Cort Curbow 5FL... cheap and sexy

[invisiblemute]

The Curbow just came and it looks even more amazing than I imagined. I just wanted a mid-level bass to play on and that I'd like sonically and not have to upgrade for a while. Even though there is only one pickup it has wiring that makes it sound vastly different with the slap switch engaged. The EQ is very responsive but _slightly_ noisy when you have the mid and treble all the way up. I'm pretty sure it's an active Bartolini pickup with an active EQ even though on the Musician's Friend site it say passive in several places. Again I'm not a bass player and am only beginning but this bass feels much more comfortable than the few I've tried to play. The body is much smaller than most basses and even most guitars but the end effect is a VERY well balanced feel with no back ache. It is smaller than typical basses but when looking at all the proportions look so right and more importantly they FEEL right. The lower horn with an extreme cutout does make it somewhat difficult to play sitting down in your lap.

Some as well as myself may suspect a less bassy or smaller sound with a physically smaller plastic Lucite body but there is no difference that I notice. It even sounds good through my guitar cabinet. The low B make the little amp whimper pitifully.

Just a question for those familiar with this bass. Is the slap switch supposed to deactivate the EQ or is the wiring on my bass messed up? In the down position the EQ works as expected but when up the EQ has no effect and only the settings on the back on the bass work (gain and slap depth). Really great design because slapping generally causes signal overload or something which translates to an ugly sound.

Just to pass the savings to you all. Rondo seems to have bought a close-out of the 4 string model in blue. $269
http://www.rondomusic.bigstep.com

I talked Musician's Friend down to $300 (from $450) for the 5-string after seeing it go for that on another site. Then they sent me a clearance brochure inside the box with my bass for $350. The 4-string is $299 and the 6-string is $399

A note about the odor. I've read that people have detected an odor from the Lucite body, but I think it's some finishing polish they use not the Lucite itself. Around the knobs and screws there is a tad of white stuff that looks and feels like dried car wax that wasn't wiped off completely. Easy clean up.

If really hot girls were basses they would be Curbows.

Thinking about a Tech 21 Sans Amp RBI to save space and for portability. Anyone with opinions and other suggestions? I've read a lot of positive reviews but some seem to think the overdrive on it stinks.

[Scooter B]

invisiblemute,

Sweet bass dude! I wish they were making those for that price in '95. I could not find what I wanted for under $1,000 in a fretless and built my own from a Carvin neck through with the ebony finger board.

I think I spent $800 including wood, electronics, tools and finishing products.

On the slap switch... most manufacturers that use this enables a pre set (but tweakable) EQ curve that scoops out the mids and therefore emphasizes the bass and upper frequencies for that classic "slap" sound. You should be able to dial in the best slpa sound for you and use this as a custom "pre-set" for slapping and take you out of your normal EQ setting for pick or fingerstyle (non-slap tone) wich usually likes a little more mid range in the mix.

It's like switching from a clean to distorted channel on an amp but you flip the switch and your slap tone is ready instead of using a footswitch to an amp.

Enjoy that bass and lets me know how you are liking it after a couple weeks of exploring with it.

[tjohnston]

so whats the advantage of a fretless bass. I know that you can play semi-tones but nobody can really hear that. No fret buzz?
Less fatigue? Smoother sound? I have a 200 hundred dollar ibinez bass. Im thinking about donating it to Goodwill! Thats how much I hate it!

[Scooter B]

tjohnston,

So whats the advantage of a fretless bass?

The tone (when played properly) is usualy not semi tones - although you could do that as well.

You still generaly want to play the same 7 note scales we are used to in the western world but the sound of the string vibrating against the wood instead of a fret is a very different sound and you can do slides into notes.

Check out Jaco Pastorious and many other jazz/fusion players or the bass in Eric Claptons "Tears in Heaven" and listen realy close to the bass and you will hear what I mean.

You occasionally hear fretless in popular top 40 music and some progressive rock but it is much more common in Jazz and Fusion.