Hard to let these instruments go like that, but sometimes I guess one needs to do what is necessary. The craftsmanship on the fine woods they selected is impressive. I chose a Bart preamp harness and pickups for my walnut (with separate volumes for each pu), kept the original, but I'm pleased with the new.
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US Masters club
- Thread starter Longshot
- Start date
Sale feeler for the fretless P5 - have some major car repairs coming up and want to see which fine member of the US Master’s club would be interested. Comes with OHSC. Classified link below, send me a PM. Thanks!
For Sale - US Masters P5 Fretless - early model! PRICE DROP
For Sale - US Masters P5 Fretless - early model! PRICE DROP
Late for the party so hope not to disappoint.
Just wanted to share my beautiful precious U.S. Masters EP55 5-string fretless bass.
Mahogany body with flame maple top inlaid with maple and pau ferro strips. Pau ferro fretless fingerboard..Active/Passive setup, Sperzel Locking tuning machines.
Just wanted to share my beautiful precious U.S. Masters EP55 5-string fretless bass.
Mahogany body with flame maple top inlaid with maple and pau ferro strips. Pau ferro fretless fingerboard..Active/Passive setup, Sperzel Locking tuning machines.
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That's very nice.
I don't play fretless enough, so I need a lined neck. USM never made one, that I've seen, so i "get by" with a Lakland Skyline.
Thanks for posting!
I don't play fretless enough, so I need a lined neck. USM never made one, that I've seen, so i "get by" with a Lakland Skyline.
Thanks for posting!
Thanks! I love it so much. Quality of manufacturing is amazing. Ok, I really didn’t push it hard but it looks and plays same like the first day.
When i was ordering it, I remember that they gave me an option to put the lines on - black lines that don’t stand out real strong or regular white ones. But they also told me that their preferred and standard is without any lines. I went with it as it just looks more beautiful.
Ps. Lakland Skyline - that looks like an amazing bass. Didn’t have chance to try it unfortunately
For my needs, it is a really nice instrument; I have a 55-02.
Several months before I go tit, the shop I bougt it from had a Carvin LB76F that was just amazing. Beautiful tone, and fantastic playability. As usual when that happens, I had no $$ available, and had to pass.
If I ever stumble across another USM fretless...
Several months before I go tit, the shop I bougt it from had a Carvin LB76F that was just amazing. Beautiful tone, and fantastic playability. As usual when that happens, I had no $$ available, and had to pass.
If I ever stumble across another USM fretless...
For my needs, it is a really nice instrument; I have a 55-02.
Several months before I go tit, the shop I bougt it from had a Carvin LB76F that was just amazing. Beautiful tone, and fantastic playability. As usual when that happens, I had no $$ available, and had to pass.
If I ever stumble across another USM fretless...
55-02 is really a great looking bass, so glad that you are happy with it! But that Carvin though. uff that's something i really would like to have
i feel you - similar things happened to me so often and not only to bass related stuff. but maybe it was just not meant to be - at least this is how i am consoling myself usually.
if you ever stumble upon USM fretless, lined or lined, i couldn't recommend it more. and hope $$$ will be there too
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Got this pretty lady arriving hopefully this week!
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
For my needs, it is a really nice instrument; I have a 55-02.
Several months before I go tit, the shop I bougt it from had a Carvin LB76F that was just amazing. Beautiful tone, and fantastic playability. As usual when that happens, I had no $$ available, and had to pass.
If I ever stumble across another USM fretless...
55-02 is really a great looking bass, so glad that you are happy with it! But that Carvin though. uff that's something i really would like to have
i feel you - similar things happened to me so often and not only to bass related stuff. but maybe it was just not meant to be - at least this is how i am consoling myself usually.
if you ever stumble upon USM fretless, lined or lined, i couldn't recommend it more. and hope $$$ will be there too
Speaking of Carvin, not to derail the club here, this is my B5. It's my gigging country-band workhorse. The USM will be for my prog-metal/rock/soul/funk band.
