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Modulus Mob

#3,783
If you got a good deal and like the way it plays keep it. You could get new electronics if you don't like the sound.

Still curious about the electronics, though, and it is doubtful that GC has a clue what is in the bass. Can you read what is written on the back of the pickups? The second one down almost looks like part of it is GG, may be sixes but if it is GG the electronics may have been custom made for Geoff G. The custom EMG pickups he uses in his basses have a GG prefix on the model. I still highly recommend showing him the pics. You can post a link on his Facebook page and ask a question, he is great about responding.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/G-Gould-Music/286801121803
 
#3,785
My review of the Q5. Clean top end. Great killer mids. Beautiful and defined low B. (Please keep in mine I practice with an Acoustic B260). With 9v electronics, it pushed my amp well over 3 guitars and drums. Neck feels very fast and smooth. A little thick by the nut, but nice and slim upwards. I am used to my Bassstar which is a 4 string neck with 5 strings on it, so the wider neck of the Q5 was a little uncomfortable, but easily playable. Moved from finger to pick and I actually found using a pick seemed to be more fun and less work, but I am a big fan of finger style, so I will see at our show on Friday. A good 4 hour set should put it into perspective.
The twin Barts sounded great. The foam under the pickups has given out, so it needs to be replaced due to the pickups sitting too low. Also, the action is high for me, so off to my luthier for a great set up and new set of strings. The controls are responsive and the mid range just kills it. It has to be the cleanest sounding basses that I have played.
 
#3,786
iriegnome said:
Man do I have some questions now. So this isn't at all what I expected. It is Silver Burst, not black. It has Barts in it, not EMG's, It looks like it originally had 3 pick ups in it and now there is a cover plate over the middle hole. There is a chip out of the paint between the neck and the neck pickup on the treble side. It has 5 knobs and only one is not concentric, I am guessing Volume, Balance, Treble, Mid, Bass, but I will know for sure in a bit.
Don't know if it is a refin or not. Comments please. Even the Modulus Emblem at the headstock looks incorrect to me.
What do you think?
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Click to expand...


This looks like someone decided to mod a Sweetspot / Prime 5 string to me. Otherwise why have that covered up cavity in the body? That cover is in the right position to have been the where the single pickup would have been.
 
#3,788
Someone had mentioned to send some pic's to Geoff Gould. Exactly how would I get in touch with him. Was he at Modulus in 1994? Not sure when he left. Now after seeing some responses, I am pretty concerned about what exactly I might have.. I had a sweet spot a while ago. Pickup placement was uncomfortable for me, so I let it go. I like this bass, but there seems to be some things coming up that I am not particularly happy about
 
#3,792
I contacted the home office of GC.. Let them know that I bought a Sweetspot a couple years ago for $500. This bass was a good deal for a Q5, a little high priced for a SweetSpot, but what I bought was a butchered Modulus that was neither and could not be sold at any point in the future without disclosing everything I have found out. Also, because of the major reconstruction of the bass, it wasn't worth much more than a Q5 neck on any old body and I left it there. I want the bass. I will wait to see what their response is to me..
 
#3,795
Depending on whether you like the neck and the sound, I would suggest that you restore it to the original pickup position and refinish it in a cool color!. It would cost around $300 and would let you fill in and cover up the poor looking neck pickup routing. You could wind up with a pristine one of a kind Q5 Turbo which I think would be a very satisfying instrument.
Pat Wilkins has a great reputation.
 
#3,796
That crack at the neck joint is a common problem with basses designed this way (extended neck heel that comes pretty close to the nek pickup route).

You'll notice most manufacturers that use this design these days go ahead and extend the neck heel all the way to the neck pickup route rather than leave a small "wall" of wood there, because it often gets a crack like that.

It's not really an issue as far as the integrity of the bass goes, but it doesn't look very good.

Later 2 pickup Modulus bolt-ons have the end of the neck right up against the neck pickup.
 
#3,798
The chip came from the sloppy routing job for the pickups that were added. Look how rounded and smooth the lip is around the cover for the missing original pickup.

When the bass was made there was no neck pickup for the neck to butt up against so it doesn't matter how they cut and fit the neck. Chip is on the other side of the rounded edge of the neck pocket and goes from the new route toward the neck.

Agree that GC will probably just offer to take it back and just re-list it at the same price. Actually would be interesting to see if they at least do the right thing and change the description or add a proper picture to the the listing.
 

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