SEI bass

[Hellzero]

This was my Sei Flamboyant 6, excellent bass, for sure, but I traded it for I don't remember what, ask @binky_bass...

17 hours ago, sprocketflup said:

People called Romanes they go the house?

Hoc non debevo vendere.

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

Hoc non debevo vendere

Now, why didn’t Google translate offer me that? Much, much better.

 

 

Hoc Non Debevo

 Vendere 

Edited January 6 by ezbass

[Hellzero]

Because Google didn't study Latin @ezbass. 😉

[binky_bass]

3 hours ago, Hellzero said:

This was my Sei Flamboyant 6, excellent bass, for sure, but I traded it for I don't remember what, ask @binky_bass...

I barely remember owning this bass! I think I've had 4 or 5 Sei basses over the years, all fantastic beasts. Strangely never ended up keeping one for more than a few months though... 

[FunkyDude]

29 minutes ago, binky_bass said:

I barely remember owning this bass! I think I've had 4 or 5 Sei basses over the years, all fantastic beasts. Strangely never ended up keeping one for more than a few months though... 

I know what you mean though. It's all a "feel" thing as far as basses are concerned. Cheap basses do not mean it's bad. I had SIRE before and loved it. Expansive basses do not automatically mean it's a keeper.

[Russ]

37 minutes ago, FunkyDude said:

I know what you mean though. It's all a "feel" thing as far as basses are concerned. Cheap basses do not mean it's bad. I had SIRE before and loved it. Expansive basses do not automatically mean it's a keeper.

I have my Sei and my two custom Maruszczyks, a Spector and a MM, so I've got quite a few high-enders, but one of the basses I play most often is a 5-string Revelation Jazz. Cost me less than £300, and, after a proper setup, I'd put it up against any Fender. It's a great bass. 

[crazycloud]

8 hours ago, Hellzero said:

This was my Sei Flamboyant 6, excellent bass, for sure, but I traded it for I don't remember what, ask @binky_bass...

 

  

That bass, headless would be a piece of kit I think I could love. Can't afford it though.

[crazycloud]

Double post, sorry.

Edited January 7 by crazycloud

[Ruarl]

 

Here's mine. Acquired from here are few years ago, and fettled by Martin. It's early - serial number is "9". And the seller passed on to me an old Guitarist magazine which had a review of this very bass. It has the Schack circuit with dip-switches for EQ frequency. The two little black dots near the bridge are 3-position coil-tap switches. Oh, and it has LEDs in the neck-edge fret markers 😎

 

There is lots to love about this bass. It plays beautifully, and produces a huge range of sounds. As others have said, the necks are like nothing else. Two minor gripes: 1) The bridge has narrow slots for the strings to pass through. I bought a set of DRs to put here (the strings it has are awful) and the overwinding at the base means they don't fit. So now I don't know whose strings to buy! Any ideas? 2) It doesn't hold its tuning as well as my other instruments. This one I can forgive, though. All my other instruments are bigger, heavier, tankier things. 

[simisker]

4 hours ago, Ruarl said:

 

Here's mine. Acquired from here are few years ago, and fettled by Martin. It's early - serial number is "9". And the seller passed on to me an old Guitarist magazine which had a review of this very bass. It has the Schack circuit with dip-switches for EQ frequency. The two little black dots near the bridge are 3-position coil-tap switches. Oh, and it has LEDs in the neck-edge fret markers 😎

 

There is lots to love about this bass. It plays beautifully, and produces a huge range of sounds. As others have said, the necks are like nothing else. Two minor gripes: 1) The bridge has narrow slots for the strings to pass through. I bought a set of DRs to put here (the strings it has are awful) and the overwinding at the base means they don't fit. So now I don't know whose strings to buy! Any ideas? 2) It doesn't hold its tuning as well as my other instruments. This one I can forgive, though. All my other instruments are bigger, heavier, tankier things. 

That would have been me, Ruarl - I was wondering if it would turn up in this thread.

 

This was literally my dream bass - as in the one I first coveted in my copy of Guitarist as a teenager in a small Welsh village in the early 90s. So to have eventually managed to own it many years later was just mind-blowing.

