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If I won the lottery, I'd drop the 20K on those in a heartbeat...
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,603
- 222,065
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
They're stylishly tasteless, but otherwise they are pretty harmless.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,603
- 222,065
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Here is a shot of me playing The Cat Club, NYC in 1986 with my first ExFactor.....Violetburst, SN0153. Phil said he only made two in that color. I still own that bass. I also loaned it for a music magazine cover shoot on basses around 1990. A local music store I frequented actually called me just after the '86 NAMM Show saying "Come down right away. I just got something I think you will want." I went down and we unpacked the box...he had two....the Violetburst and a Red one. I took the Violetburst and the Red one went to Mef Manning, bassist of the all-girl 80s metal band Poison Dollys. Somewhere I have shots of her using it live (found one...added it at bottom.)
Shortly after buying it, we played a Billy Joel benefit. Backstage, a famous NYC female bassist named Bonnie Parker was there. She was good friends with my drummer and asked me what kind of bass my Kubicki was, since it was one of the first ones and no one knew about them yet. I showed her the features and how it tuned and she said "I can't wait to her how it sounds" and walked out front as we got called to go on. I did a final tweek on the E tuner and heard a "snap!".....and the entire E string fell limp off the roller!!!!
I said "***?!?!?" Being a benefit gig where we just do a few quick tunes, I didn't bring a back up bass...so I just looked around quick backstage and yelled "Who has a bass I can use quick?? My bass just crapped out." Some guy from a souther rock band yells "Here" and hands me a Fender PBass and I strap it on quick as the rest of the band is already walking on stage. As I am walking out I feel the neck and the damn strings are like a quarter inch off the fretboard.....and I have slap/pop parts in the opening song that are going to be impossible. So, I plug in and end up having to play like a cowboy, unable to play a lot of my normal parts because the bass I had was just UNplayable. Man, it was embassasing....espesially after JUST raving about my Kubicki and then walking out with that Fender. It even had a leather pickguard with bull horns carved i to it. Hahaha. Funny in hindsight but man, did that ever suck. I called Phil the next day and he said I was the only person he ever heard of who had that happen....turned out the chrome "U" clip that ratchets the tuning wheel had snapped in half!! He sent me a few. I popped one in and it was fine....and I've never broken a other one in 20+ years. So, it must've been a defective one I had on my bass. It's a great bass.
Shortly after buying it, we played a Billy Joel benefit. Backstage, a famous NYC female bassist named Bonnie Parker was there. She was good friends with my drummer and asked me what kind of bass my Kubicki was, since it was one of the first ones and no one knew about them yet. I showed her the features and how it tuned and she said "I can't wait to her how it sounds" and walked out front as we got called to go on. I did a final tweek on the E tuner and heard a "snap!".....and the entire E string fell limp off the roller!!!!
I said "***?!?!?" Being a benefit gig where we just do a few quick tunes, I didn't bring a back up bass...so I just looked around quick backstage and yelled "Who has a bass I can use quick?? My bass just crapped out." Some guy from a souther rock band yells "Here" and hands me a Fender PBass and I strap it on quick as the rest of the band is already walking on stage. As I am walking out I feel the neck and the damn strings are like a quarter inch off the fretboard.....and I have slap/pop parts in the opening song that are going to be impossible. So, I plug in and end up having to play like a cowboy, unable to play a lot of my normal parts because the bass I had was just UNplayable. Man, it was embassasing....espesially after JUST raving about my Kubicki and then walking out with that Fender. It even had a leather pickguard with bull horns carved i to it. Hahaha. Funny in hindsight but man, did that ever suck. I called Phil the next day and he said I was the only person he ever heard of who had that happen....turned out the chrome "U" clip that ratchets the tuning wheel had snapped in half!! He sent me a few. I popped one in and it was fine....and I've never broken a other one in 20+ years. So, it must've been a defective one I had on my bass. It's a great bass.
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,603
- 222,065
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Great story mc2ny! Love the pic of you w/your Violetburst Factor but the pic of Mef (!?!) Manning is friggin' awesome! It couldn't be more 80's - OMG! Right in the cue with the famous pic of Farrah Fawcett! I wish I had a big poster of that photo! Seriously - it's 80's iconic in every way possible!
Thanks for the blast from 30 yrs ago - It really describes those days! 
For a second there, even though you said it was a magazine, I thought this was the Kubicki in the famous Electric Bass poster! That one, is not a burst though. Looks more like solid red or maybe burgundy color. I miss that poster. How I drooled over that Kubicki as a teen... drool
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,603
- 222,065
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I have that poster in a flat-file! I can't recall, is there a Thunderbird in the group? (I think so...) I got my '86 Factor first, and then got the poster. I'll have to dig mine up to look at again!
