The Washburn Taurus -- a hidden treasure?

I've been toying with the idea of buying a Taurus, but then I end up thinking, "Yeah, but it isn't active".

The problem is, I hear good and bad things about the Taurus.
However I do hear that the Force (which is active) is actually pretty good.

 

I played a T25 here briefly a while abck and it was quite a nice sounding instrument, very similar to my Ashton 5 in feel and construction. I beleive they're made in the same place.

As for passive vs active, go with the instrument that delivers what you want in terms of sound, and don't worry about which type it is. (and this is from someone who beleives when active is done right, ie almost never, it is soooooo superior to passive). These are quite warm sounding instuments because of the wood choices, so maybe some of the EMG 40/45TW's would be a good choice if you decided to change them.

 

That wouldn't be an Ashton AB1105 would it?

Since I'm in Australia, that's another bass that I'm interested in.

Just a side note - The Washburns and Ashtons are both made in the same factory right (or at least both are made in Vietnam)?

 

Mine's an AB1505, but the 1105 in better in some ways, ie no gloss finish on the body.

For what they cost they're good value. Allans have the AB1105 in stock. When I can find an 1105 and 1100 secondhand, ie cheap, I'll grab them as spares.

That was what I was told, same factory, but my source is not unimpeachable.

 

Thanks for your help.

I also noticed that Allans stocked them. There's a 20% off everything in store sale at the one near me, so I might be able to pick one up fairly cheaply.

 

the t24's look real enticing..i wouldnt mind trying one..even the xb920...that ashton you have, is that the orange neck through with 2 emg's (from memory)..i saw that ages ago and it looked real nice, pity it was fretless cos it was when i started playing and had no interest in fretless...but there is one washburn im extremly excited about which muso's corner here are trying to get one in stock and..it doesnt need an introduction

 

Man you're going to need some WILD new threads and a BIG'OL Pair of sunglasses if you're gonna play that thing!!!!

 

oh ill be playing it i wont be able to afford it but ill be playing it, i wanna get one custom made, 5 single coils and alll white like the old school moon jazz's..mmmmmm

 

Hi there, i've been interested in the Taurus T24 for a while now, so much that i think it's the next bass i want to get. I happy with passive basses, as i don't want to have to worry about batteries. I currently have a Mexican Fender Jazz, but i love the body shaping of the Taurus, it's a little bit "Claypool" looking I think i like the price too, albeit more in the UK than in the US.

 

In terms of a passive bass (in my price range) the Taurus is right up there.
I'm also looking at others basses at the moment as well (Cort Curbow etc).

I'm currently also talking to different people if it would be possible (or easy) to upgrade a Taurus to an active setup.

 

The Taurus design was stolen from Jerzy Drozd.

According to a certain famous bearded luthier who shall remain nameless, it allegedly caused quite the stir at NAMM...check it out...

http://www.jerzydrozdbasses.com/

 

I've played a taurus and was impressed... I want a Jerzy though :-\.. Where can I find one >_<... waaah!

 

http://www.luthiersaccessgroup.com

 

Jerzy's probably never going to sell a lower quality, factory-built instrument for $400. Also, his body shape probably hasn't been trademarked.

I wouldn't call it theft so much as occupying a need in the market that would otherwise have gone unmet.

Message to low-volume custom luthiers: trademark or patent your designs if you think someone with deep pockets is likely to copy them.

 

Did I ever tell you you're my hero?! *breaks into song*

 

I doubt many of the little guys have the $$ to do this.

 

I would love to get a Jerzy as well, but can't afford one.
It's one of the reasons that I'm interested in a Taurus (I realised it looked almost exactly the same as a Jerzy the first time I saw it)

 

I played one yesterday afternoon. I am a dyed-in-the-wool bolt-on guy and I won't be buying one of these neck through models but I was impressed with the bass, very impressed considering the price (~$400). It was very good looking (in a "hippie sandwich" kind of way), very nice oil finish, beefy neck with very good fretwork...no jagged ends, nicely crowned and lightly polished. It has 2 passive J-style pickups and delivers a good Jazz Bass-like sound...nothing to write home about, but okay. The hardware is also decent for this price point. The only really negative feature is the weight...it is really, REALLY heavy!