Modulus Flea WITHDRAWN

[Beedster]

I have the opportunity to buy a bass I've been eyeing for a long time (an early '70 fretless sunburst Precision which I hope will be the match to my '73 fretted). I missed the opportunity to by it 6 months ago and am now determined to do so. It looks like I might need to raise some cash quickly however, so I may be selling the following:

Modulus Flea 2003 2EQ black/white or black/tort (I have 2 pickguards). Basslines Modulus PUP (copy of the Lane Poor that Modulus iused to use) and Aguillar OBP-1 circuit. This is the bass I bought from the USA and which I've recently had repaired and refinished at a cost of £450 by Martin Simms (there's a thread about it in General Bass Discussion). With the exception of a tiny - and now sealed - chip at the very end of the neck, this bass is now immaculate, in fact, breathtakingly so! The repair to a crack between two of the neck bolts has been extremely well done, and no sign of any repair is visible, even on very close scrutiny. Martin kindly provided me with photos of the whole process which I will happily forward to anyone interested. This is, as I have said time and again on this forum and elsewhere, technically the best bass I have ever played. The playability is second to none (there's stuff I can play on here that I simply cannot play on other basses), the body is incredibly comfortable, the sound is as you'd expect. BC members Marcus and Artisan, who both owned it before the repair and refin, will, I expect, both speak for all these qualities.
I am playing my Precision all the time and I can't see me ever gigging the Flea. I was going to keep it for purely recording purposes but, well, we'll see....
Modulus hard case etc included £1000 OR TRADE/PX - SEE POST BELOW

Apologies for the crap pics, I couldn't buy a flash today. Taking photos of a shiny black bass without a flash is not the best plan. Tort guard is simply laid on over the white which is why it looks odd.

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Fender Japan Precision 62 reissue: Pink/tort, rosewood board. A few dinks but a lovely sounding and playing bass. Puts out more thump than my '73 Precision with Wizards. Lovely retro aesthetic. Currently strung with D'Addario flats giving it a lovely Motowny vibe. See pics with white guard at [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4151"]<a href="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4151" target="_blank">http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4151[/url]</a>
Hard case included £300 [u][b]SOLD [/b][/u]

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Bass Collection fretless. Beautiful natural grained finish, equally sexy ebony board, P/J PUPs, 2 band active EQ. A recent acquisition and a lovely, versatile bass capable of a range from vintage upright mwah and growl to contemporary active, even sizzly, tones. A very nice bass and pre-amp indeed. Too small and light for me to ever gig and I think three fretlesses (fretli?) is one too many. [b][u]SOLD PENDING THE USUAL[/u][/b]
Hard case included £200

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Due to the potential urgency, I will likely ebay these early next week if I have no interest here.
Chris

Edited November 30, 2007 by Beedster

[cockbongo]

Be interested in some pics of the fretless mate!

[BassBod]

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That's not my old 73 by any chance?

BB

[owen3371]

hi chris, I'm intrested in that flea bass I read with intrest the saga of this bass from previous owners and I think its time I took ownership! Put plenty pics on please!

[neilb]

Why is the pink P £20 dearer than in august?

[Beedster]

[quote name='neilb' post='89809' date='Nov 17 2007, 11:16 AM']Why is the pink P £20 dearer than in august?[/quote]

Inflation
Actually, I didn't realise it was (you are sharp Neil). Perhaps the new tort pickguard and a hard case? Original pickguard will of course be thrown in also.
To be honest, I'm open to a good haggle over the price anyway!
Cheers
Chris

EDIT MIJ '62 NOW SOLD PENDING THE USUAL

Edited November 17, 2007 by Beedster

[Beedster]

