Lodestone Primal Artist

[edstraker123]

Has anybody tried one of these basses - it's a modern take on a jazz available from Dolphin music.
Just checked one out at lunchtime and it blew me away with it's looks and tone.
I also tried the primal pro which wasn't as nice but still worth thinking about for the money.

Liked it so much it shall be mine tomorrow ! (the wife will be pleased)

[Panda]

Having just looked at their website am now going for a (very) cold shower to cool down the lust!!!

Post pics and comments after you get it.

[josh3184]

mercy moo thats hot

[simon1964]

[quote name='edstraker123' post='424094' date='Mar 3 2009, 01:33 PM']Has anybody tried one of these basses - it's a modern take on a jazz available from Dolphin music.
Just checked one out at lunchtime and it blew me away with it's looks and tone.
I also tried the primal pro which wasn't as nice but still worth thinking about for the money.

Liked it so much it shall be mine tomorrow ! (the wife will be pleased)[/quote]

Aren't they owned by Ashdown? I played one on Ashdown's stand at the London guitar Show, and it was pretty nice. Personally, I can't get past the headstock shape!

[OutToPlayJazz]

It's Ashdown's take on the Status T-Bass (with an almost exact copy of Rob Green's ergonomic tuning system). I've played a couple of these at a friend's store & I'd say don't bother...

The basses themselves are made beautifully & the fittings/finish are excellent. The sound is horrendously harsh, though. Sounds like a bass relying too much on the preamp, as opposed to the woods. Try one, may sound different to your ears, but I hated it! You'd be better off spending a couple of hundred quid more and getting the real thing from Status. Their new graphite-necked T-Bass is excellent - I've played that as well.

Rich.

[MB1]

MB1.
Saw a couple of these at the Aintree Guitar show....didnt realise these were Ashdown related.....
have played an original Trace Elliot T Bass which these seem to have been modeled from....with Rich on this one!
The original Trace T bass would have been Mustard with a Carbon Graphite neck......(was it not rob who made the originals for Trace Elliot?)....For the T Bass Aniversary...Rob made the Carbon Graphite Model!...

[burno70]

I was playing this in Dolphin with Edstraker yesterday. I wasn't sold on the look at first but loved the warm punchy tone, it was set up nicely with low action and no fret buzz. When Kev had a go I thought it looked totally awesome. I'd love one myself.

I've also played an 09 Fender Jazz recently - the Lodestone was miles better.

[edstraker123]

Hi Rich,
I see what you mean about the similarity of the look of the tuning system with the Status T but completely disagree about the harsh sound. It's a different tone than my Shuker jazz but I certainly wouldn't say harsher . For a bass at this price I'd say it's excellent value for money and if you like the looks you are on to a winner, especially if you compare it to Fender's offerings as we did in store .

Having checked out the Status website - I'll definitely have to get me one of those streamlines !

Ed.



[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='425567' date='Mar 4 2009, 10:03 PM']It's Ashdown's take on the Status T-Bass (with an almost exact copy of Rob Green's ergonomic tuning system). I've played a couple of these at a friend's store & I'd say don't bother...

The basses themselves are made beautifully & the fittings/finish are excellent. The sound is horrendously harsh, though. Sounds like a bass relying too much on the preamp, as opposed to the woods. Try one, may sound different to your ears, but I hated it! You'd be better off spending a couple of hundred quid more and getting the real thing from Status. Their new graphite-necked T-Bass is excellent - I've played that as well.

Rich.[/quote]

[edstraker123]

[quote name='Panda' post='425503' date='Mar 4 2009, 08:22 PM']Having just looked at their website am now going for a (very) cold shower to cool down the lust!!!

Post pics and comments after you get it.[/quote]


Pics will be up soon !

[crez5150]

S'funny I tried one and thought the sound was not that great.... IMO of course...

[Rich]

I'm with Simon. That headstock is a face only a mother could love. Quite ghastly and completely spoils the aesthetics of the instrument for me.

