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"The Official Marleaux Bass Club"

#221
jjmf said:
I just bought this diva from Gerald (new). Similarly - I could not try one here in Canada before buying - but it was so beautiful, I had to pull the trigger!

I was hoping to get some insight from the experiences of other Diva owners here -

I notice I can get a fantastic low action (as noted above) but have a bit of a buzz / rattle on the low B & raising the relief a lot is something I want to avoid (raising saddle required too much increase - so its not improving the buzz enough with out distancing it too far from pick up for my taste) - so I will have to increase relief but wanted to get a feel for what others have for clearance etc)

- right now fretting at 1st and 24th frets the relief on the b string is less than .5mm, but the relief on the A,D,G strings are higher than that - is that normal? - also - seems the edge of the FB & neck from nut to heal/bridge is not quite a straight line - ie most basses in my experience have gradual (but straight) edge as they get wider (meaning vertical face of FB from B - G string) but the Diva has a slight bulge or extra increase in width at around the 8-9th fret position resulting in the neck not having a straight edge from nut to body/bridge in this case) - again I assume that is a design standard ?

any input on what clearance other users set it to is appreciated !! - love it, now I just want to fly it correctly!!

and Gerald has been very accommodating to deal with - he truly exudes a desire to ensure his customers are very VERY satisfied
View attachment 977632 View attachment 977633
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Beautiful timber on that bass, congrats dude!

No buzz on mine so far.

Relief when fretting 1 & 24 is about the same on each string.

I don't quite understand what you mean here:

"- also - seems the edge of the FB & neck from nut to heal/bridge is not quite a straight line - ie most basses in my experience have gradual (but straight) edge as they get wider (meaning vertical face of FB from B - G string) but the Diva has a slight bulge or extra increase in width at around the 8-9th fret position resulting in the neck not having a straight edge from nut to body/bridge in this case) - again I assume that is a design standard ?"

The fretboard flares as it gets toward the pup but straight up until it meets the body.

20161027_235329008_iOS.jpg


Hopes this helps!
 
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#222
IMG_4068.JPG IMG_4039.JPG Thx !! Love the contrast in yours! The neck & bodies are each a work of Art on these so I love the contrast between The 2 to bring out the shapes.

What I'm referring to is barely noticeable unless you put your eye to the bridge and look Down towards the head like you were looking down a rifle barrel - like you'd do to see how straight the
Neck is by eyeing the the very edge of the fb& neck lining up the top edge of the neck to best measure even the slightest curve in it... it shows a very slight more sudden increase at the 8-9th
Fret in the width of the Fb ... see bad pic drawn on via iPhone here (neck & fb increase in width from nut to
Body as a straight line on all necks I've seen, vs this)
 
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#225
jjmf said:
I just bought this diva from Gerald (new). Similarly - I could not try one here in Canada before buying - but it was so beautiful, I had to pull the trigger!

I was hoping to get some insight from the experiences of other Diva owners here -

I notice I can get a fantastic low action (as noted above) but have a bit of a buzz / rattle on the low B & raising the relief a lot is something I want to avoid (raising saddle required too much increase - so its not improving the buzz enough with out distancing it too far from pick up for my taste) - so I will have to increase relief but wanted to get a feel for what others have for clearance etc)

- right now fretting at 1st and 24th frets the relief on the b string is less than .5mm, but the relief on the A,D,G strings are higher than that - is that normal? - also - seems the edge of the FB & neck from nut to heal/bridge is not quite a straight line - ie most basses in my experience have gradual (but straight) edge as they get wider (meaning vertical face of FB from B - G string) but the Diva has a slight bulge or extra increase in width at around the 8-9th fret position resulting in the neck not having a straight edge from nut to body/bridge in this case) - again I assume that is a design standard ?

any input on what clearance other users set it to is appreciated !! - love it, now I just want to fly it correctly!!

and Gerald has been very accommodating to deal with - he truly exudes a desire to ensure his customers are very VERY satisfied
View attachment 977632 View attachment 977633
Click to expand...

