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ROTARY SWITCH The electronics are controlled by the 6 position rotary switch: 1) Standby (full clockwise position) - All controls are completely off. This position is handy for changing strings or in other situations where you want no output. This position does not disconnect the batteries. 2) Active, flat - The bass and treble tone controls are active. 3) Active, with middle frequencies boosted - The bass and treble tone controls are active. 4) Passive, flat 5) Passive, with middle frequencies cut 6) Passive, with high frequencies cut (full counterclockwise position)
@@PedroBroggini true, I thought (at least on mine) that 4 was bridge pickup in passive mode, 5 was both pickups in passive, and 6 was neck in passive. I tend to use position 3 most of the time, but with an amp on stage sometimes position 2 is better. I manage the treble depending on the song. Rarely use the mute position as my pedal does that and gives me a tuner.
@@marshallmorris3656 yeah you are right, I've been messing with them the last few nights in rehearsal and position 2 is mid boosted, I still like position 3 better...lol
A little backstory on your Kubicki bass: Phil worked for Fender, and while experimenting with bass necks there, he bravely went after the ubiquitous Fender dead spot usually around the 7th fret of the G, on a mission to eliminate it. I'm sure you've seen the "Fat Finger" and other clamp on weights that people affix to the headstock. These tend to add mass and move the dead spot off the end of the neck. Phil found that alternately, by increasingly lopping off more and more of the headstock, he could move the dead spot similarly off the neck (presumably off the other end?). This is what brought him to the headless design...and the drop D feature, similar to orchestral double bass C extensions, was added on an optional model; those with the extension were called "ex-Factor".
That sounds like some rumor-myth. I would think the rigidity of the many-laminate neck solved the problem. It also explains the massive punch of those basses. Dual action truss rods also reduce neck damping. Decreasing mass at the headstock would likely just increase damping on the lower frets.
@@GCKelloch Maybe, but I was told this by one of the top electric bass luthiers on the planet, and since he is a pioneer of many of the things standard on today's basses, I have no reason to believe it's BS. It makes total sense since adding a fat finger (adding mass) to the headstock pushes the dead spot off the neck in the other direction.
I bought a black x-factor bass back in 1988 from Knut Koupee music in Uptown Minneapolis. It was a great sounding bass. Sold it to a local musician in the early 90s. I wonder where it is today?
Awesome! I was good friends with the late, great Phil Kubicki. He spent Thanksgiving with my family and me in 2010. He was such a nice guy with so many great stories. The stories of when he worked at Fender were highlights! Always wanted a Kubicki bass.
@@devinebass Thanks! Yeah, my favorites were of him building the rosewood Tele and Strat for George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix respectively and then having to get LF’s approval. Tadeo Gomez reading Mad Magazines at lunch break on the picnic tables outside the factory was another one. He claimed the neck is the most important sound factor in an instrument and proved it to me by striking a note with the headstock against a wall and then again with the butt end of the instrument. Great memories of playing pool with him and absolutely destroying me! I was playing a lot of acoustic guitar then and have fond memories of him and a small gathering of people singing along to me playing Beatles songs. I regret not reaching out to him when he was ill, but the cancer took him so quickly. Very sad. It was an honor to be acquainted with him for a brief couple years.
Sean Malone, recorded In 1993 Cynic / Focus with Kubicki factor fretless … The sound is mind blowing …listen to the song Textures, Malone solo is amazing… RIP Sean Malone… you’ll never forgotten 🤟🏼
@@buckemptier yes, he committed suicide in Dec 2020 …really sad …same year at the beginning of the year Sean Reinert, Cynic drummer and founding member also passed away … 2021 album Ascension Codes is dedicated to them …
its common on double basses called C-extension, so maybe its just a matter of time before you see extensions on electric basses ;-) I have even seen a H/B extension once instead of having a 5th string. I myself have an extension on my double bass, but I think id prefer my good ol 6 string E-bass after all
Stu had at least six of these, all set up differently. The action on his red one was for slapping, on the blue one for tapping. He had a fretless yellow one. He even had a white one he added a P pickup to, between the Kubicki pickups, and he added a pickguard too! Philip Kubicki personally setup my friend’s Kubicki bass; my friend drove to his NH house and spent the day with him.
Because the lever isn't actually a detuner, but a range extender, the E string is still more tight and defined than you would find on a normal 32" scale bass. I would LOVE to have a Kubicki Factor :)
That’s actually an ex-factor. The factor doesn’t have the d-tune function. If my memory doesn’t fail me, I think it’s 14 pieces of timber laminated in the neck. You could break the E string and still stay in tune. I searched for one here in Australia for one not that long ago. I wanted one so badly in the 80’s.
@@devinebass It is a beautiful bass. I’m jealous because I’ve always wanted one after seeing Stu Hamm playing them with Vai and Satriana. I think I’m going to have to become good friends with Ian Martin Allison. Maybe he can find me one as well.
@@justinmills556 I haven’t been playing any bass in a very long time but I still have a custom refinished Ex- in the closet. Just hard to part with it.
