The best European basses?

[Lenart]

Not many people know Wood&Tronics yet, but I love their look, the playability and the sound (and the fact that I'm ordering one).
Nordstrand pick-ups nad East preamp make a great combination which results in a beautiful full-range sound.

 

[link wray]

Nobody mentioned Sandberg yet?? http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/

Good quality and affordable.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

Jon Shuker, www.shukerguitars.co.uk

 

[Jules Forcella]

Jens Ritter defenetly

Greets, Jules

 

[Sound Chaser]

Jerzy Drozd, Ritter, Wal, Vigier.

 

[pilotjones]

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[Essexbass]

www.overwaterbasses.com

I would argue the case that these guys make the best 5 string jazz ever- Ive just put an order in for one and sold a smith to do it......

+ 1 to this quote....

I had one made for me & have never regretted it. A really great bass guitar.

 

[ChiliPepper]

Ritter
JP Basses
Jerzy Drozd
....
no suprises here

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Hofner.

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Status, English and brilliant! Also, Sei are English. And Spitfire.

Well, Sei are English, via Germany - Martin Petersen is German. But we won't hold that against him.

 

[wiro]

Don't forget the Pagelli:

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[pilotjones]

Don't forget the Pagelli:

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And of course, Invalid Link Removed

 

[Galdal]

www.eugen.no
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there is also a guy called Braathen or something who makes basses, but I don`t know if he have a website.

 

[lame(B)ass]

I like Czech and Slovak basses. I have some Neusers, Jurkovic and soon I'm going to have an AV-bass. All very good quality and great sounding instruments.

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Sweet collection.

 

[Freddy]

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www.lefay.de

 

[Dincrest]

The Marleaux Consat Straight is rather sexy. Wal basses are very sexy too, as are Status basses. I'd love to have a Status SmartBass. I dig Manne basses too, because I too prefer passive electronics over actives and it's hard to come by a boutique bass with passive electronics... but man, the price of admission on a Manne is ridiculous.

Heck most anything at Joey G Music in NYC is sexy.

 

[Calif De Funk]

... and of course:

Jaydee - Great Britain
Wal - Great Britain
Ares - Sweden

 

[Drake Kennedy]

My vote goes for Jerzy Drozd. Such beauty and craftsmanship.

 

[Human Bass]

I had never seen frets like these...

they called it "smile" frets, they claim that those frets are easier to do chords, etc...well, im i would prefer them over the fanned frets.

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Wow,...discoverd a few bass manufactures ive never heard offf.....mint...!!!...

Tho i am suprised that GB hasnt been mentioned once...Goodfellow Basses have..but they went out of business 12years ago (same bloke bernie goodfellow) after he lost the rights to his name thanks to nightgale guitars...

But yes....they are my favs......yummie....

I've known Bernie G for about 12 years now, and got the full story on this from the man himself a good few years ago...

Bernie lost the rights to his name after selling his old company and the rights to make instruments based on his designs to Lowden (makers of nice acoustic guitars) - Neil McDonald and Nightingale had nothing to do with it as such. Neil and Bernie were business partners in the original Goodfellow venture, and Neil went off and started Nightingale when Bernie started working with Lowden - it was an amicable split, and they continued to play together in function bands for quite a few years (Bernie plays bass - natch - and Neil plays guitar). The latter-day Nightingale basses were very like the current GBs, right down to the body and headstock shapes, and even used the same pickups and custom active circuit for a while. I believe Neil has left the instrument business now and no longer makes Nightingales (he has, at least, left his workshop in Denmark Street).