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franzbassist

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Posts posted by franzbassist

  1. With that budget you have a vast array of basses available to you, and the quality of mass produced basses is so good now you don't have to spend a lot to get something really good.  That said, there are still some dogs out there; the first Sire P8 I had was very heavy and had dodgy electrics, the second was an absolutely superb bass!

     

    Used handmade basses like ACG, or the German Franz I am selling (see my signature below), are superb instruments, but then you can also buy a new Sire, Dingwall, Lakland.  I guess the best option is to try and narrow down what you are looking for and then try some basses out.  It's a nice problem to have :)

     

    Good luck!  

     

  2. My wife got me a Dingwall for Christmas. Not just any Dingwall mind you, but one of the original, limited edition of 82 John Taylor "Rio Dream Bass" signature basses.

     

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    And what a lovely bass it is.  Light at 8.5lbs, with wonderful even string tension across the board, and the Neve preamp is terrific too.  It's superbly put together, and the fretwork is some of the best I've seen.  I really am delighted with it.

     

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    But, you mainly play 5s I hear you cry, so what to do?  Well, Andertons had a very nice Combustion NG2 on sale, so I bought that. Same combination of low weight (bang on 9lbs) and high quality.  I'm less enamoured with the Darkglass preamp in this, but that said it's powerful and perfectly usable.  To top things off I decided to go all in and add the third pickup, also swapping the (ugly IMHO) NG pickguard for a Dingwall tortoiseshell one and fitting Dunlop Straplocks. The bass now gives off lovely vintage meets modern vibes.

     

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    So, couldn't be happier with these basses.  I know they aren't exactly cheap for a Chinese made/Canadian finished instrument, but they really are top notch.  Oh, and the gig bags are very nice too!

    • Like 8
  3. PRICE DROP TO £2200

     

    It pains me to sell this bass, but my wife gave me a Dingwall for Christmas and I cannot justify having four basses in the house!

     

    This bass was built by Xaver Tremel in Bavaria.  I already have two of his basses, and I like his work so much I changed my Basschat handle to reflect this!

    This is his take on the classic J bass and was finished in March 2023. I bought it new just before Christmas, so it's in absolutely mint condition.

     

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    The specs are as follows:

    • European Alder Body
    • Opal Green pearl lacquer finish
    • 3-piece European Maple bolt-on neck with carbon fibre reinforcement
    • 34.5" scale
    • Smoked Eucalyptus Fretboard
    • 10"-16" Compound Fingerboard Radius
    • Maple Headstock
    • Schaller Light Machine Heads
    • ETS TuningFork 3D String-Thru-Body Bridge
    • 19mm String Spacing
    • Black Hardware
    • Dunlop Straploks
    • 2x Häussel JB Side by Side Pickups
    • Glockenklang 2 band EQ
    • Volume with push-pull active/passive, blend, bass, treble and a passive tone control
    • Weight: 3.8 kg /8.5lbs

     

    Strung with a new set of Newtone round core Platinum nickels through the body, it has a very lively, crisp and clear tone.  It's super light, so absolutely no shoulder fatigue or neck dive.

     

    In taking the pictures I have noticed there is a slight finish flaw under the B string by the bridge plate, but it seems stable enough.  Close up photo added to show this.

     

    The bass will comes in the original hard case, and the price includes insured shipping in the mainland UK.

     

    Thanks for looking :)

     

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    You can see the finish blem under the B string in this picture.

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    • Like 11
  4. My recent purchase of a Dingwall made me revisit balanced tension sets for my regular (i.e. non multiscale) basses, which led me in turn to the D’Addario BT sets.  I went for the 45-107 set, as that’s closest to what I normally use, and then used their calculator to work out the best low B to add on, which is a .145!

     

    The result is a really even feel across all the strings. I’m pleased with how this has turned out 👍🏻

     

     

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    • Like 2
  5. I have just picked one of these up, #18, and wow what a fabulous thing it is.

     

    The neck is as straight as an arrow, with an action that is the lowest I've ever had. It plays like a dream.

     

    Every note on every string just rings out. Superb sustain. The tension and "feel" of the strings when playing is firm but not unpleasantly so.  It's effortless to play.

     

    Plug it in and wow, the Neve preamp is very musical and a perfect match.  I'm happy with the 4 way selector but would have liked the option to switch between serial and parallel.

     

    I want a 5 as well now O.o

     

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    • Like 3
  6. JUST THE NEW SET LEFT

     

    Custom Made for Fret Nation in  the US, these GHS Pressurewound strings have a 39.25" winding and a .044 .062 .080 .102T .128T specifically for Dingwall basses.  I'm only selling them as they are a little too high tension for my taste.

     

    One set is new in the bag and one that have been on a 4 string bass (so the B is unused) less than 24 hours.  These cost me £34 a set plus shipping, so I will sell the new set for £35 posted in the UK and the used set for £28.  Buy both for £60.

     

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  7. I've been down a bit of a rabbit hole with strings over the last couple of years, but just before Christmas I ordered a couple of Newtone sets for my new Franz bass. I wanted to string it through the body and so needed strings that were 38" long from ball end to top nut.

     

    I went for Platinum wrap, round core, nickel plated in a typical 45/65/85/105/130 gauge and WOW, I am blown away by them.  The feel, tension and tone are all just perfect for me.

     

    So pleased to have rediscovered this British classic! :)

    • Like 2
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