Played one of these in Denmark Street yesterday and completely fell in love. The one I played had been reserved so I tried to find one online but most places had sold out! Finally found one in a store in Glasgow and it arrives tomorrow! So excited to own this!
Only just seem this! It plays great. I think you only need new strings everyday if you play a 90 minute show as hard as flea! Might adjust the action and neck a bit cause it seems to have shifted a bit since I got it.
Great review and I totally agree with what you say! Got this bass today and all I can say it's WOW! Now it's time for me to start practicing again as I had a squire before but didn't play that much
Glad you enjoyed my review, thanks for the comment! Congratulations to you for getting one! They have sold out really fast! And hey, there's nothing wrong with Squier basses, I still have my first bass, which was a Squier! But as long as getting your hands on this great bass encourages you to play more, it's a winner in my book. Good luck to you!
I’m in a chilli Peppers tribute band and I’ve owned and gigged with Flea bass for a couple of months from now. After buying it I was dismayed to find out that Flea does not play this bass live. His bass tech said Flea tried but he could not get around the neck as quick as he would like and it did not cut through on stage. I’ve played it at a few gigs now and these are my impressions: amazing tone for both slap and fingers. I miss the 21st fret as a lot of Chili Peppers songs require it (Aeroplane, By the Way) It is a harder bass to play compared to my Stingray, Yamaha or Hofner. It’s got large fret and string spacing and the stings very tense. I would recommend this bass purely on its magic tone making the extra effort to play it worth it. It is good for playing Chilli Peppers songs just not the ones that require an extended range or super fast runs.
Hey Nick, Very nice playing n' demo of this reproduction a great gift that a fan gave to Flea. WOW!! Fender has done a great job of making a "Mexican custom shop reproduction" of a well played 62 Jazz Bass. The comment "you can feel Flea", however almost talked me out of this instrument... LOL I'll try to forget that when I'm playing mine. Cheers ;>)
I love the growly tone. But I don't know how it would respond to play flamenco and the dry jacoish bridge tone. Maybe not the most suitable bass for that?
Nice - it was a long time ago but I remember the finish being quite thin. Meaning, just playing it normally should be enough over a relatively short period of time! Don't go whacking it with chains or anything haha!
Daaaaang, that's an expressive bass. Same reasons I play an old jbass. I'm kind of surprised Flea doesn't have a Badass bridge on it. And kudos, Nick, you're playing some phat riffs that showcase the bass -- too many "pro" YT bass reviews use inadequate players & lame riffs. :) )
+Andy Van Engen 1 You're right, it certainly is expressive! The bridge that's on it adds to the old school vibe of the bass, it looks really cool up close actually. I can't remember the name of it right now but it's some kind of vintage thing. And hey thanks for the kind words! Glad you liked my grooves!
Excuse my ignorance as i am not a flea fan not because his playing but because I'm not a chili peppers fan but all i have ever seen him play is his Music Man Stingray(that's where I first saw one and wanted one) and his Flea Basses so i am wondering why he has a signature Fender? Did he switch to fender?
+1thess523 I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think he's had Fenders (particularly Jazz basses) since the 'By The Way' album. Possibly even 'Californication', not sure. But yeah he's used them for a while now, as well as the Music Mans we all know!
BedroomBassist ok, thanks. I've just never seen him use one but like i said i don't follow him but i have seen videos and thumbnail shots of him on RUclips but have never seen him with a fender. It sounds really nice by the way, hey also it's cool to see you demoing these bases! Do you work for that Music store or do they just need someone with mad bass skills.
flea has had the bass since 2000 when it was given to him by a fan, you can see him play it in the californication video, he doesn't play it live much because as he said "it doesn't cut through the mix very well" however he's used it in a lot of recordings, most notably he recorded all of stadium arcadium with it, and he's used it extensibly on the new records too
Oh yeah you're right! I forgot about the Californication video. That's interesting too - I'm not sure there'll be an issue with this JB cutting through the mix. Thanks for the info!
