Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
US Masters club
- Thread starter Longshot
- Start date
Is that first one lacewood? I would love to get my hands on one of those!
I have three Vector guitars in lacewood (2 natural, 1 stained & poly'd) and their tone is the absolute favorite of any instrument I have owned.
Is that first one lacewood? I would love to get my hands on one of those!
I have three Vector guitars in lacewood (2 natural, 1 stained & poly'd) and their tone is the absolute favorite of any instrument I have owned.
yes it is. great sounding bass...
Hey! I've tried contacting the men themseleves to no avail, so I figured I'd ask you guys; I recently bought an ep42 (love it!) but it's got this clear coat and I'd much rather it had a rubbed-oil finish. Is it a terrible idea to strip this thing? I notice it looks like the neck pocket has been clear-coated and if that's the case I'm even more afraid to try taking the neck off.
so what do you think? should I just suck it up and deal with this (totally beautiful) amber clear coat, or go for what i really want and take some chemical stripper to this bad-boy (after taking the pickups out and whatnot.
so what do you think? should I just suck it up and deal with this (totally beautiful) amber clear coat, or go for what i really want and take some chemical stripper to this bad-boy (after taking the pickups out and whatnot.
In trying to contact the company, I don't think I've ever gotten a response to an email, but a phone call gets me right through to Dave or Dick.
I talked to Dave a in about 2002 about some work on a new guitar I bought that had some fret issues (which were handled quickly). I called again two years ago about getting a new blend pot for my maple ep51, and Dave recalled right away who I was.
I have had the neck off of my ep4, but it is an old one, and they might be finishing differently on more recent models, but I don't think the finish should cover both the body and neck at the pocket. The fit is of the neck in the pocket is very tight, and it took a little care to get it back in.
I remember they did a "Performer" line a few years back that was a non-glossy finish, and it was always an option on the lacewood models. Unless the instrument were in need of a refinish, it isn't something I would do. But that's me.
Call and ask about their finish and wood prep, and what they think the wood condition will be after stripping. There was a refin undertaken by a Spector club member several months back. He was surprised at how much wood sealer was used on his Euro, and how plain the flamed maple looked after it was stripped.
Good Luck!
US Masters was bought by Young Guitars about a year ago. I just bought a Magnus Performer 5 from US Masters, and towards the end of the build cycle, I talked to Marcus Young. He told me Dick was no longer with the company. You might try contacting Young Guitars if you have questions about the US Masters line of products.
I have two first gen basses. B98 is the same as yours, but with the lacewood body, and B75 is a passive P-style with a soft maple body. If you look at the post at the top of the page, I acquired that lacewood 5er from Jumbo a while back (B37xx). My all-maple 5er is a P/J, B69xx.
I was sad when the company was sold to Young guitars. Sadder still when the shut down completely this past summer; everything was auctioned off in August, I believe.
Are you still in contact with Dick? If so, wish him well and let him know he is missed.
I was sad when the company was sold to Young guitars. Sadder still when the shut down completely this past summer; everything was auctioned off in August, I believe.
Are you still in contact with Dick? If so, wish him well and let him know he is missed.
They were designed and manufactured for USM by Bill Lawrence (Wilde Pickups, not "Bill Lawrence USA" which is a different company). They are a well-respected small-scale builder, which fit well with the small-builder aspect of USM at the time, IMO.
My Ep-4 P-passive has factory-installed he Wilde P-46 pickup. There is a huge thread on this pickup, if you want to check it out. Wilde did not produce humbuckers for general sale, only P and J models. These were made only for USM, I believe.
Later, I think around the time of the change to red badges, they went to Kent Armstrong pickups, and later to their own design. Interestingly, Kent Armstrong's father Dan worked with Bill Lawrence, and Kent learned pickup-ology from Dan and Bill before opening his own firm. It makes sense that if Bill couldn't supply USM at some point, Kent's designs might be close in sound. I have them on a USM 5 and find them just fine.
My Ep-4 P-passive has factory-installed he Wilde P-46 pickup. There is a huge thread on this pickup, if you want to check it out. Wilde did not produce humbuckers for general sale, only P and J models. These were made only for USM, I believe.
Later, I think around the time of the change to red badges, they went to Kent Armstrong pickups, and later to their own design. Interestingly, Kent Armstrong's father Dan worked with Bill Lawrence, and Kent learned pickup-ology from Dan and Bill before opening his own firm. It makes sense that if Bill couldn't supply USM at some point, Kent's designs might be close in sound. I have them on a USM 5 and find them just fine.
Put one on layaway, looks like an EP44? It's an older one, prolly pre-2005 so not sure what model. Sad to read in an earlier post that they are dismantled; guess that's why my email got returned. 
Not sure what the internals are but I'm assuming EMG as the pup's are EMG's. Can't wait to see what it'll do.
Not sure what the internals are but I'm assuming EMG as the pup's are EMG's. Can't wait to see what it'll do.
Put one on layaway, looks like an EP44? It's an older one, prolly pre-2005 so not sure what model. Sad to read in an earlier post that they are dismantled; guess that's why my email got returned.
Not sure what the internals are but I'm assuming EMG as the pup's are EMG's. Can't wait to see what it'll do.
That's a lovely instrument. I had a USM guitar in that purple and really liked the color.
My information below is from a 1997 brochure (first year), so as we know, specifications change. I think the body designations have stayed the same.
The EP44 is a three-piece body in figured hard maple, lacewood or purpleheart (!). The EP45 has a three-piece figured maple top on a back made of either mahogany, hard maple or purpleheart. I believe Searay has an EP45 with a lacewood back; I don't doubt they would have made one since the wood was available.
The knob configuration is right for a circa 2005, and some had a passive/active toggle switch. Yours would have had Kent Armstrong passives, and your knobs look like EMG-supplied knobs so I'd guess EMG BQC System pre also.
BTW, I don't think of 2005s as being old. My EP41 and 42 are early production, either 1997 or 1998.
I don't know where the factory electronics were coming from at that time for the EPx3, x4 and x5. On my EP52s, they used the EMG B30 preamp - not great, not bad. One of mine has has a bypass switch, the other doesn't.
Enjoy the instrument.
V6
P.S. If you ever think of selling it down the line, let me know!
