Embellisher,was the B or any of the strings wrapped in brown thread.The ones that came on my bass may have been taper wound also.Its been awhile,and I gave up on finding out what they were.
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Pedulla Rapture 2000
- Thread starter Pietzsa
- Start date
To Brad Johnson and Megaangus.I had a very similar experience with the Reverend 5 string.I played 3 of them at different guitar shows and they sucked.I really wanted them to be good,cause I wanted to get a 35" scale 5 string that was cheap.So I could see if I could handle it(35").But every Reverend I tried was awful.I went in the Reverend thread (thats about a month old and has about 200 replies.)and I was the only party pooper.Until someone else played the same ones I played at a different show.And had the same opinion.So I know you must be scratching your head about us,as I was about them.A few responses back I said I played a new wide neck Rapture.I did .It buzzed so bad ,if I didnt know better I would have drawn the same conclusion as you guys.I played it at guitar center,and the "salesman" there said "we dont set them up at all".Dumb but thats what they do.And it seems the manufacturers set ups are ALWAYS way to low.I guess they think we will be impressed with the "great action".Even to the point of making there product unplayable.
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
Count me in as a big Pedulla Rapture J2 fan. I have a Fender as well, and I like it too, but the PRJ2 is my primary bass. I use the Fender when I play with one group where we all have white instruments.
The Raptures has a wide variety of useful tones. It's playability is great... it works great for tap, slap and finger walking styles. I haven't picked it yet, but I bet it would sound tough. Even with older strings, I can coax harmonics out of it very well.
I have a back injury and I really appreciate the lightness of the Rapture as well. Plus, I'm kind of sleek in build, I prefer women who are sleek in build, and the sleeker-yet-Jazz-like shape of the Raptures is very appealing to me.
You should check out the review in Bassplayer magazine... the 5-string shootout. They said, among other things:
"It also has one of the best B's to be found at any price."
"meaty, piano-wire tone"
"the most versatile bass so far"
"unbelievable playability"
And in the end, one of the reviewers ranked it #1 among 5 string basses at ANY price, and another ranked it #2.
http://www.bassplayer.com/gear/5string.shtml
http://www.bassplayer.com/z1998/9801/pedulla.shtml
The Raptures has a wide variety of useful tones. It's playability is great... it works great for tap, slap and finger walking styles. I haven't picked it yet, but I bet it would sound tough. Even with older strings, I can coax harmonics out of it very well.
I have a back injury and I really appreciate the lightness of the Rapture as well. Plus, I'm kind of sleek in build, I prefer women who are sleek in build, and the sleeker-yet-Jazz-like shape of the Raptures is very appealing to me.
You should check out the review in Bassplayer magazine... the 5-string shootout. They said, among other things:
"It also has one of the best B's to be found at any price."
"meaty, piano-wire tone"
"the most versatile bass so far"
"unbelievable playability"
And in the end, one of the reviewers ranked it #1 among 5 string basses at ANY price, and another ranked it #2.
http://www.bassplayer.com/gear/5string.shtml
http://www.bassplayer.com/z1998/9801/pedulla.shtml
You missed my favorite quote from that article - 'J like growl from a B string', and it is SO true! I have played other basses with an awesome(yep, Laklands and Modulus are a LITTLE tighter, not much)B string, but I've NEVER found another B that sounds as good and growly as the Rapture, though the Thunderbolt 5 & 6 with the Bart J pickups come close.
I don't know if it's the pickups, construction, electronics or a combination of all 3, but the B on this bass sounds like the E string on my Fender Jazz!
Sounds like the oldies band I play in!
The singer won't let me play my Rapture 'Because they didn't have 5 strings in the 50's & 60's, it's not authentic!'
They had a pentabuzz there too...i couldnt really get it down, as theyd probably throw me in to a pit of crocodiles, but i did pluck the B string, and it was the same way. I was shocked! They were very floppy. But no, its not the part of the country, because the Fenders here are floppy too! As floppy as the Pedullas! (Well, more, but still!)
Doesnt make the string any less floppy!
And the bass was set up PERFECTLY, surprisingly enough! Low action, but without fret buzzes. I still dont think they have good B strings, but, obviously, its preference. But theres no denying its a beautiful and well constructed bass! Ill keep trying them, as soon as i can find them.
