franzbassist

Multiscale is great. It makes a noticeable difference to 5 and 6 string bass. So it's a "Yes" from me. That said, I am quite happy playing "normally" fretted basses too. of course.

It goes up in half inch increments from 34" on the G to 36" on the B.

This particular model is discontinued now. I didn't pay anywhere near retail for mine so was comfortable making the upgrades. Don't get me wrong, the bass plays well as stock, but I used it as a project.

A while back I bought a Cort SCMS (single cut multi scale) bass. I know single cuts are a bit marmite to the BC massive, but I've never had an issue with them. I've fancied trying a multi scale bass for a while, and with my band playing a lot of songs tuned down a tone, it seemed a good, fairly cost-effective vehicle to use for this purpose. Out of the box, the bass played really well with a super low action, great fret finishing, even string tension, and tremendous articulation across the board. At 8.5lbs it was nice and light too. Balance was good. What didn't I like? A few minor things: i) the preamp was hissy and looked a real mess inside (this photo isn't my bass, but it's the same preamp and finish quality) ii) the pickups lacked any real character iii) the nut was sharp on the edges, which made the bass uncomfortable to play in first position iv) the small top horn meant the bass sat in a different position to that which I'm used to - the neck felt like more of a reach away - so the lack of strap locks meant I was concerned the bass would fall off the button v) one of the screws holding the E string bridge in place had obviously sheared off at some point, so the unit was not flush to the body, and the screws in general were pretty poor As I am an eternal fettler, I decided to do a few changes as follows: i) rounded the edges of the nut so they are smooth ii) replaced all the screws in the bridge units iii) removed preamp and pickups and fully shielded the cavities, also adding a new earth strip under the bridge iv) installed threaded inserts in the pickup and control cavities, using new threaded bolts to replace the poor quality original screws v) fitted a new US Bartolini 3 band preamp (volume wih push/pull active/passive) vi) fitted new US Bartolini MK6CBC pickups. I used the six string versions to ensure the pickup sensing area was wide enough due to the angled pickups vii) new black Dunlop straplocks, and new black knobs. I may change all the hardware over to black at some point, or perhaps go for a Wal-like black/chrome mix I am really pleased with the changes. They have made what was a good core bass even better.

Yes I saw this too, and it's a shame to lose the range from the marketplace.

I've played a few of the Rithmic basses and every one was a terrific bass for the pricepoint.

And that's how it should be done. Well done Hipshot.

Hi Phil DM me your address and I’ll send you a set of hardly used D’Addario nickel round balanced tension strings 50-67-90-120, which might do the job for you. Cheers Gareth

I’d go mint green or tort, personally.

Will you be using it for gigging? If so, how loud will the band be? Acoustic basses are nototrious for feedback, fretless ones even more so because you'll use a lot of open notes and sustain, which allows the note to swell which can in turn lead to feedback.

That's quite a shopping list of upgrades for such a budget bass! I'd imagine all that expense will actually make the upgrades cost more than the bass was originally bought for, or importantly would ever be worth in the future, so on that basis alone I would say don't do it.

Ah yes, the classic Pro series. I had one for a while. Passive single pickup basses that still sound fab.

Yes it was £4.5k… Clarky’s brain isn’t pickled yet! 🤣 I think the unusual configuration kept the price down.

We can all breathe easy now, it's "on hold".

Incredibly rare model. I had the same configuration in both Mk I and Pro basses but have never seen a Mk II version. Not a bad weight, and subtle lines with dots on the "fret" too - best of both worlds?

But it's nothing to lose your head over...