This is a bass that I'd been hoping to check out for a long time. People have long sung the praises of the Heartfield basses and I've always been intrigued. Well, I spotted this one and bought it.
When it arrived, it had been played hard and never really shown the proper love a bass like this needs. In other words, it was a fixer-upper.
Frets needed leveling, preamp switch was broken, it was filthy, strings dead, etc.
Long story short, I did everything it needed and the bass turned out great!
Click here for the good, bad, and ugly pics of the whole process...
EDIT: I should mention a couple things, due to the fact that the pics don't show them:
1) There is what looks like "checking" in various spots on the bass, mainly the wear areas. Along the belly curve, on back, edges, etc. It's impossible to photograph, but it's there. You can't see it unless you hit the right light and you're looking for it, but it's there. Remember, it's 25 years old!
2) I plugged the XLR jack into a PA system and didn't get any signal. It may need a new XLR, it may be the board, I don't know. But I always use the 1/4" jack anyway.
Here's the long story...
People refer to these as "The Poor Man's Wal", due to its use of the filter-based element of its preamp. I know most people look at these and say "That looks nothing like a Wal". And they're right, it doesn't. In all honesty, I've never played a Wal. But I have played basses with filter-based preamps, so I see what they're thinking.
No, this bass doesn't remind me of a Wal. This bass reminds me of a MODULUS more than anything else. I've had a number of Modulii over the years and this is more of a Poor Man's Modulus than a Wal, really:
-Super-thin and fast neck
-Graphite reinforcement
-EMG-made pickups
-Late 80s technology and engineering
What this bass feels like and sounds like to me is a Modulus Q5, but with 19mm spacing and 34" scale. Your experience may be different... I'm not saying this is exactly that bass! But it reminds me of it a lot, that's what I'm saying. Clear output, plenty of bass, able to be dialed to your liking with the greatest of ease.
The preamp was replaced. Like I said, the seller didn't disclose a broken switch (which turns the "filter" on and off), but a wonderfully kind TB'er sent me another preamp to swap into it (Bruce! You rock, man!). The preamp he sent had the switch and functioned great, with one exception: The pan pot isn't perfect. When he had the pre in a bass, it took a hit and broke part of the pot shaft off. I've fixed that and a knob stays on fine, I glued another pot shaft half onto it. But the detent for "center position" is very subtle now.
It pans fine! You can get it to center. But it doesn't have a super-positive click.
I'll include the original board, if you want to try desoldering the pan pot and transplanting it.
What else can I say... it's light (8lbs, 13oz), it sounds fantastic, it's made incredibly well. This one has been around for 25 years and though it has finish flaws, it's pretty damn clean. The frets are level and the action is great. The strings are a brand new set of Status HotWires. Every piece of it was taken off, cleaned up, and put back on, lovingly, by yours truly.
I'd honestly be happy to keep it, but I have a Status that covers what this does tonally. So it's probably going to sit around if I keep it. And me... well, I'm a GAS slut. I keep seeing things that I wanna buy and the wife insists I need to make room to do that. So, last in, first out rule goes into effect.
SOLD!!!!!!
$450 shipped east of the Mississippi w case
Paypal or MO.
International will be possible, but PM for a quote.
I'll consider trades, but have no ideas at the moment. Worst I'd say is no. PM me (or convo me?!?) if you're interested.