Sorry, Gump, I missed this one at first.. The strings have no thread at the bridge end, at the other end they have a blackish/dark greenish thread, doesn't really LOOK brown, I dunno, the thread is so dark it's kinda hard to tell..
Thanks.But this strings thead(at the headstock)was definitley brown like chocolate milk!(Yoo-hoo does not qualify.It is too light in color and is not really milk.)
Anybody know of any Pedulla retailers in Houston? I really don't feel like going to Timbuktoo to buy one. Great thread, right now I'm lusting between the PRJ2000 and a Musicman Sterling. Help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom7
I'm so bright, my mom called me son! ;-)
i don't know how much help I can be. I'm in Alaska and don't get much of an opportunity to try out many basses, but I can tell you that I'm surprised you regard the Sterling with the Rapture.
I would think the Rapture would be more versatile, but I don't know that.
The Rapture is so playable, and it is light enough to keep playing.
It really does have excellent tones.
And this is just a Tom thing, but I like Pedulla because it doesn't seem so commonplace -- at least not up here. It is a good bass with a good reputation that looks and plays great and I'm not such a cookie cutter bass banger as I play it. Keep in mind, though, that my other two basses are Fender, so you can see where that comes from.
I would think the Rapture would be more versatile, but I don't know that.
The Rapture is so playable, and it is light enough to keep playing.
It really does have excellent tones.
And this is just a Tom thing, but I like Pedulla because it doesn't seem so commonplace -- at least not up here. It is a good bass with a good reputation that looks and plays great and I'm not such a cookie cutter bass banger as I play it. Keep in mind, though, that my other two basses are Fender, so you can see where that comes from.
I'm not comparing the two. The Sterling is a one trick pony, but that is a trick that I adore. However the Rapture is the best looking bass I've ever seen and not heard. Every Guitar Center I go to when traveling, they have them at the top of the freakin' wall and I'd rather not bother the sometimes disgruntled employees. I really like Ernie Ball basses, but would also like something a bit more versitile since I'm a working musician. Would you regard the Rapture as a "play-all" bass?
I have a 68 P-bass,A first day G+L 1000,a first month G+L 1000,the very first G+L L-2500 Custom,A first month 76 Stingray(burst,wht.guard)a 78 fretless burst with ebony stingray,and on and on.For about 4 years now I only bring the Pedulla to live gigs.I bring the P,the Rays,and the Pedulla to record.Because I have the very first one I bought it sight unseen,sound unheard.It is versatile .And I have the single pick up version!I played a wide neck 2 pick up and now I want one.In this day of credit cards,Im not afraid to buy it,try it and send it back.If you do that make sure its set up!Or youll hate it.
I would not hesitate to use my Rapture 5 for any gig. Mine is the 1 pickup model and is very versatile. I think the most impressive thing about it is how it cuts through the mix. The guys won't say it because my Lakland dlx55 was so expensive, but I think they hear the Rapture better. IMHO, the only drawback to the Rapture is if you bang away at the B string it can sound muffled, played with touch it is fine. I only got a Lakland because (a) I could and (b) I wanted a bass with pretty wood (not painted). Pedulla has now fixed that and had I waited I would now have a flamed or quilted J2.
Here's the clincher, my wife has authorized the purchase of a Sadowsky p-j 5, but I'm dragging my feet because the Lakland and Pedulla pretty well cover all tones. She thinks its cool when guitarists (and bassists, e.g. 38 Special) change instruments throughout the nite. Personally, I think it's a pain.
and (b) I wanted a bass with pretty wood (not painted). Pedulla has now fixed that and had I waited I would now have a flamed or quilted J2.Here's the clincher, my wife has authorized the purchase of a Sadowsky p-j 5, but I'm dragging my feet because the Lakland and Pedulla pretty well cover all tones. She thinks its cool when guitarists (and bassists, e.g. 38 Special) change instruments throughout the nite. Personally, I think it's a pain.
Go to GC and make them take it down off the wall! But beware, once you play this bass, if your experience is the same mine, you will HAVE to buy the thing.
I played my Rapture for the first time, and it fit like a glove and sounded so good acoustically that even before I played it through an amp I knew that I had to buy it, whether I could afford it or not.
I played my Rapture for the first time, and it fit like a glove and sounded so good acoustically that even before I played it through an amp I knew that I had to buy it, whether I could afford it or not.
