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There's been a couple is insanely priced, absolutely beautiful new Kubicki's appear on eBay from Japan recently.
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5 STRINGS PHILIP KUBICKI Factor Bass Guitar | eBay
5 strings for extended range. Don’t miss this chance to own a classicKubicki Factor 5-string bass! The bass isin great working condition, with normal signs of use but no structural issues. Fully tested and sounds fantastic.www.ebay.com
MiamiSoooo, they took a Key Factor 5, replaced the bridge, installed a string retainer, and now they want $5k? Get outta here! *slap*
When were the 5r Key Factors made? I know Phil did a prototype but didn't know any were produced.
Key factors with tuning pegs in 4 and 5 string models were introduced around 93/94. I think they were available up until Phil's death. They originally cost less than a real factor as they lack the laminate neck and custom bridge. However they were still not cheap, and not many were produced (I've heard that around 200 were made, though I'm not sure if that is for both 4 and 5 string key factors).
I know a guy..... (segue into NBD....) I rescued this poor thing yesterday and intend to resuscitate it to its original glory. I thought I was getting a late 80s Philbuilt, but it might be the first FCS to come out of Corona according to serial number timeline posted over at Kubicki. sn 1293 03 89. I thought the 9 in the 1293 was a 5 .....and so did the guy that I got it from. Anyway....it will be in rehab until I get it sorted out. The neck is good, but a lot of bad and ugly in and around the control cavity. It will take some patience, but I want to get it back to a state where Mike would be willing to complete a resto and refin on it.
I'll do what I can. Mike Haney has already told me that it's been butchered enough to not even mess with that body; that it would be cheaper to sell me a donor body for him to refinish. I'll probably reassemble it enough to have him verify the neck. Upon further inspection, the nut is toast....Mike wants to replace them both, to match. And it looks like a proper fret dressing is in order as well. I'm in no hurry, There's 5 others in the stable to play (and maintain). This one will be a gift to myself if I survive the new lungs.
I Buy the Pure blues mostly because I can choose different gauges than what Kubicki sells. I prefer the 40-100
Most of my basses with rounds have gotten the Pure Blues over the last few years. I like the 45/100s. I like RIC factory strings on my 4003s though. I remember reading somewhere that Phil had stated that 45~105 provides the proper tension for the 32" scale, so maybe that's why they stuck with that even though the PBs round core are of lower tension. I don't recall what they were packaging before the PBs came out. I'm glad they got away from the bronze strings my '85 came with. Those things were awful!....at least the ones that had been on it for 38 years were ....lol
I must come clean a bit here. I ran across a couple of videos of Johnny and this bass before he finished it in blue. I must admit that his woodworking skills are better than I gave him credit for. It's not perfect and the dimensions are slightly off, enough that a proper barrel jack would not clear the preamp. Maybe that's why he drilled the gigantic hole for a conventional jack. I wouldn't have drilled the extra holes for the Tone Monster pots either, but what the heck. They can be filled too. All in all though , he came pretty close on this project, considering what he had to work with. Weighing my options whether to tackle straightening this thing out or take Mike Haney up on his offer to buy and have him refinish one of his spare bodies. This is kind of a long term project for me. Health issues are going to have me complete this project after that gets sorted, and that could be a year or more out. I've got plenty of Kubickis to play meanwhile.
