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Michael League Signature Bass
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Hi Anthony
Those "toneworms" did a good job!
Michael's sound wouldn't work for me.
I like the sound in that german demo!
thx good the worms didn't eat the upper mids.
That snarly roundwound Pbass tone is more in my League!
thx for sharing
Martin
Those "toneworms" did a good job!
Michael's sound wouldn't work for me.
I like the sound in that german demo!
thx good the worms didn't eat the upper mids.
That snarly roundwound Pbass tone is more in my League!
thx for sharing
Martin
A lot of beautiful things have come out of Italy over the centuries. This, however, is a P bass knockoff with random shapes.
How much better than a Fender can a P bass knockoff really be?
All you need is decent wood, ideally clear of wormholes, a tight neck pocket, rolled fretboard edges and high quality hardware and electronics.
The rest is just wankery, like "you can put flats on it with the tone low and it sounds like an old P bass, you can put rounds on it and it has that bite"...so it's a P bass.
But I'm happy it exists because we now have the term "toneworms" to add to the memes, thanks to @Wisebass
How much better than a Fender can a P bass knockoff really be?
All you need is decent wood, ideally clear of wormholes, a tight neck pocket, rolled fretboard edges and high quality hardware and electronics.
The rest is just wankery, like "you can put flats on it with the tone low and it sounds like an old P bass, you can put rounds on it and it has that bite"...so it's a P bass.
But I'm happy it exists because we now have the term "toneworms" to add to the memes, thanks to @Wisebass
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HARD pass...how every eagerly, basstheworld may be trying to sell it to the masses.
He keeps telling us, this is the most expensive bass he ever reviewed;
Did I miss the part where he tells us how much it actually costs?
He keeps telling us, this is the most expensive bass he ever reviewed;
Did I miss the part where he tells us how much it actually costs?
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TBH, my favorite ML tone is when he's playing a stock fender through a mark bass 212 or something like that. I haven't read or listened any of his interviews about this bass, but when I hear it I don't really think Michael League. Not knocking it.
That’s a *lot* of money for a stick with one split coil pickup on it. Like more than all of my kitchen appliances, more than all of my living room furniture, and almost twice as much as I spent on a brand new John Deere lawn tractor.
- May 16, 2007
- 3,395
- 4,869
- Disclosures
- Volunteer developer/beta tester with Source Audio, Morningstar Engineering & MORTRIX
What I don’t get is that ML’s bass has a maple board and this signature version has ebony. So much for not changing anything.
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If you're into old wood guitars take a look at this beauty:
Basso "worm" in pioppo tarlato - Blackbeard Guitars
Blackbeard Guitars is an Italian luthier making guitars and basses with reclaimed wood at reasonable prices. They do look great and are sold t a fraction of the Michael League one.
For example this beast of a bass:
Double P Poplar - Blackbeard Guitars
Goes for 1850€, around 2K $
Basso "worm" in pioppo tarlato - Blackbeard Guitars
Blackbeard Guitars is an Italian luthier making guitars and basses with reclaimed wood at reasonable prices. They do look great and are sold t a fraction of the Michael League one.
For example this beast of a bass:
Double P Poplar - Blackbeard Guitars
Goes for 1850€, around 2K $
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It doesn't sound like a bass I would ever want, but it does sound like a bass that would work for Michael. Then again, any P bass with the tone rolled off, flats, and his fingers playing it would work just fine for him. In interviews I've seen, he doesn't talk about his P bass being anything special - just an old P bass that's had a somewhat hard life. So, his "signature" model is an organically relic'ed P bass. OK. But $7500? Not gonna find too many people that will sign up for that, but maybe enough for the builder to pay off his boat.
By the way, it's not toneworms, it's roasted toneworms - pretty sure they at least kiln dried the wood (gosh I hope so), so any critters still in there have been toasted to a nice crunch.
By the way, it's not toneworms, it's roasted toneworms - pretty sure they at least kiln dried the wood (gosh I hope so), so any critters still in there have been toasted to a nice crunch.
With as little treble as Michael uses in his sound, the fretboard material is entirely immaterial sonically - it's all looks.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
I love Micheal's playing but I have never looked deeply into his gear. I knew he got his Markbass signature amp a few years back. I didn't know he was so associated with Fender. I wouldn't buy that bass, even at a lesser price, but it is always cool to see something different.
Exactly. I’d even take it a step further and say how much better than a Squier can a P Bass really be? (Speaking tone-wise)
It's nice when somebody tries something new with the P-bass.
We can't live in the 20th century forever
We can't live in the 20th century forever
If you watch the video mike says they gave him 2 bacci basses. Im gonna assume one with maple and the other not maple. Pretty nice gift i'd say
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
It's amazing how you can artificially inflate a price by putting a celebrity's name on something.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,796
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
Pretty nice sounding bass. But I agree with the good doctor thinking it’s not for me either. They must be awfully proud of it to ask $7400. It is still just a PB when all is said and done. You don’t get a dose of Michael League’s talent to go with it.
Interestingly enough, I installed the same Aguilar is using on my Squier Matt Freeman PB. And I can get a tone that’s virtually identical to his.
Michael League has a PB tone that hits me right where I live. The sound of his famous pawn shop PB was my inspiration for getting that pickup in the first place.
My Squier is also very light on a strap and has what’s probably the most effortless neck of any bass I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Maybe it doesn’t have a “good story,” some exotic wood mumbo-jumbo, or a fancy provenance behind it. But I’m 100% contented with my inexpensive modded Squier.
Many years (and seven or eight PBs later) I finally found my “forever PB.” Who would have ever thought it would end up being a $375 Squier with a pickup swap? Not me That’s for sure
Interestingly enough, I installed the same Aguilar is using on my Squier Matt Freeman PB. And I can get a tone that’s virtually identical to his.
Michael League has a PB tone that hits me right where I live. The sound of his famous pawn shop PB was my inspiration for getting that pickup in the first place.
My Squier is also very light on a strap and has what’s probably the most effortless neck of any bass I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Maybe it doesn’t have a “good story,” some exotic wood mumbo-jumbo, or a fancy provenance behind it. But I’m 100% contented with my inexpensive modded Squier.
Many years (and seven or eight PBs later) I finally found my “forever PB.” Who would have ever thought it would end up being a $375 Squier with a pickup swap? Not me That’s for sure
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