Dean Q4 w/Bartolinis, $132.99 84% Off

[pnut166]

I chatted with " Anan" last night. He says they still have them in stock and are filling backorders.

 

[Bongolation]

So I guess that these are as surmised previously older Q4's made before Core-Tek closed their factory in Korea.

That was my original guess. It'll be interesting to see when mine gets here.

These things are in stock in a bunch of outlets, sometimes pushing $700 at the moment (Sears?!?! ), and it seems unlikely they're all old stock.

Very odd.

I've heard that there are still some Korean instruments being made, but have no confirmation of it.

If these are contract Cor-Teks, it'll be apparent and the year of manufacture discernible from the date.

 

[SMG]

My order status still says "Will ship when available" (or somthing close to that)...how did some of you get in touch with Amazon people to find out status of these and then they are shipping? Is there a magic hidden phone number? Is it disguised somewhere on amazon's page? What's the deal, guys?

 

[Bongolation]

I've heard that there are still some Korean instruments being made, but have no confirmation of it.

If these are contract Cor-Teks, it'll be apparent and the year of manufacture discernible from the date.

Well, it's here and to my astonishment, it's a 2010 Korean build and I bet nearly anything it's a Cor-Tek -- it has every one of the earmarks.

It smells new. This is definitely a fresh batch, like from a few months ago.

So, what's going on with that?

There are only a few minute flaws -- a few tiny climatic chips off the lower side of the too-tight pocket where they always happen [WHEN WILL THIS TIGHT-POCKET IDIOCY *END*?!?], whoever put in the Bartolinis was not having one of his or her better days and the routs could have been detailed better, but otherwise it's very well done. A few minor high spots on the frets, but nothing out of the ordinary. Good alignment, adequate setup.

Light, with a thin basswood body, under 8.5#. Whatever this cooked-up "tiger-eye maple" thing actually is, it reminds me of the VN-era blowtorched plywood stoner hooches with the psychedelic posters.

But it's an extremely comfortable bass (I don't recall playing a more comfortable bass ever), great balance, seems lighter than it is, very thin, fast neck...for me, downright magical ergonomics -- it seems to play itself.

Sounds like every other bass in the world with fresh roundwounds, like a piano.

Minuscule SMT preamp of some kind attached to one of the pots. Can't get to see the circuit side without pulling the pot, and I don't feel like it.

Electronics & wiring typical Cor-Tek "sloppy-but-works."

For $133? Sure, all day.

 

[Bongolation]

Is there a magic hidden phone number? Is it disguised somewhere on amazon's page? What's the deal, guys?

It's complicated, but you can get to them by phone somehow, as I've done it a couple of times. You go to Help and follow the options until you reach the phone call level.

I don't know that talking to them will do the slightest good, though.

Seems like these backorders should have shipped by now if they were going to, but yelling at people is good exercise and it occasionally gets some action.

Whatever it takes to get it done, go ahead as these are very nice basses, judging from what I got today. Not exactly my thing, but very nice for what it is and an insane deal.

I almost canceled out of this one and I'm glad now I didn't.

 

[kenstee]

Seems like these backorders should have shipped by now if they were going to

That's my point. If they're not shipped yet that's not a good sign. Amazon really knows how to move lots of product out of their warehouses fast. So, that's not the issue. Supply is.Personally, I applaud them for making good on a deal where there couldn't have been much - if any - profit for them. Wouldn't bet the ranch that everybody who ordered one will actually see one. That said, if Bongo is right and they're new units that increases the chance that they'll take car of everyone eventually as it means they're being made in real time. Could be there are several batches of these coming Amazon's way...or maybe this is it. Who knows? Only downside is they have minimal resale value if you don't like it. Or you can part it out. I think the PUPS value alone exceeds $133.

 

[mizzou541]

These don't get enough credit for being great playable instruments. I have an older model w/ EMG pickups and I've been really happy with it. Very light, fast, and extremely comfortable. IMO opinion a great playable bass for the price.

