|| present || past || future ||

 
2002
-2003
Features:
Alder body, Lane Poor MM pickup, graphite neck
Story: Ebay
Sound: Aggressive - you can't hide it in the mix. Incredibly versatile, from round to piercing, and of course slaps like crazy. Super low action feels almost high on this bass. Frickin lightning fast.

2002
Features:
Polar piezo bridge, EMG magnetic
Story: Ebay
Sound: Hmm. Remember how I don't like fretless basses? Well this one just teeters on the fence. Still too much mwah but you can get some pretty cool tones - unlike anything i've EVER played. The bowed tone however sounds VERY akin to an amplified upright. Impressive instrument, but just not for me.

2002 [more pics]
Features:
Flame Mahogany Body, rough crystal pickups, felt covered fingerboard
Story: Ebay/The Dudepit
Sound: Akin to a modulus, but not as "snappy" - HUGE punch, wonderfully playable, just a beautiful instrument
Gripes: Too much like my MTD but without the midrange complexity

1999-2002
[more pics]
Features:
Quilted maple top, ebony fingerboard, Smith Electronics, neck-through.
Story: Purchased used at Bass NW in 2000.
Sound:
Punchy, tight, compressed-sounding. Very flexible. From quasi-vinage tones to modern sounds the Smith can do it.
Gripe: The narrow string spacing, which just personally i'm not fond of. I'm also finding I enjoy a more open, snappy tone.


2002 [more pics]
Features: Quilted maple top, ebony fingerboard, Bartolini P/J, neck-through.
Story: Great deal on Ebay
Sound:
Really vintage sounding, dark & smooth. Great for classic rock. Amazing solid, stable neck. Harmonics for days!
Gripe: Just not flexible enough for my taste, but does what it does perfectly.


2002 [more pics]
Features: Figured black walnut top, active passive switches
Story: Ebay
Sound:
Same punchy, wonderful sound as my BSR5, a little darker & smoother
Gripe: Still can't handle the narrow string spacing, and can't really justify a 6 - I like lower, not higher.

2002-2002 [more pics]
Features: Great stable MTD neck. 4 stars for the price.
Sound:
Raw, edgy MM sound + some fatness. Truly the best $400 bass i've ever played.
Gripe: Loved the raw tone, but it just didn't cut through the mix! Totally got lost.

2002 [more pics]
Features: maple fb, sunburst, everything standard
Sound:
The MM sound cept not as fat. Seems like everyone (including fender) makes their newer basses with more treble & high mids for a "modern" sound. whatever.
Gripe: Just not the tone for me.
 
2002 [more pics]
Features: piezo bridge, LEDs, ash body, ebony bridge
Story:
Ebay, sold to my bass teacher
Sound:
extremely flexible, beautiful. the lovliest fretless i've ever played. ever!
Gripe: I don't want to play a fretless 6 right now bad enough to put in the practice time. so i'm not gonna. that's it.
 
2002 [more pics]
Features: aguilar preamp
Story:
Ebay
Sound:
great modern jazz tone, preamp has serious booty
Gripe: not what i'm looking for

2002 [more pics]
Features: Bubinga body, passive pickups
Story:
Ebay
Sound:
Came with flatwounds & sounded like shit. Put rounds on it and the mids came alive. A great sounding bass for the money.
Gripe: not a fretless kinda guy i guess. not very flexible

2002 [more pics]
Features:
Wenge top, mahogany body, Alembic electronics, ebony fingerboard.
Story: Ebay from a pawn shop in TX.
Sound:
Buttery, tight, just a great all-around rock/blues tone. Truly an amazing instrument.
Sound: Didn't really like the look, small body doesn't fit me. It would really be hard to make this bass sound like anything else - but it does it very well. Excellent for the price.
 


2002 [more pics]
Features: no
Story: Ebay

Sound:
funky, punchy, bloated, great tone - can see why Justin Medal-Johansen plays one.
Gripe: does one thing very well. not my cup 'o tea.

 
2001 [more pics]
Features: its old
Story:
Ebay
Sound:
its a P bass, and a good sounding one.
Gripe: couldn't afford to keep it & not play it, not useful for my bands at the time
 
2000 [more pics]
Features: plastic hollow body, passive
Story:
used from Bass NW
Sound:
like a really beefy jazz bass, and pretty flexible. great for funk, but quite fat - you better love the booty.
Gripe: too "live"
 
1998-2000 [more pics]
Features: active electronics,
Story:
US Jazz body from Ebayand a fretless neck my mom bought
Sound:
Good clear tone, mwah for days (which i hate)
Gripe: did you know that i'm not really liking the fretless sound?
 


1996-1999 [more pics]
Features: EMG p/j, alder body
Story: My first real bass - from Stevens Guitars

Sound:
good P tone, good jazz tone, just good
Gripe:
normal is boring?


1995-1996 [more pics]
Features: acoustic
Story: from the Times classifieds

Sound:
not too much volume, but a good ABG tone
Gripe:
don't like the bronze string sound, but the steel are too quiet