skankdelvar Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) Am contemplating a change of GAS. Love my Fenders but thinking about something a little more...flamboyant and thuddy...shall we say. BTW, doesn't nec [i]just[/i] have to be a Gibson - other companies do them, don't they? So, anyone got a V or Explorer - what's it like? Sound, handling - pros and cons? Ta Skank Edited May 5, 2009 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I've always had a penchant for Explorers (J Hetfield I suppose) and have nearly gone for ZZBs a couple of times but for whatever reasons didn't. Never played or heard one either. If I did get one I'm not even sure if I would play it on stage these days - just in case the punters didn't get the irony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 a friend of mine has a dean Z - it's a cracking bass, and sounds huge. there are no issues with neck dive, and looks the bizzle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12stringbassist Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Aria ZZB. I've had this for 20+ years and it's still a great bass. All I ever did to it was change the strings, raise the pickups to max and also change the volume and tone knobs from the original plain ones. At one time, I wanted to be John Entwistle. How would you guess? Epiphone Flying V bass. Needed the pickups raising to the max again. Has a Thuddy Gibson growl. Got the action to be fairly ok after a bit of messing about (I hate that style of bridge). Neck dive is there but I always rest my arm on a bass anyway, so no problem. I bought this because I watched too many Marc Bolan videos one day and sometimes I have a stupid passion for pointy guitars. The best thing about this bass is that it once literally gave a wuss I was playing in a band with a migraine as the look of it didn't fit in with the 60's look of the band, according to him. It's based on a 1958 Gibson Flying V, which dates it from around the period of the group's music. The same people objected to a 5-string Fender Jazz bass, because it had 5 extra notes on it. Dullards. Gordy XR Custom fretless bass: I spotted this one-off bass at the now-closed A1 Music shop in Manchester and I couldn't resist it. The lowest string action in all of the known Universe. Effortless to play. It's not used very often on stage, as the case is bigger than the group van (!) but I took it into the studio for use on our version of 'Need your love so bad' and it was just the right bass for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 There's an epi explorer bass for sale on edinburgh gumtree, not sure if it's cheap or not... [url="http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/50/38504650.html"]link[/url] Never played one, don't know what to expect And by the way, first post :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12stringbassist Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) [quote name='razze06' post='480803' date='May 6 2009, 11:43 AM']There's an epi explorer bass for sale on edinburgh gumtree, not sure if it's cheap or not... [url="http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/50/38504650.html"]link[/url] Never played one, don't know what to expect And by the way, first post :-)[/quote] My Epi V is above. Like I said, I had to raise the pickups as they are not very strong, plus the awful Gibson style bridge system makes it so the strings are way way above them. The build quality wasn't fantastic. I had to glue the nut in to stop it moving. Occasionally, one of the pickups cut out a little for a while - remedied once and for all a good squirt with some switch cleaner. New bass glitches that shouldn't happen. I may part with it one day as I never take it out with me. To be honest, I would not pay a lot for an Epiphone. Check net prices out so you know how any price for one you may find compares with what else is out there. Edited May 6, 2009 by 12stringbassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 [quote name='razze06' post='480803' date='May 6 2009, 11:43 AM']And by the way, first post :-)[/quote] Thank you for that heads-up. And your first post too - may there be many more Thanks for the input so far, peeps. That Gordy looks [i]niiiiiice[/i]. As, in fact do all the others. I've got this pointy GAS bad. Keep the info coming please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) Has it got to be pointy? If not, how about a Gus G3? Edited May 6, 2009 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Explorers / Flying V / Westone Raider ( ) etc.. Pros: They're all generally quite well made! They usually sound quite good! They're different The balance is normally pretty ok. Better than a T.bird or an EB0 Cons: "Ding Magnets". All those pointy bits get whacked. The cases are 1) rectangular 2) Massive (esp. in terms of length!) Injuries to bystanders / band members can be quite nasty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu_g Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 i bought a charvel star not long ago i like the sound (seymour duncans p+j ) but it is attracted to hitting things being so pointy plays fine though and no balance issues here it is in action: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbT8_Lx_fx4&feature=channel_page"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbT8_Lx_fx4...re=channel_page[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I keep looking at those Gus G3's. There's just something about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 12stringbassist - nice collection! [quote name='stu_g' post='481395' date='May 6 2009, 08:48 PM']i bought a charvel star not long ago i like the sound (seymour duncans p+j ) but it is attracted to hitting things being so pointy plays fine though and no balance issues here it is in action: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbT8_Lx_fx4&feature=channel_page"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbT8_Lx_fx4...re=channel_page[/url][/quote] Down strokes all the way! Sweet bass. I just did a Google and am sorely tempted by this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Charvel-Star-Bass-Very-Rare-RRP-%a31600_W0QQitemZ150325409386QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Charvel-Star-Bass-Ve...6QQcmdZViewItem[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu_g Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 yep mine was £400 which i think was ok for what you get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 [quote name='razze06' post='480803' date='May 6 2009, 11:43 AM']There's an epi explorer bass for sale on edinburgh gumtree, not sure if it's cheap or not... [url="http://edinburgh.gumtree.com/edinburgh/50/38504650.html"]link[/url] Never played one, don't know what to expect And by the way, first post :-)[/quote] That bass is on the Glasgow gumtree today and he was looking for £200 a couple of weeks ago but has droped the price to £150 now. Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) [quote name='BigRedX' post='481303' date='May 6 2009, 06:39 PM']Has it got to be pointy?[/quote] Pointy is good. So is angular. Nice looking basses them Gus'es but a bit too curvy for the brief. And slightly phallic 'horns'... [quote name='MacDaddy' post='481452' date='May 6 2009, 09:48 PM']I just did a Google and am sorely tempted by this: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Charvel-Star-Bass-Very-Rare-RRP-%a31600_W0QQitemZ150325409386QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Charvel-Star-Bass-Ve...6QQcmdZViewItem[/url][/quote] M'mmm. £1600? About £1200 over budget... Edited May 6, 2009 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12stringbassist Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 [quote name='jezzaboy' post='481505' date='May 6 2009, 11:07 PM']That bass is on the Glasgow gumtree today and he was looking for £200 a couple of weeks ago but has droped the price to £150 now. Jez[/quote] £150 is a reasonable price, providing it's mint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I got an Epi Ex for the ZZ trib band - you'll have seen the pics , I'm sure. It sounds fine but it's awkward to play. Hell of a reach and easy to hit things (like guitar players and drum stands) with it if you move around. I gave £180 for it from Cash Converters. I'm glad to have a job of work for it but as I've said before it'll be in the classifieds the day after I stop playing in the ZZ trib. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) I used to have a flying v bass , it was awesome until you tried to sit down with it , i bought it foolishly without trying it , i played it for about a month before I got rid of it Edited May 7, 2009 by markdavid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 [quote name='BigRedX' post='481303' date='May 6 2009, 06:39 PM']Has it got to be pointy? If not, how about a Gus G3? [/quote] That bloke who designed those things must have known what that extended horn looked like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Dr.Dave' post='481696' date='May 7 2009, 10:24 AM']... and easy to hit things (like guitar players and drum stands) with it if you move around.[/quote] You say that like it's a bad thing.... [quote name='Dr.Dave' post='481696' date='May 7 2009, 10:24 AM']... but as I've said before it'll be in the classifieds the day after I stop playing in the ZZ trib.[/quote] God forbid that happens, but if it does, you know where to find me.... Edited May 7, 2009 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.