+BedroomBassist that's what I thought too, I thought maybe the fact that it's vintage maybe is wasn't making it but since John Frusciante uses exclusively vintage guitars I doubt that would of been it
Worth the price? I want a new bass and I play chili peppers sound so I figure what better bass to have that fleas himself but i can't play it before I buy unless by some miracle my music store has it. I want it to be worth every penny.
Music stores never have the item you're looking for. Plus, you're getting the "store model" which usually sells for less. I have no problem ordering new instruments online.
Thanks fella! Despite them being made in Mexico, I honestly don't think £800 is unreasonable. Based on its merits as an instrument it's absolutely worth that IMO, but a lot of people don't seem to be willing to pay that as production costs in Mexico should theoretically have brought the price down. The advice I'd give is to find one to try yourself, see if you like it! :)
I tried one at a store - having played a 61, it came darn close- the light weight, the tiny neck- the tone wasn’t as good as a 61but it sounded great regardless- The actual measurements and weight should be the standard for all production models-as far as comfort and playability. I have an actual 74- it’s made of alder, but heavier and clunkier - not as streamlined- and the stock pickups sucked- why they ever messed with the original design ( circa 60-61 )is beyond me.
Hello! I'd say the major differences are the vintage-sounding pickups, and the ability to control the tone in more detail than on regular JB's thanks to the stacked volume & tone knobs for each pickup on the Flea sig. Hope this helps!
Oof, I'm sorry Mariano but it was so long ago that I made this video that I can't remember! Off the top of my head, I don't remember anything like that... but it's modelled on an old 60s Jazz Bass so it'd be weird if it didn't hum to be honest! 🤣
£700? Where? They retail at just under £1100 in the UK, I got one in a deal with an amp that worked out as paying £954 for the bass, and that was a good price.
I see both sides really. I personally quite like it because I don't lose my mind if I slightly knock the instrument at a gig or something. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you don't have to look after the instrument if it's roadworn, but I don't think you have to worry quite as much about superficial dings. However! I also understand the mind set of a person buying yourself a new instrument, believing it should be the owner that, over time, slowly acquires some wear and tear on the instrument. So I dunno! Each to their own!
I’ve owned many basses, both from new and vintage over the years. I picked one of these up yesterday and it’s a really nice bass, it needs to be roadworn, I don’t have the forty years left of playing to build up this level of wear and a pre CBS Jazz is prohibitive price wise, so this does the job perfectly.
Nope, I don't get paid to make these videos. It was my idea to do it this way too. Call me crazy, cos I know there's a lot of money in this game, but I have always enjoyed being honest and open on my channel - and I wanted to do impartial demos and reviews of instruments and other gear. I don't want to A) Become a salesman and B) Get paid to sometimes bend the truth and/or completely bullsh*t my subscribers. :) I don't have to pay for the recording space, I don't have to pay to rent the instruments cos I just grab 'em from the shop downstairs and return them when I'm done. I get to film there whenever I want, play whatever I want, with no deadlines or pressure... it's a pretty sweet deal. The benefit for me is that playing these sought-after instruments (and thus they are much-searched for on RUclips) undoubtedly helps spread the word about my channel, and myself as a musician, which is half the battle in the music industry these days in my opinion. And, I get to keep all the advertising revenue on my videos. Which, to be fair, is next to nothing at the moment... so I'm totally gambling on these videos helping my channel take off, but I don't mind. I'd rather do it this way and be honest. Apologies for the long comment! Hope this clears everything up for you & anybody else reading this! Haha. Cheers.
I think he meant to type "That bass really blows geddy lees bass away and its the best". I personally think it is a really beautiful guitar! gotta get one pronto. Thanks for the review man! :)
+NeedyForMusic No no, it's actually just at the end of the neck. On the front of the bass. It's mega accessible. You just have to take the scratch plate off. I'll try to source you a photo...
