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Moses Graphite???

#2
I did -not- like the Moses Graphite Jazz bass replacement neck at all.

My experience with it was as follows:

It was installed on a solid alder body with a Bartolini Humbucker in 'P' (neck) position and a Bartolini 9J in Bridge position with the strings fed thru body into a hipshot bridge.

I dropped the Moses on and the first thing that was immediately apparent was the really indistinct voice it had for mid's and really synthetic sounding highs. The low-end was really boomy as well, with very little definition. All of this was tested on Fender Bassman amps as well as various Hartke stacks and combos.

With all of the EQ'ing I tried, I could never coax out a decent tone that sounded pleasing.

In terms of feel, the neck was of course unfinished, as it's basically a slab of graphite, which was relatively smooth but was ultimately about as bulky as a baseball bat, making it a bit cumbersome to groove on.

Honestly, if you're interested, who knows, you may like it, but really, if you want a decent graphite neck, try to dig up a Modulus (though I hear mixed reports on graphite tone) or even a Peavey G bass.
 
#3
I've read a few comments about Moses that would make me think carefully before getting one. Have you tried a search?

I have Status graphite necks on two of my J basses (fretted and fretless) and they are excellent. Build and finish quality are fantastic and both basses sound great to me. I'm sure the necks have a big influence here (as does the neck on any bass, of course). Both basses just ring like a bell when tapped on the back of the neck, and when you play them they really have a stong resonant sound character, full of harmonics and presence. Awesome! Not the cheapest necks you'll find, but highly recommended by me and others.
 
#7
I once had a jazz neck with diamondwood board. I loved the profile and ultra-smooth finish of the neck, and the diamondwood fingerboard really warmed up the sound. However, there were some QC issues that I thought shouldn't exist on something in that price range. There were a couple of 'bubbles' in the composite, as well as a few fret slots that were cut deeper than the fret wire itself. Also, there was a small crack, or separation, between the fingerboard and neck near the nut. All in all, nothing that affected the playability, but the attention to detail wasn't quite what I expected.
 
#8
I put together a Deluxe 5 with a Moses neck, no diamondwood board. Sound and quality are great. My only complaint was that it took an additional month to get than originally quoted, however it was custom so this isn't too out of the ordinary.
The sound is Warm and Solid, Bright but not Brittle. Sustain for WEEKS!! The fretwork was great. There were some very small voids or bubbles that are barely noticeable visually and don't effect feel or playability whatsoever. I ordered it with no script on the pegboard, it isn't shiny and reflective. It has a nice "raw" look to it for graphite which I like. It also has a truss rod to allow for minor adjustments.
I haven't tried a Status so I can make no comparison.
 
#10
Jay Terrien said:
There is really nice guy on TalkBass who sent me a great MP3 link of his Status, which I believe had a Status Jazz neck on it.
Click to expand...

Gee, thanks Jay! I'm the "nice guy" ;)
And here's the link to the Link Removed.

Details again for those who'd like them - Warmoth J body (swamp ash/maple top), Status graphite fretless neck, EMG J's, BAII bridge. I'm trying REALLY hard not to post the pic again... :D
 
#11
marcusalan said:
Honestly, if you're interested, who knows, you may like it, but really, if you want a decent graphite neck, try to dig up a Modulus (though I hear mixed reports on graphite tone) or even a Peavey G bass.
Click to expand...


+1 on the g-bass... I love mine. My profile has a link to my homepage... listen to teh song called "6 hours... for this?" that is a peavey G-bass. Sounds great, me thinks.
 
#12
lowphatbass said:
I haven't tried a Status so I can make no comparison.
Click to expand...

Lowphat, you should try one of these if you get the chance, although I'll warn you now you may well want to buy it if you do. Status are definitely amongst the truly great basses and can hold their own against anything else. I don't think they get the attention they deserve on TB, possibly because some guys aren't happy about graphite necks. That's okay if graphite's not your bag, but as you like your Moses neck I'm pretty sure you'd love a Status bass! :bassist:

Bill
 
#13
I really like my moses graphite. Super nice feel. No dead notes. nice dimensions. However, the brass inserts that the neck bolts go into have a tendency to come loose and "unscrew" themselves. Time for some superglue.

I got mine used for $200 and avoided any possible problems buying direct from the company.
 
#15
I ordered a Moses neck for my SR5 back in 99. workmanship was good, felt good, but after I had it installed, I had several dead spots on it. Hard to believe with a graphite neck but according to Moses, the body was causing the dead areas in the neck. They gladly took it back and I replaced it with the original neck. which actually sounded better than the graphite anyway. Status is the king, and to me more the modulus.\
Believe me, Status basses, at least the ones I've heard and played were amazing.
Just my nickels worth.
 

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