YES! I just posted my '89 in a different thread -- I have several Fenders and FSOs, and nothing growls like this bass...TBX tone is a total WIN as well as the active bass or mid notched boost/cut......For guys like me that love fresh roundwounds and lots of harmonic structure in string tone, this is the one!
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Let's see your "sleeper" basses
- Thread starter enormungus
- Start date
YES! I just posted my '89 in a different thread -- I have several Fenders and FSOs, and nothing growls like this bass...TBX tone is a total WIN as well as the active bass or mid notched boost/cut......For guys like me that love fresh roundwounds and lots of harmonic structure in string tone, this is the one!
FGN EMJ.
The whole brand seems to be a 'sleeper'. Great stuff, but not a lot of attention to them (in comparison to other brands).
This one is stock, since it's already amazingly great. I've got ss rounds on it, and it snarls!
The whole brand seems to be a 'sleeper'. Great stuff, but not a lot of attention to them (in comparison to other brands).
This one is stock, since it's already amazingly great. I've got ss rounds on it, and it snarls!
I don't really have a 'sleeper' bass, but I did find one...
... I believe he's indeed asleep, playing what looks like a modified flying fuzzy naveled, six pack less, spongy gut guitar...
... of note, is the authenticity of his dream state bass face.
... I believe he's indeed asleep, playing what looks like a modified flying fuzzy naveled, six pack less, spongy gut guitar...
... of note, is the authenticity of his dream state bass face.
No doubt this Ibanez. The electronics on this are almost scary.. The tonal variation really is impressive. That little three-way switch on the bottom right of the picture adjusts the frequency of the active mid controls. The other switches between passive/active mode.
The tonal variation this beast can create is borderline irresponsible.. Adjust with caution!
Regards
Mark
Thompson RM-100, moderately priced plywood bass with a Krivo magnetic pickup. After playing Fenders for 40 years I tried upright. The tone blows away electrics, the audience loves it, it is a willing dance partner, chicks dig it. I win!
Mine would be my Kracken "Champ", plays and sounds so much better than it should for an unknown brand. Sorry about the blurry photo, time for a new phone,lol.
You knew one of these would show up. Made in China. $260 new from Musician's Friend. I couldn't believe how great it was the day it arrived and I still feel the same way.
2015 D'Angelico Cherry Burst underrated IMO. 32.25" scale will surprise you!
Built this one (and its twin for @rogerbmiller). It already looks pretty "awake," I'll admit that. But the guts hide tons of options:
- Volume control (pull for preamp bypass)
- 4-way rotary switch to operate the pickup(s) - North coil - both series - both parallel - south coil
- Passive tone (pull to switch from a .047uf cap to a .1uf cap)
- Nordstrand 3B preamp with a 3-way switch for mid frequency select
Also, the already formidable Hipshot A brass bridge is mounted to a brass block inlaid into the body:
With all of that, plus the chambered body, Status neck, and Nordy MM5.4 pickup... there's a lot more than meets the eye.
- Volume control (pull for preamp bypass)
- 4-way rotary switch to operate the pickup(s) - North coil - both series - both parallel - south coil
- Passive tone (pull to switch from a .047uf cap to a .1uf cap)
- Nordstrand 3B preamp with a 3-way switch for mid frequency select
Also, the already formidable Hipshot A brass bridge is mounted to a brass block inlaid into the body:
With all of that, plus the chambered body, Status neck, and Nordy MM5.4 pickup... there's a lot more than meets the eye.
Here is my unassuming 1999 Fender Precision Special. Mammoth Bone nut, EMG pickups with EMG BTC 18v preamp, Badd Ass II bridge
If I had a nickel for every double-take I've gotten gigging with this li'l fella, I'd almost have a quarter.
Seriously, to my beat-up ears it's as close as it gets to the elusive upright sound. It always gets well reviewed.
Seriously, to my beat-up ears it's as close as it gets to the elusive upright sound. It always gets well reviewed.
skyline_01
Endorsing artist: Nordstrand Audio, Tsunami Cables
NOS Squier VM P5 that I bought in 2020. Proceeded to mod with:
- genuine Fender humbucker that a friend had lying around
- Kickass bridge
- tort PG
- pot/cap/jack upgrade
- '62-style vol/tone stack
No joking, it's probably one of the best-playing, best-sounding P basses I've ever laid hands on. It beats any MIM and even some MIA I've played. I did put slightly more $ in mods than I did the cost of the actual bass, but I knew that it would pay off in yielding a one-off, killer instrument. And I don't care about resell bc I can't see it going to another owner at this point.
- genuine Fender humbucker that a friend had lying around
- Kickass bridge
- tort PG
- pot/cap/jack upgrade
- '62-style vol/tone stack
No joking, it's probably one of the best-playing, best-sounding P basses I've ever laid hands on. It beats any MIM and even some MIA I've played. I did put slightly more $ in mods than I did the cost of the actual bass, but I knew that it would pay off in yielding a one-off, killer instrument. And I don't care about resell bc I can't see it going to another owner at this point.
this carvin LB76.
okay, maybe it does not "look unassuming" since it has this insane tint over highly figured quilted maple..
but we all know carvins can appear like budget insruments...
I had nordstrand custom make pickups for this string spacing, and a preamp. all professionally installed.
the sound is just magnificent.
something interesting about these basses - the neck J pickup was actually placed where a P pickup would go, (measuring from the 12th fret - center of pickup)
so, this pickup being of a high quality as well as that placement makes for the closest non-p p tone you can get.
this went so well i'm in the process not of modding another carvin. The results are simply undeniable.
I don't have any sleeper basses that are like $100 eBay specials that will blow your mind, but my Jazz punches way above it's weight. It's an MIM Jazz, but has '62 CS pickups in it and a Dingwall 4-way rotary pickup selector that does series/parallel. It plays like a dream and gets you really close to a vintage P sound with the pickups in series. It's my favorite instrument.
Guitars, on the other hand... I have a Squier Strat with an amazing neck that I've converted to HSS with high-output pickups from 920D,
and this thing punches way, way, way above it's weight class.
Guitars, on the other hand... I have a Squier Strat with an amazing neck that I've converted to HSS with high-output pickups from 920D,
My Fernandes Gravity deluxe. Neck through, ash body, maple neck, gotoh hardware. Sounds and feels like a euro spector especially with the stock EMGs. I preffer bartolini electronics and for my taste it sounds better now. Just a great bass all around.
My Hammersmith 5. I realize the bard name "Hammersmith" leaves a bad taste in some mouths around here (and rightfully so). But this bass is superb in every way. It's light. It plays great. It sounds great. Fit and finish are excellent. And the neck...
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