 

[Bongolation]

These don't get enough credit for being great playable instruments. I have an older model w/ EMG pickups and I've been really happy with it. Very light, fast, and extremely comfortable. IMO opinion a great playable bass for the price.

And it's not pointy, even if it is a Dean.

 

[Bongolation]

Seems like these backorders should have shipped by now if they were going to

That's my point. If they're not shipped yet that's not a good sign...Who knows?

This episode has reinforced the "who knows?" part.

Two weeks ago, I would not have given any odds of anyone ever seeing any more of these.

Never mind that the whole world has heard that Korean instruments were over with in 2008 and Cor-Tek moved to Indonesia.

Never mind that Amazon said they were shipping in the first week of January.

If you don't have any money tied up in these (as I did), I say wait it out. Hassle the Indian customer support people in the meantime to allay your frustration.

 

[kenstee]

In short...a definite maybe..........

And who says the only guitar manufacturer in Korea is Cor-Tek?

And do hassle the Indian customer support people so much that your order "mysteriously" disappears from the system as they allay THEIR frustration......it's a two-way street!

 

[Bongolation]

And who says the only guitar manufacturer in Korea is Cor-Tek?

They were doing virtually every production export guitar or bass coming out of the country, more dominant even than Samick was before they imploded due to some sort of scandal.

This bass was definitely done on Cor-Tek's tooling, but I'm wondering what this means, if Cor-Tek resurfaced under a different name, or what. I seem to remember some rumor that some of the workforce and factory was producing guitars again. I dunno. All this stuff is so meaninglessly secretive on the consumer level that it's disgusting.

Cor-Tek's Korean website is extinct.

 

[Bongolation]

Curiosity got the better of me and I got into this thing a bit last night.

The pickup I pulled had BB4C/B etched on the back, which indicates that it's a "real" Bartolini, not the Korean-made ones that were around at some point.

The preamp is about the size of a postage stamp with the smallest SMT components and centers on a 082 OpAmp. It seems a bit noisy to me if the treble's cranked up.

Given the simplicity of the circuits, I'm surprised people don't build their own "boutique" preamps. There's nothing to a lot of them.

 

[kslawdawg]

It may be there are not enough to fill all the orders. So some people may not get them.

Y'all got my hopes up, but I'm officially getting worried. I ordered 10/25, so only a couple of days behind those who have already received one, and still not even a ship estimate on Amazon. I've waited this long, nothing lost to keep in line, but I'm starting to lose faith...

 

[Bongolation]

There's no point canceling out, if you don't have any money in it.

Mine was paid for and I came this close >< to canceling about two days before it shipped, so I would have missed out on this really great deal if I had.

I cannot imagine the mechanism by which these basses arrive, especially in that they are fairly fresh stock of a discontinued model, but I wouldn't worry about it. Forget about it and you might wind up with a nice surprise when you least expect it.

 

[pnut166]

There is apparently a method to their madness, which only they understand. After all these months of them not cancelling orders, against all logic they get a few and ship `em. The rest of our orders still stand, so it looks like they are planning to get more.

 

[Bongolation]

Turns out that the preamp in these is an EMG BTS v.7, according to the service department. Looks like it, anyway.

 

[fenderhutz]

I should have bought one of these. I need a cheapie back up bass.

 

[Cryo]

Check out victor litz - Hamer Velocity 4 and 5 strings are $199.

Just bought a 5 string, Needs some setup work, but a nice cheap bass.

Play that groove string!

 

[ajish4]

UPDATE FOLKS!

I've just received an EMAIL NOTICE my order is IN and I quote......

"Not Yet Shipped:
1 item - delivery estimate: March 3, 2011 - March 5, 2011".

The email said it is in but not shipped yet. The CC appears to have been charged too.

 

[SMG]

No email yet here, but the status of the order has changed. It now states, "This portion of your order is being prepared for shipment and cannot be canceled or changed." Maybe I will see it before long!