Sei Owner's Club (Part 2)

[matthewfoote]

Hi all. Not sure if I should be asking this question on this board...but am sure I will get an informed answer! I'm thinking about selling my Sei - flamboyant 4 string, Barts, Shack pre-amp, LEDs, serial no 065. Its a beauty and I have so enjoyed owning it for the past 7 years. It was bought s/h from The Gallery. I'm increasingly finding myself drawn to a simpler approach to playing and my set up - I actually enjoy playing my Mustang and my Hohner more than the Sei. Its also a bass that I find needs constant tweaking of the set-up to get the best from it and thats not for me at this time. So...would be interested in thoughts on value or indeed what I am doing. Is it really a sensible option?!
Thanks all.

Superseagulls
I wpild recommend taking it back to the gallery and see what Martin and Alex suggest for a price. They may well have a buyer wanting a bass like yours on the books.

Do post some pics as I for one would love to have a look at it!

Regards

Matthew

 

[sei24bass]

Hi all. Not sure if I should be asking this question on this board...but am sure I will get an informed answer! I'm thinking about selling my Sei - flamboyant 4 string, Barts, Shack pre-amp, LEDs, serial no 065. Its a beauty and I have so enjoyed owning it for the past 7 years. It was bought s/h from The Gallery. I'm increasingly finding myself drawn to a simpler approach to playing and my set up - I actually enjoy playing my Mustang and my Hohner more than the Sei. Its also a bass that I find needs constant tweaking of the set-up to get the best from it and thats not for me at this time. So...would be interested in thoughts on value or indeed what I am doing. Is it really a sensible option?!
Thanks all.

Simple is good in my book. It is one of the many things I really love about my SEI 8 (I can instantly / easily get the sounds in my head regardless of the amplification I'm using) and one of the reasons why I recently sold my headless SEI 5 (I did sooo much knob twiddling with that bass and never did quite find what I wanted).

There is quite a lot of logic in the view that if you are extensively tweaking the EQ, you've probably got the wrong bass.

I’ve spent many a frustrated year with differing equipment, some better than others but none of which truly achieved what I wanted. However, I’ve had a lot of success in achieving the tones I want since I spent some time really working out their precise sonic characteristics (is ‘that’ tone warm/cold, laid back/upfront, bright/muted, open sounding/compressed etc). I can now easily tell whether a bass is any good for me by seeing whether it naturally produces the required characteristics, and it gets booted out if it doesn’t (SEI or otherwise...).

If you do decide to sell your SEI, I seriously suggest you sell it via Martin at The Gallery. They do charge a 15% commission, but even after that you are likely to get more than selling it via e-bay or Talk-Bass (from the prices I've seen).

Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[SuperSeagulls]

Appreciate the thoughts all. Going back to Martin is a sensible idea and I'll get that sorted as soon as I can get a day in London. I always swore I would never sell another bass but I just feel that a Sei deserves to be played not just left in a case.

Matthew - here are a couple of pics (if I have done this right!)

 

[melt]

Hi all. Not sure if I should be asking this question on this board...but am sure I will get an informed answer! I'm thinking about selling my Sei - flamboyant 4 string, Barts, Shack pre-amp, LEDs, serial no 065. Its a beauty and I have so enjoyed owning it for the past 7 years. It was bought s/h from The Gallery. I'm increasingly finding myself drawn to a simpler approach to playing and my set up - I actually enjoy playing my Mustang and my Hohner more than the Sei. Its also a bass that I find needs constant tweaking of the set-up to get the best from it and thats not for me at this time. So...would be interested in thoughts on value or indeed what I am doing. Is it really a sensible option?!
Thanks all.