I've had a few PMs requesting pics of the repair so it seemed best to put them on here. You can see that there was a crack running through both the upper neck bolt holes, likely caused by the previous owner dropping the bass on its neck (one can only assume from the top of a very tall building). This had been poorly fixed, in fact, merely filled with some form of resin, when it arrived from the USA. However, somewhat surprisingly, the bass still played very well, stayed perfectly in tune, and allowed an extremely low action and precise intonation. I was not happy that it was going to stay that way though, hence my taking it to Martin Simms for the repair.
I think you'll all agree that Martin did a pretty splendid job. I don't know the exact treatment Martin used, but it was a substance that interacts with/infuses the grain of the wood to bind with it, as opposed to simply adhering the two surfaces as would be the case with a glue or resin (I'm sure some of you guys will know what this process might be). There are no issues with the neck, and seeing as it's made out of the same stuff from which Stealth Bombers are made, you'd kind of hope not really wouldn't you
Anyway, any more questions, please ask
Chris

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Edited November 23, 2007 by Beedster

[artisan]

aye that thar Modulus is a damn fine bass,if only i had some dosh.

[Beedster]

[quote name='artisan' post='93446' date='Nov 23 2007, 05:56 PM']aye that thar Modulus is a damn fine bass,if only i had some dosh.[/quote]

Indeed it is Neil, cheers
I need to pay for some recent acquisitions so this is going to go the ebay on a 3 day listing on Thursday evening. Any cash offers from BCers beforehand welcome. I can't promise I'll accept them, but, I'm in a good mood at the moment so try me.....
Cheers
Chris

Edited November 26, 2007 by Beedster

[Beedster]

Several PM's on this but no firm takers. I'll do it for £900 delivered until it goes on the bay this Thursday. It's a stunning bass which is now as good as new both cosmetically and aesthetically. It's an equally stuning price for it, and equates to a loss of about £550 for me all told. sh*t happens eh? Depending on where you live, I can probably deliver or meet half way this weekend.
If it doesn't sell in the next week either here or on the bay, I'm gonna keep it just to be stubborn
Chris

Edited November 27, 2007 by Beedster

[Basser Boy]

hmm. i have some money, planning to sell my musicman stingray to raise mula to buy a flea bass. i have £500 at the moment, thinking of putting my musicman for sale on here too. i may buy this bass. PM me. Thanks

[Beedster]

[quote name='Basser Boy' post='95260' date='Nov 27 2007, 07:25 PM']hmm. i have some money, planning to sell my musicman stingray to raise mula to buy a flea bass. i have £500 at the moment, thinking of putting my musicman for sale on here too. i may buy this bass. PM me. Thanks[/quote]

PM replied
Chris

[Beedster]

With apologies to all forum readers for appearing to bump this bass continuously, I just want to add, in reply to several PMs, that the black gloss finish is immaculate, just very hard to photograph hence it looking a little dodgy in some pics. Trust me, if you see this bass in the flesh, it is as stunning to look at as it is to play.

PLEASE, NO MORE PMs ON THIS BASS UNLESS IT'S ABOUT A SPECIFIC OFFER THAT YOU DON'T WANT MADE PUBLIC. IF IT'S TECHNICAL OR SIMILAR, PLEASE ASK IT HERE. I'M GETTING A LOT OF PMs ABOUT SIMPLE TECH THINGS THAT ARE EITHER ADDRESSED ABOVE OR WHICH I COULD EASILY ANSWER IN THIS THREAD. REPLYING TO EACH INDIVIDUALLY IS VERY TIME-CONSUMING

Cheers
Chris

Edited November 28, 2007 by Beedster

[Beedster]

Now withdrawn. Always a bit odd when you list a pretty unique bass and then two other guys list theirs within a couple of days? Anyway, this is simply too good a bass to let go for anything less than what it's worth so it's going to stay under my bed for a while
Cheers
Chris

[Guest]

[quote name='Beedster' post='95622' date='Nov 28 2007, 02:13 PM']Now withdrawn. Always a bit odd when you list a pretty unique bass and then two other guys list theirs within a couple of days? Anyway, this is simply too good a bass to let go for anything less than what it's worth so it's going to stay under my bed for a while
Cheers
Chris[/quote]



hmmm sounds like someone is hiding it from the missus last month saw a Warwick dolphin, an iAmp and various pedals enter the norris household, must find more hiding places....

