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Show Us Your Rob Allen Basses Part II
- Thread starter Mark Wilson
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Well, kids;
After years of lurking on this thread, I finally took the plunge. This beauty popped up on BassNW's website and I couldn't resist, so I didn't:
Now the long wait to for the truck to pull up at work next week.
I called bassNW literally minutes after you bought it. But, I guess I'll trade the fingerboard extension, f-hole and koa for frets (lurking in the corner) :
My new family photo
What's the top on your new mouse? Very nice, btw.
Sorry to beat you out but good to know they weren't blowing smoke up my keister. I sent an email to Evan Thursday night and Friday morning he said he had 3 inquiries. Usually I'm vveerry slow on the trigger but it had all my requirements (F hole, unlined FB) plus some improvements (Koa top, thumb-rest extension, matching headstock) that I probably would have cheapened out of had I ordered new.
It was sort of a perfect storm. Bass I wanted, money I had in the bank, and birthday coming up so I uncharacteristically acted quickly.
Being they shipped it ground and I'm only 4 hours down I-5 from BassNW, FedEx.com says it should be delivered to my work tomorrow!
The new one is walnut - just a "plain" top, but I picked that one over some matched ones because I like the asymmetry.
I still have a soft spot for the top on the one you bought though - it is a stunningly cool piece of walnut.
Now I'm wondering about a fretless one. I prefer playing fretless but found short scale to be a challenge wrt intonation, at least with the lined boards I've tried. Then again, I find lined boards a challenge anyway. The Mouse is so damn comfortable to play. I did two gigs today with the new Mouse, and I barely notice I'm wearing it. Ran it into the Paradriver, then direct into a QSC K10 (with vocals direct into the other channel on the cab). Pretty good ultra-compact setup to cover PA and bass amp duties.
They're both incredibly gorgeous. I like that the light streak under the strings makes them visually pop! Are your fretboard/bridge rosewood? They look pretty dark, maybe ebony?
Fretboard and bridge are rosewood. The fretboard has some nice lighter color streaks. Also if you notice the volume knob on both basses, they match the "feel" of the top. Part of the attention to detail in these instruments.
I got my Mouse today. All I can say is wow. 
Having the chance to play a Mouse last year at a GTG I thought I knew what they were about, but maybe because mine is so purty but I'm blown away. In fact, I texted the wife and told her it was too pretty to play. She said, "You paid that much money for a bass, you will play it!" So I came home and followed orders.
I must say, I think I'm going to love 30" scale.
And I see why some of you guys have a Rob Allen "family." The craftsmanship is scary.
Question for other Mice owners: Is the pre powered? Is there a battery under the cavity cover?
Having the chance to play a Mouse last year at a GTG I thought I knew what they were about, but maybe because mine is so purty but I'm blown away. In fact, I texted the wife and told her it was too pretty to play. She said, "You paid that much money for a bass, you will play it!" So I came home and followed orders.
I must say, I think I'm going to love 30" scale.
And I see why some of you guys have a Rob Allen "family." The craftsmanship is scary.
Question for other Mice owners: Is the pre powered? Is there a battery under the cavity cover?
Question for other Mice owners: Is the pre powered? Is there a battery under the cavity cover?
Yes, there is a Fishman active preamp in there, powered by a single 9v battery.
I got my Mouse today. All I can say is wow.
Having the chance to play a Mouse last year at a GTG I thought I knew what they were about, but maybe because mine is so purty but I'm blown away. In fact, I texted the wife and told her it was too pretty to play. She said, "You paid that much money for a bass, you will play it!" So I came home and followed orders.
I must say, I think I'm going to love 30" scale.
And I see why some of you guys have a Rob Allen "family." The craftsmanship is scary.
Question for other Mice owners: Is the pre powered? Is there a battery under the cavity cover?
Excellent purchase! I saw this one in person and it is a beaut. Congrats!
You should also see a small flathead screw that you can get to from outside the cavity cover. That is a treble roll-off. Response varies from instrument to instrument, and also depends on string age. I tend to run it mostly rolled off with new strings. The older Mouse I had I ran it closer to wide open.
I'm up to 3 RAs and am considering a fretless Mouse. The 30" scale is so damn easy on the hands and the bass is feather light. The only thing that worries me is intonation with the short scale but odds are it is just a woodshedding thing. I have no problem with the 35" scale on the D5.
Yep, already figured that out. Actually the previous owner had it totally rolled off. I tried wide open for a while (that's usually how I roll) but by now have it about 20% rolled off. Of course, the big test will be in the mix at the next jam. I guess I'll come equiped with a screwdriver.
Yes, I don't have the world's biggest hands and actually have an pinky issue (torn ligemant) so am LOOOVING the 30" scale. It definatley keeps you honest when it comes to intonation but also makes vibrato more pronounced which will be very tasty for me at solo time (which is every tune in my combo).
6 months ago, I had to sell my fretless mouse to pay for my move from CA to UT last winter. After some saving and good luck with gear sales/trades, I was able to pick up this fretted Mouse, which arrived via fedex this afternoon. I already love it!
I'm going to go play now.
I'm going to go play now.
6 months ago, I had to sell my fretless mouse to pay for my move from CA to UT last winter. After some saving and good luck with gear sales/trades, I was able to pick up this fretted Mouse, which arrived via fedex this afternoon. I already love it!
I'm going to go play now.
Glad it got there in one piece. It is a very nice bass. In some ways I prefered it to my new Mouse, but I think that RAs actually break in with playing and get better with time. I put Sunbeams on the S4 and I like the feel/tone a lot. Going to lower the action some, then it should be ready to rock.
My new family photo
If that isn't a GAS-inducing photo I don't know what is ... must go and play my Deep 5 right now.
Are there any sound clips from the Solid 4 anywhere ? Starting to picture myself with a 2-pickup solid 5
Andy
Are there any sound clips from the Solid 4 anywhere ? Starting to picture myself with a 2-pickup solid 5
Andy
I have some clips of the S4, but it's my recording-in-progress and technically copyrighted material (my arrangement of someone else's song which I haven't paid any mechanical rights for yet ... will do when I release it). My pickup is slightly different (hotter) but it is probably tonally representative.
Rob will do a humbucker and not a single coil if you want. I had originally talked about doing another S4 with mag + piezo, but went for another D4.
You won't get a Solid 5 unless you make it. I asked Rob about that and he said no way.
I was actually thinking an MB-2 5-string fretted with a pair of mag pups. That could be very cool...
I was actually thinking an MB-2 5-string fretted with a pair of mag pups. That could be very cool...
I would guess the limit of the Solid 5 would be to machine a custom 5 string bridge. Not sure how well it would work with the single bridge.
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