So NBD was actually last week, but I was fighting off a nasty chest infection and didn't feel like doing much of anything.
Much much better this week and managed to give this bad boy a spin. Played it straight into my GK 108 combo set to flat, no effects or anything, and through my PJB Bighead 2 and headphones. Both very clear and uncoloured, so I could really listen to what the bass' own sound was.
I've wanted a fretless for years now, and joining a technical death metal band was the excuse I needed to pull the trigger on it. Of all the fretless 6s around (which are surprisingly few) this was the best deal overall.
It looks pretty slick, workmanship is a solid 8/10. The lines on the body between the different types of wood aren't as perfect as I hoped (but then again I'm comparing it to my Marleaux...) but the feel is great. Hardware is solid and the knobs are really nice feeling with a reassuring firmness to them. The bass is the lightest neckthru I've yet tried, and sits well on a strap. Balance is great. Neck is smooth and while a tiny bit broader than my other 6's, still very playable. Neck is however thinner than my Warwick.
Straight out the box the action is pretty good, needed a little bit of tweaking with the tools provided (I play 1 step downtuned).
Sound is deep, rich and versatile. Pickups are excellent - might eventually swap them out for Nordstrand Big Singles but for now the Bartolinis are just fine. The mid switch is fun to mess with and while not as universally adaptable as a sweepable mid frequency, will probably come in very handy when cutting through a mix.
Playing fretless (even lined fretless) is a whole different animal to normal bass! It's going to be quite a wild ride to nail this but I love the expressiveness of this instrument.
Will be giving it a proper go with a band in January (a whole bunch of punk/thrash gigs over the xmas/NY period meaning I won't have a chance to) and will report back but so far, so very very good.
Much much better this week and managed to give this bad boy a spin. Played it straight into my GK 108 combo set to flat, no effects or anything, and through my PJB Bighead 2 and headphones. Both very clear and uncoloured, so I could really listen to what the bass' own sound was.
I've wanted a fretless for years now, and joining a technical death metal band was the excuse I needed to pull the trigger on it. Of all the fretless 6s around (which are surprisingly few) this was the best deal overall.
It looks pretty slick, workmanship is a solid 8/10. The lines on the body between the different types of wood aren't as perfect as I hoped (but then again I'm comparing it to my Marleaux...) but the feel is great. Hardware is solid and the knobs are really nice feeling with a reassuring firmness to them. The bass is the lightest neckthru I've yet tried, and sits well on a strap. Balance is great. Neck is smooth and while a tiny bit broader than my other 6's, still very playable. Neck is however thinner than my Warwick.
Straight out the box the action is pretty good, needed a little bit of tweaking with the tools provided (I play 1 step downtuned).
Sound is deep, rich and versatile. Pickups are excellent - might eventually swap them out for Nordstrand Big Singles but for now the Bartolinis are just fine. The mid switch is fun to mess with and while not as universally adaptable as a sweepable mid frequency, will probably come in very handy when cutting through a mix.
Playing fretless (even lined fretless) is a whole different animal to normal bass! It's going to be quite a wild ride to nail this but I love the expressiveness of this instrument.
Will be giving it a proper go with a band in January (a whole bunch of punk/thrash gigs over the xmas/NY period meaning I won't have a chance to) and will report back but so far, so very very good.
Big fan of Linus Klausenitzer as well!