[edstraker123]

[quote name='Rich' post='427164' date='Mar 6 2009, 01:27 PM']I'm with Simon. That headstock is a face only a mother could love. Quite ghastly and completely spoils the aesthetics of the instrument for me.[/quote]

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder - the headstock is it's nicest feature !

[neilb]

Ashdown are bringing out a cheaper range of the Lodestone models, made in Far East, China I think. Same spec but cheaper to make.

Dunno bout prices.


This was from ashdown themselves last time I spoke to my mate there.

[paul h]

I think the headstock shape is growing on me to be honest.

I also think it looks much better horizontally than vertically. I saved one of the pics and rotated it, and IMO it isn't as bad as I first thought.

No GAS here though, well not for these anyway!

P.

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='Rich' post='427164' date='Mar 6 2009, 01:27 PM']I'm with Simon. That headstock is a face only a mother could love. Quite ghastly and completely spoils the aesthetics of the instrument for me.[/quote]
Totally agree. Why so [size=5]BIG[/size]?

[OldGit]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='427410' date='Mar 6 2009, 06:01 PM']Totally agree. Why so [size=5]BIG[/size]?[/quote]


To shovel more earth? It even says "Earth Mover" next to the headstock in the [url="http://www.lodestoneguitars.com/media/ads/LODEBWOOD.pdf"]advert[/url]

Mentioned this before when they first came out, and I've not seen one in the flesh, but in pictures the headstock is fugly (IMO). Is that why the official publicity pictures hardly show it?
The "ergonomic" arrangement of the tuners is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I thought that about the T bass too ..

And then there's the contouring and finish that looks like an onyx phone set from 1973 ... mind you they are from Essex ... (ducks Mrs OldGit's Essex girl fist)


Now you may call me shallow and superficial but I really care what the bass I play looks like as much as what it sounds like.
Sorry Mark ..

[edstraker123]

it's a work of art !

check out the review here - with some more pics

[url="http://www.scribd.com/full/11107338?access_key=key-og7zxlu6k52w2sfvfic"]http://www.scribd.com/full/11107338?access...xlu6k52w2sfvfic[/url]

[Eight]

I like 'em. Although I did kinda assume they'd be cheap (something about them gave me that impression)... until I saw the price.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

I heard somewhere (from someone in the business) that the original Lodestone prototype basses were designed and built by Martin Sims - with no input from Status at all, even though they (Lodestone) have plagiarised the T-Bass headstock. Can't personally comment on tone or playability but they look a bit too heavy too me.

[HarryPotter]

Didn't SC have the exclusive distribution rights to these before they went belly up?

I tried one in there before it happened - just came over as another modern active bass - could have said anything on the headstock.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Electro Music in Doncaster have two in stock. One of the cheaper ones in black & the full Artist model in flamed maple.

[edstraker123]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='427659' date='Mar 6 2009, 11:06 PM']I heard somewhere (from someone in the business) that the original Lodestone prototype basses were designed and built by Martin Sims - with no input from Status at all, even though they (Lodestone) have plagiarised the T-Bass headstock. Can't personally comment on tone or playability but they look a bit too heavy too me.[/quote]

Actually much lighter then you would expect for the size.

ed

[Rich]

Now the top photo in that review is a case in point for me. Cover up the headstock with your hand and have a look at the rest of the bass. It looks damn nice, I mean really very foxy. Now uncover the headstock and... oh dear. If that had a nicely shaped 2+2 (although the ergonomic thingy wouldn't be so easy then I guess) or a slimmer 4-in-line (the T-Bass managed it, why can't this?), it'd be great. As it is, nah.
Yes it's shallow, but the ergonomics are important.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

With that headstock shape, they should have called it "the mivvi"

[Buzz]

I still like the look of them. Quite a bit.

I will have a play if I ever stumble across one, but I'm no longer gassing like I was, mainly because of the price.