The new fleabass!

[sshorepunk]

Some of you may have seen this, there is a short article in the US bass mag and it was at NAMM apparently. A google search for flea bass is still showing mainly Modulus links, so not that much info around.

[url="http://www.fleabass.com/"]http://www.fleabass.com/[/url]

Some bright colours in there and a bold statement with "If they don't play great, they're not going to the stores. we'll set every one up and make sure it's perfect"

Even got a 30" scale model for small poeple!

Tony

[jmesa]

Not really feeling that tbh

[joe_bass]

Seems that it's being marketed as a bass for beginners IMO, or at least the amateur musician who just wants to have fun. Hence I wouldn't expect it to cost a lot, which would make you assume it's no where near the quality of his Modulus or say a Stingray etc...

Couldn't therefore imagine him actually endorsing this as his working instrument.

[Kev]

hmmm, i hope they are cheap, who makes them?? They aint flea endorsed are they?

Edited February 20, 2009 by Kev

[bumfrog]

[quote name='Kev' post='415456' date='Feb 20 2009, 03:47 PM']hmmm, i hope they are cheap, who makes them?? They aint flea endorsed are they?[/quote]

well judging by his picture all over the website, I'd say they were very much endorsed by him....

[Kev]

[quote name='bumfrog' post='415459' date='Feb 20 2009, 03:50 PM']well judging by his picture all over the website, I'd say they were very much endorsed by him....[/quote]
i meant he wont be using one on stage, they look like basses for kids...

[Jamesk86]

no lefty model though

[yorick]

In the Bass player article Flea says he going to be using these basses exclusively!!! No jazz, modulus or stingrays to be seen...... But for how long?????

[Kev]

[quote name='yorick' post='415465' date='Feb 20 2009, 03:53 PM']In the Bass player article Flea says he going to be using these basses exclusively!!! No jazz, modulus or stingrays to be seen...... But for how long?????[/quote]

[josh3184]

man, they look horrific!

[OldGit]

Flea was rescued from a potential life of crime and jail by getting into music and thus is doing what he can to help kids do the same. He has funded a college and this is his idea of a bass for kids and beginners.

He may play them on stage but they are not supposed to be as good as his endorsement instruments, that's not the point.

Nice to see someone putting something back into our instrument.

Be interesting to see if we get any over here.

[DanOwens]

[quote]“FLEABASS is born of my love of music education as a studier and a teacher of music, and a lover and a romanticizer of the tradition of it. I wanted students to have an instrument they could fall in love with, and I wanted them to be able to do it with the limited means that most of them have for acquiring one.”[/quote]

I love this. I'm a passionate educator, and having an affordable, decent, celebrity-endorsed product makes me excited. I have no doubt the younger students I teach will be after them, but it will encourage young musicians to play the bass and not just walk into a guitar shop with their parent or guardian saying "I can't play the guitar... buy me a bass".

I like it.

xxx

[joe_bass]

So he'll probably be using this on stage with the Chilis then?

[Russ]

They are pretty hideous, but they're also very "Flea".

I'd expect the ones he plays onstage to be seriously tweaked (better pickup, hardware, etc), but that they will still look like the production instruments. I'll be interested to hear how they sound, if they've got that Stingray-ish punch he's known for.

[Josh]

Pig Ugly.

[sshorepunk]

I figured this post would get some responce, over 15 replies in just over an hour!

I got the impression they were being marketted towards young players, beginners etc

[Guest subaudio]

Yep they are for kids and beginners, if you click the news link there is more info on them, fair play to him.

[mathewsanchez]

If you look carefully at the pictures you can see his has better tuners. Just thought i'd mention it.

[Kev]

[quote name='mathewsanchez' post='415592' date='Feb 20 2009, 05:23 PM']If you look carefully at the pictures you can see his has better tuners. Just thought i'd mention it.[/quote]
theres several with clover like tuners and several of the smaller type, fleas arnt anything different in the pic

[mathewsanchez]

Yeah just saw that high res pic. They all look pretty cheap.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='mathewsanchez' post='415592' date='Feb 20 2009, 05:23 PM']If you look carefully at the pictures you can see his has better tuners. Just thought i'd mention it.[/quote]

I think his is one of the full-scale versions - you can see several with full-size tuners like the one he's holding.

This looks like a basic mass-produced cheapie to me, not really anything to distinguish it from the low-end Ibbys & Yams etc - apart from that name on the sharp end.

[RayFW]

Crappy sound but gives some idea:

[d-basser]

from the article I read they are made in far east but set up by flea's personal team and will retail for $400ish, if they are that cheap here I may look into the black and white one

[Kiwi]

Its a good commercial move, the biggest market retail sector is the beginners market.

[Tait]

it suprises me flea hasn't gone for a musicman pickup or an active EQ this time. also, is that circle a pickguard, or just painted on? it looks painted on to me.

actually, i'm suprised flea hasn't got a more expensive version out, more "mature" colours, a 3 band EQ, the a musicman pickup, more like you'd expect flea himself to play.