I'm a vintage retro reissue guy, but interested to hear about ultra modern basses. Stuff that doesn't use older designs, unlike the ubiquitous dreadnoughts of the acoustic world. Extra points for more than four strings, fanned frets, and crystal clear ice cold metallic scooped tonality.
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Poll - favorite ultra modern bass brands
- Thread starter Doug4321
- Start date
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,235
- 45,141
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Zon. Poll is incomplete without Zon and carrots...
Been gigging a Warwick for years, just got a Ken Smith that's awesome, and always wanted a Tobias (not so into MTD though).
There are some pics... so you know it happened
There are some pics... so you know it happened
Fender precision bass with tort and flats. Sunburst!
I think Alembic will always be my favorite but really, they are kinda old school (in a really good way).
My ultra modern pick was Dingwall. They do some seriously cool work. Good medium, affordable line of basses with modern features and a custom line with lots of neat stuff.
Bones
My ultra modern pick was Dingwall. They do some seriously cool work. Good medium, affordable line of basses with modern features and a custom line with lots of neat stuff.
Bones
Kiesel. Pick your poison and build what you want.
Vox! From The Jetsons alternate timeline.
I don't know how ultra-modern some of these are when they're over 40 years old.
Ned Steinberger started making headless basses with synthetic materials in the late 70s, and those features are still too weird for any but a few custom builders today. Bless Ibanez for at least trying to make them mainstream outside of the high-end customs market, in fits and starts anyway.
Ned Steinberger started making headless basses with synthetic materials in the late 70s, and those features are still too weird for any but a few custom builders today. Bless Ibanez for at least trying to make them mainstream outside of the high-end customs market, in fits and starts anyway.
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Industrial Radio MIDI Bass. And yes, it sure looks like any ordinary bass.
Also the short-lived Line 6 basses were great, while looking like any ordinary bass.
Also the short-lived Line 6 basses were great, while looking like any ordinary bass.
- Jul 7, 2010
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- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
What does ultra-modern mean?
Spector NS has been around since 1977. That's 43 years. Modern? Sure, compared to classic passive Fender. But I would think "ultra" would apply to something newer than 43 years ago. Maybe something from last 10, 15 years?
Same with Ibanez - the SR (because Ibanez has made MANY models, some not considered modern) has been around 33 years.
I would say Fender has also made modern instruments, if you consider active electronics part of what makes an instrument modern. There's the Aerodyne and others.
Spector NS has been around since 1977. That's 43 years. Modern? Sure, compared to classic passive Fender. But I would think "ultra" would apply to something newer than 43 years ago. Maybe something from last 10, 15 years?
Same with Ibanez - the SR (because Ibanez has made MANY models, some not considered modern) has been around 33 years.
I would say Fender has also made modern instruments, if you consider active electronics part of what makes an instrument modern. There's the Aerodyne and others.
Exactly! How can you talk about "ultra-modern" brands and leave these off the list?
Then there's Aristides also exploring new materials, and Strandberg with their own neck-shape and general take on ergonomics.
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