This bass is such a cashgrab, Flea has used MusicMan in their early days and Modulus until recently. He only started using a Jazz bass during the last tour, but it's a custom built jazz bass with a Musicman (maybe not a musicman, but definitely a musicman style) pickup. I remain very skeptic whether this bass "captures the essence" of the artists it's based around, because it doesn't even capture it in the aesthetic sense. Also a MIM for 1300€, really? Also, how does it feel "Flea", if it doesn't even have the proper pickup configuration Flea uses? Don't get me wrong though, this looks like a pretty solid bass: the concentric/stacked pots are a good addition (fucking finally!), and it's lightweight, but it's most definitely NOT Flea based and just because you "feel Flea in the instrument", doesn't tell me anything at all and it certainly doesn't mean Flea gave a crap about this instrument. All in all, buying this bass with the Flea logo on it is nothing short of a rip-off.
I work for fender, and let me just say, the MiM products are the same quality as the MiA products. In fact, go take a tour of the fender factory and you'll see what I mean. The machines being used are from the 60's in some cases. Also, the handwork is just as good.
I can't agree with it being a "cashgrab" as you put it. Sure there will be benefits for both parties, I mean duh, but I honestly think a lot of work went into making this instrument the way it is! Re: being skeptical of whether it captures the essence of Flea, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it. Flea has always been an "out there" person, but he's a little older now and has probably reined it in a bit now, so rather than an insane neon pink bass he might have designed 25-30 years ago, it's a softer pink. But it still looks kinda crazy cos it's been beaten to hell in the custom shop haha. Maybe I'm reading into that a little much but still. ALSO I want to reiterate for anybody wondering, I'm not currently being paid to make these videos. I'm giving my genuine opinions. So far I've been picking the basses I want to make videos of, because what's the point in picking up a bass worth 30p that plays like crap? Nobody wants to watch that and hear me rip it to pieces for no reason. And finally yep this instrument was made in Mexico, but it is very well made and of very high quality, so is the price really unreasonable just because of the place it was made? I'm not sure I understand the ins and outs of that. This comment has gone on way too long. Thanks for your thoughts! EDIT: One final thing I forgot to mention, here's a video from a 2008 concert where Flea's using a Jazz Bass. I searched for "Red Hot Chili Peppers live 2008" and found this. It was uploaded in 2011, but that's still 5 years ago haha. Here: ruclips.net/video/RAptRdJXnLM/видео.html
Well, I do apologise if I sounded a bit harsh on my previous comment, I wasn't trying to imply that you were lying to us or that you did it for the money in any way. I'm not doubting your goodwill and you're certainly an amazing bass player. But I do have some remarks: - I just don't see the work you say it has been put on, it's just another jazz bass signature model, the only difference are the stacked nobs. There have been around 10 or so signature/artist jazz bass models made by Fender/Squier and they're all practically the same, saving the Marcus Miller model which has a cool pickguard and active electronics. The concentric pots are a nice addition to it, don't get me wrong, but it's hardly an innovation as the first jazz bass models had them on either way, and many other jazz copies did use concentric pots, even when Fender stopped building them that way. -Also, I'm baffled as to how you don't know why the price fluctuates when it has been made in other countries, that's basic economics. No matter the quality, what really brings up the cost of an instruments, or any other product, is the salary of the employees/workers. That's why, in a nutshell, MIM Fenders are cheaper than MIA or MIJ Fenders. There will also be a small difference because of the materials and the construction but it's mainly the salary and the cost of fabrication. So yes, MIM Fenders should and, in fact, are much cheaper than their MIA counterparts. I think it's safe to assume it's price is due to its "signature" status rather than anything else. -With regards to the vid you posted, yes, he did play that concert with a jazz bass and he plays it from time to time, but how many other vids did you find that are played with Modulus? He toured for over 15 years with modulus until his contract terminated after their last album in 2012 and started using his pink jazz bass. Depsite this, he still generally uses his modulus basses live. If they wanted to make a true rendition to Flea, Fender should have made his Jazz bass with an MM pickup, I would totally buy that, but this bass is just a run-of-the-mill jazz bass with concentric pots, nothing else. If somebody wanted a Jazz bass, I'd recommend getting a proper MIA Jazz or an Aerodyne (MIJ).
