Bassot ›

Hi everybody! Sorry for writing in English! My written Finnish is just too pure! :)
I took a trip to Helsinki yesterday and visited most of the music stores there. What did I discover? Well, I tried appr 10-15 Fender jazz and precision basses in Fazer, mostly MIAs but also a few MIMs. I have to say that none of them wasn't good enough to consider a purchase. Dull sound, nonresonant wood, bad fretwork, even bad tuners. Also, the setup was poor! No purchase!
I visited Musamaailma and found some great instruments that carried ESP brand name. Jesse was kind enough to let me try different basses and I felt that I might order an ESP Vintage P very soon. Also tried some Warwicks and an Euro Spector. Although I never had a chance to try a good Warwick bass so far I finally got a chance to change my mind about Warwicks. There was a custom shop 4-string (4000 EUR) that felt and sounded just awesome. Almost like a bass guitar! :) Unluckily the string spacing at the bridge was too tight for my taste. So no purchase!
The Spector was not a good bass, felt like a tool for a blacksmith (or something like that) but not as a musical instrument. The sound wasn't musical at all too. So no purchase either. Sorry Jesse! :)
 
But.. Then I tried a new Ibanez ATK 800 in Levytukku and wow.. Just Wow! This instrument look great, feels great, plays great and the most important - sounds even better! It had a light and very resonant body, low action and great neck profile. I think they use a new preamp because I found other ATKs hanging besides the 800 like children toys. They were much heavier, duller and the preamp sounded like a crap. But the 800 felt like a 10 000 EUR instrument. Nothing like your usual Ibanez. Believe me, I have a bunch of very expensive basses hanging on the wall. And this EUR700 bass made me feel I need another bass. I am still considering! (Thanks Janne!)
So watch out - there's a new "guy" in town! :) Highly suggested!