Michael Kelly Element 4 - Jazz style bass

[B-Mac]

Anybody ever play one?
Any good?
Looks awesome and I'm a sucker for woodgrain.

[This invalid link has been removed]



[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[funkinbottom]

Anybody ever play one?
Any good?
Looks awesome and I'm a sucker for woodgrain.

I've only played one a couple times in the music store. They seem like they're put together very well. They played and sounded good. I know from what I've read, a lot of there stuff is built in S. Korea, which has a pretty good rep for quality instruments. A lot of major manufactures lines are Korean made. I wouldn't be surprised if it was built by Samick. They have built for just about all the majors, at one time or another.

 

[groove pump]

I was curious about these rigs and also got to try one in a shop a couple months ago - I think it was that sort of tobacco burst model on top of that photo of the three together that you posted. My favorite Jazz - parts bass with Warmoth neck, etc. - is loaned out right now, so I've been keeping an eye out for another one... just because.

It was decent, but it didn't knock me over. I've become really picky about the fit that I get with any instrument, so I noodled with this one for a good 20-25 mins and it didn't seem to be a decent fit for me. That one I tried was also a little more hefty than what I'd want with any bass I'd consider for myself in the near future.

The price tag on that used bass that I sampled was $600. I could spend that on an extra bass if it gave me both surprisingly good sound and a fit that gave me a little perma-grin. Just not the case for me with this one. Probably one of the nicer imports that I've enjoyed was a Lakland Skyline with the standard electronics - not the upscale J/MM pickups. I don't own one of those Laklands (yet?), but I'd rank those as a little better for me than this Element.

 

[Daedraziel]

The dozens of local Samash and Guitar Center stores around me in NJ have them in droves. The entire line feels like a gimmick. They want to lure you in with the nice wood top but the electronics are mediocre (almost tinny sounding) and more than half of the ones i've noodled with have tony finish issues and fret burrs on the neck that give me nice little scrapes as i'm playing. Almost all are heavier than they look, which isn't a major issue for me but I know that is a general concern. The staff at said stores say they don't move them as much as you'd think. People tend to stick with the fender/ibanez products that are flooded in the market.

Just my $.02