It's all good Kevin, no hard feelings! I'm all about the conversation! I do understand the economics behind labour being less expensive in other countries etc., I guess I was just having a hippy moment of "if it's the same materials and the same amount of work then why isn't everybody paid the saaame waaage maaaan", or something. Can't really explain my thought process there. I honestly wish I could. Ha! Also I must be honest, I haven't played many signature Jazz Basses. I've played this one, the Marcus Miller one you mentioned and the Geddy Lee one I think. This one has pickups modeled on the '64 Fender pickups, how different are they to other pickups in other signature basses, or other JB's in general? I'm honestly intrigued to learn about this kind of thing. I still stand by what I said about feeling like Flea actually quite a lot to do with the design & sound etc. At the risk of getting copyright stricken, I didn't play any actual Flea bass lines in this video, I just attempted to play in his style. But off camera I was able to do a really good impersonation of his more recent bass tone with it. I was jamming RHCP tunes like 'Snow', 'Tell Me Baby' and 'The Ballad of Raindance Maggie' and it sounded just like him. Or close at least. Only he can sound just like him. Haha. Maybe the way to think of this bass is it's a signature Flea tone of his modern era, rather than looking for that 80s/90s/00s classic Flea sound. Dunno! My point is, I think this is a great instrument.
I’m not a fan of Flea, sorry, I also find slap bass overrated. I did however buy one of these basses as it’s an excellent instrument in its own right. The stacked pots take a little getting used to but you can nail an exact tone with a bit of patience.
Tasteful playing. Amazing how rare that is on youtube.
Much appreciated :)
3:10 That riff was pretty FREAKING AWESOME
Thanks!
No kidding. I had to walk across the room to see what he was doing. Wizard Bass Magic that one!
Haha cheers!! :)
@@helloitsnicko do you have the tabs for that maybe? second time i bought a bass because of you by the way :D
Played one of these in Denmark Street yesterday and completely fell in love. The one I played had been reserved so I tried to find one online but most places had sold out! Finally found one in a store in Glasgow and it arrives tomorrow! So excited to own this!
Glad you managed to get one!
So Jake... you've had it over a day (based on when your comment was posted)... How are you liking it? Does it need new strings yet? Haha.
Only just seem this! It plays great. I think you only need new strings everyday if you play a 90 minute show as hard as flea! Might adjust the action and neck a bit cause it seems to have shifted a bit since I got it.
Haha I was just kidding, I thought you might not have been able to stop playing it :P
Best review so far.
Damn what a video, a very helpful explanation and some wicked grooves. Rockin demo man!
Hey Harry thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
"You can feel Flea in the instrument" - Love it!
Great review and I totally agree with what you say!
Got this bass today and all I can say it's WOW!
Now it's time for me to start practicing again as I had a squire before but didn't play that much
Glad you enjoyed my review, thanks for the comment!
Congratulations to you for getting one! They have sold out really fast!
And hey, there's nothing wrong with Squier basses, I still have my first bass, which was a Squier! But as long as getting your hands on this great bass encourages you to play more, it's a winner in my book. Good luck to you!
It’s nice to see someone talk about flea or review one of his basses without playing higher ground 👌
I’m in a chilli Peppers tribute band and I’ve owned and gigged with Flea bass for a couple of months from now. After buying it I was dismayed to find out that Flea does not play this bass live. His bass tech said Flea tried but he could not get around the neck as quick as he would like and it did not cut through on stage.
I’ve played it at a few gigs now and these are my impressions: amazing tone for both slap and fingers. I miss the 21st fret as a lot of Chili Peppers songs require it (Aeroplane, By the Way) It is a harder bass to play compared to my Stingray, Yamaha or Hofner. It’s got large fret and string spacing and the stings very tense. I would recommend this bass purely on its magic tone making the extra effort to play it worth it. It is good for playing Chilli Peppers songs just not the ones that require an extended range or super fast runs.
