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Fleabass, anyone?

T

tazthewonderdog

Aug 30, 2011
124
1
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
#1
K so as of now I have an Ibanez GSR200 and a P-bass copy (which is in repair... :mad: ). I'm thinking... for Christmas I might ask my parents to help me buy a Fleabass as a present, I just want to know what YOUR experiences with Fleabasses are (I.E. how are the frets? Is it easy to slide on the neck? Etc. etc.)! Thanks! :)
 
#2
DON'T I've never heard of a good Fleabass only a okay FB.
Please get something else Fleabasses are overpriced for their quality and their pickups are weak.
All the EQ in the world can't hide a crappy pickup and the Fleabass pickups are horrible.
 
#3
i don't own one, but i've tried one. it seemed pretty nice. i know they don't get a lot of love, but it's a fun instrument.

a bit of a one-trick pony, but so's a p-bass.

definitely try to get used, as i remember thinking it was pricey for what it was. but then again, that's generally what i think about new basses.
 
#4
I played one and it was good, actually. Felt good, frets were done nicely, minimal fretbuzz, pretty cool tone. I like it better than the EBMM Stingrays that they were so clearly modeled after but from what I hear, quality control is virtually non-existant with Fleabasses. One good be nice and the next 5 could be complete trash. That being the case, I can't recommend them. Especially not new. In fact I don't recommend buying anything new unless it's custom made but that's me :p. Take a look at the Squier offerings instead.
 
#5
Yes used is your friend.

Beware of Evilbay but, also be wary of Craigslist (lots of shady people and some claiming to have something then when you get there it's totally NOT what they said it was) instead look to the ol' trusty Pawn shops countless musicians found their babies there Hendrix, SRV, Jaco and countless others plus, at pawn shops most don't know what they got and you can haggle major coinage off.

Free tip: If you see a vintage Gibson or anything high end priced at resonable high end prices your proably not gonna get a deal as somebody who works there is a musician as well. Which means you can't fool 'em atleast not without trying hard.
 
#6
I would put the money towards a Squier VM or CV bass...the QC is much better than on the Fleabasses. Another to consider might be the Schecter Raiden series basses, they actually are solid instruments considering their price point. The Raiden deluxe special with the humbucking pickups actually sounded more pleasing to my ears than the new Ibanez ATK and Sterling by Musicman 'rays. As with anything it's a YMMV, but you can get pickups changed without it costing an arm and a leg, so I would buy based on feel. Guitar stores are your friends, but I disagree on the pawn shops idea....nobody has checked into the instrument to make sure it does more than make a sound at an establishment like that. Classifieds here, craigslist, or buy from a trusted store.
 
#8
tazthewonderdog said:
Thanks guys... I guess that means no Fleabass here! Haha... and NO. I WILL NOT GET SQUIER. Thank you.
Just my thoughts, but no Squiers. I might just get an Ibanez Iceman passive. I hear they're good.
Click to expand...

Whats up with squiers? Are you just another one of those people who won't dare touch a squier because someone told you they were bad? Or because you play a poorly set up affienty? Squiers are some of the best inexpensive guitars out there, especially the VM and CV range. Have an open mind, and try some out. You won't regret it.
 
#10
FBS1996 said:
Whats up with squiers? Are you just another one of those people who won't dare touch a squier because someone told you they were bad? Or because you play a poorly set up affienty? Squiers are some of the best inexpensive guitars out there, especially the VM and CV range. Have an open mind, and try some out. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...

Huge +1. I'd take a Squier over pretty much any other low-end brand including Ibanez. If you're worried about the tone, don't be:

Shook - Nobody (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Sliver - Nirvana D&B cover by KC Roberts and the Live Revolution - YouTube

Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana funky house cover) by KC Roberts and the Live Revolution - YouTube
 
#11
DavidSinRocks on Youtube is an amazing bassist, he has tons of different basses, including a Fleabass.

He changed the pickups at some point, so he has videos with the 2 different pickups (read the video description), just browse his videos and you'll know how it sounds. He has a pretty heavy technique and it affects the tone tremendously, but you might find it interesting.

FleaBass Model 32 Punk [Bass Review] - YouTube
Incubus - Hilikus [Bass Cover] - YouTube
Incubus - Anna Molly [Bass Cover] - YouTube
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RHCP - Shallow Be Thy Game [Bass Cover] - YouTube

etc etc, just browse his stuff
 
#14
I've never played a Fleabass I liked. I would follow suggestions above for Squier Classic Vibe or Vintage Modified... but if you absolutely lust after the Stingray "sound" then I would suggest an OLP MM2. You can more than likely find them extremely cheap used and their QC to my understanding is much higher than Fleabass'. I like their tone, but many others don't find it very close to MusicMan's sound.

Although, for $400-500 you can go the extra mile and pick up an American-made MusicMan SUB, which I gig with... and that's as close to the classic Stingray tone as anything, and most people cannot tell the difference. For the money, the SUB is absolutely the best Stingray-esque bass.
 
#17
I read in bp magazine that Flea no longer controls the business side of Fleabass and has definitely learned a brutal lesson of how difficult and time consuming it is to start up an instrument company. From what was eluded to in the interview, it sounded like things got insanely crazy with expanding into other countries and he just couldn't deal with the stress and headaches of it all. I don't foresee this company sticking around very long if Flea doesn't have much to do with it anymore.
 
#18
ive got a squier p bass special ive had for 10 years, sure ive got other basses that are better now because i can afford them. but id still consider getting another... especially the vintage modified jazz bass. thats a steal. the bridge on that bass is better and heavier duty than the mexican made fenders...
 
#19
good day,recently talked to a young man playing one at the local watering hole.
It had good tone.he told me the factory pic was a little on the weak side,so he did replace with a emg.now he said he's happy with it,but yes over priced for sure.
hope that helps.
Rock on....
 
#20
Kwesi said:
Huge +1. I'd take a Squier over pretty much any other low-end brand including Ibanez. If you're worried about the tone, don't be:

Shook - Nobody (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Sliver - Nirvana D&B cover by KC Roberts and the Live Revolution - YouTube

Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana funky house cover) by KC Roberts and the Live Revolution - YouTube
Click to expand...


dude, sweet KC Roberts videos... but I don't quite get it. My band opened for them a couple months ago, and when we were chilling, Matt showed me his basses; one was a nice Warwick (IIRC) 5, and the other was a crazy custom fretless 6. In these videos it looks like a Fender type, but I can never see a logo, plus it's got diff p'ups, 5 strings, and that behind-the-nut string bar

To the OP, squiers can be great, and more consistently are than just about any other 'cheap' brand. they can also be brutal, like just about *every* other brand out there
 

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