What is this bass likely to fetch?

The fretless part may take away some of its value.

I would be suspicious of any seller (or buyer) that has zero feedback (and only a member of ebay for 10 days).

Other than that - if you want the bass - put in your max bid - if you get it great.

 

I would wait unless you are wanting a fretless. Keep watching ebay and I'm sure another one will turn up. Also I would never buy anything from a 0 feedback eBay seller.

 

As a fretless, you need to watch out for those large inlays. Tone will change as you fret over them.

 

Anyone else think that guys perm is awesome?

 

Or is that an expensive "add-on"?

 

I'd pass on that one for the seller with no feedback and fretless with block inlays issue. Check out all the bass stores online, I see them from time to time.

 

might also look at a Vaccaro : http://www.grandcentralmusic.com/mall/vaccaro/ At least you can still get em new and not worry about getting a "well loved" one off ebay..

 

Hi, the keyboard player I work with has one. I don't think he's selling it but the comment I would make is that it weighs a ton. Must be that lead aluminum blend or something.

 

Ed Roman will sell you this one

 

I had one way back in 79 or 80. It weighed fourteen pounds.



I think I weighed fourteen pounds, too.

 

I've got one of these. Not the exact same model, but pretty close. Mines a DMZ5000, that one appears to be an XL9.

http://www.vintagekramer.com/alum.htm

Not interested in selling mine.

Yes they are pretty heavy, but within the range of normal basses.

They do have neck dive issues.

They do have excellent tone.

The neck is pretty narrow, with normal front-to-back thickness. Maybe just a little on the thick side, about like a P-Bass.

There is no truss rod, so relief adjustment is very difficult to impossible. There's a few shops in the country that do work on old Steinbergers with no truss rod, so they may be able to work on these as well. It's never been an issue for me. I've never really checked it, but I'd guess mine is perfectly flat, judging from the action you can dial in on it (pretty low). I can't imagine aluminum warping unless you drop it in a furnace or something, so not having a truss rod would only be a problem if you prefer a lot of relief in your neck.

The fingerboard is phenolic (Kramer called it "ebonol"), very hard stuff, so tone difference due to the inlays may not be an issue.

The neck can feel cold in your hand if the bass sits in air conditioning or cold outdoor weather for a while. Not like Ice cube cold, just kinda cool. Never really bothered me, just kinda odd. It does warm up from your touch fairly quick.

I've heard some folks claim that they had tuning problems because the aluminum expands and contracts with temperature. Well, to some degree that's a problem with just about any bass; wooden necks expand and contract, too. It's never really been any worse with my Kramer than with my P-Bass. Even my Modulus will change tuning a little bit if you go from 110 degrees in the back of a truck to a 70 degree air conditioned club; the neck probably doesn't move at all, but the strings themselves will. So it's always a good idea to give any bass some time to get to stage temperature and check tuning before the gig starts.

 

Mine was the DMZ-6000B.

A name like a spaceship, eh?

 

I sense an Ed Roman Bashing Thread Hijack on the horizon...

 

I have the 8-string version of this bass in Walnut. Yoou don't see too many of these in an 8 configuration.

R