 

I'm really pleased you've still got it and loving it - it still looks a beauty! I can't remember if I ever fitted new strings on it, though, so I'm dodging that one [I think I was in my DR Fat Beams chapter at that point, for what it's worth!]

 

For those that asked about the body shape comparison: I also had a six-string Flamboyant headless fretless [edit: see following image] and of the two shapes, I felt this Original was better ergonomically. Though the Flamboyant arguably looked even cooler/meaner!

 

Also, these two proved beyond any doubt that headless is the way to go if you want to go down the 6-string path. The complete absence of neck dive was an epiphany

 

 

EDIT: Ah, here you go:

 

Edited January 7 by simisker
Flamboyancy

[Hellzero]

@Ruarl Try the LaBella Super Steps or the F Bass or the Rotosound Piano String Design or the Kalium or the Galli EC and the likes with the exposed cores.

 

Newtone is also making some and is always a pleasure to deal with.

[FunkyDude]

6 hours ago, simisker said:

That would have been me, Ruarl - I was wondering if it would turn up in this thread.

 

This was literally my dream bass - as in the one I first coveted in my copy of Guitarist as a teenager in a small Welsh village in the early 90s. So to have eventually managed to own it many years later was just mind-blowing.

 

I'm really pleased you've still got it and loving it - it still looks a beauty! I can't remember if I ever fitted new strings on it, though, so I'm dodging that one [I think I was in my DR Fat Beams chapter at that point, for what it's worth!]

 

For those that asked about the body shape comparison: I also had a six-string Flamboyant headless fretless [edit: see following image] and of the two shapes, I felt this Original was better ergonomically. Though the Flamboyant arguably looked even cooler/meaner!

 

Also, these two proved beyond any doubt that headless is the way to go if you want to go down the 6-string path. The complete absence of neck dive was an epiphany

 

 

EDIT: Ah, here you go:

 

Martin's choice of woods is just breathtaking!!

[Russ]

1 hour ago, FunkyDude said:

Martin's choice of woods is just breathtaking!!

My first "proper" Sei, back in the late 90s, was a 4-string with a beautiful ziricote top. Ended up selling it back to The Gallery after being unemployed for a while, unfortunately. I'd love to track it down, it was a beauty and sounded amazing (it had original Lane Poor pickups in it, with the Schack circuit). 

 

I also had this one for a while - it's a Flamboyant fretless with an ebony top, and Wal pickups and electronics. It was a phenomenal bass. I sold it to finance our first international move, and I really miss it. 

[eude]

8 hours ago, Ruarl said:

So now I don't know whose strings to buy! Any ideas?

I would give Newtone Strings a go.

They will happily make you a taper wound or even exposed core set to your liking.

Their Nickel Hex Core strings are like a slightly more edgy DR SunBeam.

They're made in the UK, last ages and are way cheaper than they should be!

 

Lovely bass by the way.

I think I had a copy of Guitarist featuring the review too!

[NickA]

4 hours ago, Russ said:

Flamboyant fretless with an ebony top, and Wal pickups

A legendary bass.  Sei were the only people Wal ever trusted with a set of parts, I'm told.  Ought to combne the sound of a Wal with better ergonomics and the sustain of a through neck.  Perfection (for me) ( probably).

 

Though I do find the Flamboyant body shape a bit too ...erm... Flamboyant?

Edited January 7 by NickA

[Russ]

1 hour ago, NickA said:

A legendary bass.  Sei were the only people Wal ever trusted with a set of parts, I'm told.  Ought to combne the sound of a Wal with better ergonomics and the sustain of a through neck.  Perfection (for me) ( probably).

 

Though I do find the Flamboyant body shape a bit too ...erm... Flamboyant?

I wasn't playing much fretless back then, so it was one of the first to go when we moved (along with a Warwick Streamer Jazzman I got through a short-lived endorsement deal). It was an amazing bass - you're right, all the Wal tone with none of the weight or ergonomic issues (always loved how Wals sounded, but I never liked the necks, and they were all boat anchors). 

 

Actually been toying with the idea of asking Martin to make me another one - same woods, same look, but with Turner pickups and the Lusithand preamp.  

