Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Modulus VJ4 versus Warmoth/Status?
- Thread starter TimBosby
- Start date
Hi Sethlow
This is a good point...but I believe you obtain the best of both worlds.
Let me explain. Yep there is no way to get away from that modulus even 'thonka' sound that comes out in the upper mids that and that quicker attack is not there in wood. However I don't think that characteristics is uber dominant (but it is there and noticeable hence one of the reasons why I love it) but in your case I think the one of the reasons you hear it so different is the Barts pre.
What do you have for pickups?
Are those Barts as well?
You see if Tim uses something that a single coil done in a more traditional format He would be able to obtain that classic single snarl mixed with the graphite...Let me tell you IMHO that one killer combo
Currently I have a
(2) Warmoth Modulus VJ style basses (fretted / fretless)
(1) Flea 5
All using Nordstrand Singles with Audere I think its the best of both worlds.
PS: My last post was just debate not an attack...
Peace
It's all good man I like debating! My Modulus is actually a Funk Unlimited FBJ5 same exact one in my avatar, but I changed all the hardware to black. It even made their website at the bottom of the gallery section. It has barts pups.
Now I am sure that some Nordy single coils and different pre would make a difference in tone, but there is just something still totally different about wood. Every time I put both basses through my headphones they sound drastically different. The fundamental seems to be much less on the Modulus, but the growl is there for days. On the Fender there is just 10 times more warmth and fundamental especially with the tone knob rolled down.
Live on stage, I can tell the dif, but of course in the mix and running through the same amp, it can be harder to tell. However when practicing at home with the headphones or standing out in the audience, they sound worlds apart. Not bad just different which is why I will keep both. The B on the Modulus 5 string is AMAZING!
As for Warmoths I can't justify spending that much for those results, more power to the players who have deep pockets and love to customize, but it's not for me...
That would be the Cutlass II, the Cutlass I was the Stingray body with the graphite neck. I owned a Cutlass II...probably the worst move I ever made, selling that bass.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I voted "other" because of my MM Cutlass II. Nothing against the others, I just like what I have, and I can't shake it because it out-tones everything else I have ever tried.
STATUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mods have just become too expensive for what they are, I really love the status and I think a warmoth status neck combo will make you very happy.
Mods have just become too expensive for what they are, I really love the status and I think a warmoth status neck combo will make you very happy.
How does one go about building a warmoth/status bass? Buy the neck from status and the body, hardware electronics etc from warmoth?
I have both the status, but the streamline, and then the Mod funk. They are different tonally and perhaps other ways. I think overall, I prefer the Mod, if you buy new, then the mod would win out.
Zon's vinny is different, more subtle spongy feel, more expressive, these are my personal favs with the Mod's.
But if you are into that P bass feel, look, Jazz Fender etc.....then the Mod would be more suited. I do not think you can go wrong with most of the suggestions, including the Zon Sonus, Moses etc.
Best thing you can do here is simple play them and see.
Not many places carry all of these bass. So trying them before you buy will be tough.
If you can, do this.
Zon's vinny is different, more subtle spongy feel, more expressive, these are my personal favs with the Mod's.
But if you are into that P bass feel, look, Jazz Fender etc.....then the Mod would be more suited. I do not think you can go wrong with most of the suggestions, including the Zon Sonus, Moses etc.
Best thing you can do here is simple play them and see.
Not many places carry all of these bass. So trying them before you buy will be tough.
If you can, do this.
OMG! fourfinger...I think that might be my old bass, I sold it about 17 years ago. I had it on display at a vintage guitar show and later met the buyer (you, fourfinger?) at a neutral location.
If it has (or had) Bartolini pickups, that makes it more likely. I installed the Barts, which required routing the pickup cavities deeper.
With respect, I think you're not understanding the point here. The whole thing with a "parts" bass is to buy exactly what you want from wherever you can get it. If you try to just buy a "bass kit" - Status neck, everything else needed from Warmoth or whoever, you could be very disappointed. Finding the parts you really want and knowing how you want them to work together is what makes the adventure enjoyable and also time consuming and demanding.
Every bass you could ever buy is a "parts bass". It's just a question of how much choice you have over the parts and who ends up putting them together.
