Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Hellzero

⭐Supporting Member⭐
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    6,926

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    10

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Hellzero

  1. Hellzero
    Funny to read, just because I'm pointing out capitalism, I must be a communist. 🙄
  2. Hellzero
    This is one of the main reason why we are living the end of capitalism. 😉
  3. Hellzero
    Do the maths, as written. Huge profit makers would be best than crooks, I must admit it and I'm correcting it right now.
  4. Hellzero
    Here is the UBS (end of 2018) fare prices for renting a flat for 3 persons for 1 month, which is one of the best life level indicator : https://www.ubs.com/microsites/prices-earnings/en/explore/?indicator=Prices_Housing_(USD)&split=false And then the earning levels : https://www.ubs.com/microsites/prices-earnings/en/explore/?indicator=General_Wage Level (gross)_(New York %3D 100)&split=false&category=Earnings And now the purchasing power : https://www.ubs.com/microsites/prices-earnings/en/explore/?indicator=General_Domestic Purchasing Power_Net (New York %3D 100)&split=false&category=Domestic Purchasing Power Do the maths and you'll understand where are the huge profit makers. Again sad but true. I'll just tell you that Paris (France) is certainly the worst place to live, but the luthiers installed there are not mobing their customers with unjustified delirious selling prices. Take a look at Vigier price list, nothing wrong there and top notch quality level. Patrice Vigier also has some registered patents for his instruments.
  5. Hellzero
    I used to build and repair guitar, basses and amps, just in case. But being honest, I didn't earn enough money to live. Maybe, I'll start again when money won't be an issue, say when I'll be retired.
  6. Hellzero
    Mike TOBIAS is a terrific master luthier, crafting instruments in New York chity too and his basses are way much cheaper and way far better than any Fodera. He's got a small crew, just like Fodera. So if you read between the lines, profit is the only added value for Fodera. Christophe LEDUC is working totally alone, has some registered patents for his instruments, has made lots of research for the best ergonomics ever for an instrument, crafts some of the best basses around with carefully chosen woods (he's got a stock of very old woods) and components. His expensiver bass reaches the price of the cheapest Fodera, except for his L series which are really unique instruments only made once. This guy is a true genius, respected and even sometimes worshipped by his fellow luthiers for his extraordinary knowledge. He also taught lutherie in France. This is also the only luthier who is able to craft an instrument where you'll hear the fundamental of each and every note, even the low B, with more harmonics content than any other. And he's a good friend of ours who likes to enjoy life. It's always a pleasure to meet him and his wife and enjoy a meal or just a cup of coffee talking sci-fi, food, wine, philosophy, mathematics, life, art, culture, universe, mankind, ... As I always say, the best Fodera is a Ken Smith.
  7. Hellzero
    You got it quite right @NJE, but the main reason for this price difference is called cupidity on the seller side and stupidity on the buyer side. And the Fodera team has not such extraordinary luthiers, that said. If these guys were so terrific they would do a differential fretboard dressing and certainly not that stupid unscientific string anchorage called "extended B"... Any real luthier knowing his job will build you a terrific bass, with terrific woods, extraordinary pickups and fantastic preamp for 3000 to 5000 quids, depending on the number of strings you want. And exactly as you want it. Think twice about the price tag of such high end basses, there is absolutely no reason for it. It's just like in the audiophile world, prices are totally unjustified. It's only the marketing department making his job. I had an original Fodera Richard Bona, simply the worst bass I ever played or owned, stupidly heavy, dull sound without the preamp loudly engaged : always thought it was a cheap Chinese copy ... but it wasn't. I know I won't make friends here, but truth always hurts.
  8. Hellzero
    Sold. 😊
  9. Hellzero
    Out of curiosity, why is there a stacked knob if it's a volume, blend, bass, mid and treble configuration ?
  10. Hellzero
    And terrific Benedetti pickups ... sort of free bump on me.
  11. Hellzero
    I won't make friends... A brand new Fodera Richard Bona that was such a bad instrument that I was sure it was a cheap Chinese copy : nope it was the real deal (urm, not really at a mere £10.000 GBP price tag). Awful sounding bass and not that terrific craftsmanship, I would say it was worth 1/100th of the asking price. I was simply gutted and hated it so much that I decided that I will never ever play a Fodera again. The reason is certainly that I've been playing high end and high quality luthier basses for over 30 years, so I was just amazed how common it was. And of course all the Japanese deep sh*tty basses from the 60's and early 70's and the nowadays Chinese crap.
  12. Hellzero
    Sold.
  13. Hellzero
    Why is it still here ?
