RayFW Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I'm glad to see that Flea "Free Tibet" is having signature basses built in Shanghai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='Delberthot' post='448779' date='Mar 29 2009, 04:08 PM']I was going to add this to the original thread but I can't find it so here it is: [url="http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-guitars/fleabass-bass-guitar.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-gu...ass-guitar.html[/url] It'll be interesting to read some of the first reviews to see what people are making of this. May go over to Talkbs and see if anyone there has one yet.[/quote] I've moaned at Mr Flea's bloke about it. I doubt if it will make any difference but perhaps they'll understand why they don't sell any here ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='YouMa' post='449226' date='Mar 30 2009, 08:27 AM']I like the blue and orange one ,wish i could get a fender jazz in those colours.[/quote] [url="http://www.dulux.co.uk/colours/rich_blues.jsp"]http://www.dulux.co.uk/colours/rich_blues.jsp[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Prompted by Bass Guitar Mag's big advertorial for the Fleabass, and interview with Mr Flea, I prompted his people for a reply about the retail price in the UK. They came back to me and explained that the Fleabass is so much better than, say, a Squier VMJ or Vibe because it will be checked by their staff before it hits the stores, it has a great "Badass" style adjustable bridge with through body stringing, great access to the high frets, a great hum-bucking pickup and great Alder wood in the great body. In short it's going to sound great. This will give great sustain, zing, playability at the top end and Flea says when he's playing it "it really cuts through on stage" Er, OK guys that's all fine but what about through a 15 watt practice amp in a bedroom? All this will impress the parent of a beginner so much that she will not mind paying about twice as much as for a VMJ. Is it just me that thinks these are features more suited to an improver bassplayer out gigging? I like the looks and at £250 I think it would clean up. At £450, as we have established, it has no chance as the dominant bass for beginners, despite its possibly superior sound. IMHO, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master blaster Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 tis an ugly bugger really isnt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soloshchenko Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I can see why people are annoyed. Personally I don't mind the design. I think the layout is neat and simple but it's the awful colour options that really spoil a decent design concept. And there is that price tag. That's an absolute joke and I don't buy the exchange rate excuse, to me the exchange rate is no worse than a few years ago before the pound became stupidly strong vs the dollar. The ethos of the thing was meant to be a no rip off one where the company focused on the student rather than profit. Are we really to believe the sum parts of this and the shipping cost anything in the region of £500? This is a total dud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Now can anybody see themselves down the local stagg and duck on a saturday night, you reach into the case and pull out this green thing. ( I know that it`s a beginners instrument but at that price, don`t think so). What the fluck is that the drummer asks? And let`s face it drummers are on the whole, thick. You mention that it`s been designed by one of the last decade`s most famous bass players whose head has gone right up his own arse. Worse than that only you know that you paid 500 quid for the privalage of getting the piss taken right out of ya! Naw, not for me. Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I dont think they really care as britain is a blot on the landscape compared to the american and japanese markets,besides kids seem to get a lot more spent on them over in the states so flea will probably make a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 [quote name='YouMa' post='473792' date='Apr 27 2009, 10:17 PM']I dont think they really care as britain is a blot on the landscape compared to the american and japanese markets,besides kids seem to get a lot more spent on them over in the states so flea will probably make a lot of money.[/quote] Too true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wheeler Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 (edited) [quote name='OldGit' post='473710' date='Apr 27 2009, 09:05 PM']Is it just me that thinks these are features more suited to an improver bassplayer out gigging?[/quote] No, it's not just you. That's exactly what I thought when I read the BGM article. Simple, striking to look at, something that does the job well. Or it's the bass your teacher might suggest you buy when you show that you have some commitment to playing bass but your bass is a bit cheap and nasty. Edited April 27, 2009 by 2wheeler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkypenguin Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 [quote name='2wheeler' post='473813' date='Apr 27 2009, 10:33 PM']No, it's not just you. That's exactly what I thought when I read the BGM article. Simple, striking to look at, something that does the job well. Or it's the bass your teacher might suggest you buy when you show that you have some commitment to playing bass but your bass is a bit cheap and nasty.[/quote] possibly, but you can best this thing with ease if you shop around hard enough. £500? you could pick up a secondhand spector rebop for that (a friend got one off evilbay last year. good way to blow his student loan! ) and as has already been mentioned, a second/third/etc hand jazz/stingray, (maybe a corvette?) in reasonable nick. up against some serious competition here, and i dont know about anyone else, but to me, the layout, tuners and electronics look very 'cheap' for a bass in this price bracket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatwound Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='448793' date='Mar 30 2009, 02:27 AM']I think it looks like a toy, and that’s a bit of a joke @ £500. I thought the ethos behind this was that kids of all backgrounds should be able to learn a musical instrument so he was going to introduce an affordable instrument that kids would love and play and be proud of and blah blah blah… I quote – “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”. £500 seems like a lot to me for an “affordable” instrument for people of "limited means"… I don’t know if it’s because I’m feeling a bit pessimistic today, but this seems like bullshit to me.