Fantistic Musical Instruments

gcbake · #1 11-13-2007, 12:40 PM

What does anyone know about these guys?

Marcus Johnson · #2 11-13-2007, 01:30 PM

They can't spell?

jimmyduded · #3 11-13-2007, 01:31 PM

yes, i own one of the basses, its OK, as a beginner it was a great bass(better than some of the junk out there) if you can, pick it up because shipping was almost as much as the bass, put some good strings on it, get it set up professionally(his setup was not up to my standards) I still often pick it up because of its large sound, if you can pick it up in my opinion its alot of bass for the price, plus a very nice guy(cant recall his name)

gcbake · #4 11-15-2007, 08:37 AM

Hello all I am new to talkbass and I just want to thank the incredibly prefect Marcus Johnson (who obliviously makes no mistakes whatsoever) for pointing out that I misspelled fantastic. Thanks Marcus, you’re a real stand up dude!!! If you’re ever in Indianapolis look me up, I am sure we would have so much in common.

Marcus Johnson · #5 11-15-2007, 08:58 AM

I think I have a tour date there next year, I'll take you up on that. Where are you playing?

Ah...looks like my response in your other thread got deleted, along with the rest of the thread. Didn't mean to piss you off. I've edited more posts than I can remember due to wonky misspellings (this post included).

It's not that I'm prefect.... I obliviously make mistakes all the time.

Welcome to TB nonetheless..

One of my students has an Eberle laminate (checked out your profile), an older one. It plays very nicely and makes an impressive amount of volume. He'll be stringing it with guts within the next couple of weeks; I'm looking forward to hearing that.

gcbake · #6 11-15-2007, 09:35 AM

Thanks for the response, no offense is now taken. I play with Carl Storie (he wrote the big hit "Dancing Shoes") and my R&B band Soulshine so we stay busy. When in Indy, will you be at the Jazz Kitchen or the Music Mill?

Marcus Johnson · #7 11-15-2007, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcbake

Thanks for the response, no offense is now taken. I play with Carl Storie (he wrote the big hit "Dancing Shoes") and my R&B band Soulshine so we stay busy. When in Indy, will you be at the Jazz Kitchen or the Music Mill?

I'm not sure where we are, it's all tentative depending on dates in the surrounding areas. It's probably a year away at this point. I'm always trying to get back to the Midwest more.... seems like most tours concentrate on both coasts.

jimmyduded · #8 11-15-2007, 01:35 PM

well, i own one of these basses, so i think im going to be the only one on here who does(ebay inexpensive basses usually arent these guys cup of tea) but that was my overall opinion on them

drurb · #9 11-15-2007, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcbake

Hello all I am new to talkbass and I just want to thank the incredibly prefect Marcus Johnson...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

It's not that I'm prefect....

"prefect"?

Marcus Johnson · #10 11-15-2007, 02:27 PM

Yes. Pay attention!

And then let it go. I have a new friend in Indy.

Bass · #11 11-15-2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcbake

...I just want to thank the incredibly prefect Marcus Johnson (who obliviously makes no mistakes whatsoever) for pointing out that I misspelled fantastic...

Ha ha ha! This thread is riot already! Welcome to talk bass, and you misspelled obliviously.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcbake

What does anyone know about these guys?

Why, did you buy a bass from this guy, and get left with a sour taste in your mouth? Say, why don't you ask this same question over at www.rockabillybass.com? I bet you'll get an interesting response.

I know that the guy from FMI appeared on Rockabillybass.com and asked some questions regarding "trade secrets" on manufacturing weedwacker strings. He made a grand total of about 7 posts. Some of the members at Rockabillybass.com were insulted by his posts, and he hasn't posted there since. I wish I could find the link to the above thread...

