US Masters club

[ashtray]

Late to the party, but just picked up my second EP42. I really like how lightweight these basses are, the comfortable neck all the way up the fretboard, and the variety of tones that are different from the standard Jazz or P bass sound.

 

[ashtray]

Camera managed to wash out all the flame on previous pic. Note: red bass (ash body, trans red finish) has matching red dot inlays!

 

[Versatek6]

Those are lovely early production models. I have one of these, similar to your maple, but with the lacewood body. The contour switches do interesting things to the tonal palette, don't they?

 

[Searay]

Seems to be pretty quiet around here. Seeing fewer of these coming up for sale as well. I do run across some of the import line on occasion, and some 5 strings from the WI factory. I do kind of miss this company. It's guys like this that you like to see succeed.

 

[Bassman12593]

Seems to be pretty quiet around here. Seeing fewer of these coming up for sale as well. I do run across some of the import line on occasion, and some 5 strings from the WI factory. I do kind of miss this company. It's guys like this that you like to see succeed.

I found one at a guitar center near me. Immediately put it on layaway after playing it for an hour, I'm taking it home on Wednesday.

 

[Versatek6]

I found one at a guitar center near me. Immediately put it on layaway after playing it for an hour, I'm taking it home on Wednesday.

I saw that one on the web site, and was sorely tempted. I did not succumb because I knew you were going to get it.

 

[Bassman12593]

I saw that one on the web site, and was sorely tempted. I did not succumb because I knew you were going to get it.

Good looks!

 

[Searay]

Very nice, love the body wood

 

[Searay]

Oh my, you just got the best $150 bass ever. You are going to like it. Congratulations on a good find.

 

[Versatek6]

Oh my, you just got the best $150 bass ever. You are going to like it. Congratulations on a good find.

Agreed; IMO you got the deal of the year, especially with the original fitted case.

I have B89, which is also an EP4, but with the transparent red finish. On this model, the body is soft maple, the neck is birdseye (but you saw that), and the fingerboard is pao ferro.

If you don't know, the pickup is a Wilde (Bill Lawrence) P-46. His company made the pickups for USM during the first few years. Many people feel the P-46 is the best P-bass style pickup made.

Mine sounds fantastic with DR flat wound strings. Highly recommended!

Big congratulations on the acquisition.

 

[Marc DLarosa]

We could use a little updated content. Here is a slightly outdated picture.

View attachment 2282477

L-R: Maple/maple/maple EP52, Kala Hutch Hutchinson U-Bass, lacewood/maple/ebony EP52, maple/maple/pau ferro ep4. The 52s have EMG B30 preamps (one with an active/passive switch). The photo is missing the lacewood/maple/pao ferro EP42 I most recently acquired; it looks like the middle one with the neck of the four, and has the 1st generation USM Multi-Voice Passive eq.

If you care, strings are all DR: Fat Beams with a .130 B, Black Beauties, and Legend Flats.

Notice the end of the fretboard on the four. You only see that on earlier production basses. The truss rod runs down into that extension, requiring a stubby wrench. I am guessing the extra inch of length might allow a little more fine tuning of the relief - or it could be just a cool little bit of artistry. It also has 4-on-a-side tuners, while later fours were 3+1. One trademark design on all their basses and their bolt-neck guitars is the offset position markers, giving the necks a very clean look.

Bill Lawrence made the original pickups for USM, and the EP4 has his P-46, which many feel is the best P-pickup made. I agree. The soapbars on the lacewood bass are Kent Armstrong. The P/J pickup set is unmarked; at some point USM began having their own pickups made to their specs. I've seen prototype pickups one eBay being sold that were acquired from the company's liquidation.

I have thoughts about upgrading pickups or preamps, but when I play them, I seem to get over it. For the P/J I might be able to get close to the old originals from [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] to see if the J-45 and P-46 would work size-wise.

I am considering putting the sunburst EP52 up for sale. I'm not sure I want to deal with the 10.2# weight anymore. But the fact that it plays so nicely and sounds so good makes parting difficult...[/QUOT

We could use a little updated content. Here is a slightly outdated picture.

View attachment 2282477

L-R: Maple/maple/maple EP52, Kala Hutch Hutchinson U-Bass, lacewood/maple/ebony EP52, maple/maple/pau ferro ep4. The 52s have EMG B30 preamps (one with an active/passive switch). The photo is missing the lacewood/maple/pao ferro EP42 I most recently acquired; it looks like the middle one with the neck of the four, and has the 1st generation USM Multi-Voice Passive eq.

If you care, strings are all DR: Fat Beams with a .130 B, Black Beauties, and Legend Flats.

Notice the end of the fretboard on the four. You only see that on earlier production basses. The truss rod runs down into that extension, requiring a stubby wrench. I am guessing the extra inch of length might allow a little more fine tuning of the relief - or it could be just a cool little bit of artistry. It also has 4-on-a-side tuners, while later fours were 3+1. One trademark design on all their basses and their bolt-neck guitars is the offset position markers, giving the necks a very clean look.

Bill Lawrence made the original pickups for USM, and the EP4 has his P-46, which many feel is the best P-pickup made. I agree. The soapbars on the lacewood bass are Kent Armstrong. The P/J pickup set is unmarked; at some point USM began having their own pickups made to their specs. I've seen prototype pickups one eBay being sold that were acquired from the company's liquidation.

I have thoughts about upgrading pickups or preamps, but when I play them, I seem to get over it. For the P/J I might be able to get close to the old originals from [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] to see if the J-45 and P-46 would work size-wise.

I am considering putting the sunburst EP52 up for sale. I'm not sure I want to deal with the 10.2# weight anymore. But the fact that it plays so nicely and sounds so good makes parting difficult...

