Microfrets bass

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bugman
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Microfrets bass

Post by bugman »

I came across a Microfrets bass a couple years ago at a garage sale a couple houses down from my daughter and son in laws house and didn't know anything about them at the time. Thought about going back,never did,and the people moved. I came across an ad for next week for a sale and it's the same guy and he still has the bass. Any opinions on these or what a realistic price is? I remember it being kind of a quirky bass but still kind of cool. Worth it or not?
I also posted this on the BGC. I figure I'd pick the brains at both sites
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RickyBubba
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by RickyBubba »

Google is your friend….was to me….I had never heard of them until now, but don't "get out" often enough!

I guess it boils down to price. Cheap enough, you don't have much to loose….

How was the condition when you saw it last?
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iamthebassman
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by iamthebassman »

IIRC they had some kinda compensate nut.
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bugman
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by bugman »

The bass sounded great,had normal scratches for a 40 plus year old bass but nothing too bad...until I turned it over. Someone at some time had cut an access area out of the back to access the jack area I would guess. They nailed the cover they made for the cutout over it. From what I understand you had to take the neck off and there was a way to seperate the two halves of the body for access but its such an obscure bass who would have known. I decided to pass because if I was reselling it to a collector that would have been a deal killer.
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DavidSchwab
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by DavidSchwab »

Mike Rutherford had a MicroFrets double neck, and a 6 string bass. He used the 6 string bass on the Lame Lies Down album.
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jps
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by jps »

DavidSchwab wrote:...Lame Lies Down album.
I saw that tour! 8) :D
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woodyng
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by woodyng »

jps wrote:
DavidSchwab wrote:...Lame Lies Down album.
I saw that tour! 8) :D
How lame..... :mrgreen:
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jps
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by jps »

woodyng wrote:
jps wrote:
DavidSchwab wrote:...Lame Lies Down album.
I saw that tour! 8) :D
How lame..... :mrgreen:
Well, during the Slipperman section one of his balls didn't inflate, how lame is that!?!?!?!?!?!?
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BassPilot
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by BassPilot »

I thought Rutherford's double neck from the Lamb period was a Shergold.

I worked on a customer's MicroFrets six-string one time back in the '70s. It had a roller nut - kind of a weird affair. It was missing one of the rollers, so we had to fabricate something. Neat piece, though.
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jps
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by jps »

I remember the Shergold. I can't recall whether Mike used that on Lamb (lots going on during that show) but I do know he used it during the TOTT tour where I saw both nights of it here.
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Billsbro
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by Billsbro »

jps wrote:I remember the Shergold. I can't recall whether Mike used that on Lamb (lots going on during that show) but I do know he used it during the TOTT tour where I saw both nights of it here.
One heck of a show that was!
I saw one of the two nights at The Beacon Theater in NYC.
Wonderful show! Phil was on his best behavior and Billy Bruford was a wild man!
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jps
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by jps »

See Bill & Phil doing double drum solos duets was a real treat!
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pekka
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by pekka »

Mike did play a Micro-Frets on "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". He had a Baritone model (tuned E-E) which was then coupled with a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar for the live work. He also used it on "The Trick Of The Tail" tour and later switched to a Dick Night 12-string/6-string bass doubleneck as seen on "Genesis In Concert" film. After that came the Shergolds with interchangeable guitar and bass parts.
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jps
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Re: Microfrets bass

Post by jps »

From my fuzzy recollection, Mike did play the Shergolds the two nights I saw the TOTT tour. They were in a fairly small hall and I was up pretty close to the stage. The next time I saw Genesis was the Wind And Wuthering tour which was in a bid shed style venue and I really do not remember much about that particular show so I can't recall what he was playing at that time.

As to the Dick Knight double neck, Mike used that during the Selling England... tour both times that I saw the band come through town during that tour. Those shows were in an even much smaller theatre and I was right up near the stage for those.
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