  14. Hellzero
    Yes, and the wood grades can go up to 11 ! From grade 5 on, you have the real luthier woods. And Christophe LEDUC is not the next corner luthier, but THE French luthier and is only using top grade woods. In 1998 and 1999, he made a very small series of instruments with these grade 8 woods for his best clients (I also had a 5 strings headless fretless made at that time, sold to a friend of mine now). Try this bass and you'll consider any other bass, yes even a Fodera, a cheap toy. No, it's no for sale, as it would be like selling my soul.
  15. Hellzero
    On hold. 🙂
  16. Hellzero
    Here is my main bass, a 1998 Leduc Masterpiece MP 628 SF in close to pristine condition as I'm a total maniac. The woods are : one piece AAAAAAAA birdseye maple (the brown spot on the back is the heated sugar of the maple which is the proof of its high quality) with AAAAAAAA legal 150 years old Brazilian rosewood fret board and the headstock front veneer for the neck through, AAAAAAAA highly flamed maple on AAAAAAAA ash body (with walnut veneer everywhere between two different woods). The pickups are the famous Leduc/Benedetti single coils (with dummy coil for total hum-cancelling) coupled to the also famous Leduc/EBS EL5 preamp (not made anymore) with the bass pot fitted in the electronic cavity. The bridge is the Leduc aluminium with brass locking saddles. The tuners are Hipshot Ultralite.  The strings spacing is 18/9 mm.  Action is my typical 1.5 to 2 mm at 12th fret.  The weight is 4.1 kilos.
  17. Hellzero
    On hold until 30th of December.
  18. Hellzero
    On hold until 30th of December.
  19. Hellzero
    It's a Condor bass, it's written on the headstock, it's one of the numerous early Japanese instruments like the (El) Maya brand. Hope you didn't pay more than £50 GBP for it as the quality in the early 70's was not at all what the Japanese are offering now.
  20. Hellzero
    This one has a truss rod, which is very important for any bass.
  21. Hellzero
    It is indeed ! 😉
  22. Hellzero
    Thinning down the herd, so selling the basses I don't use, and desperately trying to keep only one ... or two FOR SALE OR (PARTIAL) TRADE BASED ON THE NEW RETAIL PRICE (USA price is $6424 USD which will be, as there are no dealers in Europe, around £7500 GBP with all the extra options and all the customs taxes) : MODULUS (GRAPHITE) Quantum 6 Custom ! Asking price including shipping fully insured with tracking number to your place in these European countries (ask for other countries) : Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (excluding French overseas departments and territories), Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom : £2799 GBP !!! In fully working condition and very very good condition for a close to 20 years old bass. Here are the specifications : Body : 2 pieces alder with 2 pieces 5A quilt maple top ($600 - $1500 USD option) Neck : 4 bolts carbon fibre with (one) fully working bi-directional truss rod Fingerboard : phenolic (24 frets without wear) with side dots Headstock : 3 + 3 shape Pickups : Bartolini M56CX ($75 USD option) Preamp : 18 Volts Bartolini 3 bands NTMB ($50 USD option) Controls : volume, blend, mid, stacked bass + treble Tuners : Modulus / Gotoh GB70 (3 + 3) Bridge : Hipshot A-Style Strings spacing at bridge : 17 mm Nut : phenolic Strings spacing at nut : 9 mm Knobs : original metal Scale : 35" Hardware colour : black (an option in 1999) Finish : original clear gloss ($300 USD option for the body + $300 USD option for the neck, so a total of $600 USD option) Land of craftsmanship : USA Serial number : 990710 (November 1999) Weight : 4,8 kilos Action : from 1 mm under the C string to 1.5 mm under the B string at 12th position (without any buzz, it's just amazing) Will come with the original Modulus form fit TKL Vectra hard shell case with embossed Modulus logo + warranty card, Schaller Strap-Locks, original user manual and original Modulus sticker. Non-smoking environment as usual. Sounds really terrific, listen to the sound in the video below, it's exactly how this one is sounding.. The bass has been fully set up professionally according to Modulus recommendations with blend pot changed for a Delano as it was noisy (original will be delivered). It has two new batteries and has been fitted with a new set of D'Addario EXL170-6 nickel wound strings (32-130, as recommended by Modulus). Listen to what it sounds like here : Link to Modulus Graphite Quantum series : https://www.modulusgraphite.com/quantum/ What you see is what you get ! Look at the pictures to see the real condition : some very little dings and hard to picture scratches, due to the age. Don't hesitate to ask for more. Dust is offered. 
  23. Hellzero
    And another rare bass with the original quad coil Tune pickups and its original Tune twin preamp, which is even rarer, yes twin preamp, a very odd idea, you might say, but not that odd in fact. Here is my Tune BEB-6 fully original and the best 36 inches bass I have ever owned or played. Yes it's an original one made in Japan before the Kobe earthquake that destroyed the Tune factory way back in 1995...
  24. Hellzero
    And sold. 🙂
  25. Hellzero
    Yes, I need to be clear : it's £999 GBP DELIVERED TO THE COUNTRIES LISTED. Otherwise, just ask.
×
×
  • Create New...