P-T-P Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 ...a much happier experience than others have had with them. Set-up was decent enough: neck straight, intonation spot on and action about middle of the road and completely buzz-free. This wasn't a shop set-up either as bass was about a tone out of tune when I first picked it up. Neck joint really good, paint spot on and all the hardware decently installed (no out of line tuners or poorly cut nut). The pots work smoothly and alter the volume/tone evenly aside from a very distinct bump on the tone control when going from fully rolled off to just a little on. Only real niggle was that the fretboard was pretty grubby. I've been on the lookout for a new bass and it turns out, much to my surprise, the Fleabass is now that new bass 'cause I bought it. Having got it home and put a set of DR Extras on it I was able to set it up with a pretty low action, lower than I was able to achieve on many of the much more expensive basses I've owned. The action could actually go epicly low with a bit of attention to a couple of the frets. Naturally, I gave the fretboard a good clean! The neck didn't seem to mind the changes in tension when I removed all the strings to clean it and then added the new strings. Tuners nothing special and are maybe a bit on the cheap side but they work fine. All in all I can't really fault it for the money (smidge over £300). If you are/were thinking about getting one of these but had been put off by other's experiences, I'd recommend you get out and try for yourself because either they've sussed most of the QC issues or there are some decent basses making it through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 I couldn't live with those silly colour schemes. I'd take a real stingray instead any day of the week. Sorry, but it' horses for courses, I guess. Good luck and congrats on your new bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 Which colour scheme did you end up getting, Pete? I'm glad someone found a good one, as the ones I played have now all been sent back to the distributor by a local dealer. They were all so terrible! Rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlthebassist Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 [quote name='bass5' post='737856' date='Feb 7 2010, 09:04 AM']I couldn't live with those silly colour schemes. I'd take a real stingray instead any day of the week. Sorry, but it' horses for courses, I guess. Good luck and congrats on your new bass[/quote] I think you'd struggle to get a "real Stingray" for a smidge over 300 quid though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 [quote name='karlthebassist' post='737872' date='Feb 7 2010, 09:31 AM']I think you'd struggle to get a "real Stingray" for a smidge over 300 quid though... [/quote] Very true, but there's a lot (and please believe me that what follows is barely my own personal preferences) better basses for that kind of money, I'd rather spend that 300 smackers on a Squier or an Ibanez SR300, or... has anyone tried a Yamaha RBX374, dual humbuckers and a neck that flies? I just don't like them Flea basses [b][u]to me[/u][/b] they look naff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-T-P Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='737861' date='Feb 7 2010, 09:19 AM']Which colour scheme did you end up getting, Pete? I'm glad someone found a good one, as the ones I played have now all been sent back to the distributor by a local dealer. They were all so terrible! Rich.[/quote] It's the "Punk" one I think; green with pink scratchplate. Orange would have been my preference but after other's experiences there was no way I was buying one without playing first. I'd not really intended to buy this as it happens. I needed to get a bass before next weekend and have a decent budget but haven't seen anything I'd want to spend it on - aside from the Nordy 5 I just missed out on last week - but I liked the look of the Fleabasses and I noticed my local (very small) music shop had one so I gave it a go. Lo and behold it was a decent player and will do the job. Saves a lot of faffing about. [quote name='bass5' post='737905' date='Feb 7 2010, 10:33 AM']Very true, but there's a lot (and please believe me that what follows is barely my own personal preferences) better basses for that kind of money, I'd rather spend that 300 smackers on a Squier or an Ibanez SR300, or... has anyone tried a Yamaha RBX374, dual humbuckers and a neck that flies? I just don't like them Flea basses [b][u]to me[/u][/b] they look naff.[/quote] As you say, horses for courses. I personally wouldn't have gone for a Squier simply on the basis that I've played a few in my time and while there's nothing wrong with them, they don't really grab me either. A friend loaned me a GSR200 (?) and I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely it felt but horrified to find that from the 15th fret up the frets weren't parallel so the intonation gets progressively worse along the A, D and G strings. The Yamahas I just don't like the look of while the Fleabass I do. Having played it and found it to be decent and then having set it up and achieved better results than I have on many other, far more expensive basses, I'm chuffed really. All that being said, there's a Jap P gone on eBay yesterday which I would have bought ahead of the Fleabass just 'cause it's a good price, with a guarantee of no money loss when/if I come to sell it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I played one of these at LIMS last year before they were officially released and it wasn't bad, but I wasn't massively impressed (though the Gallien that I played through left enough of an impression that I now own one). I was expecting it to be more along the lines of a squire price to be honest. I'm not a big fan of Fender style basses (very loosely Fender styling though) so my opinion was probably a bit bias anyway. In saying that, each bass is different and if you found a corker that you get on with, grats on your new bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I've modded mine with an EMG-35HZ pup, and I love it, great little bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-T-P Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 Something I was going to add about basses in this price range is that to me, the sounds they produce don't have an especially distinctive character to them. The Fleabass does have a voice of it's own, or at least one that makes it stand a bit more apart from similarly price basses. [quote name='Rayman' post='739040' date='Feb 8 2010, 03:58 PM']I've modded mine with an EMG-35HZ pup, and I love it, great little bass.[/quote] I've seen a vid comparing this pick-up to the stock one and for me, I kinda preferred the stock one. Would be interested to hear a quality recording of the EMG though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 (edited) The EMG is bigger sounding, but still quite middy, it's not exactly bristling with clean top end, but I get a nice clicky, punchy tone similar to a precision with all pots up to full. I have to add that I've replaced [i]all[/i] the electrics, pots, jack and all, just because....well.....just because. I was changing the pup so I thought I might as well do the lot at once. I know what you mean about the young lad and the vid on You Tube, the bass actually sounds better on a couple of his recordings as stock. I'm rehearsing with my Fleabass for the first time within the band on Weds, so I'll update [i]my[/i] thread about the bass after that. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=71695&hl=fleabass"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...amp;hl=fleabass[/url] Edited February 8, 2010 by Rayman 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.