• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Sei Owner's Club (Part 2)

Status
Not open for further replies.
#21
Well, I'm back in good old Blighty, after a 3 week holiday in California. The weather was fantastic, the place brilliant and I'm really "glad" to be back!! Anyway, the old forum has just taken off whilst I have not been looking. Almost an extra 100 posts, new members, the infamous SEI / WAL bass and a thread busting 1,000 postings. All credit to Paddy for starting the whole thing off and to everyone who contributes to it!

KCoble, welcome but what a bummer...my holiday was based in Los Angeles so I was probably reasonably "close" to where you live. I especially liked the headless fretless 6 (S/N 6), which with a serial number like that must be some 14 or so years old (mine is almost 13 years old and is S/N 24). Your Millennium 7 will be something else by the looks of things, especially with Ritter p/u's and electronics (tried several Ritters in the US and was really rather impressed with the electronics). You must keep us posted on the progress with that please.

Spark, welcome and really nice to see you SEI bass, with the WAL electronics. I can only wonder what that bass must be like...especially as it is fretless (the only way to be!! :hiding: ).

Mike, your bass just gets better and better every thime I see it...really beautiful. Hope you had a great time in Crete on holiday!

Melt, your bass is just beautiful. I have always liked headless SEI basses (visually and practically) and yours is right up IMO.

Kevin, your bass looked great in that review. Have you told Martin, so he can put a link on his web-site?

Glad I was out of the country when that 6 string went on eBay for just £841. Rediculously cheap and I would have been very tempted it I had known about it (even though it was fretted...:D).

My amp system is unlikely to appeal to most. With the lowest note on the SEI 8 going to be low C#0 (17 Hz), I have a specially modified Glockenklang pre-amp feeding into a Crest CA9 power amp that in turn drives a PJB 24B speaker. Produces a sound like no other I have ever heard, but very heavy...:( I tried Mark bass, loved the lightness of it all but could not get a really clear deep powerful sound out it before with started getting a bit thick and muddy for my likings. Anyone got any experience of ther PJB Bass Buddy, which I am thinking of buying for practicing purposes?

7 String, hope you get Jezable sorted out. I suggest playing with your pre-amp before changing the bass, especially given how flexible those Art Nightbass things are. Otherwise check with Martin what he would recommend.

SuperSeagulls, welcome and a lovely looking 4 string Sei you have there.

Paddy, Matthew, Ben Lesser, Mike etc, thanks for kind comments and queries re the SEI 8. I am scheduled to pick it on Friday 14 September (with my wife on our wedding anniversary!), but you can sneak a look at it on the SEI web-site under the Custom pictures section on the Sei web-site (keep clicking on the blue arrow titled "More" in the top right hand corner of the page until you get to it). Alex has done a couple of great pictures, but as we all know they never do justice to the real thing. Sure made coming back from my holiday a little more exciting knowing I was going to pick it up in a couple of weeks!..:hyper: :hyper: :hyper:

Anyway, I must get to bed now and try to start getting over this jet lag stuff.
 
#22
I've been using the Petersen Strobostomp for a while now and I'm really pleased with it. The sweetened tunings really make a difference - especially when playing open chords on a guitar. The bass tuning is really to help it keep with the low end of a piano, which is great but I haven't really noticed being particularly better with a guitar.

It does also take a while to get used to - but once you do it's really easy.

Good luck with it!
 
#23
Thanks for the link to the pics to the beast Sei24Bass - it's still as big as I remember :D :bassist: :bassist:

Loving that neck - purpleheart and maple I believe, same spec as my in progress fretless. :hyper:

I have a Bass Buddy for practice - its not the cheapest but I think it's a cool little unit. It's quite flexible, the compressor/limiter works ok. If ever you play along to CD/MP3 through the line in you can volume match to the bass level. It does take 2 9volt batteries, mines always run off the mains so can't comment on battery life. I've not asked it drive any speakers yet though - but it can drive an 8Ohm cab. Some have said it can be noisy (hiss) but I've not found this but I haven't used it in a live environment, it's always been a headphone amp. Does what it says on the tin really...
 
#24
That Sei 8 fretless is simply stunning :hyper:

I saw the bass whilst it was in construction and it looked pretty darn good then..

The end result is simply amazing. I like the small touches such as the wooden knobs and the pickup and truss rod covers :bassist:

From the amount of effort and research you've put into the project Ben, I'm sure that it's everything you want it to be and collecting on your wedding anniversary is a nice touch as well.

A fantastic example of not only Martin's skill, but also how he interacts with a customer who has such precise requirements :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:
 
#25
matthewfoote said:
BTW I think that Sei24bass owes us some pictures and a review of his fretless 8 because if I am not mistaken it is finished!! I can also say it looks totally stunning and the body facing is unreal!
Click to expand...
Mike Flynn said:
I have seen, and played, this bass - and it's a gaddamnded freak!!!! It will utterly blow you away - but I have to admit it's totally not my bag - but Martin has done it again - his craftsmanship is just jaw dropping!
Click to expand...
Paddy said:
I've held the 8 string behemoth as well. What a beast, totally amazing and jaw dropping but my poor little hands just couldn't cope.
Click to expand...
7string said:
That Sei 8 fretless is simply stunning :hyper: I saw the bass whilst it was in construction and it looked pretty darn good then.. The end result is simply amazing. I like the small touches such as the wooden knobs and the pickup and truss rod covers :bassist: From the amount of effort and research you've put into the project Ben, I'm sure that it's everything you want it to be and collecting on your wedding anniversary is a nice touch as well. A fantastic example of not only Martin's skill, but also how he interacts with a customer who has such precise requirements :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:
Click to expand...
+1 on Martin’s amazing craftsmanship. The SEI 8 really is an example of his expertise at every stage, from the design through to the finishing touches. I truly believe only Martin could have built this bass for me and everything about it is all down to him and the amazing work he does.