FMI offers weedwacker strings in 19 different colors (and apparently the color may rub off on your hands), but these strings are generally regarded as not quite as good as Barefoot Larry's weedwackers at Tradition Music. Barefoot Larry pioneered the production of weedwacker strings, and he frequents Rockabillybass.com.

http://www.traditionmusic.com/main.html

jimmyduded · #12 11-15-2007, 02:37 PM

a set came with my bass, total junk, no tone, no elasticity, total complete crap, but i replaced it with a set of olives and it sounds very good

pbassfreak · #13 11-15-2007, 04:14 PM

I bought one from him..A cheap 450 dollar one..I went in and played all he had and bought the loudest one in my opinion..Real nice guy..3 years later it hasnt let me down..I have had no issues with it ..Its a no name..I guess I was lucky to have gone in and played them..There were some really odd sounding ones in there..Bottom line its a crapshoot if your not local..

jimmyduded · #14 11-15-2007, 04:25 PM

for the price, you cant beat it really

glenfong · #15 11-15-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmyduded

yes, i own one of the basses, its OK, as a beginner it was a great bass(better than some of the junk out there) if you can, pick it up because shipping was almost as much as the bass, put some good strings on it, get it set up professionally(his setup was not up to my standards) I still often pick it up because of its large sound, if you can pick it up in my opinion its alot of bass for the price, plus a very nice guy(cant recall his name)

The store owner is Tom Kerr.

He had some nice Christopher basses (one with Busetto corners) when I visited during the summer in May.

jimmyduded · #16 11-15-2007, 06:18 PM

yeah i saw that, ive heard good things and bad things about christopher basses, i wish he had them in stock when i bought my bass

LouisF · #17 11-18-2007, 11:17 PM

I think I've said this in other threads, but...

I've known Tom since he opened his shop in Pasadena and he's fair and honest and deals mostly in student/rockabilly basses, which he sets up himself. He has a steady (but small) stream of decent Christopher and Eastman carved basses (which he has anothert luthier set up) and his prices are as low as anyone's online. He ships things safely and if anything is damaged, he stands behind it.

He's as baffled as to why anyone would buy a $500 Craptastic as anyone, but they're his biggest sellers, as are the Weedwhacker's - which he makes in his shop. His attitude - on this stuff - is if that's what people want to buy, they might as well buy it from him - and as long as he's up front about it, I don't see a problem.

On the other hand, he is very particualar about the quality of student instruments he sells. I bought about a dozen cellos and another dozen violas and vlns from him for a LA school district program; and a college level cello and violin for the school I'm running now.

For the money they are excellent quality instruments. The cello has held up over 4 years; the bass, three. He's upgrading tuners and strings on a new Christopher busettos for us...

So I have complete confidence in him.

Louis

LouisF · #18 11-18-2007, 11:17 PM

I think I've said this in other threads, but...

I've known Tom since he opened his shop in Pasadena and he's fair and honest and deals mostly in student/rockabilly basses, which he sets up himself. He has a steady (but small) stream of decent Christopher and Eastman carved basses (which he has anothert luthier set up) and his prices are as low as anyone's online. He ships things safely and if anything is damaged, he stands behind it.

He's as baffled as to why anyone would buy a $500 Craptastic as anyone, but they're his biggest sellers, as are the Weedwhacker's - which he makes in his shop. His attitude - on this stuff - is if that's what people want to buy, they might as well buy it from him - and as long as he's up front about it, I don't see a problem.

On the other hand, he is very particualar about the quality of student instruments he sells. I bought about a dozen cellos and another dozen violas and vlns from him for a LA school district program; and a college level cello and violin for the school I'm running now.

For the money they are excellent quality instruments. The cello has held up over 4 years; the bass, three. He's upgrading tuners and strings on a new Christopher busettos for us...

So I have complete confidence in him.

Louis

RPG52 · #19 11-20-2007, 05:53 PM

I'm a complete noobie - before I found this forum, I bought a db from FMI. I had Tom set it up and put on a set of weedwhacker strings. With the little I know, I couldn't stand the E and A strings - totally dead. I replaced them with the awful metal ones that came on the instrument - still don't like them, but can hear them at least. The instrument itself seems ok, no cracks or other problems yet. Plan to replace them all, (the strings) but need to develop a bit of competence before I go much farther. Wish I could find a teacher, but live a long ways from anywhere - waiting for Winter to set in before I get serious about practicing. Life is just too short.

Ray

Keyser Soze · #20 11-20-2007, 07:42 PM

I'll strick my neck up out of the foxhole to offer a little guy, real-world opinion on yet another dealer who has never gotten any of my money. Got some demerits form the mods for doing it too (interperantly for the mods' tastes) on the Upton thread, but my theory is that maybe you can have an informed opinion on some stuff even if you haven't handed over any money to them.

