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FBB Custom Bass Works The "Shlemm Bass" (4 string Fretted-32" scale)
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$1,133.33
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10.0
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Description:
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The "Shlemm Bass" weight 6.5 lbs
Four string fretted
Koa top (from a windfallen koa tree), spanish cedar back
maple/canary/jatoba 5 piece neck
laminated marblewood/bubinga fingerboard 32" scale
Bartolini 9JCB Classic J bass pickups with Bartolini NTBT preamp (active/passive)
Goncalo alves headstock veneer,
Koa/zebra knobs,morado trussrod cover.
6.5lbs
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Author
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quadrogong
Registered User
Registered: July 2006
Location: NYC
Posts: 2176
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Review Date: Thu October 26, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,250.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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light as a feather,sounds like thunder. Tone is indescribable,"elegant,complex,classy" are words that come to mind. Fretwork and fingerboard is near perfect,luxury where it counts. true boutique luxury at affordable prices.
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Cons:
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FBB logo inlayed a bit sloppily, a tiny detail. but that's it, everything else is..perfect.
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PHOTOS OF the SHLEMMBASS:
http://a530.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/32/m_2a94828ae57d4ba1c265853c29072281.jpg(front,full)
http://www.fbbcustom.com/basses/g098-05/g098-top.jpg(nice close up of body)
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/1955/kevinmooninlayfinishedcw7.jpg
(detail,headstock inlay)
I spent months staring at boutique bass sites,emailing Stambaugh, NY Bass Works,C.B. Basses,(kudos to Cliff Bordwell for his honesty and integrity..he disuaded me from buying a $1650 instrument because it wasn't really right for the kind of tones I wanted to get)and finally FBB.
I must say, each and every one knew their stuff, these are all top knotch bass builders,who craft with pride.
I went with FBB Custom because of their incredible "Inventory" bass selection. Matt makes some prototypes,a bunch at a time, tries different scale lengths, electronics,woods,really experiments.
I'd decided that I couldn't wait 6 months to a year for another custom job and chose the "Shlemm" bass after being told of it's history and wonderful tone.
Matt leveled the fingerboard,dressed the frets,refinished the top,built a new truss rod and really put his heart into it before he mailed it to me in a beautiful leather/cordora gigbag.
I remember thinking it looked TINY when I took it out of the case,not exactly like a mini-bass,but the body itself is so tiny and hi-tech looking.It looks like something Stanley Clarke would play,real tiny and smooth,expensive looking. The wood is super smooth,with sexy modern art looking curves and contours.
They seem earthy and almost hippyish or woodsy looking online,but in person,it's pure modern art,MOMA-esque.
The neck is smooth and satiny,the bass plays itself.I believe that the 32" scale is highly underated. It's much easier to play for me,less strettcchhing. The tension is fine,norman,taut and snappy,loose enough for soulful vibrato.
This bass had me playing faster,funkier and trying these quick jaco-type fingerstyle funk riffs at rehearsal that I'd NEVER attempt before,it makes me play better,bottom line.
My bass has marblewood for the fingerboard wood,I'd tell anyone to try it,have Matt sanded and finished it to perfection, it feels satiny with a tiny bit of texture,similar to rosewood,but faster and a bit smoother.
The Bartolini electronics are amazing, I think they'd make a broom with a rubberband sound fat. 2 band with an active/passive switch. They made my rig sound like I imagined it should sound. I just got another FBB and I ordered the exact same preamp for it as well.
The TONE..oh the tone of this bass.
It has the electronics to dial in deeep dub reggae,heavy SVT arena rock or poppy,funky slap sounds,anything,I guess..
The bass's natural tone is very cool, it's overtones lie somewhere between a fender strat in "out of phase" position and an upright bass.There's a tiny bit of that strat "quakka-quakka" outta phaseness,and some beautiful,complex sounding mids.It's so beautiful that I change strings after every 6-8 hours of play. This bass has that expensive "hi-fi" tone that I've been craving for so long. Yes, alot of it's in the fingers, but having a new FBB helps.
Working with Matt was a pleasure, he's patient,answered my dreary lists of questions (that came daily) He was articulate,patient and a gentleman.
Supposedly,Matt was in Hawaii,and this Koa tree had fallen,from a windstorm. He'd bought the wood from the native folk there,who mistakedly called him "Mr. Schlemm" (instead of Matt Schmill,his actual name). It was knicknamed the shlemmbass after that,an inside joke.
I recently bought another FBB used from Ebay,although I am interested in other bass makers, I'll most likely stay with this design from now on,This bass is monsterous!..the sound is thick,hi-fi,great sub,sub lows,and just elegant mids.
