Black basses

[spyder]

Nearly black..........?

 

Following a short scale transformation with a Serek "the Grand" I just HAD to get a matching 5 string Serek.......

 

Both are incredible basses, the build quality, workmanship and sound are just what I was looking for. 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2024 by spyder

[Baloney Balderdash]

Bought this used about a month ago, for what equals about 30$.

 

An ESP/LTD B4JR :

 

 

It's not in production anymore, and a pretty rare find on the used market, though it is a cheap budget bass, still it usually goes for over 3 times what I paid for this one used.

 

It's a just 28.5" scale length short scale bass, with a Basswood body, and a Maple neck with Rosewood fretboard.

 

And after a thorough setup, and having the stock pickups, which honestly sounded decent enough, replaced for an EMG Geezer Butler P pickup, it sounds non less than amazing.

Really nice tone, both finger plucked, but especially using a pick.

Really punchy and snappy, very focused, tone, and the sustain is pretty substantial too.

Even the low E sounds great, despite the short scale length.

Though I have now strung it with coated Elixir Nanoweb guitar strings, of the gauges .068 - .052 - .038 - .028, tuned to tenor bass, A standard, tuning.

 

It's also very light, the body being made of Basswood, which does make it prone to neck dive, but nothing a wide grippy strap can't solve (which the strap in the picture has been replaced with).

 

Now the bad things, when I got it it had one of the most horrible setups I ever saw, and with loose input jack socket, that was easily fixed though, however the nut slots are cut way too high, and it got some pretty sharp fret ends, that you can literally cut your hand on if you are not careful, and will probably have a proper luthier fix that too at some point.

 

The thin U shaped neck also took a bit getting used to, it is not exactly beefy, but it kind of felt that way at first, because of the neck profile being so round.

The fretboard is pretty flat though, with a radius of 400mm (~16"), which I fortunately does happen to prefer.

The frets are not perfectly leveled, but still well enough that I can get it to my preferred string action (about 2mm (~5/64") low E string at 12th fret) without any issues or string buzz whatsoever.

Truss rod works as it is supposed to, and neck seems stable.

Tuners are not the best, but they work just fine.

 

All in all a lot of bass for merely 400 Danish Kroner (~30£), definitely satisfied with my buy.

 

I named it "Dud Bottomfeeder Jr.".

 

Love this little fella'.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Baloney Balderdash

[snorkie635]

The Gibson RD 2018

 

Matching pair and one of each colour made - one being black.