That bass is amazing!
 
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#227
Got back from tour yesterday and came home to find my bass had been delivered.

I will write a very long and detailed post about this once I've had a chance to emotionally process everything... for now I'll just say that I am still stunned by what met my eyes when I opened up the (totally awesome) gigbag.
 
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#228
Ok so at long last, here it is!

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The photos really don't do it justice - the finish is stunning in that it really changes shade depending on the lighting. I was going for an oceanic/nautical theme (hence the custom compass inlay) and Gerald delivered in spades.

Sound-wise, it covers all bases. Coil taps and the programmable EQ (basically allows you to set the centre frequencies of the 3 bands of the EQ)

The gigbag is just awesome. Super protective and comfy to carry.

Weight-wise it's definitely a lot lighter than my Warwick, and better-balanced too.

Have a band practice tomorrow and then a gig later this month, so we'll give it a proper test!
 
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#231
20170126_121002.jpg



Immediate clarification required. The Marleaux SCNT on the left was here on audition/loan from Luthiers Access Group while Dan was in attendance at NAMM 2017 in Anaheim. I could not resist the family gathering opportunity. Actual more of a vacation visit from an extended family cousin Palos Hills, IL is a lot closer than Germany.

The SCNT is a prototype. Gorgeous aesthetics, superb feel and plays like a dream. A trues testament to Gerald's ability and capabilities. Familiar to many Marleaux players yet forward thinking and outside the "clone box".

On the right is my Mahogany MBass VI with ramps and coil splitting switches for each pickup..

In the middle is my Consat Soprano Supremo. I will acknowledge that is the original, OLD, designation for this model. But....... so am I and thus the personal preference of that model nomenclature.

Oh, the result of this particular audition?

A custom Tiuz fretted V is in the specification selection process and awaiting top wood photos.
 
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#232
interp said:
Last year I bought the Marleaux Contra I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. After more than a year of playing it I am loving it more every day. I had a three-way coil tap switch installed for each pickup, and the tonal palette is now VERY wide and rich.

This is the finest bass I have ever held in my hands.View attachment 948370 View attachment 948370 View attachment 948374
Click to expand...

I had the opportunity to play a Contra for the first time at NAMM this year. One of the guys there at the booth had his Contra 6 that he very graciously pulled out and let me play. Incredible feel and tone, the amount of polish that goes into them is incredible. I make it a point to visit the Marleaux booth every year, they're always among the most gorgeous instruments in the convention. The Contra was something special though. Enjoy it :)
 
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#235
In player terms is there any real feel difference between Consat and Mbass folks?

I can't stop ogling the beautiful selection of Marleaux's on Thomann at the moment and I'm terrified I might have to buy one when funds allow it!

I'd be thinking a six string would be what I'm after but I'm having difficulty making up my mind between Consat and Mbass. I thought the singlecut would be my obvious choice but the more I look at the Consat the more I like it!

HELP!
 
#240
Nahguavkire said:
In player terms is there any real feel difference between Consat and Mbass folks?

I can't stop ogling the beautiful selection of Marleaux's on Thomann at the moment and I'm terrified I might have to buy one when funds allow it!

I'd be thinking a six string would be what I'm after but I'm having difficulty making up my mind between Consat and Mbass. I thought the singlecut would be my obvious choice but the more I look at the Consat the more I like it!

HELP!
Click to expand...

Had the pleasure of trying an MBass last week.

First of all, I'm not personally a fan of SC basses, so please bear in mind I might be biased!

Neck-wise it was pretty similar to my own Consat Custom. It was a bit heavier, which is to be expected, and it felt kind of 'stiffer' I guess than my bass (which is a bolt-on). Better sustain but that again is to be expected.

Overall probably the best SC bass I've tried!

One thing is for sure, you can't really go wrong with a Marleaux bass. Mine is a real workhorse for both studio and live shows, and can do pretty much anything. It's really a bass built for a lifetime.
 
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