Author Topic: I put a Maestro Bass Brassmaster on ebay (Read 194 times)

hifiguy · « **on:** February 14, 2009, 05:58:49 PM »

Bought the thing new 35 years ago, and it sat in closets for the last 30. Basically it sounded like a very loud wet fart when in action.

Someone bought it today.

For over NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I am totally gobsmacked/stunned/freaked. A cheesy sounding 1970s stomp box. Nine hundred fish. I am thrilled, but what is the attraction? Why would anyone pay that kind of money for the thing?

Someone is bull goose crazy here and I am pretty sure it's him.

crobbins · « **Reply #1 on:** February 14, 2009, 07:51:15 PM »

Cheers!

bassman10096 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2009, 09:02:03 AM »

And they say people are unwilling to spend in this economy!

Congratulations on finding just the, er...enthusiast you were looking for.

David Houck · « **Reply #3 on:** February 15, 2009, 10:24:31 AM »

There were three different people bidding over $800. Another recently sold for $550. There is one currently up to $405 with two days to go. There are two reviews at Harmony Central, both of which are 10's. Apparently there are people out there that really like this pedal. Further research suggests that at some point Chris Squire was using one. In another article, Ralphe Armstrong says he used one. Here is Friedland demoing a clone.

hifiguy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 15, 2009, 10:58:40 AM »

The B:Assmaster sounds a LOT better than my old Maestro ever did. The bandmate who handled my Ebay sale said he tried it with his guitar and my Hiwatt and that he loved it. Oh well, I can always pick up a Malekko pedal if I ever miss that sound, and I probably will, someday.

terryc · « **Reply #5 on:** February 15, 2009, 02:05:46 PM »

well I was offered 200 pounds sterling a few years ago for a 1974 Colorsound Tonebender Fuzz unit, I think cost me about 13 pounds back then.
I am reluctant to sell because my mother bought me it as a Christmas present.
This old gear fetches really silly prices

jazzyvee · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:08:18 AM »

I just had a look at that clip and , forgive my ignorance here, but wouldn't a bass played with distortion/overdrive at volume risk causing damage to the speakers more so than being played cleanly?

I've never got my head round why anyone would want such a distorted sound from a bass guitar.

Educate me.... i'm all ears.

keith_h · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:35:24 AM »

To sound like Jack Bruce.

hieronymous · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:39:39 AM »

Actually, playing with distortion tends to compress the signal, so I would guess that you would actually be less likely to damage speakers because you don't get as many volume spikes.

I personally am a fan of distorted bass, and tend to use it (overuse it?) a lot in my own music:

over there

Almost all of the bass tracks are an old Gibson Melody Maker bass through either a Fulltone Bass Drive, the first short solo is through the Hao bass distortion, and the longer solo is through the Black Cat Bass Octave Distortion which is a Brassmaster clone.

The Brassmaster (or at least the clones that I've used) is interesting - it can be used as an octave-up style distortion, but you have to set the gain just right and play above the 12th fret to get the octave to pop out, and it gives a thin, reedy kind of sound. But Ed Friedland in that clip just cranks the gain so it just sounds like an over-the-top fuzz.

olieoliver · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2009, 06:28:48 AM »

No offense meant Paul, but those things sucked when they were new. Wet fart pretty much sums it up.
I bought one back in the 70's tried it once and haven't seen it since.

OO
(Maybe I should see if I still have it somewhere. I could use $900)

olieoliver · « **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2009, 08:41:31 AM »

I've never was a fan of distortion on Bass jazzyvee until about 5 or 6 years ago when I started playing more lead style bass in some songs. I still dig the clean punch while playing grooves but distortion and effects can add some cool flavor during a solo.

OO

hifiguy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2009, 12:58:15 PM »

LOL! No offense taken, olie. I only bought the thing because my hero of the era (and still an influence, though much less of one) Chris Squire, had one. And yeah, it did occasionally make me sound a little more like Jack Bruce, my first and most enduring bass hero. I remember using the beast on Detroit Rock City in the cover band I played in back on those days of yore. Now that was fun.

If you can find yours, by all means sell it. It is morally wrong to allow someone dumb enough to pay bux that big for something that stoopid to keep their money.

Cool solo, hieronymous!

olieoliver · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2009, 01:57:08 PM »

It's the Ameican Way!.

OO