i have owned several persuaders, possibly 3 in number, but this one was absolutely the most beautiful bass i've owned other than my coco bolo mark king. in fact, there was a debate, which flax settled once and for all, about whether it was coco or vermillion. val said it was vermillion as well, but the owner i bought it from had kept it in pristine condition, and it has acquired a patina that is truly remarkable. the second i saw flax was selling it, i had pangs of remorse for selling it. however, i love my mark king coco. this bass has that sound. i can't explain how it does, but i think dave and others chimed in about how vintage top woods, and i believe this one was made from some stock that was considerably older than they thought, can make a bass take on a personality that is remarkable. this is that bass. i played it A/B with my MK, back and forth, and i truly could not tell the difference when i set the MK electronics flat and then adjusted them to a fair fight. other than my vector persuader which jim now owns up in colorado, i miss this bass the most. it's a true treasure.