Hey Nick, Very nice playing n' demo of this reproduction a great gift that a fan gave to Flea. WOW!! Fender has done a great job of making a "Mexican custom shop reproduction" of a well played 62 Jazz Bass. The comment "you can feel Flea", however almost talked me out of this instrument... LOL I'll try to forget that when I'm playing mine. Cheers ;>)
man, awesome playing!!
My Preference is AM Stand. Thanks for review !!
Hey no problem! :)
Nice efficient, demo. Pretty relevant and helpful. Well done BB ;)
Thanks a lot Ian, I appreciate it!
I love the growly tone. But I don't know how it would respond to play flamenco and the dry jacoish bridge tone. Maybe not the most suitable bass for that?
Got one coming this week might relic it a bit more for my own touch
Nice - it was a long time ago but I remember the finish being quite thin. Meaning, just playing it normally should be enough over a relatively short period of time! Don't go whacking it with chains or anything haha!
Great vid and sweet playing !
Thank you!
Daaaaang, that's an expressive bass. Same reasons I play an old jbass. I'm kind of surprised Flea doesn't have a Badass bridge on it. And kudos, Nick, you're playing some phat riffs that showcase the bass -- too many "pro" YT bass reviews use inadequate players & lame riffs. :) )
+Andy Van Engen 1 You're right, it certainly is expressive! The bridge that's on it adds to the old school vibe of the bass, it looks really cool up close actually. I can't remember the name of it right now but it's some kind of vintage thing. And hey thanks for the kind words! Glad you liked my grooves!
Andy Van Engen flea didn't put one on his bass and the geddy lee doesn't come with a Leo Quan Bad ass II anymore . Instead some cheap signature bridge
Great review!
Thanks a lot
My DIY debut album 'NICKO_1' is OUT NOW!
It would mean the world to me if you gave it a spin. Thank you.
LINKS: ditto.fm/nicko-1
How does it compare to your MarloweDK from Sandberg?
Excuse my ignorance as i am not a flea fan not because his playing but because I'm not a chili peppers fan but all i have ever seen him play is his Music Man Stingray(that's where I first saw one and wanted one) and his Flea Basses so i am wondering why he has a signature Fender? Did he switch to fender?
+1thess523 I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think he's had Fenders (particularly Jazz basses) since the 'By The Way' album. Possibly even 'Californication', not sure. But yeah he's used them for a while now, as well as the Music Mans we all know!
BedroomBassist ok, thanks. I've just never seen him use one but like i said i don't follow him but i have seen videos and thumbnail shots of him on RUclips but have never seen him with a fender. It sounds really nice by the way, hey also it's cool to see you demoing these bases! Do you work for that Music store or do they just need someone with mad bass skills.
flea has had the bass since 2000 when it was given to him by a fan, you can see him play it in the californication video, he doesn't play it live much because as he said "it doesn't cut through the mix very well" however he's used it in a lot of recordings, most notably he recorded all of stadium arcadium with it, and he's used it extensibly on the new records too
Oh yeah you're right! I forgot about the Californication video. That's interesting too - I'm not sure there'll be an issue with this JB cutting through the mix. Thanks for the info!
+BedroomBassist that's what I thought too, I thought maybe the fact that it's vintage maybe is wasn't making it but since John Frusciante uses exclusively vintage guitars I doubt that would of been it
sick dude.
Thanks fella!
Nice
Ordered one.
Cool!
Worth the price? I want a new bass and I play chili peppers sound so I figure what better bass to have that fleas himself but i can't play it before I buy unless by some miracle my music store has it. I want it to be worth every penny.
Music stores never have the item you're looking for. Plus, you're getting the "store model" which usually sells for less. I have no problem ordering new instruments online.
gotcha. I ended up buying it anyway
Cool! Rock on!
Nice review! Good playing too. Im thinking about picking one of these up. Seems good value. Would you recommend?