[Beedster]

[quote name='steve-norris' post='95715' date='Nov 28 2007, 05:21 PM']hmmm sounds like someone is hiding it from the missus last month saw a Warwick dolphin, an iAmp and various pedals enter the norris household, must find more hiding places....[/quote]

Not at all mate. Ms. Beedster actually embraces my bass collection and has recently been quite sad to see a few go. She actually said "say goodby to Pinky for me" as I sent off the MIJ Precision above to Lawrie last week I think it might be the stuff I'm putting in her food ! (on that subject, did you see 'Scrubs' last night? The chief of medicine asked the consultant psychiatrist whether she could update his wife's antidepressant prescription. The psych replied "of course, just send her in and I'll sort it out for her." The chief replied "Can't do that, she doesn't know she takes them" Ah, magical stuff).
Chris

[martthebass]

Wise move Chris...this one's a keeper.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Good move, Chris. That Modulus is like the "Beedster Signature" bass! I can see the sense in your move towards P's, though. Even the last couple of cheap-ish MIM Precisions have been stunning sounding & playing basses. Never found a modern American one I liked so far, though.

[Beedster]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='95837' date='Nov 28 2007, 10:12 PM']Good move, Chris. That Modulus is like the "Beedster Signature" bass! I can see the sense in your move towards P's, though. Even the last couple of cheap-ish MIM Precisions have been stunning sounding & playing basses. Never found a modern American one I liked so far, though.[/quote]

LOL The 'Modulus Beedster 4' doesn't have quite the same cache really does it, but thanks anyway!
Re modern MIA Precisions, I'm right with you. My MIJs have always been better (and half the price if buying used). I've just put together a bitsa Precision (also for sale on here) for about £300, and it knocks the socks off anything Precisionny that's come out of Corona for a while (having said that, the SD QPs and Badass certainly help). Given that the QC at Fender in the 70's was reputed to be so bad, and given that '70s Precisions can be thunerously awesome, I wonder whether Precisions just get better with age? Perhaps instruments that seems a little lacking in something today might, in 15 years, be real good 'uns?
Cheers
Chris

[martthebass]

[quote name='Beedster' post='95942' date='Nov 29 2007, 07:32 AM']LOL The 'Modulus Beedster 4' doesn't have quite the same cache really does it, but thanks anyway!
Re modern MIA Precisions, I'm right with you. My MIJs have always been better (and half the price if buying used). I've just put together a bitsa Precision (also for sale on here) for about £300, and it knocks the socks off anything Precisionny that's come out of Corona for a while (having said that, the SD QPs and Badass certainly help). Given that the QC at Fender in the 70's was reputed to be so bad, and given that '70s Precisions can be thunerously awesome, I wonder whether Precisions just get better with age? Perhaps instruments that seems a little lacking in something today might, in 15 years, be real good 'uns?
Cheers
Chris[/quote]

Chris, OTPJ, I would have been right with you on this one if I hadn't bought a MIA 2004 P off Old Horse.. Just about as good as any P I've ever played including a '82 JV that I have particularly fond memories of. Perhaps there's still some variation in Corona?

[Beedster]

[quote name='martthebass' post='96363' date='Nov 29 2007, 09:36 PM']Chris, OTPJ, I would have been right with you on this one if I hadn't bought a MIA 2004 P off Old Horse.. Just about as good as any P I've ever played including a '82 JV that I have particularly fond memories of. Perhaps there's still some variation in Corona?[/quote]

Fair point, I think I might just have been unlucky with my MIAs. I wonder if it's a case of high expectation leading to slight disappointment, whereas with the far cheaper MIJs, it's moderate expectation leading to pleasant surprise (having said that, with the pound/dollar situation, MIAs could soon be cheaper)?
Chris