Just ordered one. Throwing caution to the wind, and purchasing a fretless bass for the first time in my life. I hear very good things about their Gecko basses... I will tear out the Bart preamp from my 6 string, to go with an EMG 40dc pickup (just one, placed in the "music man" position) on a Black Korina body with wenge neck and bloodwood fretboard. Trying for a focused midrange sound.

Anyone have any experience with these basses?

Kev

Hey Kev.

No experience but often have thought about ordering the parts and building myself. Their stuff appears to be high quality and I've read some good reviews from happy customers.

Are you putting it together yourself or getting it "ready to fly"? Post some pics when you get it....

cheers,
kev

hmm - the website looks like a "build your own" type deal (cool idea)...what did you actually get?

I've got a modified Ibanez that I added EMG J & DC pickups to (plus the EMG three band EQ system)
Love the sound - a great rock and roll grungy feel to them. Super easy to install as everything is modular (including the preamp), but not sure how easy if you are adding to a Bartolini preamp (which is another awesome bass preamp/pickup). Probably just some minor soldering...

Ive often priced out their stuff, and I've played some warmoth guitars and basses. Its good stuff.

I almost ordered a gecko, but I ended up getting a Warwick instead for no particular reason

Hi Kev,

I do
I have "built" 3 basses with Warmoth parts and 2 with Warmoth parts and Status Graphite necks.
as you can see, I'm yet to complete a Jazz Bass with a black korina body, but I just received the East electronics and plan to finish it shortly.
The parts are top quality, equal or superior to any complete instrument I have tried coming from a factory. I haven't got a Gecko (though I find them really nice), but on my basses the neck to body joint was perfect. It was only a matter of putting the pieces together and soldering.
The only tricky part is drilling the holes for the tuners on the headstock, but nothing too difficult.
I'm sure you'll be very happy with your instrument! If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

that's a good looking P-Bass

High quality, the only downside is that they have very little resale value.

Resale value is a concern, but I won't sell if the tone is right and it's fairly comfortable. It'll just be my axe. Except for the warr, every instrument I've ever owned has been mine for 10 years at least.

I am concerned about the pickup, though. I imagine the emg will be very bright. I really want a pronounced mid sound. Hoping the placement and the bart preamp will help. I was goingv to get nordstrand, but need to keep cost down. Anyone know about the nordstrands?

K

I have a Nordy P4 and MM4.2 in one bass and a set of Big Singles in another. Both basses are great. Just an opinion, but the pickups play perhaps a majority of the tone of a bass. A few more bucks in the pickup are probably well spent.

I have EMGs in two other basses and I really wouldn't call them mid focused. They seem to be more scooped and modern sounding, IMHO.

Not a bass, but I built a Tele clone with Warmoth parts and it's excllent. Swamp Ash body, birdseye maple neck with Indian Rosewood fingerboard and stainless steel frets. Gloss finish on headstock and satin on neck back. Great guitar.

Like others said, low resale value, but for me it's a great way to go as I ended up ripping the stock pickups, etc. out of 90% my other guitars (I own 19 right now). May as well build what I really want it to be in the end.

Karma