• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

DrCocoa

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Lets face it. 99% of the StingRay popularity among young/not so young bass players is because of Flea in a direct or indirect way. The StingRay and Flea seemed to be meant for each other. The look, the sound...everything was perfect. Suddenly, he switched to Modulus. And that´s what I can´t understand. I refuse to think he took that ugly looking, plastic sounding bass for some extra cash. I don´t think he needed to. Besides, I don´t think Modulus got high(or any) profits of it, since I haven´t seen a single bass player with a fleabass in years. Being Flea a wealthy man as he is, I can´t believe he gave away such a good bass as the Stingray for the Modulus Flea Bass. Another odd fact is that Flea´s playing in the Fleabass era has nothing to do with the StingRay era. His lines and grooves became weak, predictable, and uncool in many ways (i still can´t believe the man who got me into bass wrote the californication bass lines...the best lick in that album is on Around the world and it´s a downward pentantonic!!!).

So...What happened to Flea???
 

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bassmaniac

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It's about money, and getting to stay visible, Now flea gets his pic in music mags with his bass that has his name on it, that hangs in music stores. That always bothered me too about how a player will say in an ad or article how what they are using is the absolute best and defines their sound. Then not long after, they are using something else. :confused:
 

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fifthorange

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i dont entirely agree with bassmaniac. i do believe that flea had dimmed down with the bass but i dont think it was because staying visible. he is arguably the greatest rock and roll bassist of this era. even if he did or didn't give another album pack with lines and riffs, he would still be noticed because of all his esteem he earned in teh early years.

now with the whole modulus thing, i think your overreacting with the plastic sounding crap. modulus make well crafted basses and just like an experienced bass player, flea wanted to expand his horizon and experiment with another bass. obviously he must of liked the modulus and it produces the basic "flea tone" that the mm sr4 gave him.

all in all, i am i little confused by the way he has slowed down, but i think he just wanted to make the music more pure and mellodic instead a funky and exhilarated.
 

jongitarz

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The Stingray was and is a HUGE seller. It sold itself(without advertising) before Flea played it, and it continues to sell. The truth is, that Flea wanted EB/MM to change the name of the Stingray to the "Flea" model....And he wanted a percentage....Why would we do that? I am in no way knocking Flea..he is one of my personal favorites...but why should the company pay a percentage to him when we didn't need him to sell it?

Jon
 

hands 5

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jongitarz said:
The Stingray was and is a HUGE seller. It sold itself(without advertising) before Flea played it, and it continues to sell. The truth is, that Flea wanted EB/MM to change the name of the Stingray to the "Flea" model....And he wanted a percentage....Why would we do that? I am in no way knocking Flea..he is one of my personal favorites...but why should the company pay a percentage to him when we didn't need him to sell it?

Jon
I agree because the Stingray was very popular from the Mid 70's on to this day,and the 1st time i actually saw Flea ( way back in 85) he was using a Spector,and a Wal bass plus a Fender Jazz.
Hey,if Modulus threw Flea a "Boat load" of cash tp play there basses, then more power to him,and anybody else who can get any company to pay them for playing there product "REGARDLESS" of who it is.But as said EB was/is the 1 company who doesn't need Flea or anybody else to sell there product.
 

jubjub721

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he also may still play stingray at home behind closed doors
in other words
hes a "in the closet stingray player"
im sure after all those years of free rays that he prolly still has a few lying around
 

bovinehost

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Oh, it was but a tiny thing at that point. You should have seen it at its zenith.

I looked like Hendrix but really, really white.

He had cooler clothes, though.
 

dwf1004

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LOL...OMG, that hair is just too much. No one singled out; I'm talking about all 3 of ya's in that pic. Long live disco! :p
 

jongitarz

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Do a little dance..make a little love....That hair's a fright...that hair's a fright.....is Jack really Disco Stew??? I have never seem them together...HMMMMMMM
 

bovinehost

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Oddly enough, that was a band called "Motor Skills". We all played in a couple of bands around time, but when we had time, we'd get together and play psycho-neurotic punk jazz.

We were Primus in 1977, only we didn't know it and everyone hated us.
 

midopa

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Have any of you guys been to a RHCP concert? Lately, their sound has moved from funk metal to a more harmonious thing. I'm wondering if the Modulus can punch like the Music Man. That is, have you ever seen Flea let loose with a slap solo with the Modulus? How would it compare to the Music Man?
 

fifthorange

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i have been to a chili pepper concert. i would say that it was the best concert that i have ever been to. i also agree to the fact that you say it is more harmonious. i for one, have seen them in their funk era and in their new harmonious era, and i dont have a favorite; they are both spectacular to watch.

to me, it seems the same with a modulus and a music man. it is all in the technique, and quite frankly, flea still has his same jackhammer approach to slapping. the era in which he played the modulus and the musicman is basically the only difference. i do have to add, though, the the musicman, slap wise, give a better, punchier sound than the modulus but it is no major difference. the only differece basically is outward appearence because he made the modulus just as a mm. mm pickups, preamp, it is basically the same.
 

fire

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i heard from a very reliable source that Flea doesn't even like the modulus bass, he just plays it cause he gets a ****load of money.
 
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