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Flea bass no more


fleamail
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[quote name='BassManKev' post='280088' date='Sep 9 2008, 12:00 AM']its either a stingray 5 or the Wal i think, thats what it was narrowed down to in another thread[/quote]
Probably the Wal, as that song was recorded during the BSSM sessions. Sounds like a Wal to me too.

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  • 3 weeks later...

[quote name='joe_bass' post='271013' date='Aug 27 2008, 02:10 PM']When's Ian from SMART coming back along? Eagerly awaiting what he has to say![/quote]

Dear Everyone

My apologies for the long delay in replying properly to this but I've been in and out of the UK on biz like the proverbial yo-yo these past two and a half months plus my main contact at Modulus has been on extended leave to take care of family things so communication has not been great on this one!

From the horses mouth - Flea had an extension to his long contract with Modulus that has now indeed ended on a positive note, nothing dire or acrimonious or anything between the lines with the new name of this instrument just that the contract after over 10 years came finally to an end and he and his management team decided to change direction. he still uses his Modulus basses live so it's nothing to do with the instrument or back-up from Modulus.

It is well known, that comments were made to Flea about his bass sound in recent years (or lack of it) when he started to use an old Fender 'J' bass on stage and so he reverted to his Modulus signature bass (Modulus in actual fact sent him the burst finish instrument that he has been seen using the last few years (remember the RHCP on 'Live at Abbey Road' last year?) immediately he realised this; they could have got really funny about him not using a Modulus during his Fender 'renaissance' but that is not really the laid-back Californians style in Novato.

Anyhow, all good things eventually come to an end, Flea has decided not to renew his Modulus contract and in all honesty that really does not change anything about what is one of the great 4-string basses in recent decades. Rumours on the grapevine is that he is likely to launch his own signature bass at a low-to-mid price point, something made in the Far East sporting a wooden neck. It will be interesting to see what this turns out to be if the rumours are correct at the NAMM show in January 2009.

Many of our customers were inspired to take up a Modulus Flea bass because of Flea's playing but equally many took to it simply because it is a bass guitar that can cover practically any genre of music you care to throw at it particularly when equipped with its Seymour Duncan Basslines MM pickup (only made for this bass a copy of the original Lane Poor pickup) and a superb Aguilar OBP-1 preamp.

So now the Modulus Flea bass is now the Funk Umlimited bass.

I suppose another positive about this is that players that took to the 4 and 5-string version of the Flea bass such as Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews band can now have a superb instrument without the moniker or fact that the bass is no longer a signature instrument but stands on its own 4 or 5-strings so to speak!

The Modulus Flea bass was one of our most popular models here in the UK. The Modulus Funk Unlimited will also be one of our most popular because it's a great bass, period.

We have a new Funk Unlimited in Silver Flake with matching headstock, Seymour Duncan Basslines MM pickup, Badass II bridge, Aguilar OBP-1 plus Modulus hard case arriving in the next two weeks plus the same spec bass but in the absolutely outrageous Orange Flake arriving soon thereafter. Both are stock basses so if anyone is interested let me know as they will go quickly.

Ciao

Ian

Ian Morton
S.M.A.R.T Distribution

[url="http://www.smart-distribution.co.uk"]http://www.smart-distribution.co.uk[/url]

Edited by SMART
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[quote name='Marcus' post='299584' date='Oct 4 2008, 08:15 PM']oooh.... !

A new Flea Bass in the making !!!

Can't wait to see what spec it is...... I'll buy it ofcourse !![/quote]
Why? If its a great bass then yes but not just cos its got Flea's name on it. Is your name Marcus or is that more idol worship? Be yourself.

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[quote name='bass_ferret' post='299933' date='Oct 5 2008, 03:22 PM']Why? If its a great bass then yes but not just cos its got Flea's name on it. Is your name Marcus or is that more idol worship? Be yourself.[/quote]

i was gonna say pretty much this! i'd buy someone i don't like's signature bass if i liked the bass, and i wouldn't buy my heros bass just cos its his!

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[quote name='Marcus' post='299584' date='Oct 4 2008, 08:15 PM']I'll buy it ofcourse !![/quote]


[quote name='joe_bass' post='299962' date='Oct 5 2008, 04:06 PM']Is Marcus' point perhaps more that it is expected to be an excellent bass if Flea is going to put his name on it?[/quote]

didnt sound like it... could have been though

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