Thanks fella! Despite them being made in Mexico, I honestly don't think £800 is unreasonable. Based on its merits as an instrument it's absolutely worth that IMO, but a lot of people don't seem to be willing to pay that as production costs in Mexico should theoretically have brought the price down. The advice I'd give is to find one to try yourself, see if you like it! :)
I have a fender precision bass, do you think it is useful to have this one too ?
Absolutely. There are tones a Jazz Bass can do that a P Bass can't (and vice-versa).
I tried one at a store - having played a 61, it came darn close- the light weight, the tiny neck- the tone wasn’t as good as a 61but it sounded great regardless-
The actual measurements and weight should be the standard for all production models-as far as comfort and playability.
I have an actual 74- it’s made of alder, but heavier and clunkier - not as streamlined- and the stock pickups sucked- why they ever messed with the original design ( circa 60-61 )is beyond me.
Hi what major sound difference you see Flea JB to a Mexican JB ? TIA
Hello! I'd say the major differences are the vintage-sounding pickups, and the ability to control the tone in more detail than on regular JB's thanks to the stacked volume & tone knobs for each pickup on the Flea sig. Hope this helps!
Does the Flea signature JB come with round wound strings?
There were round-wounds on it when I was playing it, so I'm guessing so!
ok, thanks
Great Video. Is the neck slim and fast
Thanks! Yeah the neck feels very fast, and it's quite thin at the nut yep! Very comfortable bass to play. :)
+BedroomBassist Cheers. I love Roadworn Basses. We even named our Band "The Roadworn Frets" after them
That's awesome haha, if you like roadworn basses, you should check out my Sandberg! That thing is destroyed! :D
Here's a link! (Recorded before I had an interface, so the sound isn't quite as clean. But yeah!)
ruclips.net/video/Bctb2VjYEfI/видео.html
Does it have any hum when soloing the pickups? Thanks!
Oof, I'm sorry Mariano but it was so long ago that I made this video that I can't remember! Off the top of my head, I don't remember anything like that... but it's modelled on an old 60s Jazz Bass so it'd be weird if it didn't hum to be honest! 🤣
@@helloitsnicko No problem! Great playing as usual! 😌
@@seigas They’re single coils. It hums.
What's that groove at the 21 second mark??
Just something I came up with!
Right on!! Cool groove bro!!
Is this bass set up with a low action out of the box? Or did you have it set up?
I believe it was just out of the box a few hours before I demo’d it! The factory setup was nice.
great video, how much does this cost, plz tell me and is it mexican o amercican model
+xavier leon I believe they're around £700/€795/$900, and they're made in Mexico I think.
£700? Where? They retail at just under £1100 in the UK, I got one in a deal with an amp that worked out as paying £954 for the bass, and that was a good price.
Is it made in Mexico or in the USA?
+Lylodile In Mexico I believe!
Thanks. Very nice playing on this video by the way.
No problem, thank you dude! :)
What kinda tone capacitors?
And thanks for not mentioning Mark King lol
Just a bit iffy about it being "road worn", seems like such a gimmick somehow
I see both sides really. I personally quite like it because I don't lose my mind if I slightly knock the instrument at a gig or something. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you don't have to look after the instrument if it's roadworn, but I don't think you have to worry quite as much about superficial dings. However! I also understand the mind set of a person buying yourself a new instrument, believing it should be the owner that, over time, slowly acquires some wear and tear on the instrument. So I dunno! Each to their own!
I’ve owned many basses, both from new and vintage over the years. I picked one of these up yesterday and it’s a really nice bass, it needs to be roadworn, I don’t have the forty years left of playing to build up this level of wear and a pre CBS Jazz is prohibitive price wise, so this does the job perfectly.
I though so too until I bought one. It feels broken in and plays amazing, sounds great..nuff said.
They have it in the solid pink and also grey too
did they give it to you for free?