[FunkyDude]

10 hours ago, Russ said:

I wasn't playing much fretless back then, so it was one of the first to go when we moved (along with a Warwick Streamer Jazzman I got through a short-lived endorsement deal). It was an amazing bass - you're right, all the Wal tone with none of the weight or ergonomic issues (always loved how Wals sounded, but I never liked the necks, and they were all boat anchors). 

 

Actually been toying with the idea of asking Martin to make me another one - same woods, same look, but with Turner pickups and the Lusithand preamp.  

 

Well, I emailed Martin last week about changing the electronic of my Flamboyant to Turner/Lusithand setup. Still not heard a reply from the man though! 😕

[Terry M.]

35 minutes ago, FunkyDude said:

 

Well, I emailed Martin last week about changing the electronic of my Flamboyant to Turner/Lusithand setup. Still not heard a reply from the man though! 😕

Call him. Sometimes they get busy and don't always answer my emails either I've noticed. 

[MuddBass]

Here are my two SEI's.

 

Original Fretted 5

Custom made for me in 2007. 34" scale 5-string. Zebrano wood body with through neck and book-matched flame maple front and back. Macasa ebony fretboard. Retro-fitted with luminous side dots (Luminlay) & John East preamp (18v) Uni-Pre 5 with Kent Armstrong pick-ups. 

Flamboyant Fretless 5

Purchased secondhand via BC. 35" scale 5-string. The wood is madrone burl front and back facings, matching headstock, ash wings. The neck is a 7 piece flamed maple / wenge through-neck topped with an ebony board, with subtle lines in mahogany. Fitted with side LED's & Schack preamp along with Bartolini MM pickups and ABM piezo bridge with piezo preamp. 

 

 

      

[FunkyDude]

2 hours ago, MuddBass said:

Here are my two SEI's.

 

Original Fretted 5

Custom made for me in 2007. 34" scale 5-string. Zebrano wood body with through neck and book-matched flame maple front and back. Macasa ebony fretboard. Retro-fitted with luminous side dots (Luminlay) & John East preamp (18v) Uni-Pre 5 with Kent Armstrong pick-ups. 

Flamboyant Fretless 5

Purchased secondhand via BC. 35" scale 5-string. The wood is madrone burl front and back facings, matching headstock, ash wings. The neck is a 7 piece flamed maple / wenge through-neck topped with an ebony board, with subtle lines in mahogany. Fitted with side LED's & Schack preamp along with Bartolini MM pickups and ABM piezo bridge with piezo preamp. 

 

 

      

 

 

Since you have both the Original and Flamboyant, do you notice the difference between the two? I mean when putting on a strap and playing in stand up position.

[Russ]

3 hours ago, Terry M. said:

Call him. Sometimes they get busy and don't always answer my emails either I've noticed. 

Yep. They've never really got the hang of email there! You do need to chase him up by phone. 

[MuddBass]

2 hours ago, FunkyDude said:

 

 

Since you have both the Original and Flamboyant, do you notice the difference between the two? I mean when putting on a strap and playing in stand up position.

 

The main difference is to do with the 'placement' of fret 12, relative to the upper horn of the bass body. With the Flamboyant, the horn tip is at the 12 fret, with the original, it's approximately at fret 15. This does not trouble me, but it might with some people. The body shape + horn length does determine where the bass naturally wants to 'sit' on your body, but you can of course move the strap to suit. 

Edited January 8 by MuddBass

[ziggydolphinboy]

On 05/01/2025 at 09:11, ead said:

I used to own a lovely fretless 5er...

 

I own this beauty now :))

[ziggydolphinboy]

i own ,,,6 ..

 Oppps.

 flamboyant headless 4, flamboyant headless 6 , fretless flamboyant 5 ,flamboyant 5  ,single cut 6 and off set flamboyant 6.

 my goal is to get a headless flamboyant 5 and a headed 4 and a jazz 5.

 

ill try get some pics up soon 

[eude]

9 hours ago, ziggydolphinboy said:

i own ,,,6 ..

 Oppps.

 flamboyant headless 4, flamboyant headless 6 , fretless flamboyant 5 ,flamboyant 5  ,single cut 6 and off set flamboyant 6.

 my goal is to get a headless flamboyant 5 and a headed 4 and a jazz 5.

 

ill try get some pics up soon 

I know you said you'd get pics, but I'm just reminding you, just in case

 

Cheers,

Eude