Speaking of Carvin, not to derail the club here, this is my B5. It's my gigging country-band workhorse. The USM will be for my prog-metal/rock/soul/funk band.
beautiful bass! really like the color selection and the pattern!
btw. are you replacing me in my band as this sound too specifically accurate
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
beautiful bass! really like the color selection and the pattern!
btw. are you replacing me in my band as this sound too specifically accurate
I have a feeling it'd be quite a drive every time...sooooo, no.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Sooo the neck is wonky on the Masters (received it today)...ski jumps on both sides, and looks like a previous owner did a horrible planing job on the board. The thinness of the middle frets is crazy compared to the lowest and highest frets on the bass side, and the treble side is super-thin all the way...probably why the action is a lot higher than my last Masters. The seller has agreed to refund me, and is on the fence regarding reimbursement to me of shipping back to him. The sale was private, but a long-time, high-end dealer should stand by their reputation all the way, right?
US Masters P/J rocking the West Coast this weekend. Thx songwriter21 for selling it to me last year. Love the total clarity of the the sound, esp. with the EMG electronics.
Just picked up my first bass (I have played guitar for 35+ years, never got a bass)
EPiN4 - bought used locally. Loving it so far.
Having odd intonation issue though.. double checked string witness lengths etc but G string intonation looks weird but sounds/tunes perfectly.
EPiN4 - bought used locally. Loving it so far.
Having odd intonation issue though.. double checked string witness lengths etc but G string intonation looks weird but sounds/tunes perfectly.
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It might be the string. Next time you change them and check the intonation, you'll know for certain. It might just be a fluke of that instrument.
I have the same in Pearl White, but got it as a carcass. Replaced all the hardware with Gotoh and Schaller, Kent Armstrong import pickups and electronics from an American USM. The neck isn't as stable as a US made, but it sounds really good.
Congrats and enjoy!
The old wound strings showed some of this same oddness, and this was exacerbated when I put on new Ernie Ball Group IV flatwounds and adjusted the intonation to match. Wonder if I'm missing something. Also feel like the entire bridge needs to be mounted 1/4" farther back. The E (and G) saddles in their current position are resting on the heads of the bridge mounting screws so they don't sit flat. Maybe I should file down the bottom of the saddles or switch out to flat head countersunk mounting screws instead of moving the whole bridge.
Weather here (AZ) is pretty stable from a humidity standpoint and my other guitars have always been stable. Hope this remains the case with the EPiN4.
Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with how it plays (note: I gotta learn how to play it properly since this is my first bass). Not bad at all for $300.
11 yrs late but here goes... I've had this bass for 13 yrs and it still looks brand New! Never thought it was beefy enough , so I didn't play it much... I play my Tobias Growler 5 most of the time.. but this thing is MUCH better lookin...
I tune down a half step and this neck Buzzes like a bee, I used to be able to play standard with no fretting but now Sheeesh! The truss might be over adjusted tho, so it's goin to the shop ... now...
I've been thinking about either switching these OEM pups for Bartolini passive soapbars off of an old Soundgear5 I moded, or purchase a set of MEC humbuckers and have shop close by in Columbus, OH give me the preamp to mimmick the Warwick $$ controls... just thoughts.. This is such a well made instrument. I feel the woods can really sing if I switch it to active...
I tune down a half step and this neck Buzzes like a bee, I used to be able to play standard with no fretting but now Sheeesh! The truss might be over adjusted tho, so it's goin to the shop ... now...
I've been thinking about either switching these OEM pups for Bartolini passive soapbars off of an old Soundgear5 I moded, or purchase a set of MEC humbuckers and have shop close by in Columbus, OH give me the preamp to mimmick the Warwick $$ controls... just thoughts.. This is such a well made instrument. I feel the woods can really sing if I switch it to active...
Another lovely instrument!
If it is going into the shop for a neck adjustment, I'd ask the tech to replace the foam under the pickups, too. After 13 years, it's probably broken down, and you aren't getting as much signal as possible from them. They are designed by Bill Lawrence (I think manufactured, too), so they are good pickups.
A string change may help the buzz, too. If you aren't using a hex-core string, that may do the trick; something like the DR Lo-Rider or DDT.
I'd hate to see a low serial number instrument like yours get modded since there aren't that many, but it is yours, after all, to do with as you wish. I've done preamp swaps on two of mine (a Bartolini 5.2 and an OBP-3) that had the factory EMG preamp, and am happy with them. One of the EMGs went into my EPi4 which made a huge improvement.
Or you could sell it to me...
Thanks! I'll have em check those things first.. If I can get that action low and loose... I'll probably be much happier.. To the low number OG aesthetics the tone can be worked on thru external means I guess... but active electronics are whispering to me! Lol.... Sell? The price would have to be real "right"...