Four or so years ago, when I was looking to re-enter the URB world and buy perhaps the last URB I'll ever own, I considered Christopher basses as one of the options in my price range.

I corresponded -- both "on-" and "off-list" -- not only here but on the 2Xbasslist.

I corresponded w/ maybe half a dozen Christopher owners, asked about "customer satisfaction" issues, where they bought theirs, how much they paid, etc.

And I corresponded with "Christopher" directly, or, rather, The Concord Group, their "distributors" in the Chicago area.

The most valuable piece of information I receicved from "Christopher" was their actual, "card rate" MSRPs.

When I went to the two shops in my metro are that stocked Christophers, I spoke with the owners in each shop. Both of them quoted me "the list price" of the Christopher basses I looked at and their shop's price. In both cases, the "MSRP" that was quoted was a few hundred dollars north of what Cindi at the Concord Group had quoted me.

Ah, the internet: FMI was representing (as they do now, last time I checked) Christopher basses. On their website, they list both "MSRP" -- or however they characterize that -- and then their "discount price." For the past four or so years, every time I've checked, FMI's "MSRP" on Christopher basses, has been, as it has been with the local snakes here, several hundred dollars north of the Concord Group's "card rate."

One of the local snakes quoted me a price that was almost $1,000 north of the Concord Group's MSRP for that model. But, that included a bass bag (which is included in Concord's MSRP) a set -up, and strings of my choice. At that time, a Talkbass moderator was endorsing this seller in this forum as a "good guy."

The other local snake offered me the same model Christopher bass for (actual) MSRP, but he admitted that he didnt employ a "real" luthier, but that they would "set" the soundpost and "include" a free bag.

I had helped a friend/neighbor's group negotiate their record deal as a favor (sad but true, no management) and, in doing so, had become friends with their violinist. Who had, to augment his rock-star lifestyle, worked at every violin shop in the metro area, including both of those that I was "talking to."

He gave me the skinny on their business models and practices. Which confirmed my casual observations. So, I wouldn't be buying locally.

I corresponded w/ Tom at FMI and quickly concluded that he -- at that time -- employed no luthier and did the "set up" himself. He -- again -- listed his Christopher basses at hundreds of dollars over MSRP but then, "discounted" them to slightly under MSRP.

One of the Christopher owners with whom I corresponded (a former Moderator here) told me that he bought a brand-spanking-new Christopher -- the exact model I was drooling over -- fully set-up and smoking, for $1,300 below MSRP. (His post to that effect should still be here in the archives.) That became my benchmark for what I would pay for my bass.

I contacted Concord Group again and told them I had become aware that they had sold a 401 to P***** and that I would like the same deal. They wanted to tell me about the local "opportunities" that were available to me to buy a Christopher. I told them, "No thanks, those guys are snakes."

Through an off-list referral on the 2Xbasslist, I was put in touch with a luthier in a distant state who would order, and then have drop-shipped, my desired bass for a few shekels less that P***** paid for his.

I sent the luthier the check, he made the phone call, the bass arrived here at my house. The endpin reaming was cockeyed, the "adjustable" bridge was at its lowest setting and the strings were still about an inch above the FB. There were two pooped seams between the back of the bass and the ribs. I contacted my "dealer/middleman/luthier" and whined. He sent me a check for ~$200 to get the stuff fixed, said Concord would reimburse him in parts (good luck.)

As was my original plan, I took my "savings" and my "rebate" and my flawed Christopher bass to the best, most expensive (craziest) luthier in the metro area.

Over the first two years of ownership, I paid "my" (new) luthier ~$700 top "cherry out" my semi-flawed, Chinese factory bass.

Toady, two years after all that, I have a bad-assed carved bass that sings, plays like a dream. I've got approximately$2,750 into it, another $100 if you count the used Realist I bought off a 2Xbasslister. Or $3,200 if you count the used Bob G bag, the Fishman preamp and the GK MB200 that I bought here, offa TBers.

That $3,300 is less that the local dealer -- or FMI -- were gonna sell me the same bass, offa the same truck, for, for MORE MONEY. But they weren't gonna include a Bob G bag, Spiros, a Fishman Platinunm Pro EQ and a Realist.... plus ~$700 of major league luthery.

Bottom line: You can find a LOT better than FMI.