Anyway, here are the pictures from the Sei web-site:
custom8fl.jpg
custom8flbk.jpg
custom8flhs.jpg
 
#30
Notrt

Have you got your Sei yet and if so, what are your initial impressions. In particular how you are getting on with the fanned frets and the upper register access. I ask because looking at some Dingwalls the upper access looks next to impossible, whilst on your Sei it looks really easy and a much more sensible arrangement..

Also have you any further pictures to supplement the ones on the site because the more photo's the better as far as I am concerned.

Regards

Matthew
 
#31
matthewfoote said:
Ben

As I am very lazy, could you post the spec's of your new bass again for me. I am particularly interested in the wood used for the facings.

Regards

Matthew
Click to expand...

Matthew, the facings are Thuya root (front, back and headstock), with an alder core. Neck is maple and purpleheart, with an ebony fretboard (3 octave using 35" scale length). Villex pickups, Glockenklang circuitry and Ghost piezo system just about rounds up the spec.

I will be picking it up on Friday 14 Sept (:hyper:), so head down to The Gallery before then if you want to have a try.
 
#33
Wow, that bass looks amazing - makes me look forward even more to getting mine. Talking of which, I have a couple of queries some of you may be able to help me with...

1) LEDs - After reading the review of Kevin's bass in BGM, the idea of having LEDs in the side fret markers only seems like a really good idea. Those of you that use them - do you find that they help a lot? I don't have them now, but do have markers on the front which I don't want on my Sei. Do you think they're practical or just for looks?

2) Some of you may have seen the design I'd like to have on my elec. compartment cover. The problem is that the design is of my initials and therefore has some quite fine lines in it. Martin said that this may be tricky and could perhaps put them on a Mother of Pearl plate which would then go onto the cover. I'm not sure on this idea as I think that much MoP at once would be a bit too 'bling' for my liking. After a bit of research I've found out that Veneer is another option. Would this go straight onto the wood as I originally hoped? Or would this have to go onto a MoP plate too? Which colours can I use?

Sorry for the rambling questions - I hope i made sense! Here's the picture of my design again, in case it helps.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Cheers

Aidan
 
#34
Led, I just love them on hte side of the neck. Makes playing a whole lot easier especially on a dark stage or in your usual pub. I say go for them.

Re the inlay I think that MoP may look too bling but I am also not sure that wood is the answer. Sorry as I know that is not a helpful answer.

DSC_1754.jpg
[/IMG]

DSC_1750.jpg
[/IMG]

Regards

Matthew
 
#35
Wow that 8-string fretless is stunning now that it's complete!

Unfortunately it's still going to be some time before I have photos of anything more than raw wood for my bass...
 
#36
Aidan, both my SEI basses have LEDs on the edge of the fretboard (aka the landing lights) and I would not be without them. They do not add much when playing in well lit areas, but are discrete and invaluable on the darker stages that I occasionally play on. You might want to use either a double LED or a different colour LED at the octave point, which otherwise might not always be obvious in the dark!

The thin fine lines I image might be a little difficult to do using wood inlays, but I could be totally wrong. I rather liked what Mark did, putting his signature in MoP at the octave point (that had some pretty fine lines in it).


Thanks to all for the positive comments about the Sei 8, especially those who are waiting for a new bass (not always easy seeing others getting their new toys). I have found the wait long this time, but there have been some very exciting times along the way and it has resulted in an amazing sense of excitement and anticipation re collecting it at the end of this week (:hyper: :hyper: :hyper:).
 
#37
kevin_lindsay said:
Hey!!!!

Don't forget that John Chapman is the guy who does most of the woodworking on the Sei Basses!! He's an absolute star!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Kevin, I meant to say that I had not forgotten about the excellent work John does...it's just talking to him and Martin made it clear that Martin had done the vast majority of the work on the SEI 8 (possibly due to its uniqueness).

Either way, it was very clear just what Kevin brings to Martin's operations when he was away on holiday and then jury service.
 
#38
Ben, how on earth are you going to wait until friday to collect your bass !! Geez, as you know I live in Glasgow, but I'd be there now :hyper:

I've been sat twiddling the knobs and pressing the many buttons on my ART Nightbass SE to get the exact sound I want from Jezebel...

I had to go back and refer to the 90 page manual to edit the patches I had. In the end, I've managed to get a really cool sound to work from. Just using some compression, a little reverb and some eq.

The eq setting is quite strange, but I'm so pleased with the results. Especially now that I can take the basic sound and add to it to create either something mellow, or something quite extreme. I also have the rather extreme ART Ultrafoot, which has 10 buttons and 2 continuos controllers which can be assigned to any effect (and it looks cool too!!)

The eq is arranged like this:
-2db : 250hz
-9db : 640hz
-9db : 1.6kHz
-9db : 4KHz
+4db : 10KHz

OK, that wasn't strictly necessary, but at least I know that I can get the sound out of the pre, without having to resort to Jezebel having some surgery :bassist: :bassist:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back