/ Register

DeArmond Ashbory??

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by Kristin Joy, Oct 7, 2001.

  1. Oct 7, 2001 #1
    Kristin Joy

    Kristin Joy

    Jun 2, 2001
    Dallas, Texas. Boston native. Damn I miss it.
    Hi all-
    Any opinions on the DeArmond Ashbory featured in Musicians Friend? Has anyone played one, what do you think? I liked the fact it is a smaller bass and is said to have "the growl of an upright or punch of electric." It uses rubber silicone strings...what the heck are they?

    I'm still hemming and hawing on what bass to buy to start with. All of the cheaper basses I'm afraid of.....I want something to grow old and happy with that isn't too advanced. It is fretless but marked on the neck.

    Thanks.......
     
  2. Oct 7, 2001 #2
    VoodooChile

    VoodooChile

    Jun 2, 2001
    Pod 6, under the water
    i wouldn't use that as a beginers bass if i were you. i have one but the only time i use it is on long vacations and plane rides. it has an 18 inch scale length which is smaller than a guitars and it's good for a beginer to have the feel of a full scale bass to start off with IMO.
     
  3. Oct 7, 2001 #3
    MJB

    MJB

    Mar 17, 2000
    I've played an Ashbory and they are fun....but I wouldn't recommend it as your only bass. Try and get to a music store and try all the basses you can find in your price range. It's tough to go wrong with a Made in Mexico Fender as there is always a market for them, but try a bunch of others as well.

    The silicone strings are an Ashbory only thing.
     
  4. Oct 7, 2001 #4
    Bass Guitar

    Bass Guitar Supporting Member

    Aug 13, 2001
  5. Oct 7, 2001 #5
    joel the bass player

    joel the bass player Supporting Member

    Nov 27, 2000
    Omaha, NE
    Never really liked the ashbory. Just feels kind of cheap to me, and I would never pay $300 for it.
     
  6. Oct 7, 2001 #6
    rllefebv

    rllefebv

    Oct 17, 2000
    Newberg, Oregon
    My opinion mirrors the others... definitely not an 'only' bass. I use mine as more than an accessory... It's great to tote around when I'm learning new music, (it was awesome for learning the two musicals that I recently did... even played it exclusively for "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown"), but the short scale, silicon strings, and the light touch required make it an 'interesting' play.

    It's certainly an acquired taste, but from what I can gather, the DeArmond has several 'upgrade' features when compared to the earlier iterations. It does feel like a toy, but after playing it through a muscular rig, the potential jumped out. I've gigged with it several times, and it fits really well in the mix. It's definitely 'real' enough for gigging and recording, and I consider it $249 well spent.

    If you're still interested, try MusicPawn first. I got mine from them off of ebay... service was outstanding, about $50 less than MF and they have strings for $10.50 a set. Can't go wrong...

    http://www.musicpawn.com

    HTH,
    -robert
     
  7. Oct 7, 2001 #7
    JeremyC

    JeremyC

    Oct 5, 2001
    Berkeley, CA
    I agree with all the others that recommend against the Ashbory being your first bass.

    Playing one of these things is not like playing any other bass.

    It's a fun instrument for traveling, getting lots of attention and sounding like an old beat up acoustic bass with a cheap mike in front of it (useful for a few situations).

    I got mine because of the novelty value, because Tony Levin has one, and because I always wanted one and the Korean reissue made it possible. But I don't play it a whole lot and certainly wouldn't dare show up to a band with it as my only bass.

    You can see pictures of me playing it on my website, as well as the modifications I have made to it to increase its playabiltiy.

    Jeremy Cohen