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New Modulus?
- Thread starter InnerBass
- Start date
looks like the vj4 they offered before they shuttered their doors a few years ago. maybe a few new offers and upgrades. you can usually find a few vj4's for sale for a decent price these days.
Wow. Good news and Bad ($$) news.
I've had 2 FU4's, first one for some reason didn't do it for me, 2nd one- forsome reason I loved it, but not enough in the end to keep it from the "Sold" category.
And now, I'm really glad to see they found a way back into production- But man, those prices!!
My basses were around 1/2 that price, and even tho I see upgrades like Lane-Poors, and woods, etc.
IDK-
That's a lot of money, especially with G.Gould as an option; last time I checked, they were quite a bit less pricey than
what the "new" Modulus is asking for.
OTOH- Everything is getting pricier. Sadowskys I believe would start at around 4K, Lakland $3K or so, FCS, F-Bass, etc.
are all in approx. the same high-dollar range.
And the basses look Niiiice! Tony is a very cool guy, he has always stood by the brand.
And if a player is feeling what the Graphite necks are like, and the sheer thunder of a Modulus- They are of a caliber all their own.
My .02- They will become a very niche, very high-end expensive bass, very limited to those players who have both the desire for the Brand and the pocketbook to make it happen!
Good Luck, Tony- They look awesome.
I've had 2 FU4's, first one for some reason didn't do it for me, 2nd one- forsome reason I loved it, but not enough in the end to keep it from the "Sold" category.
And now, I'm really glad to see they found a way back into production- But man, those prices!!
My basses were around 1/2 that price, and even tho I see upgrades like Lane-Poors, and woods, etc.
IDK-
That's a lot of money, especially with G.Gould as an option; last time I checked, they were quite a bit less pricey than
what the "new" Modulus is asking for.
OTOH- Everything is getting pricier. Sadowskys I believe would start at around 4K, Lakland $3K or so, FCS, F-Bass, etc.
are all in approx. the same high-dollar range.
And the basses look Niiiice! Tony is a very cool guy, he has always stood by the brand.
And if a player is feeling what the Graphite necks are like, and the sheer thunder of a Modulus- They are of a caliber all their own.
My .02- They will become a very niche, very high-end expensive bass, very limited to those players who have both the desire for the Brand and the pocketbook to make it happen!
Good Luck, Tony- They look awesome.
Thanks for the info ! The link said they were making them on a limited basis. I have a 1992 Zon Sonus and I like the fretboard and the tone of the Barts. I just don't dig that massive headstock or the wider neck. These look really nice. Maybe on the used market? Might be awhile though. Suh-weet!
Yeah, their comment "We are currently producing 2 - 4 basses per month" really stood out for me. I get that it's a hand-built instrument, and that Modulus is (now) a one-man operation, but that still strikes me as a surprisingly spartan production schedule. Are they doing paint in-house? I guess between finish work and final assembly (hardware, electronics, etc.) it's not unreasonable to take more than 5 business days for one of their basses to be birthed...but it does suggest that they're either
A) only building to order; or
B) not batch-building sub-assemblies
...both of which could point to limited demand. Or that Modulus still isn't a full-time operation yet.
I think you're correct on all counts; that is:
Hand-built, small, (Probably more than 1 man but still small) operation, all leading to the ltd. number of instruments per month, and limited demand as well, as they are, especially now, "niche" and pretty hihg-$$ instruments. Modulus was always a small op, compared to Fender, Gibson etc. of course.
The Modulus finishes were always absolutely phenomenal, either they'll continue that in-house or if not, Pat Wilkins e.g. could take care of it!
As far as full-time, I believe Tony from Planet Bass joined with Joe Pearman (sp?) one of the Modulus people before.
So I imagine it's a full-time endeavor split-with and combined -with Planet Bass.
They come up used every now and then. There's a few on the 'bay that sold within the last few months, not even 1/2 the starting price of the new ones.
Pbassmanca
In the pocket n' thumpy. So woody, so greasy...
I've never had a chance to play a modulus graphite neck bass, but from the look and sound of things they've only ever produced a stellar product and how can you beat a neck made of graphite for stability? I mean at the end of the day if you want a great sounding/ looking/ playing bass that's super stable, for 4 grand it's not that bad of a price. As was previously mentioned in the thread Sadowsky's Lakland's Fender Custom shops, everything extremely well-made in the high-end starts at that price point if not a little bit less or more. So really , if the guy is producing the same or better quality as before in a smaller shop, if I want a Modulus , I'm going to give the guy his 4 G's and be super happy with my bass.
Pbassmanca
In the pocket n' thumpy. So woody, so greasy...
You WILL be happy, that I can pretty much guarantee.
They are sweet as a graham-cracker crust!
I played that Zon Sonus for over 10 yrs on the road 5/6 nights a week and the neck never wavered. I have just grown accustomed to J necks now and for the longer gigs they are really comfy. The Modulus J necks look narrow and chunky - which suits me fine. Ok - I think I'm kinda GAS- ing. Help!
I hear ya! I'm glad to see them building again... I own a 95 Quantum 5 & love it, I bought it used a couple years ago, for half price of a new one. I will continue to buy "high end" basses on the used market, it really has given me the opportunity to find some awesome deals on boutique gear.
Should've never sold mine...but got what I wanted with the dough...they are way overpriced now.
Really they are in line with other boutique companies the original company is no longer here due to their pricing their product too low.
