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Modulus Mob

#1,361
Jim11895 said:
have any of you ever had chips on the graphite neck repaired? If so how did you do it? Also, I worry about letting your average guitar tech do work on it because I'm afraid that they may not be familiar working with a graphite neck and that they may screw something up. Am I worrying needlessly? Any advice is appreciated.
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I agree, your average guitar tech has little to no familiarity with graphite necks, especially repairing damage. For chips & dings & stuff you might have better luck taking it to someone who works with carbon fiber regularly...like (believe it or not) an auto parts fabricater or a custom bicycle framebuilder. Or, I suppose, an aerospace engineer.

But I think just letting Modulus deal with it is the safest bet.
 
#1,362
Hoover said:
I agree, your average guitar tech has little to no familiarity with graphite necks, especially repairing damage. For chips & dings & stuff you might have better luck taking it to someone who works with carbon fiber regularly...like (believe it or not) an auto parts fabricater or a custom bicycle framebuilder. Or, I suppose, an aerospace engineer.

But I think just letting Modulus deal with it is the safest bet.
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+1....no tech is touching my bass unless it is for electronics, etc.

FYI, I contacted Modulus about screws, etc in my Modulus that have corroded EXTREMELY and they are sending all new screws to replace everything (control cavity screws, screws in the end of the tuners, strap button screws). I am kind of concerned about taking the screws out of the tuners...they are very corroded.
 
#1,363
JES said:
Hi All,

I'm late to the party but there you go. I've got a 1989 Modulus Bassstar. Will try and get a decent pic of it at some point. For those who don't know, it's kind of like an early VJ. 1.5" at the nut. It's got EMG P-J pickups with treble, bass and mid EQ controls, ash body and maple top, and I added dunlop straplocks and hipshot ultralights with a bass extender. Strung with Markley Nickel Plated Steels.

It's been my main bass since 1999.

Now, my question.

I'm wondering about swapping strings or maybe even pickups for more tonal variety. I have two issues:

1. I need string suggestions. I've recently started playing with people in more traditional roles where I want a darker rather than brighter sound. Even with the treble all the way down it's still a bright bass. I'd still like to be able to get that piano-like sound but also to be able to have it sound more "boom boom" ish. So I don't think I want flats (I do strum sometimes) but I need something with less zing.

2. I am wondering about switching out pickups. I run it through effects all the time but some don't seem to like the active output. I am thinking of adding in passive pickups. I'd like suggestions. Again, I love the bright piano-y EMG tone as a starting point, but I'd love to be able to roll more of it off from time to time. I had Barts in an old bass and found them too polite. Seymour Duncan? G&L (I do like the sound of their basses)? Someone else?

I play mostly post-rock, electronica and rock.

Of course one option is to use different basses for different purposes, and it may come to that. But I still have a fantasy that this one can do it all. Most importantly, it feels the best in my hands of any bass I use.
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I use TI jazz flats on my Q5 fretless. It does the boom boom and it has good high end. they do NOT sound like rounds though. I have bart pups/pre in my Mod.

Maybe i can record you some clips.

they are stupid expensive though....i think they are up to $90 or $100 for a 5 string set. of course...they are flats so consider them a long term investment.
 
#1,364
ChrisPbass said:
I use TI jazz flats on my Q5 fretless. It does the boom boom and it has good high end. they do NOT sound like rounds though. I have bart pups/pre in my Mod.

Maybe i can record you some clips.

they are stupid expensive though....i think they are up to $90 or $100 for a 5 string set. of course...they are flats so consider them a long term investment.
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Thanks for the reply. I'd love to hear some clips, especially where you strum some chords lower down (Cma7 on the A string or something) so I can hear what flats do to that.

I use TI jazz flats on a fretless precision (frecision!) and love them there. My set has been on for probably 5 years now. But I always assumed they'd be a little too flatty for the more aggressive stuff I do. Maybe I'm wrong!
 
#1,365
JES said:
Thanks for the reply. I'd love to hear some clips, especially where you strum some chords lower down (Cma7 on the A string or something) so I can hear what flats do to that.

