# NBD: Here be weird shit ('80s content)



## TemjinStrife (Dec 21, 2011)

It's a 1987 (pre-Fender) Kubicki Factor.

In eye-raping seafoam green.







Love the headless tuning system; very smooth and much easier to turn than the Steinberger system. Plus you can use single-ball-end strings, which is one reason why I never got into the Steinberger headlesses.






It's got some chips, dings, and knocks, but the frets are practically pristine, the action is low, and it is just incredibly loud, clear, and resonant unplugged.






Headless means easy truss rod access too!






Speaking of the neck, it's a 21-ply maple laminate, apparently, with an ebony fretboard and 23 frets. It shipped from southern California to New York on a below-freezing day and arrived with pretty much perfect relief, so I'm guessing it's stable.






Then there's this thing:






It's essentially a D-tuner that lets you keep everything else the same position-wise. Comes in handy for a few songs my band does where we pedal off the low D; much easier to do on this thing than a 5er. 32" scale, with the D extended to 36."











Pickups with aerodynamic toan scoop!






A few more knobs than I usually like, but it sounds pretty damn good, with a very modern "hi-fi" attack and voicing that I don't really have in any of my other basses. 

It's got a six-way "voicing selector" (kind of a varitone, really) with two active and three passive modes plus an "off" mode. There's an 18v preamp with stacked boost-only treble and bass knobs, and stacked volume/blend for the neck pickup.






Definitely a bit weird looking though; I dig it, but it's not for everyone:


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## Thrashmanzac (Dec 21, 2011)

amazing!


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## celticelk (Dec 21, 2011)

The bridge and the "D-tuner"/extended string setup are very similar to recent pieces by Ola Strandberg and Rick Toone. Except for, y'know, the part where this is a 25-year-old instrument. Nice score!


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## theo (Dec 21, 2011)

This is seriously cool! Love it, nice score


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## Necris (Dec 21, 2011)

You say weird, I say freaking awesome.


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## technomancer (Dec 21, 2011)

That is freaking cool


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## GhostsofAcid (Dec 21, 2011)

I like it


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## GuitaristOfHell (Dec 21, 2011)

sweet!


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## Grand Moff Tim (Dec 21, 2011)

The ESP Funichar guitar has a similar drop-D thing going on. I'd really like to give something like that a shot. Sweet NBD, broseph.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Dec 21, 2011)

Did not see you being into headless at all; cool


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## TemjinStrife (Dec 21, 2011)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Did not see you being into headless at all; cool



Nah, headless systems are pretty cool. I really dig the Klein and Tesla body shapes too.

My only problem with most headless systems is that they typically require one or more of the following:

-special double-ball strings (Steinberger)
-Allen keys for string changes (Strandberg and others)
-a tendonitis-inducing amount of force to grip and turn the tuner (I am not joking, sadly; that kind of grip-and-twist-a-very-hard-to-turn-small-cylinder motion seriously fucks with my fingers and wrist; this is an issue with the Steinbergers since there's little mechanical advantage and turning the damn things is actually really hard. It looks like it would be a similar problem with the current Strandberg design, as well as the ABM headless system and the one on the Teuffel Tesla.)

Because this uses worm gears to turn big string "wheels" there's a lot more mechanical advantage and they turn as easy as normal tuning keys. Also, the balance is fantastic, and it's a really distinctive-sounding bass.


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## groovemasta (Dec 21, 2011)

awesome


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## Explorer (Dec 22, 2011)

Didn't I see this instrument over on the TalkBass classifieds?

Every time I see one of these Kubickis, I think of Stu Hamm's two albums, _Radio Free Albemuth_ and _Kings of Sleep_. I remember Stu doing around doing the workshops at the various guitar stores, demoing how he could easily flip the low D lever easily and repeatedly over the course of a few measures. 

Nice score, friend.


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## DLG (Dec 22, 2011)

If I remember correctly, Sean Malone played these in his Focus days, right?


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 22, 2011)

I love these things. 

They may be ugly as all sin, but REALLY comfortable. Not to mention way ahead of it's time. It's interesting to think, even after nearly three decades 99% of the industry still hasn't caught up.

Congrats, and great score!


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## Fred the Shred (Dec 22, 2011)

Damn! You scored a Kubicki! Always loved those things!


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## ShadyDavey (Dec 22, 2011)

Kings of Sleep anyone?

Fabulous bases.

Count Zero - I SO nearly dropped guitar for bass.


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## drmosh (Dec 22, 2011)

That's pure awesome in bass form


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## Greatoliver (Dec 22, 2011)

That is awesome... Amazing that it is so old too! With the drop tuning thingy, is the only advantage of having it clamped down where the nut is, that you can use the e as a pedal note? I'm guessing it also is useful if you have guitarists switching between drop and standard tuning.


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## guitarister7321 (Dec 22, 2011)

Reminds me a lot of a Strandberg with the extended string thing.

That shit's the tits. Seafoam green is one of my favorite colors. Congrats!


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## guitarister7321 (Dec 22, 2011)

Reminds me a lot of a Strandberg with the extended string thing.

That shit's the tits. Seafoam green is one of my favorite colors. Congrats!


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## TemjinStrife (Dec 22, 2011)

guitarister7321 said:


> Reminds me a lot of a Strandberg with the extended string thing.
> 
> That shit's the tits. Seafoam green is one of my favorite colors. Congrats!



Although, as has been mentioned, this is 25 years old, and likely where Strandberg got the idea from 

But yeah. Seriously ahead of its time. Kubicki still makes these, pretty much unchanged (although he uses pretty woods and transparent finishes these days) and they're STILL way ahead of most modern instruments.

