This is basically a shameless plug and recommendation for Sebastian Aquilina's instruments. If you get a chance check out his work. I Recently got an amazing deal on a Bertone 5 bass for under $2,000 used on Reverb.com and am super excited about it!
Recorded a short clip on the way out to lunch:
I hope to do a short video review of the instrument soon as well as give a review of Felix Pastorius's new bass book's "Scales from Rhythm and Outer Space... aka Tetra Cocktails" and "Just A.S.I.P. (accenting symmetrical intervallic patterns) of Coffee & The Chromatic Scale"
so
The luthier Sébastien Aquilina hand builds the instruments from his workshop in Rennes, Brittany:
https://www.aquilinabasses.com/en/
Checking out the website the list price for the Bertone series starts around $3200 without options. I believe that this model gives the Fodera Standard series a run for it's money in terms of sound, playability and build quality.
Recently sold my Fodera Matt Garrison Standard for moneys and was not %100 pleased with the Mayones Jabba Classic 5 in terms of build quality (questionable neck and preamp issues) so was in the market for a high quality instrument for cheaper. Definitely looking for a certain sound closer to Fodera and hopefully something close in terms of build quality.
Hadrien Feraud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3On8WbKLOcU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ebBi6zaVw
Dominique Di Piazza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIgJYlHAwwc
Richard Bona @ 2:10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggmY4S3cn-4
Specifically I was looking for specific used basses to show up on talkbass or reverb (a potentially long and frustrating process):
* Fodera Standard series 5 (used no less than $4,000)
*Ken Smith Burner 5 or Sleek Elite's Hadrien Feraud Signature (no less than $3,000)
*David Segals NYBW (no less than $3500)
*Mayones Hadrien Feraud signature ($3200 havent seen one used yet)
*Ken Lawrence 5 (around $3000)
Listed below are some of the specs:
• Mahogany body (with Walnut dust added to yield a richer color)
• Flamed sycamore top
• Maple neck, one piece, with walnut binding; 34" scale
• Flamed sycamore fretboard, 24 frets with zero fret
• Agullar pickups with push-pull coil tapping
• John East preamp, push-pull active/passive
• 8 lbs 10 ounces