I have that poster in a flat-file! I can't recall, is there a Thunderbird in the group? (I think so...) I got my '86 Factor first, and then got the poster. I'll have to dig mine up to look at again!
No Thunderbird JIO! There is a Gibson, though. You have a file of decent resolution? I'd be happy with printing it out at 1/4 size.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,603
- 222,065
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
No Thunderbird JIO! There is a Gibson, though. You have a file of decent resolution? I'd be happy with printing it out at 1/4 size.
Oh sorry, redefined use of the word - I have a wooden (10 shallow drawer) "flat-file" cabinet that posters and drawing etc are stored in. It's in one of the drawers. I'm in the process of moving but eventually I'll find it and take a pic of it for you.
I found a copy of the magazine cover my Violetburst SN0153 was on. It was for a bass guitar issue.
For those unfamiliar with the MI industry, that was one of the three major international trade magazines for the industry. I got the Kubicki ncluded to give Phil some more exposure, as it was around the time he was taking the brand back from Fender.
Also pictured is a Pedulla 8-string, a Lane Poor Minima and a Leduc Logabass. (I was a Leduc endorser...I needed a 5 and Phil was not yet making one) and Lane, famous for his pickups, was a friend. Pedulla later called and bitched that I used a model that was no longer a catalog item. Figures.
BTW.....Mef Manning also plays a Kubikci in the late 80s film "Rejuvenator," that Poison Dollys appeared in the bar scene in. Sadly, like many female players, she retired to play house...which was a shame because Hole called me asking how to reach her, wanting to replace their bass player in the early 90s.
For those unfamiliar with the MI industry, that was one of the three major international trade magazines for the industry. I got the Kubicki ncluded to give Phil some more exposure, as it was around the time he was taking the brand back from Fender.
Also pictured is a Pedulla 8-string, a Lane Poor Minima and a Leduc Logabass. (I was a Leduc endorser...I needed a 5 and Phil was not yet making one) and Lane, famous for his pickups, was a friend. Pedulla later called and bitched that I used a model that was no longer a catalog item. Figures.
BTW.....Mef Manning also plays a Kubikci in the late 80s film "Rejuvenator," that Poison Dollys appeared in the bar scene in. Sadly, like many female players, she retired to play house...which was a shame because Hole called me asking how to reach her, wanting to replace their bass player in the early 90s.
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That's John Taylor from Duran Duran. He was probably the first Pro player to get the Factor out into the spotlight with #24. I knew he had a few Factors but not a fretless one. Hard to see if it's actually a very early prototype without seeing the neck pickup location.
I would be interested in a bit more info as well.
Cheers,
John
I would be interested in a bit more info as well.
Cheers,
John
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,603
- 222,065
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
That's a Factor - the drop-D capo is what makes it an Ex-Factor. It's probably 34" scale as well.
Yeah, the very first SN# released was SN024. Phil said ones before that were still perfecting the design. Then there were approximately 100 with the dogear electronics cover and various electronics being finalized.
FYI....There were actually TWO SN024. The one to John Taylor was a loaner, so Phil reused the SN and sold the other SN024. It is white. I own it. Taylor eventually returned SN024 and Phil had it auctioned off around 2000, if I recall.
John Taylor initially had two Kubickis. Then he also had Phil build him one with the 1988 "Big Thing" LP art on it. That one also had a built in wireless system.
Also.....Stu Hamm had a Candy Red Factor (34", non-drop D) that Satriani made him get for playing with him. Satriani had nsisted he could hear the difference between the 32" low E and the 34" low E. Jeeez.
In that set of five graphic Kubickis on EBAY, the Boob Bass is a non-drop D Factor.
FYI....There were actually TWO SN024. The one to John Taylor was a loaner, so Phil reused the SN and sold the other SN024. It is white. I own it. Taylor eventually returned SN024 and Phil had it auctioned off around 2000, if I recall.
John Taylor initially had two Kubickis. Then he also had Phil build him one with the 1988 "Big Thing" LP art on it. That one also had a built in wireless system.
Also.....Stu Hamm had a Candy Red Factor (34", non-drop D) that Satriani made him get for playing with him. Satriani had nsisted he could hear the difference between the 32" low E and the 34" low E. Jeeez.
In that set of five graphic Kubickis on EBAY, the Boob Bass is a non-drop D Factor.
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