LukeFRC

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1460223949' post='3023868'] Of course you are quite right. That will teach me guess the exchange rate! [/quote] anyway. I think the OP has one of the most beautiful basses I've seen in a long while, and it's kinda sad that even secondhand it would possibly be out my price reach unless I sold everything to buy one. But man does it look good

Not played a "current warwick" so maybe they are superior in just about every aspect. (except price) In 1992 or so they moved factories and stopped using solid brass hardware - everything from then on (till about 2012) was when they ramped up production and from what I understand was varying and differing quality as instruments. But even the earlier ones... are often fantastic basses and they're going to have a certain appeal - but I'm not sure there's a widespread desire for the "sound" of a Warwick, nor the celebrity endorsements that mean people will want to sound like them. I've probably got the first 'custom' thumb ever made - but I doubt it's going to be worth silly amounts ever. What the plus is is that I've got two awesomely great instruments that would have cost me many many times more if I was looking for similar quality in another make. My streamer is "the one" for me.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1460217460' post='3023758'] I'm no academic, but that's a fair old mark up even taking into account the VAT and import charge! [/quote] doing the maths... it's about £100 more than the $$ price someone's listed on the thread, with 20% vat and 2% duty... not stupid amount more, and you'll be covered by EU distance selling regs...

also available through Thomann randomly http://www.thomann.de/gb/fodera_monarch_standard_classic_mn_rd.htm

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1460207556' post='3023641'] Wow. That's borderline affordable. Don't know if I could sacrifice my entire collection though - even though I'm sure it's more than worth it. [/quote] +20% +3% remember! that bass does look AMAZING!

[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1459896814' post='3020746'] Nope, 'tis a custom made by Eminence. There is a you tube video visit to the shop which talks about it and Alex confirmed to me when I ordered by Big Twin ll yesterday. [/quote] I stand corrected! Nice can you are getting there too

If I were guessing I would have thought barefaced used a custom made by faital - that's just a guess though based on the driver name having similar system and the fact the horn is a faital by the look

Make sure you show off lovely photos on here once you've got it 😀

vintage MIJ Yamaha - you would have spend two or three times the price they sell for to get similar quality of another maker. Why they go for so little is a mystery to me.

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1458763358' post='3010693'] Does me paying 25% import duty and tax mean that the customs team get great healthcare too? [/quote]no in the uk it helps mean we all get great and free healthcare

[quote name='skelf' timestamp='1458683427' post='3009894'] Does that include the roughly 25% that will be added when it gets to the UK. [/quote] how much are the import duties out of Moffat?

[quote name='skelf' timestamp='1458670897' post='3009725'] My top of the range does not even scratch the bottom of the range Skjold/Elrick/Fodera/etc.Possibly time for a rethink. [/quote] is that a hint I need to decide if I go for a custom bass from you soon!

out of interest: if you loved the look of the [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Monarch Standard Classic .... but the company didn't have a UK distributer so were off the list... what other companies basses would you look at? [/size][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3](Q for Molan as much as anyone else) [/size][/font][/color]

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1458594104' post='3008991'] Stage one is to move to another country No UK Fodera retail options any more. [/quote] which is a bit rubbish. I was just looking on the bassgear website and saw they had gone. Only place i've ever picked one up (as in to try for a bit, not buy) was bass gear. Though Thomann have them which seems a bit mental

[quote name='OutSpoon' timestamp='1458498208' post='3008092'] Or is this just the cost of doing business and he should Do The Right Thing? [/quote] If you're asking yourself this already... then yes. Less hassle too.

[quote name='skelf' timestamp='1458388926' post='3007154'] I can't imagine any builder building a bass without sound/playability as a major factor. I use many fancy woods but I don't see how that means that playability/sound is not taken in to account.You seem to be equating plain with playable not sure I can agree with that. Every builder I know is on a constant quest to improve all aspects of their instruments Mr Stenbeck is in no way the exception in that respect maybe his marketing is better than most, in which case well done to him. [/quote] fair challenge, maybe it was wrong to pick on fancy woods. Stenbeck has got good marketing, it's a very good marketing preposition. For what it's worth the maker who I most regularly hear people say "the bass is really responsive to playing variations." About is ACG. Is stenback just shouting about something that everyone does?

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1458342206' post='3006908'] Any good instrument is built to play. [/quote] though I would have thought there are a fair few companies that design the product that will give the best return to their shareholders, and playability comes second

Hey Ended up reading something on here last night that got my brian thinking... in a way I wanted to type out and get other folk's oppinion and thoughts, hell it will probably become another thread where 90% of people say that any Fender Precision is the be all and end all of everything... but.... [b]Dafonky[/b] started thread looking for a [b]Stenback[/b] bass, interesting - I had never heard of them so did a little web browsing... first a photo of Basschatter Davlovski's bass for those who already have seen too many words, (yes, precision, ampeg and good cab handles I get it.... anyway... ) and found Tom Stenback's website [url="http://tomstenback.com"]here http://tomstenback.com [/url] Finnish luthier - making jazz bass basses - available in black, white or natural only. Seemingly hand making most the hardware and... well not being stupid when it comes to their marketing. Some lovely shot videos where it seems him and the other guys sit around making minute adjustments to basses to improve them.... Probably the video makers/that american fella, fault but It's all a wee bit too much hipster/makeing-movement-porn for my liking - very Kinfolk reminded me of this here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBb9O-aW4zI and before we start on the "how much is it costing?" thread like the fodera:worth it? thread something struck me... I've owned dozens of basses now, and tried out dozens more. But comments on the videos about the musicality of an instrument and ability to get different tones out with changes in hand technique really made sense to me, My main bass has that evenness across the fret board and ability to just change the sound with how I attack the strings, or just moving the right hand slightly. My other basses have a lot less. (In fact playing the BB1200 at a gig the other day I was getting so confused by how it sounded until mid-gig I realised that digging in in the way I normally would didn't work the same way...) And then I thought about how a lot of bass makers I've seen seem, from their stock instruments and things on here at least, be more interested in some rare and fancy top wood and triple accent lines or something, than how the thing sounds. I guess that's audience as much as anything, Sadowsky have always seemed (to me at least) to be designed around a decent 'working' instrument, overwater seem to go for similar goals.. So I guess my questions are how does that musical responsiveness get designed/built into the instrument*? What are you looking for? Can it be built in, or do you play a ton of instruments to find it**? Who else apart from Stenback focuses on this first? [size=2]*If that is even the goal. I know some basses are designed more a a flat stable platform, for example the PeaveyT40 almost totally uncouples the strings from the body with a massive bridge and heavy body. It's the least resonant instrument ever... and a joy to play live because of that. ** cos that is one way to do it, and also why yes your harley benton may very well be the greatest bass ever made... or even that precision you play with through an ampeg and a cab with proper handles... [/size]