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Who Is Going To Buy A Fleabass?

Y

ynie92992

Jul 27, 2007
445
3
North Carolina
#1
Link Removed
If you haven't heard of these,(what?You didn't read Bass Player?)They are Flea's idea of making professional quality basses that cost even less than a Fender MIM. I think I will buy one, or at least try one. Has anyone played one at NAMM?
 
#4
They make a 34" and a 30". This line, from their site:
Describing his inspiration for FLEABASS, Flea said “FLEABASS is born of my love of music education as a studier and a teacher of music, and a lover and a romanticizer of the tradition of it. I wanted students to have an instrument they could fall in love with, and I wanted them to be able to do it with the limited means that most of them have for acquiring one.”
Click to expand...
Makes me gain a lot of respect for Flea. Not that I disrespected him before, but I didn't think of him as anything more than a typical "rock star". Now I see there's more to him.
 
#10
fedebass said:
Agree, not the most pleasing visually, but great great idea/motives/mission behind it. Cool!
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:cool:
I agree with the above.
The idea is great.
But come on Flea???
I guess his old Fenders, Wal, Spectors, Musicmans,and Modulas, Basses.
Can go into the closet now.
Be the rock star we expect you to be.
Play the money basses dude?
 
#11
Flea is certainly a unique cat in the rock-star world. IMHO, he his the soul of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. For anyone wanting more insight on Flea, go to YouTube and search this term: "Flea on Dani California, Charlie, & Hump de Bump."

For more insight, link to anyone of the Flea "Bass Lessons." I think in Lesson 1, Flea gives the context for his musical upbringing--his step dad who raised him was a doghouse jazz bass player. He grew up playing trumpet. It's an amazing story. All these YouTube videos of flea were conducted by the late River Phoenix btw.
 
#12
I'm not sure I like the fact that they're so non-specific on the specs of this bass. Where's it made? What kind of pickups/hardware? I'm not expecting anything fancy at that price point, but at $499, you'd think they'd put something decent enough on these things to warrant some kind of description. "Duncan Designed" or "Hipshot Licensed" perhaps?

Sure, it has Flea's name on it, but when there are $200 OLP Stingrays out there (which are actually quite nice), this instrument will need more than a name on the headstock to make it worth the cash.
 
#13
I agree, it's great that an artist would actually do something nice like this.

Although the colors schemes are slightly bizarre. Almost makes me want to call them Flea "market" basses. Kinda cheesy looking.

I still want one though....then again I want just about every bass that I see.
 
#15
It IS nice that Flea wanted to do this for kids. I hope it gets a lot of 'em playing. It's unfortunate that the bass's design is so blindingly awful, but the thing about it that gets me is: There really ARE plenty of very good student-level basses out there—for even well under $300. Flea's interview made it seem as though this would be the first well-built bass in the world under $400, and we all know that's not true. I believe Flea HAS seen a lot of unplayable basses in student's hands, but even a $3,000 will play like crap if it's not properly maintained.
 
#16
I think the design is pretty cool.

However I agree with TimWilson. I bought a Mexican Jazz recently which after a slight adjustment and a Gotoh 201 is a giggable instrument for any level. There is no difference in sound between it and a friend's American. Maybe I got lucky and picked a good one, Maybe Mexican Fenders are far better than people make out.

All I'm saying is, the competition at this level is fierce. I'll mod my Mexican before buying anything else because it just feels perfect for me.
 
#19
Mojo-Man said:
:cool:
I agree with the above.
The idea is great.
But come on Flea???
I guess his old Fenders, Wal, Spectors, Musicmans,and Modulas, Basses.
Can go into the closet now.
Be the rock star we expect you to be.
Play the money basses dude?
Click to expand...

What?

Why should he stick to just playing the basses that either cost the most or that you're used to seeing him with?

It's up to him what to use for any situation.
 

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