Fleabass
"Fleabass" is the name of the instrument company that Flea, the bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, started in 2009. His goal was to start a music company that could provide young people with high quality bass guitars for affordable prices. Flea then closed down the business stating that he was not enjoying the 'business side of things'.
| Fleabass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manufacturer | Flea |
| Period | 2009 – 2011 |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on |
| Woods | |
| Body | Alder |
| Neck | Maple |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Fixed |
| Pickup(s) | One passive, dual coil Humbucking pickup. |
| Colors available | |
| (Punk Bass): Green body and headstock, pink pick guard
(Water Bass): Blue body and headstock, orange pick guard (The Wild One): Black body and headstock, white pick guard (Sunny Bass): Orange body and headstock, yellow pick guard | |
Models and Designs
The Fleabass was brightly colored and available in a standard "Touring Bass" (formerly called Model 32) which has a 34-inch scale length, or a "Junior Model" which had a 30 inch scale length. Both models had 20 frets, a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and alder body. These models were available in four different color schemes: "Sunny Bass"(yellow/orange), "Water Bass" (orange/blue), "Punk Bass" (pink/green) and "The Wild One" (white/black).
The cheaper "street" bass was available in black & white, silver & black, blue & white and white & black. The street bass came with exactly the same hardware as the touring bass but had a basswood body and used a lower grade plastic for the pick guard.
Each Fleabass touring bass and junior model came equipped with GHS Strings and included a black tweed gig bag with embroidered logo, input cable, and adjustment tools; as well as an instructional video hosted by Flea himself. Some of these extra features (input cable, adjustment tools and instructional video) were not included in the "street bass" model of the Fleabass. Fleabasses were assembled in China with the band's guitar tech often going there for quality control.
Production and Availability
The short life of the Fleabass company led to a rather small number of units being produced. According to a local dealer who carried the line, a representative from the sub contractor/manufacturer, The Music Link, based in San Francisco, stated the total number of FleaBass guitars produced for the entire U.S. market was less than 2000 total units, including the Street Bass and both of the touring Models 32 / 32 Jr. combined. There was a single prototype bass amplifier that never went into production. [1]
References
- Tony's Muzik, Texas