I realize that this is a "long way down the road." But... If You still have the sunburst 5 string, and.... are still considering selling it, by all means, feel free to PM Me. TRADES?

Thanks,
Marc

 

[Versatek6]

I realize that this is a "long way down the road." But... If You still have the sunburst 5 string, and.... are still considering selling it, by all means, feel free to PM Me. TRADES?

Thanks,
Marc

Wow, Marc, that post was made exactly four years ago, today!

I still have that instrument, and am still playing it. At this point, I've decided unless I get in a financial bind, it'll be staying with me for a while.

I did a preamp swap for an Aguilar OBP-3; while the EMG preamp was fine - good, actually - I find that I like the tonal options the Aguilar gives me. The lacewood 5er also got a new pre a couple years back - a Bartolini NTMB+, the two-piece unit. I also added switching to each pickup for parallel/single/series coil options. THat became an incredibly flexible instrument.

Thanks for resurrecting the thread. I have acquired a couple more to add to it, and need some updated photos. Maybe this will prompt me to get them done.

V6

 

[bdgotoh]

Another longshot here - if anyone is thinking about selling an older USA 4 string with the small exposed polepiece soapbars I'm looking. I never should have sold mine!

 

[Marc DLarosa]

Like what?

 

[Versatek6]

Like what?

Well, on eBay a few years back, I found the carcass of an import Masters Design epin4 in pearl white with smoky MOTS inlays. I think it was an end-of-the-line piece as the fretboard was unfinished, the frets were uneven and sharp, and the action was unreasonable. It came with all the original components. One pickup was bad; the preamp was nothing more than acceptable. The bridge is one I have seen on other imports, but even bottomed out the strings were still too high. The Wilkinson tuners were fine. All the metal and knobs were black chrome.

I tung-oiled the fretboard, worked on the frets, and replaced all the hardware and electronics: new Kent Armstrong (import) pickups, an EMG preamp out of one of my US models, black Schaller roller bridge (it was the lowest I could find), and black Gotoh tuners with a Hipshot Drop-D I had from another bass. I also had a set of US rubber knobs to replace the black chrome domes. DR Neon White strings to finish it off. This has an aggressive edge to its personality.

Christmas 2016, my wonderful wife found (with my help ) an early Ep52 with a solid purpleheart body and pao ferro fingerboard. Passive with 1st generation pickups. Being about 20 years old, it has lost a little of its original color, but is still nice. It is also now the heaviest 5-string bass I own. Currently strung with Pedulla 50-130 NPS strings. This is a big sounding bass.

Last is a later edition custom ordered Ep52; the name of the gentleman who ordered it is written on the foil inside the electronics cover. The body is lacewood with a dark burst finish and matching headstock; the fretboard is a beautifully striped pao ferro. Metal is gold tone. It is a gorgeous instrument, IMO. Passive electronics and Kent Armstrong pickups. Strings are D'Addario tapewound. Lacewood is my favorite tonewood, and this has a beautifully balanced tone, and is very easy to play.

 

[Marc DLarosa]

Well, on eBay a few years back, I found the carcass of an import Masters Design epin4 in pearl white with smoky MOTS inlays. I think it was an end-of-the-line piece as the fretboard was unfinished, the frets were uneven and sharp, and the action was unreasonable. It came with all the original components. One pickup was bad; the preamp was nothing more than acceptable. The bridge is one I have seen on other imports, but even bottomed out the strings were still too high. The Wilkinson tuners were fine. All the metal and knobs were black chrome.

I tung-oiled the fretboard, worked on the frets, and replaced all the hardware and electronics: new Kent Armstrong (import) pickups, an EMG preamp out of one of my US models, black Schaller roller bridge (it was the lowest I could find), and black Gotoh tuners with a Hipshot Drop-D I had from another bass. I also had a set of US rubber knobs to replace the black chrome domes. DR Neon White strings to finish it off. This has an aggressive edge to its personality.

Christmas 2016, my wonderful wife found (with my help ) an early Ep52 with a solid purpleheart body and pao ferro fingerboard. Passive with 1st generation pickups. Being about 20 years old, it has lost a little of its original color, but is still nice. It is also now the heaviest 5-string bass I own. Currently strung with Pedulla 50-130 NPS strings. This is a big sounding bass.

Last is a later edition custom ordered Ep52; the name of the gentleman who ordered it is written on the foil inside the electronics cover. The body is lacewood with a dark burst finish and matching headstock; the fretboard is a beautifully striped pao ferro. Metal is gold tone. It is a gorgeous instrument, IMO. Passive electronics and Kent Armstrong pickups. Strings are D'Addario tapewound. Lacewood is my favorite tonewood, and this has a beautifully balanced tone, and is very easy to play.

Well...?
Must I continue to use my imagination?
Ooooorrrrr... Are you gonna post some pictures of these?!!!?
Sorry for yelling.

 

[Versatek6]

 

[Versatek6]

Pardon the harsh halogen lighting. Colors are a little brighter than they appear in real life.

Custom Order Lacewood Ep52
IRL - Looks more brown, less red

Fingerboard grain

 

[Versatek6]

Here is the purpleheart Ep52

Headstock showing flamey maple. Note idiot prior owner felt the need to add a string retainer rather than put a couple wraps around the post.

 

[Versatek6]

Here is one I don't think I mentioned before - an early Ep42, solid lacewood.

I added the purpleheart ramp. I couldn't bring myself to drill, so it's attached with a couple dabs of silicone. You can see where the prior owner rested his thumb(nail), and a couple "slap-happy" divots by the upper horn. Same pickups and electronics as the purpleheart model, but note the different contouring at the heel of the fretboard. This was only done on the earlier models.

Here is the very pretty pao ferro.