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I couldn't resist...

Mar 24, 2006
8,757
12,584
I didn't have GAS at all. I did it just because the price was right and I really love this bass.

I picked up a 2nd Dean Sledgehammer 5 from a local Brooklyn Music Shop.

$412 with NY sales tax
Brand new

Slightly better condition than the first one I got, as far as dents & things that may accumulate from being handled in a store for 2 years.

I got this one because i absolutely LOVE the way this bass looks, feels and sounds. They've been discontinued so they're getting sort of rare as brand new basses (Sam Ash still has a few), especially at this price!!! (Sam Ash wants $599).

Another factor that promted me to buy it is the grain pattern. The one I got originally has a 3-piece body, and the pieces are sort of mis-matched...like they had 2 pieces that matched and stuck a non-matching piece in the middle. But I didn't care too much because I was to get a neck pickup installed in it anyway..it'll cover some of that up.

This new one has a 2-piece body with a really sweet "bookmatch" to the grain, perfect symmetry down the middle. I needed to have this bass. If it was full price, I probably would have passed on it.

And I didn't spend any of my payckeck money on it either. I was able to collect and sell a bunch of things to fund it plus some left-over $$.

Funny, though, I installed a Bart preamp into the first one I got, and I compared the tone of each bass back to back. I think I'm going to put the oroginal pre back in because the Bart doesn't have as much attack and "ballsyness" to it. The bart is a bit warmer, and that "ballsyness" is one thing I always loved in this bass. I had nothing to really compare it to after he swap, so I kind of lost that edge without knowing. I'll probably put that Bart into my Fretless.

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Nice- kinda like a love child from mating a Warwick Thumb and a Music Man!

I totally see what you mean about the grain on the new one-much better match than your 1st one.

Good score-play 'em in good health!
 
Nice- kinda like a love child from mating a Warwick Thumb and a Music Man!

I totally see what you mean about the grain on the new one-much better match than your 1st one.

Good score-play 'em in good health!

I have a feeling that might be why they were dicontinued. I compared the body to a Thumb and they are SO much alike that I can see where Warwick may have sicced the lawyers on Dean...
 
Very nice! Sounds like you got a good deal! I did the same thing when I bought my second SR 500 Soundgear bass. My first one was purchased new in 1994 to replace my 93' Soundgear that was an SR 400 with passive pickups. A little less than a year later, when the 1995 models came out, I amazingly found a used 1995 model that was only maybe 2 weeks old but still in mint condition. It was a twin of my 94' SR 500 with both being black. I really liked the color of my SR 400 when I had traded it in and kind of regretted getting rid of it so I took the 95' Soundgear and had it custom painted the same color as my old SR 400.