I have no experience myself with Moses necks. I've heard some people comment on quality issues that would mean they're not in the same league as the Modulus or Status necks, but I've also heard from some folks who are really happy with them. Maybe someone with experience of all three could comment in more detail on the differences?
In the "something else" category, if you wanted a Status J type bass and didn't want to go the Warmoth route because you'd rather have something stock, there's always the Status T-Bass.
Bit out of your budget, though. £1975 or just under $3200.
Bit out of your budget, though. £1975 or just under $3200.
Just for comparison purposes / info / general discussion, I just went back and looked up what my two beauties cost me:
THE GREEN FRETLESS BASS
Fretless Status Jazz neck (lined, side dot markers between lines) £310.27
Warmoth Jazz body, swamp ash with quilted maple emerald dye top £293.92
EMG J-set pickups, black £159.59
Gold hardware (neck plate, control plate, string retainer, Schaller strap locks), black J-bass knobs, washers, screws, battery holders and batteries, etc £83.16
Leo Quan Badass II bridge (gold) £70.45
Schaller BMFLG machines (gold) £69.87
Dean Markley Fretmaster strings, ML gauge £21.23
TOTAL (completed March 2005) £1,008.49 (NB - no case or strap included). That's about $1600 or so.
I loved the fretless so much, I had to go ahead with the fretted one.
THE BLUE FRETTED BASS
Status Graphite J neck (side markers only) £295.00
Warmoth Dinky J body, alder with quilted maple blue dye top £305.26
Nordstrand NJ4SE £169.57
StewMac shielding paint £27.97
J-Retro (gold) £190.00
Schallers BMFLG (gold) £70.88
Badass II (gold) plus neck plate, string retainer, washers, screws, etc £97.79
Strap Locks (gold) £13.95
Rotosound Swing Bass 45, 65, 80, 105 £13.95
SKB FB-4 case £89.00
Moody Strap £64.32
TOTAL (completed June 2005) £1,337.69 (I've since added Hipshot D-Tuner, £77.74). That's £1400 or about $2250, including a decent case and a Moody strap.
When you look at those figures compared to the T-Bass above or a new Modulus, I reckon I got excellent bang for buck on both of them, even taking into account the fact that prices for the stock basses would have been a bit less then than they are now. As I said, I wouldn't swap either of these for anything for anything stock from Modulus or Status. So quality wise, I think it's a very fair comparison. The downside, as has been noted, would be very poor resale value. But they ain't going anywhere!
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,619
- 18,696
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
I can very easily...I wrote about this in detail on another thread.
I had a Modulus VJ and Moses J both in my car on hot day and not for long (1.5 hr if my memory serves me right)
-The Modulus did not budge (as I always expected and experienced with using them).
-The Moses twisted so bad that the G string would not stay on the nut and I had to send it back to Moses.
Hows that for litmus test...(2 basses same bag in the car for the same amount of time).
To be fair...Maybe it was a bad batch of epoxy (who knows) I will say this...I had to make several phone calls and emails before I got a response of them saying 'send back the neck'.
When I did get a new neck...
- One of the machines heads bent
- Also they never inserted the brass inserts or even gave them to me for the new neck...
On that note I was done.
I really do not want to affect a Steven's business...however I cannot help but share my experience.
If its graphite I have owned it and put it through the paces (like drastically changing environment) the only exception is Status and I have played them and I will have a Status neck next month, just in time for the extreme New England Summer, so the test is coming.
That does seem to indicate some sort of difference. Then again, it's never a good idea to leave any bass in extremes of temperature for a significant period.
What are your plans for your Status project?
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,619
- 18,696
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Your absolutely correct...With any instrument.
I would have never done that with one of my wood necks.
Its most certainly not a habit that I engage in...However based on my situation (always in a hurry to do the next thing) and the tools I had at the time I thought the Moses would react like the Modulus. (Basically saying not react at all)
I'm putting a Status Stingray replacement on a SBMM Ray35.
Should be interesting...
I will ping you when its done...
Cheers
Yeah, please keep us posted. What with our enthusiasms mentioned in this thread and shared respect for Markbass, it sounds like we have a lot in common as far as good taste in gear.