Hi Superseagulls; yours is the one with the maple board with purfling, yes? Edit - you've now posted pics!!! That'll teach me to take so long to type! One of the best basses I've ever played. I wouldn't worry about selling it though if it's not floating your boat anymore. I sold my Flamboyant 6 and 4 when they no longer did it for me. If it helps I'm having a similar dilemma with my Alembic; I love it to bits but my back is getting worse again and I'm struggling to play it standing up, and as it's a Triple O shape it's not comfortable to play sitting down. When you've got a lot of money invested in an instrument but don't/can't use it it makes sense to let it go. I just haven't quite reached the point where I can yet, having waited 20 years to get it! Best of luck whatever you decide to do. Wish I could afford it, I'd have it in a heartbeat.

Mike, that bass is stunning! Congrats.....I hope to see it in the flesh someday! I want one too...

 

[matthewfoote]

Appreciate the thoughts all. Going back to Martin is a sensible idea and I'll get that sorted as soon as I can get a day in London. I always swore I would never sell another bass but I just feel that a Sei deserves to be played not just left in a case.

Matthew - here are a couple of pics (if I have done this right!)

View attachment 86483

View attachment 86484

SuperSeagulls
Thanks for sharing the pictures. That is a really beautiful bass you have there and I am sure it will go quickly.

Paddy - technically SuperSeagulls is a Sei owner until he sells it so does he merit a number?

Regards

Matthew

 

[J_Bass]

Hi Sei lovers!

I am now an official owner of a Sei Flamboyant 4 strings Bass!

I bought this beauty from Peik. By the way, he´s a great guy, I´m very satisfied with this bass and he explained everything to me, so I would be certain that this was the bass I was looking for. He took very detailed pictures and even recorded some soundclips! My many thanks to him.

So, here are the pictures. I only got her today and didn´t had many time to play, but so fare I´m delighted!

I love this bass!

 

[matthewfoote]

j_bass

That bass is beautiful! is the top shedua? I can never remember, anyway welcome to the Sei Club. I expect Paddy will dish out a number shortly.



Regards

Matthew

 

[J_Bass]

Thanks!

The body is ash with an amazique top. The neck is ebony. It is a beautifull bass in my opinion and it plays great!

 

[Mike Flynn]

Hey guys - found myself at the Gallery again yesterday, er, spending money on a brilliant little Boss RC2 loop pedal - anyway - I played another new Sei that is now ready for collection - I just don't know who it belongs to - it's a 5 string Flamboyant with Thuya burr top and lovely little inlay patterns running round the finger board - mmmmm - she's tasty!

No doubt her owner will pipe up in due course


M

 

[Jools4001]

I love Sei basses. I've lusted after one ever since their first reviews, and played a few at The Gallery.

Unfortunately, the closest that I've come to owning a Sei is that Martin refretted and refinished my 1973 Rick 4001 and also defretted my Patrick Eggle Milan 5 string - the refret is fantastic quality and the workmanship on the defretted bass has to be seen to be believed - all the pearloid dot markers taken out and filled with rosewood veneer (along with the fret slots) to make them virtually invisible, you can only see them from inches away.

One day, one day....I'll go in and order a matched pair of fretted and fretless sixes

Unfortunately, I will have to go into rehab to cure myself of an addiction to collecting Ducati motorbikes and all the bling that goes with them before I can afford it

 

[Peik]

Hi
Yes, I have sold off my Sei. Hopefully I will one day be a proud Sei owner again.
J Bass you are a great guy to deal with, hope you have lots of joy from this bass. I konw I did, untill I went all commercial and the gigs started demanding Jazz bass.

I will erase my club number so nr. 8 ís free.

cheers
Peik

Hi Sei lovers!

I am now an official owner of a Sei Flamboyant 4 strings Bass!

I bought this beauty from Peik. By the way, he´s a great guy, I´m very satisfied with this bass and he explained everything to me, so I would be certain that this was the bass I was looking for. He took very detailed pictures and even recorded some soundclips! My many thanks to him.

So, here are the pictures. I only got her today and didn´t had many time to play, but so fare I´m delighted!

I love this bass!

 

[HPM]

Hi Mike,
That sounds like my Flamboyant that you saw. It has a Thuya top and back and it has the edging round the fretboard. I've only seen it briefly myself a couple of weeks ago. I haven't played it yet - how did it seem to you?

