Stingray w/status neck = a Flea sound- and playwise)

But I have to admit, the graphite stingrays are very sweet.[/quote]

Don't disagree - I probably would get Status to fit the neck on my 'precious'. Having said that it was a simple swap out on my old (now departed) Fender Jazz.

You could sell the Ray neck (should be £100 - 150) or keep it to one side to refit if you ever sold the Ray.

If my old Jazz was anything to go by, no versitility was lost, the sound just became more 'focussed' and the playability was much improved. The basic sound was still retained. I think Bassmankev would probably agree with this for the Ray conversion?

Edited by martthebass
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  • 4 weeks later...

Crap, the deal went down the toilet, so I did not get a hold on the Modulus Flea.

Well, reading the thread Stingray vs.Status makes me consider the Status.

How would the Status compare to the Modulus Flea? Both are graphite necks, and therefore they might be more comparable than the other two? I guess the fact that the mod is a one trick pony, and the Status is more versatile regarding sound, would be a comment on this. But how are they regarding playability?

Any thoughts?

I visited Liverpool this week, that was a great city. I had a deal with a basschatter to buy a sparkling blue flea, but he suddenly was not able to meet me after all..

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