Ciao,

just thought to post this link to the German bass magazine Bassprofessor which features 2 audiofiles with a nice old Series II played slap style and with a pick;

http://www.bassprofessor.info/index.p...Itemid=188

Ciao Stefano, I missed this old thread.
I find it very interesting for someone who's trying to compare old SII sound with newer one. Thanks for posting it. ()

Ciao Enzo,

now I see why you find this post interesting...you are waiting for an old Series II!! ;) Welcome to the club!

;)

Any idea of price?

Wot do U MEEN? :)

Now that's the tone I have always thought of when it comes to Status basses. So why the heck doesn't my S2 5 even get close to that tone? What gives guys? I think that the Kingbasses that I have heard sound closer to this older Series 2 than any other basses in the Status range.

It's that old solid neck, it must be. Does sound great though doesn't it??

Agreed Danny, it must be something to do with the older construction and materials. I have craved that 80s Status sound for the last 20 years or so, nothing sounds like that early Status tone, nothing. At any rate, this S2 5 that I have is one of the best basses I have ever played period. I was considering an MTD 535 or another F Bass BN5, but this Status came up here in the Great White North, I tried it and it played like nothing else that I have ever touched. I have to admit that I was initially drawn to Status basses via Mark King's work, but this S2 5 could do anything that a working bassist needs to do as well as do it all with that Status clarity and playability. My drummer friend and I both agree that it's the cleanest tone period when it comes to basses. I am starting to get over the whole "gotta do the Mark King thing" on this Status and just play it like a regular 5 string bass and damn if it doesn't work like a charm. I still love the Mark King flavor Status tone, but this S2 5 gives up no ground to any other bass that I have ever heard or played. Whatever Rob is doing over there in the UK is definitely working. I'm just happy to be part of the Status brethren. This Status will have to keep my Mark King wanna-be issues at bay for now: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6...2a2a_b.jpg

Certainly the construction plays a fundamental role, but I think it is mostly due to the older pick-up type and electronics.

The earliest GMT pick- ups had open poles, the later versions were closed. From my knowledge these early pick-ups were designed and produced in co-operation with Kent Armstrong.

All these points made those basses sound like nothing else...

Not to debunk the legacy surrounding the early GMT Status basses, but the Kingbass seems to nail that early GMT Status tone using what appears to be the more modern and current Status electronics, so that kind of suggests that Rob is still using the same design to his pickups even these days, unless there is something "under the hood" going on with Kingbasses specifically? Perhaps Rob is using different preamps and electronics for the Kingbasses all together, specific to that model only. Mark mentioned in an interview that he asked Rob to jump back a few generations in regards to the preamp sound when he and Rob first sat down to design the Kingbass.

To illustrate my point, these two Status basses sound completey different to one another, but the Kingbass sounds much more like an old GMT Status:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClXG4j...ideo_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9SizO...ideo_title

My S2 5 sounds almost identical to the Empathy 4 string that James is playing in the second clip, my bass is headed and a 5 string. As for the Kingbass comparison, I cannot however get even close to the tone the Japanese chap gets in the first clip, even using Hotwire 35-120 strings on my S2 5.

What magic is Rob putting in the Kingbasses to get that old school Status sound? It has to be the pickups or preamp, as the j-bass equipped Kingbasses do not have that signature Status sound at all to my ears anyways.

Hi Paul,

I understand what you mean...I have a KB Artist 4 as well (similar to the one in the first video), but it does not sound like my old Series II, at least not to my ears.

I once had a KingBass 5er and that sounded completely different to my 4-str. It may be that the 5-str. pick-ups have a different spec compared to the humbuckers used on the 4-str. basses. I do not think Rob uses different preamps for the S2 and KB, but you may ask him directly.

If you have a listen to the audio samples on the Status website you can hear that the modern S2 is sounding different to a KB indeed.

I believe it is also down to the amp that are used and certain frequencies that are boosted/cut.

Hi Stefano,

Agreed that the S2 sounds quite different from the KB, especially the samples on the Status website. I wish Rob had samples of a 5 string KB on the website for a direct comparison. Having said that, let me say that I also totally agree with you that 5 string basses do sound different from 4 strings of the same model and general spec. After speaking with Rob, it is now very clear now how different infact the KB range is to the S2 basses.

Ironically, even though this S2 5 I have doesn't serve up that classic early 80s Status tone that I have craved for years, I have begun to really love it's sound all the same. To be honest, the S2 5's tone is much more versatile and useable for the type of music I play these days anyways. Still, I think that I will always have the itch for the GMT era Status tone, even if just on a personal level.

When I heard the BP clips on this thread, I immediately thought, that's the Status sound I have loved for years. I want that sound in a 5 string bass, however that may not be possible.

I am still considering a KB 5 though, however I cannot find clips of one anywhere. Can I ask you, just how different was the KB5 that you had compared to the 4 string models? Was it just a deeper, warmer sound or was it completely different? Did it have that trademark midrange growl that KB 4 strings have?

Hi Paul,

to my ears the KB 5 had a different sound timbre compared to the 4 string model, but it's hard to describe in words.

just pm me your email address, I must have a couple soundfiles of my old KB 5er somewhere...

Ciao,
Stefano