Status Shark Opinions?

[austin]

Always fancied one but have never actually played one. Anyone ever owned one and what were your thoughts on how they play and sound?

 

I just missed out on one on Ebay last week that went for £475, is that about the right price these days, as I've seen them priced higher but they never seem to sell.

[HeadlessBassist]

I had one about 15 years ago. The passive single pickup one. fantastic bass. Sold it to a guitarist friend who is even now using it for basing duties with a pro 60s band and he still loves it over a decade later.

[austin]

2 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

I had one about 15 years ago. The passive single pickup one. fantastic bass. Sold it to a guitarist friend who is even now using it for basing duties with a pro 60s band and he still loves it over a decade later.

Thanks, good to know. I've heard they're very p bass sounding?

[HeadlessBassist]

A very clean and clinical Precision, maybe. Less nasal mids and more even. The fingerboard is less radial too, very flat and even response all the way up the board.

Edited Friday at 18:34 by HeadlessBassist

[visog]

I have a Status Shark Pro-active sunburst 4-string. Great bass, plays well. Set up as a piccolo but I've not played it for years. Probably because the piccolo set came with an unwound 'G' which feels weird.

Edited Monday at 08:08 by visog
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[ahpook]

Just to echo the above, great basses.

 

I had one, sold it, regret it.

[Merton]

Had a gorgeous passive seafoam

green one with a single chrome soap bar pickup about 15 years ago, bloody loved it. Stupidly sold it once then bought it back… If I hadn’t gone to shorter scales I expect I’d still have it.

[mikebass456]

I borrowed one for a while to compare against my energy headless many years ago - it gave it a good run for it's money. I'd have one in a heartbeat. 

My Status journey actually started off with a Washburn Status - not too bad, but I don't miss p/x-ing it for the real deal! Can't believe the sort of second hand prices they are up for now though.....😲

[austin]

15 hours ago, visog said:

I have a Status Shark Pro-active sunburst 4-string. Great bass, plays well. Set up as a piccolo but I've not played it for years. Probably because the piccolo set came with an unwound 'G' which feels weird.

Don't suppose you want to sell it?

[austin]

10 hours ago, mikebass456 said:

I borrowed one for a while to compare against my energy headless many years ago - it gave it a good run for it's money. I'd have one in a heartbeat. 

My Status journey actually started off with a Washburn Status - not too bad, but I don't miss p/x-ing it for the real deal! Can't believe the sort of second hand prices they are up for now though.....😲

They seem to really vary, which is what I can't get my head round. I bid on a sunburst one last week on Ebay but didn't win and it sold for £475. There's a black one on there that's been up for months on end at £800 and the same one's been on Reverb for a few years

[HeadlessBassist]

It’s mainly the scarcity that is pushing the prices up. Obviously the premium graphite necked stuff is going for all the money these days, but the wooden necks with graphite rods are catching up fast.

I’m heading down to Kent on Friday to pick up a really nice ‘94 Series-1 wooden through neck instrument.  Even that will be up for around £900 if I choose to move it on.

[LukeFRC]

On 18/05/2025 at 18:55, visog said:

I have a Status Shark Pro-active sunburst 4-string. Great bass, plays well. Set up as a piccolo but I've not played it for years. Probably because the piccolo set came with an unwound 'G' which feels weird.

ahh my first ever bass. 🥰

[mikebass456]

47 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

ahh my first ever bass. 🥰

Wow! Mine was a Kay shortscale Rickenbacker 4000 copy in sort of brown.......😆😆😆

[LukeFRC]

On 18/05/2025 at 18:55, visog said:

I have a Status Shark Pro-active sunburst 4-string. Great bass, plays well. Set up as a piccolo but I've not played it for years. Probably because the piccolo set came with an unwound 'G' which feels weird.

seeing it again is doing funny things to me

[LukeFRC]

3 hours ago, mikebass456 said:

Wow! Mine was a Kay shortscale Rickenbacker 4000 copy in sort of brown.......😆😆😆

I was lent a stagg bass in bits that had been part of someone's CDT project, so I had to assemble and set up a bass before I could play it... played it loads before I had to give it back and had been saving... we found it hidden in the back of a shop in colchester where it had been sat for years, neck like a banana. I was a kid and my dad was working in colchester so had got a lift up with him, he came and bought it... turned up in his work suit and mentioned he was an auditor and the guitar shop owner was a bit unsettled and gave us a good good price. 

Played it for years till I bought my first Fender Presision (Japan) and then it kinda got retired. At that stage I probably didn't appreciate what it was... I think it was about then I discovered Basschat and realised there was a bunch of folk who would buy things from me and I could use the money for other things, this got sold and I picked up my first Warwick from @warwickhunt... 

[austin]

32 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

seeing it again is doing funny things to me

So is it a good one?