When it comes to spreading the word about a bass, there's nothing as reliable as reading or hearing bassists' playing experiences.
Here are both quotes from people who managed to try our basses and proper reports from actual customers of ours.
"... fab bass! [The W&T on the Bass Direct stand] Loved the light weight and the neck which was superb. Difficult to judge the tones due to my struggling with the amp (and believe it or not the action was a bit too high for me) but I got the impression it would sound really great. When I sort my finances a W&T of some description is definitely on the cards (got a hankering for a Zoid, although that was bass was so impressive I wouldn't turn it down; nicest bass I played all day)."
"Hi,
just wanted to write and say, first of all thank you so much for deciding to start making basses, and for taking the path you have! I just purchased one of your Chronos Klimt basses from Frederic at Frays Bass Corner, and the best way I can tell you how I feel is that I am in love with it...
A 5 string with a high C is essential to my vision for the instrument and when I found Fray's... the images of the Chronos took me in right away, but I didn't think I could afford it... I had just put a deposit on a Marleax, when Frederic emailed with the price, and it was within reach. He was great to work with, as I am sure you know, and set aside the bass for me and let me know I could take the time I needed to pay it off as it was the one I really wanted.
Well, I got the bass yesterday, and I just had to write and let you know it is an amazing a very special instrument. I could not have found a more perfect instrument for what I am trying to do, and already the bass is opening my imagination... and I am now thinking about putting together a trio for bass, drums and horn with me on bass! I played A LOT of basses before I came to yours (just to mention a few... Rob Allen, Modulus, F bass, MTD, Pensa, Sukop (sp?), Warwick, Elrick, Fodera, Sadowski, Lakland, Ken Smith, Ritter, Pedula, Fenders new and vintage.... and those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head), I knew what I wanted... and nothing I played was just right... I also should mention that I went to school to make classical guitars, so I appreciate craftsmanship on a deeper level. My bass is far and away the best bass guitar I have played, and the construction is incredible. The acoustic quality of this instrument is amazing, especially for a solid body--it has better acoustic response than my Rob Allen which is chambered and has a brazilian rosewood tone block. Ergonomically it is amazing too, and just fits my body perfectly, so I can keep my posture and arm position where they should be.
I don't want to just go on and on, but I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your art and work, and that one of your basses is going to be played everyday in NYC...
Your bass is bringing out the bassist that has been hidden in me for many years!
I started out wanting a fretless, actually, but I am really glad that I have frets for now... I will likely want a fretless in the future, and I won't have to look anywhere else.
And what is it with Italian artisans? I also play drums and guitar, my snare drum is from Adrian Kirchler in South Tyrol, and my classical guitar is from Andrea Tacchi in Fierenze (same story as with the Chronos... I looked and played MANY classical guitars but found nothing like the Tacchi), and my cymbals are either old Zildjian or by Roberto Spizzichino outside Fierenze... It seems like for me, the best always ends up being Italian!
Okay... back to playing...
Best Regards"
Michael Lowe - NYC, November 2008
"Hi Enrico,
first of all, the look is amazing! Like you said, in real life the wood looks way more beautiful than on the pictures, and it feels great too. You know, I've never had a six-string, so I thought it would be hard to get used to the wide neck. But I am surprised how easy it is to play it. I can easily reach the 6th string even in the highest positions.
And, of course, the main thing... the sound!! Mmmmm.... It has it all! During these first 2 weeks I've tried it in my prog-rock band, onstage with a jazz/funk band and in an heavy metal band. To be honest, I am not surprised that it sounds great with jazz-funkers. But yesterday I was really blown away by its power and versatility! With this bass I can just relax and play whatever I want, not thinking about whether I hear myself or not, cause I not only hear the bass, but also FEEL it! It pushes masses of air with its power >=) And the tone.... mmmm.... =)) By the way, the best sound I got so far is through my Markbass rig. A killing Italian combination >=)
When I turned the highs all the way up I got the agressive metal sound a-la Steve DiDiorgio (or Les Claypool when playing slap stuff), when I switched to passive it reminded Gary Willis, when I played in active mode not touching the controls it sounded like Sean Malone.
Like you said, the bass is very responsive to playing dynamics. It is so easy to control it! Just add a tiny bit of strength to the touch, and it cuts through the mix with its "mwaaah" =) It sounds so powerful!
The passive mode is just a little bit quiter than the active. Actually, I noticed a very pleasant thing about the output, comparing to my other instruments (Spector and Warwick). Spector has a very loud output, which makes the amp clip no matter how low I set the gain. Warwick has a weaker output, but if I raise the gain on the amp, clipping also starts at some point (which is kinda normal). But with this bass I haven't found a point, where the amp starts clipping. I turned the gain knob over the middle, and still nothing. However, it sounds almost as loud as Spector. Thus, it allows to set the rig real loud, way too loud for a rehearsal =) With my heavy metal band it was the first time when I felt the power over the drummer! =)))
Thank you very much, Enrico!!"
Denis Dyakon - Latvia, September 2008
"Hey, Enrico and Eric!
Just came back from a concert with a loud funk band. I was playing my new Chronos 5 through Acoustic Image/Epifani/Shcroeder rig and I must say that I am totally speachless! This bass is nothing more but DREAM-COMES-TRUE!!! Playing this bass is the thing that I like doing most than anything else! Please don't tell to my wife :-)
The sound coming out from the bass is tremendous! The lows are huge and the highs break the audience's ears when I slap on higher strings.
The wood of this particular bass is awesome! The building quality just can't
be any better.
I took my gear back to the rehearsal room and tried all my other hi end basses side by side with the Chronos and Chronos beated them all!!! So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! :)"
Margus Alviste - Estonia, January 2008