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Sei Owner's Club (Part 3)
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
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Let it pass Sei Brother K.......(the thought, not the bass)
. Anyways, I heard that the headless 6 really wants to check out life in Japan...whatever that means...
. Anyways, I heard that the headless 6 really wants to check out life in Japan...whatever that means...So after many hours spent looking at all of your lovely basses, I have finally decided to put mine up for all of you to look at, one of which you have all seen before and a 2 which you may not have. unfortunately I have never been able to afford to get a custom build. for which im glad as I couldn't decide on what id want, I am allways looking for the next bass, so I couldn't just pick the specs of one bass and be happy, so because of this I have allways ended up getting second-hand(Pre loved) Sei's
Hi! Right now i'm looking for my first boutique bass and i'm sure it's going to be an singlecut but there's so many great luthiers around the world so i'm asking what made you guys to get a Sei? What are the reasons you chose it? Thanks!
Still around - enjoying my Jazz 5, hanging around in the waiting area for my Sei number 2 and hereby doubling this years post count ;-)
Greetings from Houston, everyone. I know I'm totally late to the table but anyway ...here's my Sei Millennium #6 and Flamboyant.
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I have to get the frets leveled a bit but other than that, it's in practically new condition. Adjusting the relief was a bit of a challenge. First, it works like my Pedulla (counter clockwise to get the strings closer to the fretboard) and the results weren't immediate (maybe as a result of it being a singlecut bass?) so it took a bit of fussing to get it where I like it.
Unfortunatley, this causes bad fret buzz around the 12/13th fret on the A and D strings. It's so bad on the A string that the 13/14th fret plays the same note. Get past those frets and it plays fine again.
It's got separate volume controls for the magnetic and piezo pickups, with both being able to go from active to passive giving you quite a tonal pallette, it seems. Or at least I think so.
Anyways, my first Sei and also my first singlecut. Both winners.
Life get's busy...I've only just got back to this! 
Me personally I also have a new headless 5 string Sei on order. Early stages still but will be a custom shape, based on the flamboyant but a bit smaller/slimmer and with a chambered body and layered top hopefully! Nothing to show as of yet!
- Lowerbassment - What are the specs on Sei number2? Have you got the bass yet? Be great to see some pics, either finished or in-progress!
- Krysh - Nice J. How long have you had it and what are the specs?
- SiberianKhatru - Lovely pair of basses, especially digging the flamboyant which is my favourite shape (always thought it looked best in a 6 string format). What's the story behind each of these basses?
- AudioDwebe - Loving the Wenge/Maple combination and the beautiful elegant simplicity of this one. Don't get to hear of so many SEi basses in the US, so it would be great to hear how you came by this one. Sounds a little like you have a couple of frets that might need a little dressing...
Me personally I also have a new headless 5 string Sei on order. Early stages still but will be a custom shape, based on the flamboyant but a bit smaller/slimmer and with a chambered body and layered top hopefully! Nothing to show as of yet!
I came across mine here in the classifieds.
I actually took this up to Mike Lull's shop yesterday and he was kind enough to do a rush repair while I hung out with both him and Nick. I just met him for the first time and it was like hanging out with a good friend. Cannot say enough nice things about him. Nick was pretty cool, too.
So the bass initially needed the frets glued, then it was Plekked. The Plek machine...OMG! Accurate to 3/1000th of a mm. Amazing!
I always thought a Plek was pretty much a "plug 'n' play" kind of machinery, but having been there both watching and getting a lessen on how the system works, I quickly realized that it is only as good as the operator.
IMO, there is no way a fret leveling done by hand will ever be as good as one done by a Plek and an experienced person running it.
Needless to say, the bass, which sounded pretty good before, sounds quite amazing now.
A happy camper, I am.
Oh, and I got treated to lunch while I was there! How cool is that?!
I actually took this up to Mike Lull's shop yesterday and he was kind enough to do a rush repair while I hung out with both him and Nick. I just met him for the first time and it was like hanging out with a good friend. Cannot say enough nice things about him. Nick was pretty cool, too.
So the bass initially needed the frets glued, then it was Plekked. The Plek machine...OMG! Accurate to 3/1000th of a mm. Amazing!
