Thanks for the posts so far, guys.
I've called all the local Gold Tone dealers in east Tennessee, and not one of them has ever even seen a Club Bass!
So, I just now got off the phone with Wayne Rogers of Gold Tone. I thought I'd give them a call and get the inside info.
He said the Club Bass is a Chinese version of a design that a former employee of his was hand-building a number of years ago. This original design sold for several thousand dollars.
We talked at length about the new piezo pickup design, which has a separate element for each string, along with a trim pot for each. Wayne said this was redesigned for players who wanted to use a mixed set of strings. The preamp has a volume and a tone control and a 1/4" jack.
Additionally, the newer ones have improved Gotoh upright tuners. He also said the newer Club Basses are shipping with a tripod mount, similar to Kydd basses' stands.
I asked him about the gig bags that come with the basses. He said they are very heavily padded, and sell separately new for $295.
Not surprisingly, he said the Palatinos are "cheap junk" compared to the Clubs. He thought most players would be fine with all the hardware on the Club Basses and would not need to upgrade the parts, as on the Palatinos.
Of course, the Club Basses sell for around $1100, compared to $700 for the Palatinos. The out-of-box quality should be at least somewhat higher.
Haven't made a decision yet, but I did want to share this info with everyone here.
Leaning strongly toward the Club Bass.