+hambrother Haha! I wish!! Nah, this is on sale at Promenade Music, I was merely putting it through its paces. ;)
but they had to pay you to make this video right? I mean the talent fee, and considering that you have quite a following
Nope, I don't get paid to make these videos. It was my idea to do it this way too. Call me crazy, cos I know there's a lot of money in this game, but I have always enjoyed being honest and open on my channel - and I wanted to do impartial demos and reviews of instruments and other gear. I don't want to A) Become a salesman and B) Get paid to sometimes bend the truth and/or completely bullsh*t my subscribers. :)
I don't have to pay for the recording space, I don't have to pay to rent the instruments cos I just grab 'em from the shop downstairs and return them when I'm done. I get to film there whenever I want, play whatever I want, with no deadlines or pressure... it's a pretty sweet deal.
The benefit for me is that playing these sought-after instruments (and thus they are much-searched for on RUclips) undoubtedly helps spread the word about my channel, and myself as a musician, which is half the battle in the music industry these days in my opinion. And, I get to keep all the advertising revenue on my videos. Which, to be fair, is next to nothing at the moment... so I'm totally gambling on these videos helping my channel take off, but I don't mind. I'd rather do it this way and be honest.
Apologies for the long comment! Hope this clears everything up for you & anybody else reading this! Haha.
Cheers.
+BedroomBassist you don't have to apologize, that was beautiful! you have a way with words. :')
you are really a nice man!true musician
that bass really blows
geddy lee jazz bass is the best
lolz, this bass does not "blow".
I think he meant to type "That bass really blows geddy lees bass away and its the best". I personally think it is a really beautiful guitar! gotta get one pronto.
Thanks for the review man! :)
how do you adjust the truss rod?
There's a Phillips-head screw at the end of the neck. :)
+BedroomBassist so it's like the actual 60's basses where you had to unscrew the back plate to reach the screw?
+NeedyForMusic No no, it's actually just at the end of the neck. On the front of the bass. It's mega accessible. You just have to take the scratch plate off. I'll try to source you a photo...
+BedroomBassist thanks! I know the Geddy Lee bass has a similar thing
This bass is such a cashgrab, Flea has used MusicMan in their early days and Modulus until recently. He only started using a Jazz bass during the last tour, but it's a custom built jazz bass with a Musicman (maybe not a musicman, but definitely a musicman style) pickup.
I remain very skeptic whether this bass "captures the essence" of the artists it's based around, because it doesn't even capture it in the aesthetic sense. Also a MIM for 1300€, really?
Also, how does it feel "Flea", if it doesn't even have the proper pickup configuration Flea uses?
Don't get me wrong though, this looks like a pretty solid bass: the concentric/stacked pots are a good addition (fucking finally!), and it's lightweight, but it's most definitely NOT Flea based and just because you "feel Flea in the instrument", doesn't tell me anything at all and it certainly doesn't mean Flea gave a crap about this instrument.
All in all, buying this bass with the Flea logo on it is nothing short of a rip-off.
I work for fender, and let me just say, the MiM products are the same quality as the MiA products. In fact, go take a tour of the fender factory and you'll see what I mean. The machines being used are from the 60's in some cases. Also, the handwork is just as good.
I can't agree with it being a "cashgrab" as you put it. Sure there will be benefits for both parties, I mean duh, but I honestly think a lot of work went into making this instrument the way it is!
Re: being skeptical of whether it captures the essence of Flea, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it. Flea has always been an "out there" person, but he's a little older now and has probably reined it in a bit now, so rather than an insane neon pink bass he might have designed 25-30 years ago, it's a softer pink. But it still looks kinda crazy cos it's been beaten to hell in the custom shop haha. Maybe I'm reading into that a little much but still.
ALSO I want to reiterate for anybody wondering, I'm not currently being paid to make these videos. I'm giving my genuine opinions. So far I've been picking the basses I want to make videos of, because what's the point in picking up a bass worth 30p that plays like crap? Nobody wants to watch that and hear me rip it to pieces for no reason. And finally yep this instrument was made in Mexico, but it is very well made and of very high quality, so is the price really unreasonable just because of the place it was made? I'm not sure I understand the ins and outs of that. This comment has gone on way too long. Thanks for your thoughts!