I use TI jazz flats on a fretless precision (frecision!) and love them there. My set has been on for probably 5 years now. But I always assumed they'd be a little too flatty for the more aggressive stuff I do. Maybe I'm wrong!
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finally...a reason to actually setup my stuff and record...:D warning:...it's fretless so the chords are gonna sound horrible. I'll do my best ;)
 
#1,366
Thanks and understood. I also promise not to criticize your playing. If you want to hear the sound of my Modulus, here you go. Everything's got studio EQ and compression of course but as they say, it's 90% the player and the bass (and the effects).

Clean: http://lo-boy.bandcamp.com/track/moving-slowly
Dirtier and very dirty: http://lo-boy.bandcamp.com/track/pills
Phased: http://lo-boy.bandcamp.com/track/heavens-blindness

The fuzz solos on the 1st and 3rd tracks are my bandmate's fretless, not that it matters what bass you put through that pedal . . .
 
#1,367
Hi Mob
A heads up on possible sweet deal.
I bought this bass and returned it to GC in Boston, as I was scared by the finish coming off neck at side of fretboard, otherwise a sweet deal. If you have a luthier or can do it yourself, you may also be able to get a slight discount by asking for the manager Benny and mentioning Scott from Playingdead sent you.

the item number for search at GC Used is
106246878 SOLID BODY ELECTRIC
USED MODULUS QUANTUM 5 SEMI HOLLOW CHY QUILT
Phone 617-247-1389




..Gotta make a photo of my Flea JJ 5 and get me a Mob number :bassist:
 
#1,370
Hoover said:
I agree, your average guitar tech has little to no familiarity with graphite necks, especially repairing damage. For chips & dings & stuff you might have better luck taking it to someone who works with carbon fiber regularly...like (believe it or not) an auto parts fabricater or a custom bicycle framebuilder. Or, I suppose, an aerospace engineer.

But I think just letting Modulus deal with it is the safest bet.
Click to expand...

I have a luthier that I use exclusively. He is incredible at working on all types of my basses. He did all the proper repairs on my Neck thru Modulus and it is fantastic. Don't know exactly what he did or how he did it, but there was a chunk out of the back of the neck and now it cannot be felt.
A proper luthier should know how to work on a Modulus neck. Again, a proper luthier, not the general hack at the local music store.
 
#1,372
Hi All,

Joining the mob. 1989 Bassstar. Quilted maple (I think--don't know woods very well). I occluded the serial number with a hipshot. EMG P-J, individual volumes for each pickup, concentric tone pots for bass and treble; mids boost/cut and sweep. My mods: hipshot ultralights/xtender and dunlop straplocks. Sometimes I think I would benefit from a passive option but I do love the sound of the bass as/is. It's been my main bass since 2000.

basstar-front.jpg
 
#1,374
JES said:
Hi All,

Joining the mob. 1989 Bassstar. Quilted maple (I think--don't know woods very well). I occluded the serial number with a hipshot. EMG P-J, individual volumes for each pickup, concentric tone pots for bass and treble; mids boost/cut and sweep. My mods: hipshot ultralights/xtender and dunlop straplocks. Sometimes I think I would benefit from a passive option but I do love the sound of the bass as/is. It's been my main bass since 2000.
Click to expand...

nice. sounds good too
 
#1,375
TBX fretless 5 with Bart soaps and a Bart 3 band with A/P option. I've had TI JFs on this thing for quite a while. I like the tone a lot and the feel of the strings, except for the G string, is silky. Sweet fretless slidin'... the tension on the G string <does> both me. Just doesn't seem consistent w/the other strings. I did start a thread about it in Strings.
SO. I put D'addario XL170 nickel rounds 45-130 on it last night and jammed with my band. The Mod/Bart/Roundwounds combo is absolutely amazing. PIANO string clarity and SO much tonal range. Used w/a pick it is PURE PHIL LESH tone. Absolutely love it. I recorded the bass track separately, maybe i'll put it up later.
where can I upload so it can stream?
 
#1,378
Also wanted to say that anyone replacing the neck ferrels should be EXTREMELY careful. The originals are larger than the holes somehow and it cracked the finish when i was pulling them out...and pulled some of it off to the bare wood. I was upset to say the least.

So much for my mint condition Modulus.
 

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