What are your thoughts on this?

[dkelley]

the bass needs a setup and fret levelling! holy, listen to it fret out as he bends up high, listen to teh fret buzz on certain up high notes.....

Now, the player, awesome in general.

The tone with drive is horrid... worst drive tone I've heard in a long time.

The actual playing in this clip? it's like he doesn't have any plan or even know the chords very well...which is VERY weird for a guy like Flea.

He's MUCH better than this clip. I would have done another 20 takes if I were him and then edited them together for the video... build a great solo out of good parts from multiple solos.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

It is Flea and he doesn’t need to prove anything anymore. Also one crappy performance won’t destroy his career.

 

[Kilgore777]

I think that was actually cut from spinal taps album "smell the glove".

- or maybe a Jazz Odyssey outtake....

 

[bassdude51]

This is F***'s brain on drugs.

 

[Thumb n Fingers]

Yeah, I've seen this before and I don't get the video or why Fender thought this was a good promo for his signature bass. And I agree, it seems like Flea is just being weird here to be weird.

FWIW, I have one of these basses (in Inca Silver... I couldn't do the pink thing), and it really is an incredibly playable tone monster. Versatility for days. Probably the best bass I've hand in my hands for slap style playing. It also sounds amazing played finger style. It's been my main player for the last 6 months.

The video does absolutely no justice to what this bass has to offer.

 

[KJMO]

Several have said he seems to be feeling it, and I don't usually pretend to know what people are feeling, but he ain't feeling THAT. Unless he's writhing in pain. Someone of his caliber should be able to do better totally off the cuff. He missed the mark, for whatever reason.

 

[And I]

it's just about as bad as the original. and i do like p-funk quite a bit. but maggot brain is among their worst songs.

after hearing Flea's interview with Malcolm Gladwell, i would guess he is 100% sincere in feeling this to his core, as I believe he is in everything he does. he's operating from a different mental, spiritual, emotional, and in this case physical (unless you all jam on top of mountains) place than most of us...

 

[Ostie]

Frustrated lead guitar player?

 

[erigod23]

It's fine. Holy crap, y'all are judgmental.

 

[Joe Nerve]

FWIW, I have one of these basses (in Inca Silver... I couldn't do the pink thing), and it really is an incredibly playable tone monster. Versatility for days. Probably the best bass I've hand in my hands for slap style playing. It also sounds amazing played finger style. It's been my main player for the last 6 months.

The video does absolutely no justice to what this bass has to offer.

Agreed. I saw a bunch of reviews and other videos of the bass and got some instant gas. Glad I'm only playing short scales these days, or I'd be sunk. The bass looks and sounds awesome. Not in that video though.

I have a strong suspicion that Flea said - you want an endorsement, this is what you get! You don't like it... TFB! That's the impression I got from the end of this video. Watch from the 50 second mark...

 

[tzohn]

 

[Pandastylebass]

Can anyone here upload their corporate endorsement video to compare this to?

 

[Rib 13]

my guess is he's off drugs now and is bored...…………..

 

[brianrost]

Did anyone tell to think about his mother dying before he started playing?

Lotta fret noise, eh

 

[pacojas]

orange jumpsuit, yellow hair, blue face paint, and Maggot Brain?

it's obviously a "Hollywood Public Humiliation Ritual". many celebrities engage in this option when they receive such an assignment!

 

[KJMO]

Can anyone here upload their corporate endorsement video to compare this to?

I honestly don't understand your point. It's not like the musical content of what he is playing is beyond a relative novices understanding. It's really bad, and since we know how good he is, we're wondering what the heck. Total reasonable. In short, since he's so much better than I am, why is he playing worse than I do? And then trying so hard to sell it? It is kind of weird.

 

[p12bassnut]

yuck

 

[Skillet]

 

[Stevorebob]

Not something I love, but I’ve no reason to bag on Flea or Fender here. I don’t need the distraction, and their track records are distinctly better than mine. Peace.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Yup, same ol' Flea lol

The guy's not happy (or "being himself") unless he's being a goofball and doing things off the cuff. Maybe they EQ'd the bass tone in the video horribly or something, but it doesn't really entice me to buy one of those. Wonder how long this endorsement deal will go before he goes back to EBMM/Modulus and GK rigs again...