EDIT: One final thing I forgot to mention, here's a video from a 2008 concert where Flea's using a Jazz Bass. I searched for "Red Hot Chili Peppers live 2008" and found this. It was uploaded in 2011, but that's still 5 years ago haha. Here: ruclips.net/video/RAptRdJXnLM/видео.html
Well, I do apologise if I sounded a bit harsh on my previous comment, I wasn't trying to imply that you were lying to us or that you did it for the money in any way. I'm not doubting your goodwill and you're certainly an amazing bass player.
But I do have some remarks:
- I just don't see the work you say it has been put on, it's just another jazz bass signature model, the only difference are the stacked nobs. There have been around 10 or so signature/artist jazz bass models made by Fender/Squier and they're all practically the same, saving the Marcus Miller model which has a cool pickguard and active electronics. The concentric pots are a nice addition to it, don't get me wrong, but it's hardly an innovation as the first jazz bass models had them on either way, and many other jazz copies did use concentric pots, even when Fender stopped building them that way.
-Also, I'm baffled as to how you don't know why the price fluctuates when it has been made in other countries, that's basic economics. No matter the quality, what really brings up the cost of an instruments, or any other product, is the salary of the employees/workers. That's why, in a nutshell, MIM Fenders are cheaper than MIA or MIJ Fenders. There will also be a small difference because of the materials and the construction but it's mainly the salary and the cost of fabrication. So yes, MIM Fenders should and, in fact, are much cheaper than their MIA counterparts. I think it's safe to assume it's price is due to its "signature" status rather than anything else.
-With regards to the vid you posted, yes, he did play that concert with a jazz bass and he plays it from time to time, but how many other vids did you find that are played with Modulus? He toured for over 15 years with modulus until his contract terminated after their last album in 2012 and started using his pink jazz bass. Depsite this, he still generally uses his modulus basses live.
If they wanted to make a true rendition to Flea, Fender should have made his Jazz bass with an MM pickup, I would totally buy that, but this bass is just a run-of-the-mill jazz bass with concentric pots, nothing else. If somebody wanted a Jazz bass, I'd recommend getting a proper MIA Jazz or an Aerodyne (MIJ).
It's all good Kevin, no hard feelings! I'm all about the conversation! I do understand the economics behind labour being less expensive in other countries etc., I guess I was just having a hippy moment of "if it's the same materials and the same amount of work then why isn't everybody paid the saaame waaage maaaan", or something. Can't really explain my thought process there. I honestly wish I could. Ha!
Also I must be honest, I haven't played many signature Jazz Basses. I've played this one, the Marcus Miller one you mentioned and the Geddy Lee one I think. This one has pickups modeled on the '64 Fender pickups, how different are they to other pickups in other signature basses, or other JB's in general? I'm honestly intrigued to learn about this kind of thing.
I still stand by what I said about feeling like Flea actually quite a lot to do with the design & sound etc. At the risk of getting copyright stricken, I didn't play any actual Flea bass lines in this video, I just attempted to play in his style. But off camera I was able to do a really good impersonation of his more recent bass tone with it. I was jamming RHCP tunes like 'Snow', 'Tell Me Baby' and 'The Ballad of Raindance Maggie' and it sounded just like him. Or close at least. Only he can sound just like him. Haha.
Maybe the way to think of this bass is it's a signature Flea tone of his modern era, rather than looking for that 80s/90s/00s classic Flea sound. Dunno! My point is, I think this is a great instrument.
flea used the fender jazz bass 61 for the whole stadium arcadium album,
case closed
me wants
Put some strenght in those fingers man!
Wat
Your right hand is too soft on those strings, in my opinion
+Nati Per Perdere Okidokie
As Rory Gallagher once said, don't be afraid to hit the fuckin thing
Another great demo mate.I would give my eye teeth for those fingers by the way.
ma come cazzo suoni?
I’m not a fan of Flea, sorry, I also find slap bass overrated. I did however buy one of these basses as it’s an excellent instrument in its own right. The stacked pots take a little getting used to but you can nail an exact tone with a bit of patience.