# Please help me identify this electric bass my friend had **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050 "2005-07-25T14:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/1 "2005-07-25T14:11:46Z")
When I was younger (4 years ago or so) one of my friends had an electric bass guitar that was very weird. It was very small (like, as small as you could possibly make a guitar and still have it playable) but fully functional and made out of black plastic. The strings were made out of green rubber that was flexible, light and stretchy. He also had an effects pedal which had a digital selector screen and dozens of built-in effects that you could just pick right from the screen on the pedal. It was the most bizarre bass I’ve ever seen. It felt like a toy instead of a real instrument - but it most definitely was a real instrument, and a lot of fun to play. What company made this thing? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/2 "2005-07-25T14:40:43Z")
The small size suggests [Steinberger](http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=141/g=bass/s=electric/search/detail/base_pid/519148/) to me, butI have no idea about the green rubber strings. If they were light and stretchy and nonmetallic, it would have to have been some sort of modeling bass or something…something without pickups (since traditional magnetic pickups depend on the strings being at least partially ferrous.) As for the bass processor, it could have been any standard multieffects rack. Hard to say which model, since there are dozens of them. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/3 "2005-07-25T14:48:28Z")
The shape is similar (and the fact that there’s no head) but the strings were definitely green and rubbery. Maybe they had an internal wire? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/4 "2005-07-25T14:54:15Z")
Got me. I’ve honestly never heard of such. Strange. I hope you find out, though, since I’m now afire with curiosity. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/5 "2005-07-25T15:00:05Z")
Wait! i have it! I think it must have been some sort of [DeArmond](http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=141/g=bass/s=electric/search/detail/base_id/41395) bass. This may not be the specific model, but they advertise having “silicone rubber strings,” and that’s the only bass I’ve ever heard of with such a thing, so that’s my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/6 "2005-07-25T15:21:57Z")
OK that’s it right there. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/7 "2005-07-25T15:23:56Z")
I was mistaken when I claimed that it was headless. It definitely wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/8 "2005-07-25T15:55:02Z")
I’ve seen Trey Gunn use the DeArmond Ashbory bass onstage with King Crimson. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/9 "2005-07-25T16:12:58Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > I’ve seen Trey Gunn use the DeArmond Ashbory bass onstage with King Crimson. If I have ever seen a bass that should have been built especially for King Crimson, that’s it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-identify-this-electric-bass-my-friend-had/314050/10 "2005-07-25T16:32:52Z")
Are you trying to imply that the guitar looks like it was designed by th’ local acid head? Shmock Hock d’Pop!