The misconception that Mass=sustain or Mass=tone is just that, a misconception. My tiny, 6.5 lb bass is fatter than anything I've heard,This bass builder knows EXACTLY what he's doing.
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follow up:
months later, the FBB short scale gets a sweaty workout everytime I pick it up. Everyone who tries it is sort of speechless,it doesn't look or feel like most basses.
This FBB Custom is unique,they all share similar qualities,but each possess unique characters unto themselves.
After purchasing another 34" chechen/walnut FBB,I realized how perfect my 32" scale is for me.
It never needs tuning, after a week in the gigbag,walking around town with her on my back,it remains in tune,quite often.I also think the velcro neck seatbelt inside my Ritter bag also helps keep it still in the case.
I keep strings new,changed after 8 hours of play or so..every couple of rehearsals...
I am totally 100% pleased with Mr Schmill's service and have found my main axe,an "extension of myself" couldn't be a more perfect phrase.
Straight out, this is the best sounding electric bass I've ever played or heard, I buy/trade/sell basses all the time, I've owned them ALL,minus a few ultra expensive ones,like Ritter,Fodera and Carl Thompson.I've had pre-cbs Fenders,some real gems...I'm 40 now and have owned over 30-35 basses or more...plus guitars galore..54 les paul goldtops,custom Alembics,old Les Paul sunbursts,a 60's ES-335.
The point is, I've NEVER posted reviews or raved about ANY instrument.none at all!..except the '70's les paul deluxe cherryburst which stayed with me for 23 years...I loved that,but I've never heard an instrument with such a perfectl tone, it's got qualities of an uprite, the woody midrange,with a bit of an out of phase-strat tone,but round,rich,and full..tight deep bottom,the preamp onboard makes my rig sound like a totally different amp. Fothicker,monsterous,"vintage" tones, I use my MM
My advice?..go custom,his latest work is the best,he'll do anything,bind the fingerboard in an exotic wood,LED's,singlecuts,ERB's.. and try the marblewood fingerboard.!
there's nothing but incredible reviews all over the net.and rightly so.
Bass is playing/sounding better than ever,I've since gotten Koa/zebra knobs from THG,and an inlay from Craig Lavin designs.
Take a risk on this company, I did,it was one of the best purchases I've ever made.
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Roscoe LG3000 #5494
Ibanez Mikro Custom (Sadowsky pups & pre)
Fenderbird 5
Markbass LMII
Aguilar DB112
Frequency Central fx
Mikrobass Club #22 Tbird Club #186
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quadrogong
Registered User
Registered: July 2006
Location: NYC
Posts: 2176
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Review Date: Fri December 1, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,250.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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flawless wordworking/complex,gorgous,elegant tones...my "signature sound" 6.5 lbs,lightweight,
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Cons:
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resale on FBB's are slow, I had trouble selling another FBB,althoughTHIS one will be with me forever
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I've since purchased a set of custom Koa/Zebrawood knobs from THG
I'm also waiting for completion of a Shell/stone inlay for the headstock,by Craig Lavin. A master inlay artist,specializes in sea life..his site is amazing..it drew me in...I had to have something done.
This bass has in itself rekindled my love for the instrument,it plays easily, and feels like a Lamborghini, total luxury,total hotty.
From the moment I first plugged in, I've played like crazy. I actually MISS it while at work!..and want the day to end, so I can rush home and jam on it.
I love the unique tone,the perfect range of tones from the preamp..never dials in mud or overdriven bottom end,it seems to have a purity,clarity like no bass on earth.
These are so flawlessly built..u cannot find a single seam or edge that isn't perfect,I checked.
Invest in one, the low E feels tight and snappy for a 32" scale, tighter than any bass I've felt,
they are really special,well...mine is,at least..
watch this luthier, he's making works of art at affordable rates.
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Roscoe LG3000 #5494
Ibanez Mikro Custom (Sadowsky pups & pre)
Fenderbird 5
Markbass LMII
Aguilar DB112
Frequency Central fx
Mikrobass Club #22 Tbird Club #186
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baileyboy
Registered User
Registered: August 2010
Posts: 734
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Review Date: Fri May 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Skilled craftsmanship, accessible and personable luthier
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Cons:
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none
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Go to www.fbbcustom.com for specs on #1095 fretless. Love this bass! I mostly play fretted Fender Ps and Js, but as far as fretless goes, this bass is far superior to any I have ever played. Absolutely love it and it has become a permanent part of my arsenal of basses. You will not be disappointed with any of Matt's builds.
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