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NBD: Lecompte Darkstar P4T4 ('51 P Style)

Rumblefisher

Rumblefisher

Supporting Member
Aug 22, 2007
4,960
4,099
#1
Skip to the ***starred*** part further down the thread to forgo the jibber jabber :)

Hey, good evening guys! I am currently in the hospital library but excited about this, so much so that I had to take a break to post here. I recently traded for an Xotic Jazz bass (wonderful basses) but I was really missing a Darkstar'd bass... I had 5 DS pickups at one point last year, but I kept selling them off to fund a number of career oriented necessities... books, study programs, test fees, application fees, travel expenses, etc...which I'll have to save up for again this coming year...but ANYWAY, back to being happy for now :) ...

The opportunity to get a Darkstar bass presented itself this afternoon. A local (Philly) player was checking out my Spacerocket pedal (latest casualty) and let me know that he had just acquired a "new" bass that he might be willing to trade for some gear. Well, I have 6 bass cabs, of which I only ever really need 2 at a time, and a couple of amps that I don't use...seriously, I was on an Acoustic Image kick in the last 2 years and acquired them like they were going out of style.

Basically, he said he was looking for $2000 worth of trade items, as that's what he paid for the bass. I told him that was a little steep for me, but we looked online (Bud Lecompte stopped selling basses :( which I'm sure you guys knew) and, well, yeah...it looks like they sold for anywhere from $1500-3000...this one priced out near $2200 new, and with the value of Hammon Darkstars ever climbing, $2000 for a used, but mint bass with a rare pickup seemed about right.

So, OK, his figure checked out, and I offered 2 cabs, both LDS two way cabs with Faital 12s and 18sound mid drivers, and Acoustic Image Clarus Series III 2 channel amp, and a couple of pedals (Dr Scientist Cleanness, Empress Buffer w/ Boost, and an Fdeck HPF Series 3). All quality stuff, probably would have gotten more than $2K selling it piecemeal, but again I really wasn't using it, and space is at a premium.

To be honest, I don't even know if I can afford to keep the bass and I don't even have it yet...and I guess it'll be easier to sell it and get a 'lump sum' if I really needed to instead of selling all that other stuff bit by bit..but I'm just focusing on being happy with it at least for a little bit. I'm hoping to keep it for a long time, I'm sure I'll love it. I just wanted to share my thought process as to how I justified acquiring it :D

***
It's a pretty famous bass apparently. Born in 2008 for NAMM, here are some pics of it in its glory, being played by Bud Lecompte and Fred Hammon, two respected masters of their craft. How could I not be excited?! :D
 

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#10
Nice score! I absolutely adore Darkstars.

A dual Darkstar Warmoth G4 with a Status-Graphite neck has been my main player for a number of years. I've recently started using my Jazz bass (also with a Status-Graphite neck, and 18V EMG JVX/BTC electronics) a lot, but every time I pull out the DS'd bass... man... Those pickups have a certain magic to them that I absolutely love. When I'm sitting at home, and want to sound like Nathan East or Marcus Miller, I don't really like them. As soon as I get in the studio, or on the gig, I realize how magical they are in the mix. No volume pot, no tone pot, just a 3-way pickup selector, and I've got everything I need for most gigs. 50/50 and it's passive Jazz territory, neck-solo it's a P-Bass killer, and bridge solo yields a great Jaco thing (my playing does not yield a Jaco thing unfortunately). I've used Darkstars in a pop-funk band (50/50 blend fingerstyle and slap, and occasionally bridge-solo fingerstyle). In an 80s rock band (neck-solo with a pick). In a hiphop band (50/50 blend fingerstyle). In a pop-folk project (neck-solo fingerstyle). In a modern country band (drop-D tuning, 50/50 fingerstyle). They never disappoint. Ever. I really wanted to do a dual Darkstar Fenderbird while Fred was still making these regularly, and Warmoth was still offering a Thunderbird body.
 
#14
I'm really torn lately as to whether or not I want a P bass or a DS bass.
I know, I know, done to death, I've read all (ALL) the threads on it again and again.
Obvious answer is both, but I can't afford that right now. There will always be P basses around, I know, but honestly I want to quit the revolving door of basses and find one that I want to practice on all the time. The original plan was for a fiesta red P from USACG with Hipshot hardware and a Fralin stock P. That the Lecompte popped up threw me for a loop...it was totally random!
 
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#15
Got the bass yesterday, and I really can't put it down.
The E and A strings are so organic, they sound "woody" almost hollowbody!
I do think that the Darkstar is indeed very dynamic, and sounds NOTHING like a precision pickup...

I've come across so many comparison threads, and these pups are really not alike...Might as well compare a MM to a Bridge J. Do they have some similarities? Yes, probably 2/2 placement. Precision has that awesome mid bump though, that gentle push that's just a little bit more pronounced than the bass or treble. The DS is much more even-keeled across the spectrum. It's also not that "hot" but it certainly is articulate, and there is a decent bit of volume to it!

I'd say P bass is more (B/M/T) 6/8/5 and the DS is 7/6/6.
 
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