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Modulus Mob

#11,161
gwangi said:
I'm guessing Modulus is a really small operation and they are overwhelmed with orders, on there website it says they are only producing about 4 or 5 instruments a month.
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hehehe, we should compile a list of companies and their wait lists times. i believe noble is around 12 months now? i think wal is still in the 2-3 year range. :nailbiting:

as long as it gets here before the Apophis meteor skims across the Pacific in 2029, i'm ok with that... :D
 
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#11,166
OK @GeoffGould here is my question about Bartolinis.

It seems that during your time at Modulus, the magic recipe was to equip basses with EMG pickups and preamps. Indeed, I have found there is an undeniable magic combining the clarity of graphite necks with EMG PUPs. Your amazing G Gould basses are equipped with EMG electronics and have that same magic as the older Quantums.

It further seems that in more recent years (the last 25 or so), the Modulus recipe changed to incorporate Bartolini PUPs and preamps. I have found almost invariably that the Bartolini electronics somewhat counteract the benefits of graphite. The electronics sound more compressed and lack the dynamic range. I have experienced this in the studio recently as well where the sound waves on the screen are visibly and notably flat and doesn't cut through the mix well. I have found this to be even more challenging in live environments.

At the same time I have played much older Bartolini pickups (not on Modulus basses) and found they did not have these issues.

So I guess if there are questions in here they would be:

-What are your thoughts about using Bart vs. EMG?
-Were you involved in the decision to move Modulus toward Bartolini?
-How do you describe the pros/cons of using either?


Thanks Geoff!
 
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#11,167
bubba-b said:
hehehe, we should compile a list of companies and their wait lists times...[snip]...as long as it gets here before the Apophis meteor skims across the Pacific in 2029, i'm ok with that... :D
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rogerbmiller said:
Wal has a 4 year wait time now I believe.
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JuanB said:
Curious how many folks end up not paying when the instrument is complete due to life (or death) circumstances.
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The thing about not paying due to life (or death) circumstances isn't really a big issue when these products aren't truly "custom" (i.e., they're not literally made to fit an individual person; one Quantum-5 TBX is pretty much exactly the same size/shape as another) and there's a big demand for the product. You do have to pay a deposit to get your name on the queue in the first place; if you then get tired of waiting or die before the bass is delivered, your deposit is (usually) non-refundable and the next bassist in the queue will almost certainly be very happy to get his bass that much sooner...which could possibly be the one they started building for the now dead non-paying guy.

fwiw, my perspective on custom (or semi-custom? Made For Measure is I think the more accurate term) products with a very long wait time was informed by my experience when I ordered a bespoke Made For Measure bicycle frame from a reknown framebuilder who had a notoriously long wait time. (And, fwiw, my final wait time expanded even beyond its notorious -- and transparently documented/acknowledged -- timeline due to several unforseen circumstances on the builder's end.) But here's the thing I learned -- or, rather, here's the mindset I adopted going into the process, and it was confirmed/learned empirically as the years ticked by while waiting for my frame to be built:

- You can't "wait" for your new bass during this wait list time. You have to get on with your life and play the bass(es) you already own. If you're constantly looking at the calendar and thinking "geez, 48 more months until my Modulus gets here, I can't take it!" you will drive yourself crazy. And your Modulus still won't arrive any quicker, but angst/agita/anxiety will.

- Instead, you have to forget about your forthcoming bass. Pay your deposit (get a receipt!) but then forget about it. Stop thinking about all the options you might select when your name comes up in the queue, stop wondering what it will be like to play the riff from "Sir Duke" on a new Funk Unlimited instead of that crappy old Alembic Series II you currently own, definitely don't stare wistfully at the calendar or the telephone waiting for the call from Tony that "You're next on the list!" Just forget about it. Play your old bass, take a walk, spend time with your family, go on vacations, live your life... and that way, when Tony finally does call, it'll be a wonderful surprise.

Also, pro tip: After you've paid your deposit and are now trying to forget about your forthcoming bass...open a high-yeild savings account/CD and start socking away a bit of cash whenever possible. That way when Tony calls and says your Funk Unlimited is ready, you'll have a bunch of money to pay for that Funk Unlimited that you didn't have when you first placed the order.
 
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#11,169
rogerbmiller said:
OK @GeoffGould here is my question about Bartolinis.

So I guess if there are questions in here they would be:

-What are your thoughts about using Bart vs. EMG?
-Were you involved in the decision to move Modulus toward Bartolini?
-How do you describe the pros/cons of using either?
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It's not really true that we didn't use Bartolini's in my era. In fact, we often felt Bartolini's provided an expanded market, as a "Bartolini player" was often a different person than an "EMG player." I used some special wiring diagrams in our 5 and 6 string basses with Barts.
It is true that at times it became harder to get Barts, and sometimes that's counterproductive to an efficient production process. I was never into the EMG vs. Bartolini shtick.
After I left MG, I'd heard there was some anti-EMG thing inside the company, but you know how rumors go. I really miss Bill and Pat. I was just reminiscing with Mike Tobias the other day about Bill. Mike was able talk to Bill before he passed away, primarily to the good graces of Joe Zon. I understand Joe was extremely helpful to Bill in later years, and I'm grateful to Joe for that.
 
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#11,178
I forgot their fb got hacked, and looks like they never bothered to get it back…

IMG_6407.png


Their ig has something from December ‘23…

Joe Perman has actually been posting on FB and IG more often as of late, I don’t know how recent any of the build pics are though…

You could always reach out to Tony directly at his day job… Planet Bass doesn’t seem like it’s been doing anything lately either, times are tough…

Cimperman Sales, Inc.
 
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#11,180
MattLplaysBass said:
I forgot their fb got hacked, and looks like they never bothered to get it back…

View attachment 5405214

Their ig has something from December ‘23…

Joe Perman has actually been posting on FB and IG more often as of late, I don’t know how recent any of the build pics are though…

You could always reach out to Tony directly at his day job… Planet Bass doesn’t seem like it’s been doing anything lately either, times are tough…

Cimperman Sales, Inc.
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I posted on both of their instagram accounts. I don’t want them to feel like I’m stalking or anything so I was hesitant to call that number…I resigned myself to apologizing and called it, but again no answer.
 

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