The worst part is, now I really want a Factor 5, with the same bridge and tuners... none of this Key Factor stuff. But as near as I can tell they've never built one, and it would be expensive as fuck if they did (the new Factors are something like $3-4 grand these days!)


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## jam3v (Dec 22, 2011)

I'm having flashbacks to the 80's! Nice bass!


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## Konfyouzd (Dec 22, 2011)

You said "weird" in the title, but I'm pretty sure you meant "AWESOME"


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## vampiregenocide (Dec 22, 2011)

Looks epic imo!  Congrats.


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## Wookieslayer (Dec 23, 2011)

Damn. That is friggen cool.


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## youheardme (Dec 23, 2011)

I've never seen anything quite like this


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## JP Universe (Dec 23, 2011)

Sweet bass man... so unique!


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## Varcolac (Dec 23, 2011)

Am'80sing. 

An electric bass with a sort of double bass-style low-C extension is something I'd never even thought of. I suppose it's a bit like the Hipshot D-tuner, but it seems a more elegant way of getting that note to me.


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## AK DRAGON (Dec 23, 2011)

The very definition of 80's
I'd say that's a pretty good find.


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## TheDuatAwaits (Dec 23, 2011)

That is seriously the most gorgeous bass i have ever seen in my entire life.  Happy NBD!


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## Nevertaken (Dec 23, 2011)

I've never seen anything like that, thank you for sharing. 

I'm really digging the color, I'd like to see an Ibanez Saber with that paintjob.


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## SirMyghin (Dec 24, 2011)

who has   and hates you profusely. 

This guy 


Very nice score, I wish it was mine.


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## AstonAston (Dec 24, 2011)

AWESOME! Looks so modern I thought it's new.


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## g-zs (Dec 25, 2011)

Only thing I don't like about it is the headstock. But I woudn't say its unpretty, rather intriguing


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## AcousticMinja (Dec 25, 2011)

That is fantastic looking. I want to try a bass like that someday!
Congrats!


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## ry_z (Dec 26, 2011)

Galneryus's bassist Taka actually plays one of these.


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## BucketheadRules (Dec 26, 2011)

I love those. My dad used to have one... think he sold it before I was even born but I'd love to have a spin on one.

Nice score, HNBD.


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## Blasphemer (Dec 29, 2011)

Want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want want


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## simonXsludge (Dec 30, 2011)

That thing is awesome. Love the neck.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Dec 30, 2011)

One of the basses I need to own before I die. 

Congrats on an awesome score.


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 31, 2012)

Sorry for the bump, but I'm just letting you all know that if you ever get the chance to snag one, DO IT. Now that I've had about a month and a half with it, I can provide a more in-depth review.

It seriously plays amazing; the slightly shorter scale means easier fretting and fingerstyle and you can really fly on it. The neck is far enough out that it doesn't "feel" weird; the first fret is about where you'd expect it to be on, say, a Fender. The pickups are radiused and can serve as finger ramps, which is very comfortable, and the tuning knobs are smooth and easy to use. The neck is very stable, and it's very loud and resonant unplugged.

Tonally, you get killer punchy mid-forward rock/fusion tones in position 2 of the six-way knob, and absolutely CRAZY amounts of deep low end on position 3 of the six-way knob, plus a variety of versatile passive options on the other positions. It won't do a "P-bass with the tone knob off" but it'll do a lot of J-style sounds as well as much more modern ones, and the powerful 2-band EQ can add sheen or thump to either of the two active modes.

I use the drop D lever a lot more than I thought I would too; not just when my band drops to D, but also when playing in keys that would benefit from the occasional low D.

Overall, I'm very pleased with it.


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## Asrial (Jan 31, 2012)

Okay, haven't seen this thread before now...
21-ply neck? I bet that neck can sustain a 40 degree celcius leap, holy christ. o_o
Definately sounds like a very decent bass indeed, nice score.


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## sell2792 (Feb 1, 2012)

Did they make guitars like this?!


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## shredzilla509 (Feb 1, 2012)

My God if that thing had a combo of pinstripe and splatter paint ontop of that seafoam.... I dunno what I would do..... HNBD!


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## TemjinStrife (Feb 1, 2012)

sell2792 said:


> Did they make guitars like this?!



Nope. Kubicki built some guitars but they were mainly Fender clones (he did eventually end up working for the Fender CS.)

Honestly though, guitarists are/were generally too conservative for this kind of stuff. Hell, bassists are generally too conservative for this kind of stuff


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## sell2792 (Feb 2, 2012)

TemjinStrife said:


> Nope. Kubicki built some guitars but they were mainly Fender clones (he did eventually end up working for the Fender CS.)
> 
> Honestly though, guitarists are/were generally too conservative for this kind of stuff. Hell, bassists are generally too conservative for this kind of stuff



Damn, thats unfortunate but thank you. I would absolutely love to have a bad ass headless guitar like that... I can't say I fancy the Carvin's much, and I can't quite afford/want to wait for a Strandberg.


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## Varcolac (Feb 2, 2012)

The only guitar with a similar setup that I've seen was Tosin Abasi's Strandberg. I don't think it had the built-in capo arm though.


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## Nonservium (Feb 2, 2012)

That thing is amazing. VERY nice score.


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## Powermetalbass (Feb 29, 2012)

Late 80's Factor's are just wicked looking basses. Ever since being introduce to Late 80's-early 90's Ibanez though, havn't felt comfortable with much else. Great looking specimen though man.


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## roast (Mar 8, 2012)

That's awesome! And sexy, in a kinky way. ;D


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## ShadowFactoryX (Mar 8, 2012)

this is a righteous bass


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## Jesse Zuretti (Mar 8, 2012)

Saw one of these on the Talk Bass forum today. So tempted! Even though I'm a guitarist, I'd love to own one of these


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