[/quote] I second that. !! No, its not pessimism, you're spot on....it IS bullshit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 [quote name='Soloshchenko' post='473751' date='Apr 27 2009, 09:52 PM']I can see why people are annoyed. Personally I don't mind the design. I think the layout is neat and simple but it's the awful colour options that really spoil a decent design concept.[/quote] You're right they should make a Sunburst, white, natural and a black with tort pick guard they can cater to everyone and get rid of the colours that every other manufacturer isn't making. It's not like some people might like variety and are so pissed off with a lack of colour options that suit them that they have been sanding down and refinishing there basses in there back garden for the last 3 weeks to get a colour they actually like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='473935' date='Apr 28 2009, 07:58 AM']You're right they should make a Sunburst, white, natural and a black with tort pick guard they can cater to everyone and get rid of the colours that every other manufacturer isn't making. It's not like some people might like variety and are so pissed off with a lack of colour options that suit them that they have been sanding down and refinishing there basses in there back garden for the last 3 weeks to get a colour they actually like.[/quote] I like the black and white one - but as I said to them - only at £250. £400 for a 3/4 sized instrument is bonkers. What parent will shell out that much for their 8 year old to grow out of or play twice and then shove under the bed with the teddies and Beanos? A Stagg and a practice amp maybe but a "proper" 3/4 sized bass at that price point has a very very limited market. Still, we will see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 i like the blue one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_BassCentre Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 We've now got our hands on them and they're actually much better than [i]we[/i] expected! The tone is somewhere between a Jazz (bridge pup) and a MusicMan, very nicely put together and the tone control has a big effect on the sound. The necks are fast and the pickup is very responsive. All in all, it's a very playable bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [quote name='The_BassCentre' post='475102' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:16 PM']We've now got our hands on them and they're actually much better than [i]we[/i] expected! The tone is somewhere between a Jazz (bridge pup) and a MusicMan, very nicely put together and the tone control has a big effect on the sound. The necks are fast and the pickup is very responsive. All in all, it's a very playable bass.[/quote] What are you charging for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='475107' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:19 PM']What are you charging for them?[/quote] [url="http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-guitars/fleabass-bass-guitar.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-gu...ass-guitar.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='475112' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:26 PM'][url="http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-guitars/fleabass-bass-guitar.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/4-string-bass-gu...ass-guitar.html[/url][/quote] Cheers Ben. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [quote]Our Price: £499.00 RRP: £499.00 [b]You Save[/b]: £0.00 ([b]0%[/b])[/quote] That'll be the recession then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Still think they look like an old man styled them attempting to be punk and accidentally stopped over in pop-punk land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [quote name='josh3184' post='475131' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:40 PM']Still think they look like an old man styled them attempting to be punk and accidentally stopped over in pop-punk land[/quote] I think my Stinkray wins but I'm bias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='475132' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:41 PM']I think my Stinkray wins but I'm bias[/quote] Not wishing to blow up your skirt Wayne but I agree - the Stinkray looks way better ... and certainly cost a lot less! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) [quote name='The_BassCentre' post='475102' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:16 PM']We've now got our hands on them and they're actually much better than [i]we[/i] expected! The tone is somewhere between a Jazz (bridge pup) and a MusicMan, very nicely put together and the tone control has a big effect on the sound. The necks are fast and the pickup is very responsive. All in all, it's a very playable bass.[/quote] Cool. How about letting one of the guys here review one? Is it twice as good as a Squier VM Jazz?Did it come in perfectly setup? Just wondered ... Edited April 29, 2009 by OldGit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 These may indeed be excellent basses (i'll reserve judgement until i've played one) but every time i see the photos i struggle to see where the extra money is going. You can get an absolutely cracking bass for under £200 new, so what's so special about these? If i'm buying a bass for £500 (and i will be later in the year) i want to know exactly what the improvement is over the competition, not a vague promotional blurb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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