I really hope that I can collect it this week sometime.

Cheers

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

I was hoping to try and track down my old 4-string Flamboyant that I had Martin and Chris make for me back in '98/99... anyone seen this Sei? It's a 4-string Flamboyant, wenge body with ziricote top and ebony fingerboard (with purfling). I believe it might have gold hardware now, but it should still have the Lane Poors and Schack circuit, and my (trademark) offset LEDs in red...

Sorry for the not-very-good picture, but it's one of the only ones I have!

 

[Mike Flynn]

Hi Mike,
That sounds like my Flamboyant that you saw. It has a Thuya top and back and it has the edging round the fretboard. I've only seen it briefly myself a couple of weeks ago. I haven't played it yet - how did it seem to you?

I really hope that I can collect it this week sometime.

Cheers

Hey man - the bass seemed great - completely different to mine obviously but it sounded wicked - what circuit do you have in it? The mid tone was sweeet - and it slapped great too - I was a little thrown by the tighter string spacing than my Sei but saying that I've gone from a Warwick string spacing to the wider one and now I'm used to it! Anyway the bass looked and felt wonderful and sounded really immense - I think you will be very happy.

M

 

[AidanHampson]

Have just chatted to Martin, and my bass is all finished and is due to be sent tot he finishers asap - this means I should have it within 2-3 weeks.

He has 1 or 2 phone calls to make regarding the ASH logo I want on the back, but I should be receiving a photo of the bass soon so watch this space...

Aidan

 

[matthewfoote]

Have just chatted to Martin, and my bass is all finished and is due to be sent tot he finishers asap - this means I should have it within 2-3 weeks.

He has 1 or 2 phone calls to make regarding the ASH logo I want on the back, but I should be receiving a photo of the bass soon so watch this space...

Aidan

I think is in order. Looking forward to the photo's

Regards

Matthew

 

[Mike Flynn]

Have just chatted to Martin, and my bass is all finished and is due to be sent tot he finishers asap - this means I should have it within 2-3 weeks.

He has 1 or 2 phone calls to make regarding the ASH logo I want on the back, but I should be receiving a photo of the bass soon so watch this space...

Aidan

HI Aiden - a word to the wise - the finishers can sometimes take longer than this - don't fret, it just does sometimes - just remember even if it's a month from now the resulting bass will be all you could have hoped for and more...

Cheers

Mike

 

[sei24bass]

HI Aiden - a word to the wise - the finishers can sometimes take longer than this - don't fret, it just does sometimes - just remember even if it's a month from now the resulting bass will be all you could have hoped for and more...

Cheers

Mike

+1. I'm afraid I would expect 2-3 months rather than weeks if your bass is about to go to the finishers. The finishers can take a month, then Martin has to finish it off (put all the hardware on, install the electrics etc) which also takes up to a couple of months. Mike is absolutely right, it will be worth the wait!

J_Bass, very warm welcome and glad to see Peik's lovely SEI went to a good home. Let us know how you get on with it.

HPM, get your backside over to The Gallery this week and get your bass or I'll beat you to it! Post some pictures and let us know how you find it.

 

[matthewfoote]

Thanks!

The body is ash with an amazique top. The neck is ebony. It is a beautifull bass in my opinion and it plays great!

Just did some research about Shedua and it is also known as Amazique so I was not going crazy. I do wish there was only one name for a type of wood instead of several it confused a person like me who has a small brain

Whatever, it is a fantastic looking bass

Regards

Matthew

 

[Paddy]

Some club admin first.

Peik - I've pm'd you. I'm going to retire ex-members numbers with a '(GBNF)' suffix. '(Gone But Not Forgotten)'. We're a small club here and why the hell not. Also, when he gets another Sei the number can come out of retirement

Superseagulls is already a member - number #23

J_Bass - I've pm'd you a membership number.

I'll post an up to date listing when I can.