josie Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 I was lucky enough, when I went to buy my first bass, to be offered a 2nd hand GMR stupidly cheap, and fell in love with it with no idea just how good it was. I now know... and now have three (fretted 5, fretless 4, and a single-cut fretted 5, which is too heavy for me, but I sit at home and play it in my lap with the biggest grin in the world on my face). I wouldn't swap any of them for a Maruszczyk for love or money. Any other suggestions for really good makes that aren't as well known and respected as they deserve to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I have an 80s Aria Pro that is fantastic, light, great sound and one the best necks I have played. Bought for peanuts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Vintage - I`ve been very impressed with the Tony Butler Signature Precision I picked up recently. Just think the name makes looking for instruments a bit difficult, vintage bass, vintage guitar etc, end up with any old pony bit of gear. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 (edited) Vantage - I have a fretless one from the eighties that I got to replace a month old fretless Squier Jazz. The Squier had a dead spot midway along the fingerboard. It has a P/J pup configuration and when I replaced the chewy roundwounds (as supplied with the new bass) with nylon wrapped flats it got even better. Edited June 18, 2018 by SpondonBassed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 (edited) Shuker Bass. One the UK's little gems. How he manages to charge the prices he does for instruments that easily stack up against the very, very best costing much more never ceases to amaze me. I also know that many UK luthiers say the same! I've been playing Shukers for over ten years now and like you Josie, when you find your brand, it's a beautiful thing! Edited June 18, 2018 by dood 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 2 hours ago, Lozz196 said: Vintage - I`ve been very impressed with the Tony Butler Signature Precision I picked up recently. Just think the name makes looking for instruments a bit difficult, vintage bass, vintage guitar etc, end up with any old pony bit of gear. +1 for the Vintage stuff. Had a V4 as a spare which I regret selling - was a bit heavy though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 On 18/06/2018 at 13:49, Lozz196 said: Vintage - I`ve been very impressed with the Tony Butler Signature Precision I picked up recently. Just think the name makes looking for instruments a bit difficult, vintage bass, vintage guitar etc, end up with any old pony bit of gear. On 18/06/2018 at 16:14, casapete said: +1 for the Vintage stuff. Had a V4 as a spare which I regret selling - was a bit heavy though. +2 - I haven't tried their basses, but I've had a Vintage VS6 for donkey's years now. I'm sure it's partly down to familiarity, but I've gone into shops and tried out some of the "real deal" Gibson SGs (admittedly the cheaper end of the series) and Epiphones, and come away feeling quite underwhelmed by the difference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matski Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 On 18 Jun 2018 at 08:20, T-Bay said: I have an 80s Aria Pro that is fantastic, light, great sound and one the best necks I have played. Bought for peanuts. Sorry to be pedantic, but Aria are hardly 'little-known'... They were massively popular back in the early 80s. I still have one from 1983. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, matski said: Sorry to be pedantic, but Aria are hardly 'little-known'... They were massively popular back in the early 80s. I still have one from 1983. Possibly but are Jowett, Riley, Belsize still well known car makes? I still have a James Captain motorbike but I doubt 0.1% of the population would have a clue what one was. The world moves on and the 80s were several decades ago now. As such Aria seem pretty much unknown to every bass player I meet. I always get comments on how good it sounds and then a non plussed look when I say it’s an Aria. Sadly the new ones aren’t up to much from the ones I have played. Edited June 20, 2018 by T-Bay Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Sandberg is pretty unknown outside the enthusiast sites/forums. I would stick them on the list..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom1946 Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 18 hours ago, T-Bay said: Possibly but are Jowett, Riley, Belsize still well known car makes? I still have a James Captain motorbike but I doubt 0.1% of the population would have a clue what one was. The world moves on and the 80s were several decades ago now. As such Aria seem pretty much unknown to every bass player I meet. I always get comments on how good it sounds and then a non plussed look when I say it’s an Aria. Sadly the new ones aren’t up to much from the ones I have played. I had a James Captain, 197cc villiers engine and it was a great bike along with my Francis Barnett Plover 150 too. I've played an Aria 12 string since buying new in 1983, small