Alnus Basses - Anyone got one?

[danbanbass]

Hi Guys, 

 

I may be late to this but while looking at Vintage Fenders, considering building my own from parts I stumbled across this guy whose making them in a small village in the Rome province.

 

They sound great in the videos and look great in the photos.

 

Has anyone got any experience playing or own one?

 

For the money, around £1000 they look like they could rival the likes of Limelight/Nash and the like.

 

From what I can see Luca builds his own necks and bodies from milled wood rather than use/order in blanks.

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 08:59 by danbanbass

[JJMotown]

These are great basses, I had a 51 style p which fantastic, great feel and sound. Also owned Limelights before, and both on par in terms of relicing etc.

[Minininjarob]

6 hours ago, danbanbass said:

Hi Guys, 

 

I may be late to this but while looking at Vintage Fenders, considering building my own from parts I stumbled across this guy whose making them in a small village in the Rome province.

 

They sound great in the videos and look great in the photos.

 

Has anyone got any experience playing or own one?

 

For the money, around £1000 they look like they could rival the likes of Limelight/Nash and the like.

 

From what I can see Luca builds his own necks and bodies from milled wood rather than use/order in blanks.

 

 

 

 

Ooooooooohh they look amazing

[BigRedX]

Does the world need another Fender copy with fake aging? And if so what makes this better than all the other Fender copies with fake aging?

[danbanbass]

9 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Does the world need another Fender copy with fake aging? And if so what makes this better than all the other Fender copies with fake aging?

I’ll take that as you don’t own one then?

[BigRedX]

11 hours ago, danbanbass said:

I’ll take that as you don’t own one then?

 

No I have little interest in Fender shaped basses and even less in fake aging.

 

However the reason for my initial comment is that it seems to me the market for Fender copies is already massively over-saturated at every price point from Harley Benton all the way up to Celinder and similar, so I have a morbid interest to know what each new entrant in this market thinks they can add that isn't already available. After all the Fender bass is now getting on for 70s years old with no significant changes to the two core models for about 50 years, and they were created with express intention of being simple to produce using 40s technology and relatively unskilled labour, which means that pretty much anyone with a workspace, tools and modicum of woodworking knowledge can make one.

 

If I wanted a Fender copy with fake aging there are already numerous sources for one - off the top of my head Limelight, Nash and even the Fender Custom Shop, and I'm sure there's more than that; and for one that looks new the choice is almost endless. So what does this maker bring that hasn't already been done before?

[Bassassin]

21 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Does the world need another Fender copy with fake aging? And if so what makes this better than all the other Fender copies with fake aging?

 

It's a sad reality that every time there's an excited-sounding thread title naming a bass brand I'm unfamiliar with, I have a little bet with myself it'll be yet another bloody fake Precision. I probably owe myself around 20 grand by now.

 

Although it'd be 25 if I occasionally took a punt on it being a 15-string singlecut coffee-table.

[prowla]

Yet another fake-aged Fender copy yawn.

At least these ones don't bear counterfeit Fender logos like some do.

[danbanbass]

While I don’t disagree, these look to be affordable and decent quality but then you don’t hear me going round saying “another fan fret, multi string pile of metal/funk junk either”

 

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I just despise paying ridiculous money for a Fender custom shop bass. Also the fact that I can order exactly what I want rather than having something off the shelf is appealing.

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by danbanbass

[prowla]

3 minutes ago, danbanbass said:

While I don’t disagree, these look to be affordable and decent quality but then you don’t hear me going round saying “another fan fret, multi string pile of metal/funk junk either”

 

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I just despise paying ridiculous money for a Fender custom shop bass. Also the fact that I can order exactly what I want rather than having something off the shelf is appealing.

I'd say there is a difference between a fan-fret and a copy of a specific instrument.

[Lozz196]

Agree @danbanbass, I think they look great

Edited 4 hours ago by Lozz196

[Minininjarob]

The market isn’t saturated if all the people making them are selling them. 
if you don’t like them you don’t have to have a long winge about it, just move onto the next thread. 
If these are made well they are a good price and I like the look of them. 

[Minininjarob]

32 minutes ago, danbanbass said:

While I don’t disagree, these look to be affordable and decent quality but then you don’t hear me going round saying “another fan fret, multi string pile of metal/funk junk either”

 

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I just despise paying ridiculous money for a Fender custom shop bass. Also the fact that I can order exactly what I want rather than having something off the shelf is appealing.

 

 

Same. I don’t like the 5/6/7 basses with fancy wood grains and weird shapes but I don’t go commenting on every thread which features them. 
 

[Reggaebass]

I very nearly bought a precision recently to try but someone snapped it up , they look to be a pretty decent custom built bass , not built from allparts 

[danbanbass]

2 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

I very nearly bought a precision recently to try but someone snapped it up , they look to be a pretty decent custom built bass , not built from allparts 

Thanks Tony, this is also a part of the appeal and the fact I want one in this colour without the heaviness of the relicing of course! 😊 

Edited 3 hours ago by danbanbass

[Hellzero]

Just now, Minininjarob said:

Same. I don’t like the 5/6/7 basses with fancy wood grains and weird shapes but I don’t go commenting on every thread which features them. 
 