I always thought a Plek was pretty much a "plug 'n' play" kind of machinery, but having been there both watching and getting a lessen on how the system works, I quickly realized that it is only as good as the operator.
IMO, there is no way a fret leveling done by hand will ever be as good as one done by a Plek and an experienced person running it.
Needless to say, the bass, which sounded pretty good before, sounds quite amazing now.
A happy camper, I am.
Oh, and I got treated to lunch while I was there! How cool is that?!
Well this is a surprise! After many years of not playing bass, (work, family, etc.) I started again in earnest about a year ago but just on 4 string. Today I am taking a good long look at my Sei and considering re-investing in it and after surfing around, primarily to see if the company is still in business, I found this forum and group.
By way of introduction to this group, I own a headless Flamboyant, #26, a fretless 6 string built in '94. I was on a low income at the time and invested everything I could in a single instrument - in retrospect foolhardy but it felt right at the time.
After many years of being unplayed, it definitely needs a good set-up but it is still a beauty to behold. I am seriously considering having it fretted as fretless feels out-of-fashion but more honestly, I am seriously out-of-practice and doubt I'll ever get back to the skill level needed to play such an instrument in a jam session (my main source of musical activity).
I'll post a pic if anyone is interested!
By way of introduction to this group, I own a headless Flamboyant, #26, a fretless 6 string built in '94. I was on a low income at the time and invested everything I could in a single instrument - in retrospect foolhardy but it felt right at the time.
After many years of being unplayed, it definitely needs a good set-up but it is still a beauty to behold. I am seriously considering having it fretted as fretless feels out-of-fashion but more honestly, I am seriously out-of-practice and doubt I'll ever get back to the skill level needed to play such an instrument in a jam session (my main source of musical activity).
I'll post a pic if anyone is interested!
Hey Fatz, love to see some pics. I had bass #24, also built way back in 1994. Good to hear you playing bass again and looking at your old SEi. They are still world class basses, a great investment and I'm sure yours will be fantastic once it has had a set up. I similarly used to be very much a fretless player, but old age/desire for simplicity has resulted in my playing fretted basses only for the past couple of years. Martin is still very much in business in London and is currently building a number of SEi basses, including a custom 5 string headless for myself (fretted of course!).
Happy New Year to everyone, be great to hear from all of you SEi bass players out there...
Happy New Year to everyone, be great to hear from all of you SEi bass players out there...
Sure thing, here it is
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That is one really lovely bass...Martin's headless design is one of the very best in my opinion.
I strongly suspect the facing wood is Amboyna Burl with a Wenge body and Wenge/Bubinga through neck, all of which Martin was using regularly at that time. Has it got a Schack circuit as well by any chance? Either way please do post a pic and an update when you get that beauty back from your local luthier.
I strongly suspect the facing wood is Amboyna Burl with a Wenge body and Wenge/Bubinga through neck, all of which Martin was using regularly at that time. Has it got a Schack circuit as well by any chance? Either way please do post a pic and an update when you get that beauty back from your local luthier.
Spot on, those are exactly the woods used. Pictures here after being fretted by a local luthier. Plays beautifully now with an action that I'd never have dreamed of! WARNING ... well maybe: Before the fretting work began, the luthier noticed a split between the one of the Wenge / Bubinga neck stripes. His opinion was that this was not caused by an impact but looked like it was drying out! In any case he filled the split with some adheseive and assures me it'll stay good for the future.
No I don't think so. I recall it being a Bartolini circuit. Bass, para-Mid and Treble. As I am becoming acquainted again, I haven't messed too much with the tone controls, just cut the mids slightly. That is useful because now the EQ on my Markbass combo, set for a passive Fender Jazz, works fine for the Sei as well.
I'm a happy guy
yep live is busy
, just have seen your question, ty. its from 2004 and I'm the third owner and bought it in nov. 2011.one piece ash body with maple neck and ebony fretboard. kent armstrong custom pickups with an obp-3 and passive toneblend. nice slim and thin neck, 45mm at saddle and max. 18.5mm stringspacing at bridge. weighs around 4.5 kg.
