Conan Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) So what I am offering here is an original Status Series II headless, through-neck, fretted bass guitar. It was made in 1986 (finished on November 24th!). Serial number is 263. I bought it brand new and have owned it ever since. Sustains for ever (if you want it to). Never goes out of tune (even if brought straight in from a cold car to a hot sweaty gig). Beautiful clear, ringing, bell-like tone. Very responsive and usable EQ. No dead-spots or inconsistencies... So why am I even considering selling it? It has been through a lot with me, but I am just not using it any more since I discovered Jazz basses... Condition is very good overall for a well-gigged musical instrument of its age, but I have always been a player, not a collector - so there are a couple of medium-sized dings on the top edge of the bass (right down to the wood, and the first one done on a cymbal only a few weeks after I bought it, so you can imagine how gutted I was ). I contacted Rob Green a couple of years ago about getting these chips repaired, but it was going to be prohibitively expensive - especially with shipping in both directions. To be fair, you can't see them (and neither can any audience) when you are playing the bass. There are a few other minor dings, and obviously there is a tiny amount of superficial scratching and swirling (v[i]ery [/i]little due to the quality and thickness of the finish), some minimal corrosion on the brass hardware, and some milky discolouration on the lower edge of the fretboard. Pics will attempt to show all this, and I am not trying to kid anyone that this is a pristine "found it under the bed" instrument! Pickups are GMT "Hyperactive II" humbuckers and the active circuitry is 2-band bass and treble cut and boost (mid control came on the later models). I had the circuitry (only the internal wiring and PCB, not knobs or switches) replaced a couple of years ago as the original was developing a fault. The replacement circuit was bought from Status themselves (at a cost of around £120!) and installed by Howard the Bass Doc. As well as the original (and very heavy) full flight case, there is also a much newer Hiscox fitted hard case. Either (or both at extra cost) are available with the bass. The flight case was replaced due to the deterioration of the interior foam - which is a common problem in Status cases of this age (it's 30 years old next year!). It has also been rather tastefully "decorated" (I was only 20 years old when I got it ). More photos available on request.[attachment=194808:20150619_191644.jpg][attachment=194809:20150619_191614.jpg] I loaned it out to a fellow Basschatter a few years ago, and here is what he had to say about it - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/105372-weekend-bass-trade-status-s2-through-an-ashdown-mk500/"]http://basschat.co.u...-ashdown-mk500/[/url] To be fair, I don't fully agree with everything he said about the sound of the bass though, as I have always found it to be incredibly versatile and to have a rich, full ("creamy"?) tone that flatters any playing style. It can certainly do aggressive and growly though! To give an idea of the tonal versatility, I have used this as my main (and indeed only) bass in bands playing many styles, including blues, rock, metal, soul, funk, poppy originals and retro surf-punk! It is still my first-call bass for recording purposes due to it's being virtually noise free and staying perfectly in tune (even for years!). I have thought about selling my "soulmate" several times over the years, but always changed my mind - but maybe now the time has come to try something else... Price is negotiable, and it is always difficult to put a price on a rare and historic instrument - but as a starting point (and after doing a fair bit of research), I think £1200 is a reasonable opener. I am open to trades: four string bass guitars out of preference please but amps and cabs also considered, no harm in asking! Bear in mind though, that I am not desperate for a quick sale - and will not let this piece of English bass guitar history go for a silly price - no matter how slow the market is! Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment or ask any questions. Edited June 29, 2015 by Conan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pieanoman Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 How about some photos and specs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) [quote name='pieanoman' timestamp='1434456968' post='2799728'] How about some photos and specs? [/quote] Yes, sorry - I was in a bit of a hurry to get the original post up! More details to follow this evening... Edited June 17, 2015 by Conan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) Just a bit more on the sound of the 1980s Status basses... As well as the obligatory Mark King stuff, here are a couple of other clips illustrating the non-aggressive tones of the beast. For clarity and accuracy, Pete Trewavas of Marillion was using a Series 2000 rather than the Series II - all electronics identical, but the bass body is all woven carbon-fibre rather than the Series II which is a carbon central neck and core with wooden "wings". They sound pretty much the same to my ears! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZaJUfgCLww[/media] And from 3:03 here... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye7FKc1JQe4[/media] And more Status action... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpwuRlXbhk Edited June 16, 2015 by Conan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 These are absolutely beautiful instruments - sheer class. I have 251 (very close - probably within a couple of months). Mine had the same 'milky' finish problem at the side of the neck so I had a neck only re-fin a few months ago (from the guys that originally undertook the finishing for Status back in the mid '80s) In my opinion, this is an excellent price - I was offered a great deal more for mine just a year ago. Someone is going to get a classic bass here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) Morning folks! This is not a bump, but an update for everyone who has already expressed an interest or is thinking of doing so. I played the bass last night and was reminded of what a corker it actually is. It just sings and it an absolute pleasure to play. I am still wavering slightly over whether I want to sell it at all, but it is (at the end of the day) a [i][b]thing[/b][/i] - and generally I try not to get too emotionally attached to things. Anyway - I have had several offers and a couple of more general enquiries. Some offering trades (partial or total) and some appearing to offer cash. Two have been from the US and the rest from the UK. To be honest, for some inexplicable reason I would prefer the bass to remain in the UK... but if someone from across the pond offers my asking price then I am in a quandary! Just trying to manage expectations here. If you are even vaguely interested and are thinking about making me an offer, get in there soon! I can take more pics if required and any trials are welcome. I would also like to say that I would prefer to deal with someone who has history and feedback on Basschat. That doesn't mean that I refuse to deal with newbies, just that I would prefer someone who has proven trustworthy in the past. I hope you understand that. Out of interest (and I have never even bothered about such things before) the string spacing just in front of the bridge is either 17.7mm or 18.3mm (depending on whether this is supposed to be measured from the outer edges of the strings or from centre to centre...). Just in case anyone else was wondering! [attachment=194575:20150618_065802.jpg][attachment=194576:20150618_065824.jpg] My eight year old daughter gave me pause for thought last night when I told her I was thinking of selling this bass. "Daddy" she said, "You are being silly - you should just be happy with what you've got" She may have a point! Edited June 18, 2015 by Conan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 (edited) Bump for the new week! Plenty of interest, but mainly from the States. Shipping to the US seems to be very expensive (in the order of $400!!) so you'd have to be a pretty serious buyer to consider that! In the UK and EU it will be far more reasonable, but the bass in it's original flightcase weighs over 14.5kg - so a local collection would be far more sensible. I am happy to drive a reasonable distance (up to around 100 miles for a fuel consideration) to meet up with a buyer, but it will depend on the logistics... I also took loads more photos this weekend, showing every little tiny scratch and ding and the condition of the foam in the original flightcase. I won't bore you all by posting them here, but if you are interested just drop me a PM or enquire via this thread Still open to trades, so let me know what you have! Edited June 22, 2015 by Conan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 (edited) Tentatively on hold until Wednesday 4pm while a prospective buyer investigates shipping quotes... Feel free to still express interest until then, but any subsequent offers will be put on the back burner for the next 30 hours or so. Edited June 23, 2015 by Conan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 He is [b][i]still[/i][/b] investigating quotes... So this is now back to first come, first served. Lots of interest but still nothing firm. Anyone offering trades needs to bear in mind that the trade value of my Status is £1200, so unless yours is worth exactly the same there will have to be a cash adjustment in either direction... I know its obvious, but not everyone seems to be aware of that! I would also be interested in amp or cab trades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhun97 Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgX8eF8glCU[/media] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Lovely bass Chris Wolstenholme is using there (very similar to mine!). I wish I could hear the lovely Status tone coming through the wall of effects... but I can't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 MONSTER PLAYER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 [quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1435265568' post='2807196'] MONSTER PLAYER. [/quote] Yes, it is! Oh, you mean CW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 On hold pending payment and arrangement of shipping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Bass now sold and on its way to Belgium. Thanks for all the interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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