They are rarer than the "look another Fender copy" threads, just saying...

 

In fact, musicians are very very very conservative persons and don't like new ideas, when it's not the usual debate "play the root only, if you play bass" or the "Jaco only needed four" argument...

 

It's a bit disappointing to refuse to evolve, and don't tell me that "Leo got it right the first time" as the G&L are very far away from his first designs.

 

That said, I like an old original Fender the way I like tube based amps, but don't own any for the obvious reason that we now have way better designed and sounding instruments and amps.

 

I like them for what they are : stepstones.

[Dood]

23 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Does the world need another Fender copy with fake aging? And if so what makes this better than all the other Fender copies with fake aging?

 

The one in the video has 21 frets, the one extra note that every other copy, like the orginal is missing. 👍

[prowla]

42 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

They are rarer than the "look another Fender copy" threads, just saying...

 

In fact, musicians are very very very conservative persons and don't like new ideas, when it's not the usual debate "play the root only, if you play bass" or the "Jaco only needed four" argument...

 

It's a bit disappointing to refuse to evolve, and don't tell me that "Leo got it right the first time" as the G&L are very far away from his first designs.

 

That said, I like an old original Fender the way I like tube based amps, but don't own any for the obvious reason that we now have way better designed and sounding instruments and amps.

 

I like them for what they are : stepstones.

Some musicians...

 

 

(OK - I am a beginner on the Stick.)

[Hellzero]

My latest addition:

 

 

 

[Lozz196]

Def another rehash of Fender there @Hellzero……

[Minininjarob]

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

They are rarer than the "look another Fender copy" threads, just saying...

 

In fact, musicians are very very very conservative persons and don't like new ideas, when it's not the usual debate "play the root only, if you play bass" or the "Jaco only needed four" argument...

 

It's a bit disappointing to refuse to evolve, and don't tell me that "Leo got it right the first time" as the G&L are very far away from his first designs.

 

That said, I like an old original Fender the way I like tube based amps, but don't own any for the obvious reason that we now have way better designed and sounding instruments and amps.

 

I like them for what they are : stepstones.

My fender P into my 25yo GK is still the best sounding combo for the music I play. Tried the fancy active basses and class D amps and they just don’t have the tone needed. 
There is no “better” only different. 

[Minininjarob]

1 hour ago, Dood said:

 

The one in the video has 21 frets, the one extra note that every other copy, like the orginal is missing. 👍

My stubby fingers won’t get to those notes anyway. 😂

[Bassassin]

53 minutes ago, prowla said:

Some musicians...

 

 

(OK - I am a beginner on the Stick.)

 

Rick & Stick? 😲 You are Nick Beggs & I claim my £5! 

[BigRedX]

2 hours ago, danbanbass said:

While I don’t disagree, these look to be affordable and decent quality

 

Are they decent quality? That's a bit difficult to tell from a handful of photographs taken by the maker that no doubt show the best of the instruments in question. They look well enough made, but how can you really know until you have taken the plunge and bought one?

 

As for the price, they are being made in Italy so, unless you are also in the EU, shipping, VAT and import duty will bring the final amount closer to £1350 in the UK for most of the examples shown on the Reverb page, and it you don't like it once you've actually tried it there is then the hassle of sending it back and reclaiming the tax paid which is no longer as straight-forward as it used to be. Personally I think that's a bit expensive for a Fender copy by someone who is still relatively unknown.

 

Edited 1 hour ago by BigRedX

[itu]

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

In fact, musicians are very very very conservative persons and don't like new ideas... 

 

It's a bit disappointing to refuse to evolve... 

Old music players with their violins, even worse. 

 

I try to keep my hands off of any fender based thread. The design is an old hat, electronics cheapo, and the whole concept was neatly described by @BigRedX.

 

Leo did evolve, but there are lots of bassists here who - some of which most likely - believe that a P or a J is the ultimate weapon (no, not that Jaco thing again, because he decided to mod the existing fretboard severely). They were and are the stepstones, because they are so numerous and cheap (from many viewpoints). 

 

I have never played a P bass that I would have liked, because of quality (CS was far from its ridiculous price tag), or sound. The pickup looks like the design work was delayed and the result at that point was bolted on (sorry). Cumbersome weight and shape, as ergonomic as a violin.

 

I have tried quite different basses during my playing years. I may not be a very good player, but I know what I want from my instruments. At the moment I play a Vigier Passion II the most, and for five string work I use an MG Genesis (I admit it could be considered as a refined J on steroids). These have super necks, and electronics that can really shape the sound. 

 

A P and a flatwound set may be the thing for someone else, not me. Basses have evolved if I haven't. Try a G&L if it has to be Leo's design.