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Music Man Caprice: True Boutique Quality

#461
My pickguards are finally on their way. They shipped from Chico, CA to Sacramento, CA and back NINE times! Finally Chandler, from Pickguard Planet was able to intercept, cover up the return address and now USPS has figured out how to send it to me. Probably the most bizzare postal thing I've ever seen.

If they are here tomorrow, I'll try each one and take some photos to share. I have my white/mint Caprice now too, so I'm going to swap necks as well, but only after I show you the options with either pickguard.
 
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#463
Have a heart broken problem with my Caprice. Because of the light weight body and larger headstock and the fact that they used the standard MM keys which made it neck heavy, I did switch out the keys to Gotoh resolites which took off almost 5 ounces and solved the neck dive for the most part. I play my bass 70% of the time sitting down I realized I had another issue with balancing this bass....the ergonomics! Somehow the body shape does not fit with me comfortably. It's always sliding forward and I'm using my tension in hands holding on to it and not playing 100% freely. Yes I can use a strap and hang it off my shoulder sitting but that is still not the way to go. I pick up my Jazz, P and a Rick and I do not have this problem. The Jazz and P totally comfortable. This obviously creates a dilemma and I don't want to be relagated to just standing. Hard to believe but as good as this bass is I might have to trade it in or return it.
 
#464
copacetic said:
Have a heart broken problem with my Caprice. Because of the light weight body and larger headstock and the fact that they used the standard MM keys which made it neck heavy, I did switch out the keys to Gotoh resolites which took off almost 5 ounces and solved the neck dive for the most part. I play my bass 70% of the time sitting down I realized I had another issue with balancing this bass....the ergonomics! Somehow the body shape does not fit with me comfortably. It's always sliding forward and I'm using my tension in hands holding on to it and not playing 100% freely. Yes I can use a strap and hang it off my shoulder sitting but that is still not the way to go. I pick up my Jazz, P and a Rick and I do not have this problem. The Jazz and P totally comfortable. This obviously creates a dilemma and I don't want to be relagated to just standing. Hard to believe but as good as this bass is I might have to trade it in or return it.
Click to expand...
Let me suggest a small foot stool to raise your right leg.
 
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#465
Stevorebob said:
Let me suggest a small foot stool to raise your right leg.
Click to expand...
I tried that and a barstool as well. I can't really put my finger on it (no pun intended or...maybe) but it might be because of the elongated lower bout or something like that. Frustrating. I did think the shape was unusual the first time I saw it and figured it must have something to do with ergonomics. Well they are not working with me.
 
#466
copacetic said:
Have a heart broken problem with my Caprice. Because of the light weight body and larger headstock and the fact that they used the standard MM keys which made it neck heavy, I did switch out the keys to Gotoh resolites which took off almost 5 ounces and solved the neck dive for the most part. I play my bass 70% of the time sitting down I realized I had another issue with balancing this bass....the ergonomics! Somehow the body shape does not fit with me comfortably. It's always sliding forward and I'm using my tension in hands holding on to it and not playing 100% freely. Yes I can use a strap and hang it off my shoulder sitting but that is still not the way to go. I pick up my Jazz, P and a Rick and I do not have this problem. The Jazz and P totally comfortable. This obviously creates a dilemma and I don't want to be relagated to just standing. Hard to believe but as good as this bass is I might have to trade it in or return it.
Click to expand...

I only played a Caprice in a store sitting down and noticed the same thing. Bass doesn't sit balanced in my lap at all. I always use a strap sitting and standing, and when standing I set the strap to hold the bass near the same position it would be if I were sitting. This is so I can practice and/or perform standing or sitting and the bass will always be in the same position for my body. I used to have the bass hang low, but practiced sitting down, and that didn't work out for me.

That being said. I'll send you $850 right now to take that unbalanced monster off your hands! :hyper:
 
#470
Ok. My pickguards finally showed up. So I tried the black pearl first...
Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on coral red Caprice

Black pearl on Black pearl on coral red Caprice red Caprice

Black pearl on Black pearl on coral red Caprice red Caprice


Then I tried the white pearl which I liked better...
White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice

White pearl on coral red Caprice


So I'll keep the white pearl on, but the black could look good on the white Caprice, so I gave it a quick check...
Test of back pearl on white Caprice

Test of back pearl on white Caprice

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#476
As an fyi and a comment on the amazingness of this instrument, consider this: I am and always have been primarily a fretless player. I've gone for up to seven years without even owning a fretted bass in the past. I play fretless exclusively in the two bands I'm in right now. Yet now when I'm playing little fantasy games like "What bass would I keep if I could only have one?", I'm finding it hard to say I would give up the Caprice. I'm pretty sure in the end I would have to let the Caprice go, but there has *never* been a point in my life where this has even been a difficult question for me: *always* before it was an easy answer, that of course I'd just keep my favorite fretless, duh! Now it is a heart-wrenching question that I'm truly glad I don't have to seriously entertain. That's how wonderful this bass is.
 
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