Hey i really dig flea and his grooves but I wanna know whats the deal on his basses? Has anyone played them and is it really worth what you pay for them? it has a wicked look and the sound is very flea but is it worth it?
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Flea Modulus basses...the scoop
- Thread starter teenagebass69
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Played one at GC and it did nothing for me....for that kind of money...find a used MM Stingray and a Geddy Lee jazz bass and all should be covered. The Q Mods that I have noddled on have been wonderful however. The B strings on the Q are so very clean....alot of dough however. My two cents is always play whatever ax you want alot before you buy it. What Flea loves and what you love can be, and probably are, two very different things.
As a Flea Bass owner myself I have to weigh in and say that it is the perfect bass for me. I have a four string, not a five, so I can't tell you anything about the B string. It was a bit pricey, but the reliability of the graphite neck in any weather condition was a huge plus for me. Living in the humid climate that is South Louisiana, there's no telling how much temperatures and humidity vary from place to place. It's also a very light bass, which makes a difference on a four hour gig. The tone is simply amazing and it is much more versatile that just getting Flea's sound. Just ask Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews Band, who also uses Fleas for recording and touring.
However, if you are interested in any of Flea's earlier tones, you really need to look at a Stingray, which was his bass of choice up until just recently. If I'm not mistaken, One Hot Minute was one of the last CDs he recorded with a Stingray. They are much more affordable than a Flea, especially a used one, and the tone is just about the same. In fact, the Flea was designed to mimic the Stingray's tone and feel, just with the Modulus touch.
I also agree that you should try both a Flea and a Stingray and decide for yourself which one fits you best. For me, the Flea was definitely the choice for me. For you, it might be different.
However, if you are interested in any of Flea's earlier tones, you really need to look at a Stingray, which was his bass of choice up until just recently. If I'm not mistaken, One Hot Minute was one of the last CDs he recorded with a Stingray. They are much more affordable than a Flea, especially a used one, and the tone is just about the same. In fact, the Flea was designed to mimic the Stingray's tone and feel, just with the Modulus touch.
I also agree that you should try both a Flea and a Stingray and decide for yourself which one fits you best. For me, the Flea was definitely the choice for me. For you, it might be different.
Also compare the new Flea Basses to the old ones with the Lane Poor pickup. I've heard mixed reactions about the newer basses, but the Lane Poor Flea Bass got huge props almost all the time.
Also, One Hot Minute was entirely recorded on an Alembic except for Aeroplane, which was, yes, a Stingray. He just used a Stingray live. Yar, Stefan Lessard is also a user of Warwicks too. Definitely a neat and diverse player!
Also, One Hot Minute was entirely recorded on an Alembic except for Aeroplane, which was, yes, a Stingray. He just used a Stingray live. Yar, Stefan Lessard is also a user of Warwicks too. Definitely a neat and diverse player!
Been playing a '97 Flea four string for around a week now and am floored by it. The definition is crisp and precise and the tone is "just right" growly. Best slapping bass I've played also. It sounded good with the strings that were on it, but I replaced them with some dean markley fretmasters and it just sings now. Just got a package of EB super slinkys and I don't think I'll be putting them on any time soon. I can't recommend this bass enough, for certain people that:
1. Want a super stable neck with top-notch construction
2. Want a clear, punchy tone (yes, I agree - HI FI town also, but it's hi-fi in a good way, IMHO)
3. Want to stand out (this bass is silver sparkle and catches quite a bit of attention).
This bass has the Lane Poor pickup, so that limits the market to used. I'll bet the 5 string is nice also.
1. Want a super stable neck with top-notch construction
2. Want a clear, punchy tone (yes, I agree - HI FI town also, but it's hi-fi in a good way, IMHO)
3. Want to stand out (this bass is silver sparkle and catches quite a bit of attention).
This bass has the Lane Poor pickup, so that limits the market to used. I'll bet the 5 string is nice also.