world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 3 hours ago, tom1946 said: I had a James Captain, 197cc villiers engine and it was a great bike along with my Francis Barnett Plover 150 too. I've played an Aria 12 string since buying new in 1983, small world. I used to have a couple of Cadets, the James versions of the Plover, a J5 and a J15. Good fun bikes but incredibly rare now when you think they were the workhorses of many working people for decades and sold several hundred thousand here and overseas. I saw a plover a couple of years still in daily use outside the police station in Kusadasi Turkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I don't think they qualify as little know, but G&L have never seemed as popular as they should/could be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDC484950 Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I once played a Matt Pulcinella - ash body with maple neck and board and EMGs and it was lightweight, very easy to play and sounded fantastic. I think it was £750. Having passed it up I bought another one sight unseen and it was distinctly average. Still, qualifies as little-known make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naxos10 Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Don't forget to add ACG basses made by Alan C of this very parish. We know them but need to spread the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 (edited) Half of my collection are "barely known" marques: Veillette Citron: Kawai: Edited June 23, 2018 by TheGreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 (edited) I've also got 2x basses built by Andyjr1515. Edited June 23, 2018 by TheGreek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Let's not forget Goodfellows..... I sold my Rumour so I could buy back an Overwater that I'd sold a couple of years previously. Beautiful and very playable bass - TBH I was very precious about it - I didn't want it to get damaged. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleat Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Tanglewood, specifically this one. This is my second as I always regretted selling the first one I had. It has active pickups and sounds fantastic.. cost to me : £40 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Boots Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 On 18/06/2018 at 13:49, Lozz196 said: Vintage - I`ve been very impressed with the Tony Butler Signature Precision I picked up recently. Just think the name makes looking for instruments a bit difficult, vintage bass, vintage guitar etc, end up with any old pony bit of gear. Gotta agree with this, I have the same Tony Butler signature model & a standard V4 & they both perform exceptionally well. Better than both Epiphone & Squire, even on a par with lower end Fender p basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b7l4s Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 2 hours ago, Jonny Boots said: Gotta agree with this, I have the same Tony Butler signature model & a standard V4 & they both perform exceptionally well. Better than both Epiphone & Squire, even on a par with lower end Fender p basses. +1 - I've owned a few different models and they seem to be built (fit and finish etc.) to a higher standard than a lot of the alternatives for similar money. Hardware is nothing fancy... but more importantly, neither is it compromised to the point of useless. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 On 24/06/2018 at 09:14, Bleat said: Tanglewood, specifically this one. This is my second as I always regretted selling the first one I had. It has active pickups and sounds fantastic.. cost to me : £40 I like very much...very Spector/ Streamer-like. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Just going back to the OP, how does one quantify 'aren't well known'? The motorbike remark was pretty succinct as the marques have disappeared apart from an enthusiast perspective. A few of the names mentioned (Vintage, Tanglewood) are produced in huge numbers aren't they? I love when I gig when I pull a Hamer or a Lull out of it's case. Hardly anyone I've knows these names...I played a place in Kent once and took my £3k Hamer FBIV, I delighted in overhearing this exchange: 'What bass is that bloke playing?' 'It's a Thunderbird thing. It says Hammer on the head.' 'No, look. Hamer. H-A-M-E-R. Sounds like a Chinese guitar. My friend has an Epiphone. It's like that.' Much chortling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 On 24/06/2018 at 01:14, Bleat said: Tanglewood, specifically this one. This is my second as I always regretted selling the first one I had. It has active pickups and sounds fantastic.. cost to me : £40 Looks like a Spector rip-off! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleat Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 A not very common sort of rip off though! Not like the multitude of Fender Precision and Jazz bass rip offs I see on a near daily basis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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