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No more Fleabasses?

Harper

Harper

Nov 10, 2001
1,262
2,231
#1
From the October 2011 issue of Bass Player Magazine...

"I started to make my own basses, the Flea Bass. But the business side of things was so frustrating that I just couldn't continue. It was so hard for me to do what I wanted to really do - to make a quality, affordable bass for kids. I love the idea of it, and I really wanted to try to give something great to bass players, but I didn't enjoy the business in any way at any time." - Flea

He also talks about how the new record was recorded with old Fenders and calls his Modulus basses "great", saying they guys there were great to him.
 
#3
What killed me about those fleabasses is that he said that his main goal was to create a quality affordable bass for kids, yet Invalid Link Removed. Kinda ridiculous when there are plenty of decent new starter basses for less than $300.

Plus the fact that they're hideously ugly.

-Y
 
#7
Yools said:
What killed me about those fleabasses is that he said that his main goal was to create a quality affordable bass for kids, yet Invalid Link Removed. Kinda ridiculous when there are plenty of decent new starter basses for less than $300.
Click to expand...

This was one of the major turn-offs about the Fleabass, IMO. The price was just way too high for what they offered. By the time the $299 Street Bass came out, the damage was already done.

Honestly, I don't know how they were expected to compete in the marketplace with those prices, given what's already out there.
 
#13
And nothing of value was lost. He was entering an already over-saturated market (entry level instruments) with an insultingly high price point banking on his name recognition. Or at least someone else was. For the price of a new Fleabass I could buy a fretted and fretless Squier VM/CV used and still have leftover money for post-gig drinks.
 
#14
LMAO. Theres several basses in that price range and below that are better qaulity. Thehwhole thing imo was a joke money making thing. And the fleabass they put out was a poor qaulity thing that aimed to sell to ignorant kids based on bright colors and name on it rather then qaulity product imo.
 
#16
Personally, I'm gonna miss those childish, flashy, obnoxiously colored basses on Schmitt's bass wall. The ones I had tried were decent playing and sounding instruments. Besides the fact they sometimes fell apart in your hands (literally,it's happened to me before, at no fault of my own) they were great for slap style playing!
Play 1 chili peppers song on one of those through an ampeg, and tell me it doesn't sound good(for the most part).
 

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