I second everything these guys say. I had a FLea 5 string and it is up there with my all time favorite basses. The thing was rock solid and awesome tone. The neck was unreal. I sold it because it was a little to heavey to wear for long gigs.
If I ever get a regular gig again, I'll buy another.
If I ever get a regular gig again, I'll buy another.
Just a couple more weeks till I get my blue sparkle flea 4. Many years of waiting will finally be over for me soon. Days feel like they are getting longer (not because of daylight savings 
). These last couple of weeks are going to be an unbearable wait for me.
I want my flea bass. Now.
). These last couple of weeks are going to be an unbearable wait for me.I want my flea bass. Now.
I have owned 2 of them, and have played a third. The first one is a 5 string with the lane poor, and bart preamp. BEST BASS I HAVE EVER PLAYED, hands down. TB'er David Wilson has it now (I WANT IT BACK ). The B string is great, and one thing to keep in mind....both the 4's and 5's come with the same neck the quantums get.
My main bass nowadays is a 96 flea (prototype I believe) made for flea, which he toured with, smashed, and I rebuilt. It has the lane poor/aguilar obp-1 combo, which is killer.
The third one I have played was a bart model at Mars music, it left me disappointed, but that could of been many facrors....I didn't spend a lot of time with it to figure out why.
No other bass I have played have felt so "alive", when you dig into this, it tends to really bite back. Even so-so strings still feel great on them due to the basses snap.
Would I pay $2350 for one? Nope, but I am a cheap bastard who would never pay that for any bass. Especially when you factor for that price, you can't even get the lane poor, and LP equipped used fleas go for 1000-1400 on ebay.
Like any instrument, it's not for everyone, but it sure is the bass for me!
). The B string is great, and one thing to keep in mind....both the 4's and 5's come with the same neck the quantums get.My main bass nowadays is a 96 flea (prototype I believe) made for flea, which he toured with, smashed, and I rebuilt. It has the lane poor/aguilar obp-1 combo, which is killer.
The third one I have played was a bart model at Mars music, it left me disappointed, but that could of been many facrors....I didn't spend a lot of time with it to figure out why.
No other bass I have played have felt so "alive", when you dig into this, it tends to really bite back. Even so-so strings still feel great on them due to the basses snap.
Would I pay $2350 for one? Nope, but I am a cheap bastard who would never pay that for any bass. Especially when you factor for that price, you can't even get the lane poor, and LP equipped used fleas go for 1000-1400 on ebay.
Like any instrument, it's not for everyone, but it sure is the bass for me!
Glad to see you're holding up with the wait bro lol. You're going to LOVE the way the sparkle looks under some par cans! I never cared a lot for the finish until I saw that, it looks great!FunkyMonkCP said:Just a couple more weeks till I get my blue sparkle flea 4. Many years of waiting will finally be over for me soon. Days feel like they are getting longer (not because of daylight savings
I want my flea bass. Now.
I played a four string a while back and I dug it. It was pricey, but cool. It was a used one with the Lane Poor's in it, which rocked. The lok of it wasn't for me, but it played great. Effortless all the way up the neck, it was a 4-string so I can't comment on the b string. I tapped, thumped, slapped, etc. It took it all great. I hear good things about graphite necks never moving with the weather too. I live in Chicago so that's a good thing around here. The only thing is that graphite necks feel very different and you would need to play to know what I'm talking about. Lot's of dudes don't dig the feel of composite necks.
How does it react to playing with a pick? I was just wondering if the attack was still good or if it was really suited for slapping, etc. Thanks.
Mine has the basslines pickup with the OBP-1 preamp in it. Does anyone know where I can hear a demo of the basslines pup? Thats one of the things thats killing me, I'm hoping it doesn't suck too much compared to the lane poors.
From what i figured so far, ithe Flea-BAss makes 90% of Flea's sound. So if you want it, go for it!
