Brice - HXB-406FL
 

Hey guys,

As you people know, I've been playing around on my Conklin for a while and, well, haven't gotten a new bass in a while. Pancake is pissed at me for my Conklin still, and I <3 him.

Playing an ERB and exploring the extra range it gives me has given me a whole new way to express myself. I played my very first fretless at a Guitar Center on Halsted in Chicago, Illinois a couple months ago, and it was really fun. I didn't get the chance to mess with it very much though, as there were other basses I wanted to try (Fretlesses never get sold at the GCs around me; the new basses get sold like THAT though.) Because I felt like getting a new bass (a fretless one, at that), I started saving money and whatnot and doing a bunch of research on fretlesses. An extended-range bass, I figured, would be an awesome new way to express myself.

I searched Talkbass and here for reviews and such on the Brice HXB-406. Seemed like a hot bass. I talked for a long time with a bunch of people about my plans to get one (Thanks for putting up with me, haha).

I really wanted the HXB-406FL in Bubinga top, but, unfortunately, the day I was going to pay, the Bubinga one no longer showed up on Kurt's site! (I wanted it, godd[size=2]amnit[/size]) I emailed him and he offered me a floor model for 225 USD shipped. I took it.

This was the weekend of the fourth of July, so I didn't get it until last friday. It came at around 6:30 CST, and it came right before I was going to start a thread about how much UPS sucks. I was out, and my parents took it for me.

So, here's a review that people have wanted on one of the basses that has, arguably, the most bang for the buck: the
[img]http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/4920/im0006248tn.jpg[/img]

[SIZE=5]HXB-406 Fretless[/SIZE]

This took 5 days to come to me, which is the longest anything I've ever bought off the internet has ever taken. I blame it on UPS.

[size=5]Initial impressions[/size]
I was really excited to pull this out of the box. It was quite well packed. It was packed in something like 3 boxes (I got confused).

Right out of the box, I was absolutely amazed by the Bubinga top.
That picture doesn't do it justice. The flame is simply gorgeous. I really like how it offsets my Conklin. :p
[img]http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/2403/im0006192mh.jpg[/img]

The bass was in near perfect condition, and it was a floor model. However, it being a floor model, I was not surprised to find string marks on the fretboard; people have told me, however, that flatwounds do this to Roswood fretboards, and that I shouldn't be worried about it. There appears to be a part of the wood that was scratched off from bending the strings. I don't notice it, so I don't really care (it's near the 17th-18th position).

Now, someone complained about how the side dots weren't where the fret would be. This is a really annoying complaint (which I know put off people from buying one): the dots are where you'd find the dots on a normal bass. I've found that this helped me get used to the unlined fretboard easier.

The black hardware accents the bubinga very well. All the hardware looks sturdy.

The setup is INCREDIBLE. I got it on friday and I'm still, right now, playing how it was setup [b]right out of the box.[/b] It is amazing. I am getting a wonderful amount of growl and mwah...with [b]flatwounds[/b]. It's wonderful. I'm getting a Jaco-like growl, and I don't play at the bridge. I was originally going to poly the fretboard so I could use rounds to get more mwah but man, I don't think I will anymore. The only thing I'm not particularly fond of is the action on the B...it's choking the string a bit and it's not ringing as clearly. This is a minor complaint, and I'll change it when I'm not lazy.

People have wondered about changing out the pickups. I don't think I will. I get an amazing tone with them that I like. :p

[size=5]Tone (with clips!)[/size]
The tone on this thing is awesome. I love it so much I just set and forget it.
Here's a clip of the bass directly plugged in...I'm not really proud of it, or my playing, but I think you can hear the tone decently well. As you can hear, my intonation isn't particularly good yet. :p Excuse my sucky playing. :( To be fair, it wasn't really meant to have any groove or anything. :p

Warning: Clip is a 5:14 minute MP3. I obviously went overboard. There's a mix of me just messing around and random parts of other peoples' songs.
[url]http://s13.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1R0AXFK7KV05331TEM3UWL204J[/url]
[url]http://s13.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=25QBYPR56Y8WO2UQIPNU2S9QER[/url]

[size=5]Final thoughts[/size]
This bass is incredible. To me, it is [b]better than Warwick Corvette fretlesses.[/b] People will disagree or call me crazy, but I really like this bass.
The setup is impeccable, the tone is wonderful.

How does it compare to my Conklin? I love it. It's the next best thing to a fretless Conklin GT-7 in my opinion. It is simply wonderful.

I had not previously played this bass. Generally I agree with the "try before you buy" philosophy, but the bass seemed so awesome. Do I regret buying it?

F[size=2]uck no.[/size]

I do, however have something to say about "Buy a Brice and you get what you pay for."

Those people who said that?

They lied.




You get much much more.

