warwickhunt Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I came across this on ebay (I think it's more suited to this section rather than eBay as it is about this bass and not eBay per se) and seriously had to do a double take that it wasn't a Marleaux bass [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250249549733&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=015"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A:IT&ih=015[/url] Anyone had any experience with these basses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Never seen or heard of them before, but bloody hell - what a stunner for 200 notes. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMART Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) I speak German so I had a quick look at the website. It's an HK bass, never heard of them but it looks like a German copy of a Marleaux and at this price it may sound (no pun intended!) like a good deal but I would say 'Buyer Beware!!', the cavity cover is not even match with the body, I think it looks like an attempt by someone to make a Marleaux copy on the cheap. If you look carefully at the pickup routs you'll see it is a little on the jagged side...mmm Just some thoughts... Ciao Ian [quote name='warwickhunt' post='206351' date='May 26 2008, 09:16 AM']I came across this on ebay (I think it's more suited to this section rather than eBay as it is about this bass and not eBay per se) and seriously had to do a double take that it wasn't a Marleaux bass [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250249549733&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=015"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A:IT&ih=015[/url] Anyone had any experience with these basses?[/quote] Edited May 26, 2008 by SMART Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote name='SMART' post='206368' date='May 26 2008, 09:43 AM']I speak German so I had a quick look at the website. It's an HK bass, never heard of them but it looks like a German copy of a Marleaux and at this price it may sound (no pun intended!) like a good deal but I would say 'Buyer Beware!!', the cavity cover is not even match with the body, I think it looks like an attempt by someone to make a Marleaux copy on the cheap. If you look carefully at the pickup routs you'll see it is a little on the jagged side...mmm Just some thoughts... Ciao Ian[/quote] I wouldn't argue but TBH at that price I'd cut a piece of plastic for the back and live with a few rough edges; the bridge looks like the real deal and the hardware in general looks better than most £200 F*nd*r copies. Even if it's only 50% of the bass that a Marleaux is, it's about 80% cheaper than the real thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMART Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) [quote name='warwickhunt' post='206370' date='May 26 2008, 09:51 AM']I wouldn't argue but TBH at that price I'd cut a piece of plastic for the back and live with a few rough edges; the bridge looks like the real deal and the hardware in general looks better than most £200 F*nd*r copies. Even if it's only 50% of the bass that a Marleaux is, it's about 80% cheaper than the real thing![/quote] If that sort of detail has not been dealt with properly (and it's a sign of the utmost laziness and complete lack of care in using the right techniques and tooling (preferably sharp) it will in my experience mean that a similar lack of attention will also be the case in other areas of importance. My advice would be not to just look at the price...look beyond that otherwise you'll pay good earnt money for a lemon that will require more spondullies to rectify. Just some further thoughts... Ciao Ian Edited May 26, 2008 by SMART Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokl Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I agree with Ian. Although it does look great in the pictures, it could well turn out to be a real lemon. I've seen a few "copy" guitars that people have purchased through ebay, including a "Steve Vai Jem" and a "Gibson Zakk Wylde". Initially they looked good, until more detailed inspection and a play revealed terrible construction, lumpy necks, awful pickups (even though they appeared to be branded, lol). In particular the Jem copy is probably the worst guitar I have ever played, it just wasn't possible to achieve an acceptable action on it. The tremolo seemed to be cast out of something close to pig iron and all the bolts threaded and rounded off after only gentle tightening! I'm not saying that this bass is going to be like that, but I would definitely advise sensible caution before spending your hard-earned on something which appears too good to be true. Whatever the truth about this bass, I agree that it does look good, if nothing else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I have always believed that if something appears too good to be true then it is too good to be true. Still sexy looking for 200 notes mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I can confirm that the body shape at least is EXACTLY the same as a Marleaux I used to have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rohan Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Looks stunning and could be a bargain but as you say, a pretty big gamble really! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) Well, call me shallow, but for something that looks like that for £200, I'd live with a slightly mismatched control cover! Looking at the pup routs, any jaggedness I can see looks more like a poorly resized & compressed jpeg, rather than the actual wood. I'd really like to see one of these in real life - if the £200 it sold for is representative of market price, then I'd guess it's a slightly norty Korean or Chinese-made Marleaux knock off. [b]Edit[/b]: Found the "manufacturer" - it's listed at €449: [url="http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-instruments_de.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/hk-instruments.de/Products/NewBass4"]http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-ins...oducts/NewBass4[/url] Just for fun, here's their bass range: [url="http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-instruments_de.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/hk-instruments.de/Categories/E-B%C3%A4sse"]http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-ins...es/E-B%C3%A4sse[/url] J. Edited May 26, 2008 by Bassassin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 If the neck joint is the same as a genuine marleaux (kind of a tongue groove which is then set and bolted) then I think it would be worth the gamble. Still, worth saving for the real thing because there are a number of touches which show that it is not 'genuine' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMART Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Bassassin' post='206451' date='May 26 2008, 11:48 AM']I'd really like to see one of these in real life - if the £200 it sold for is representative of market price, then I'd guess it's a slightly norty Korean or Chinese-made Marleaux knock off.[/quote] Just had a look at the links you posted and the other range of instruments on offer, certainly looks like very cheap Chinese imports written all over the products on offer that have had a bit of 'local' additions in Germany. You pays your money... As Oscar Wiled once said: "What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." Buyer beware! Price is not everything and we do seem to suffer from this greatly in muso circles; I'm certainly not advocating that we stop looking for the best value for money but there are other things to consider as well other than price that can usually lead to spending more money afterwards that some forum members have discovered to their chagrin ie like a former Basschat member with a used... Just some thoughts... Ciao Ian Edited May 26, 2008 by SMART Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 I'd like to keep this in perspective Ian I am not for one second advocating anyone buys one of these basses in preference to a Marleaux. What I would point out is that if someone is in the market for a £200 bass then 'personally' looking at these and looking at the competition 'in the same price bracket' I'd be having a punt. You can diss this bass for a multitude of reasons I'm sure [b]BUT[/b] I could equally pick as many (and identical) faults with virtually every bass manufactured in this price range £200 Chinese Fender copy or £200 Chinese Marleaux copy... they are both budget basses (probably made in the same factory) but given that they'll likely as not have similar construction/electrics etc. I know which one I'd rather give house room to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMART Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) Not advocating comparing it with a Marleaux, you can't at this price point, but even at the price it is going from the photos I just wanted to give some friendly warning because if the pickup routs have been cut rough it's not even a good sign on a £200 bass. Just speaking from a lot of experience and wanted to just help anyone considering these instruments to be as fully informed as possible. You pays your money... Just some more thoughts... Ciao Ian Edited May 26, 2008 by SMART Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamble Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [url="http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-instruments_de.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/hk-instruments.de/Products/WM-GUN3B"]http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-ins...oducts/WM-GUN3B[/url] Aww yeeeyaaah....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote name='Gamble' post='206676' date='May 26 2008, 05:27 PM'][url="http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-instruments_de.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/hk-instruments.de/Products/WM-GUN3B"]http://www.hk-instruments.de/epages/hk-ins...oducts/WM-GUN3B[/url] Aww yeeeyaaah.......[/quote] Funnily enough the bass on eBay was the actual instrument on the HK website! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Theres some nice looking basses on there.... Thy're well cheap too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 [quote name='The Burpster' post='206727' date='May 26 2008, 06:55 PM']Theres some nice looking basses on there.... Thy're well cheap too![/quote] And at least one stupid looking one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 This made me smile: Nicht nur für Slapper eine wahre Freude Loosely - not only for slappers, a true joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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