So here are two more pics for people (Including one of ME with the bass)

[size=4]Family photo:[/size]
[img]http://img343.imageshack.us/img343/1746/im0006177kk.jpg[/img]

[size=4]Foxfire (me) being Bailey AND Myung at the same time.[/size]
[img]http://img343.imageshack.us/img343/5510/im0006385zq.jpg[/img]

Anyone considering buying one:
[size=4]just do it.[/size]

They're that good.

-Thanks to Sade for letting me hear his (he got his before me)
-Thanks to LEC for putting up with my incessant banter
-Thanks to Radio for helping make me want a fretless

~Fox

Two more pics:

[size=4]Me and My Bass Guitar (don't sue Wooten kthx) :amaze:[/size]
[img]http://img327.imageshack.us/img327/3295/im0006400bp.jpg[/img]

[size=4]Better view of the wonderful flame[/size]
[img]http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/8059/im0006313ue.jpg[/img]

kick *** dude, very very nice buy, though i dont like the warwick comment :thumb:

Awesome, it makes me want one. You look different than I thought you would but heh, I didn't know you were so young until a couple days ago anyway!

^I just got one as well. It's just as Foxfire said it was...although I do think he got a little carried away with his review...

[QUOTE=Left Shoe]kick *** dude, very very nice buy, though i dont like the warwick comment :thumb:[/QUOTE]

It's realllllllllly close. It really is. The Brice is just barely better, though.

Because, as we know, the Corvette fretless is pretty much the best non-custom fretless available.

;)

[QUOTE=Sade]^I just got one as well. It's just as Foxfire said it was...although I do think he got a little carried away with his review...[/QUOTE]

I figure I write a review like that, all questions answered.

;)




(Yeah, I went overboard. :p)

[QUOTE=Foxfire]It's realllllllllly close. It really is. The Brice is just barely better, though.

Because, as we know, the Corvette fretless is pretty much the best non-custom fretless available.

;)[/QUOTE]
and i love you

Awesome.... I was thinking about getting one of those from Rondomusic.net. I'm guessing now I should get it?

Man, this sucks. This is going to be just like your Conklin, Fox.



Once one of us gets one, EVERYBODY does. :-)

[QUOTE=Sade]Man, this sucks. This is going to be just like your Conklin, Fox.



Once one of us gets one, EVERYBODY does. :-)[/QUOTE]

****!

I didn't think of that.

;)

Edit It All! Say It's Crap!

:'(, I had a fretted one but it was the 34" one so I sold it to a friend... Now I want a fretted one... I wonder if perhaps I should buy another one.

A FLOOR MODEL!

PS: Mine was also a floor model and was in mint condition.

great bass, but one question do you play upright? because you thumb screams it in that one pic n e ways yeah

very nice review, kick *** bass

That's great news that you finally received it. (yeah, I really dislike UPS too. :thumb: FedEX is great @ getting things to me fast.)

You have quite the collection too, the Cort, the Conklin, and now the Brice. (And the P-bass, but I'm not even going to try guessing.. so I'm not good @ guessing games and I don't want to sound like a retard for getting it wrong.)

I was going to get the Bricer sixer, but somehow I ended up with the lovely Curbow 6. Glad you're happy with your fretless! *goes to listen to your samples.*

whats that Victor Wooten song you played?

man.. this just basically sold me on a brice 6'er... i was gonna go with a cort so i can actually play it before i buy it.. but as much as i hear about brice's and how great, i think im gonna go for it... just need to save up the money now, haha.

it sounds great though man, congrats on it.

oh, and yeah, UPS sucks balls.... took them forever to get my ampeg head here... a hole's.
-sixner

[QUOTE=Andre_gt7]whats that Victor Wooten song you played?[/QUOTE]

oh, its Overjoyed...
my fav :)
-sixner

i'm also gonna be getting one but i'm debating if i want fretted or fretless

not overjoyed, the other one =) the really jazzy fingerstyle one

Hooray for Brice!

I think I'm going to email Kurt to see if he has any HXB fivers in stock.

**** Foxy... i must reallt be drun k vie fread this post like eightxs times and i keep forgets tinng to rekoply but an yways... Nibice bass man i sweatt hat **** looks dope and i hope it playus a nd sunds like aa ****ing DREAM!

I got the six fretted model last year and i loved it to, great little beast but ups took like a whole week to get it here bastards.

Nice man. Very nice. Congrats on the new purchase :thumb:


I tried to get Ace to sell me his Brice 6 string a while back. bastard wouldn't budge. Maybe that's why I have this tremendous fear of 6 strings. ;)




joe

Nice toes, man.

Oh yeah, the bass is alright, too, I guess...

:naughty:

Sweet bass man... in your first sample recording what was the name of that Primus and Victor Wooten song (not Overjoyed) you played ?

that bass is hot, though I don't think it would suit me though. Congrats


:cool: Adam - SC

****er.




<3

I'm looking into the HXB-406 fretted in Black Quilted. I am considering it highly.