Two completely different & awesome basses. "Hot Licks" I grew up on those vids. Lol. Had the good fortune to study privately with Stu Hamm in the mid 90s after my time at BIT. Used to goto his home studio for lessons. Got to check out a bunch of his basses- even got to play a few! Good times. Good dude. Thanks for sharing these fab instruments.
The VERY FIRST TIME I heard and saw a FACTOR BASS was in about 1986 when John Taylor of Duran Duran started using them instead of his Aria Pro ii SB 1000s. It was on the "NOTORIOUS" video was the first time.
@@jimcharles651 HEY....YOU ARE RIGHT!!! WOW...I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. Getting older makes it a little hard to put the yeaes into perspective sometimes. Yeah, Bang A Gong had that sick slap bass break in it. Lol Thanks!!
There's a famous brazlian bass player, Bi Ribeiro from the band "Paralamas do Sucesso" that uses one of this FACTOR basses for many many years. The band has a strong influence of reggae and ska mixed with latin and brazilian rythms and also a strong The Police influence. Totally worth check it out. I know you love brazilian players Scott
Kubicki Ex Factor 4. Got one. I guess the `89 model has a 18v preamp like my `92 model. The six position selector switch has the following settings. 1. Off 2. Mid boost active 3. Low/high boost active 4. Flat passive 5. Mid cut passive 6. High cut passive. All relative to the use of the Bass/Treble selector.
Owned one when I was a kid in the late 80's. Will never forget it. The drop d was great. First person I saw with this bass after I got it was John Taylor in Duran Duran.
Great Video Scott. The Kubicki Factor is such a amazing Bass. There were a lot of Brands back in the 80´s and 90´s making incredible inovated Basses like Vigier, Status, Le Duc, and my all time Favorit Atlansia... just to name a few of them. Great to see the old Stuff still Sounding and looking great. Thank for showing... Best Regards Nik
I first became aware of these when I saw Duran Duran's John Taylor playing them, which at first made me go "Aw shucks, he stopped using the Aria Pro2!" Around a decade later, I was in college and I came across one in a music shop and I figured "Cool it's a Factor, let me try it!" I remember it being really light and with a neck profile not that different from an Ibanez Soundgear, although it's likely the other way around. It sounded really good though.
@@karimgandoura6124 I don't know about "Notorious" but there's footage of Power Station recording their album where John is seen using his Aria. So it's safe to assume he used it on "Some like it hot" too.
My Ex-factor is serial # 120. I bought it new in 1985. Only Phil has ever worked on it, and he signed the back of the headstock the last time he worked on it….sadly only 6 months before he passed. He was a great guy. By far my favorite of all my basses.
First time I saw a Factor bass was from the Bass player from my favorite band in Brazil called Os Paralamas do Sucesso. His name is Bi Ribeiro, he plays the same red factor for the past 30 years. And of course Vail Jonhson in the Kenny G Live album is amazing!
For many years I used a Musicman Stingray, which itself has a great slap tone. But when I bought my 70's Jazz my world changed. The 70's Fender Jazz is THE slap tone I hear in my head when I'm mind jamming. Vail Johnson was the first player I noticed with a Kubicki; great player, massively under-rated...
What a beautiful instrument, I remember John Taylor of Duran Duran using it in the 80s. It was totally ahead of its time back then and I think it held up good.
Bizarrely I just watched TOTP from 1987 and Duran Duran were on playing 'Notorious'. As a bass player I always take a look at what the bass player is using and was confounded to see John Taylor playing a weird black bass with a narrow headstock. Your video came up on my timeline and what do I see. The same bass. A Kubicki Factor bass. These are quite sought after. Nice friend you've got there.
I have a 1991 Fender Jazz plus with the same preamp. Knob 1. Volume, blend Knob 2. Treble, bass Knob 3. Passive, active, active with mid boost, stand by. The active with mid boost is adjustable on the preamp itself. There is a Phillips head adjustment pot located in the service cavity.
I remember seeing my first kubicki at a Petra concert with Ronny cates. Thought it was the coolest bass I had ever seen. Had to have one and bought one in 91, and still have it. Became a Stu Hamm fan and remember watching Vail Johnson on arsenio hall just killing on it.
I own 4，They play Comfortably，good balance, unique tone，especially the neck，move so naturally and fast. Amazing instrument，which makes me really love bass guitar.
I bought my first new Kubicki in 1992. I have it still, I bought a brand new one in 2020. Phil's wife has parts built by Phil before he passed away. She, along with Mike Haney (The Guitar Doctor) are assembling them and selling them as new, until the parts run out. They are a bit pricey but well worth it, in my opinion. Thank you, Scott, for showing love to one of the best bass builders and one of the best basses ever built.
I haven't seen one of those Kubicki basses since reading a John Taylor (Duran Duran) interview back in the 80s. I remember being fascinated by the dropped D mechanism. Very cool instrument!
24 layer laminate neck. Designed ergonomically , he has the patent on the tuner design. His basses are 18 v the fender is 9 v and fell identical. Selector knob: off- active mid boost - active flat - passive. 32 “ neck is to accommodate the D tuner. His is no sound like it. “Addicted to love” is with this bass. When fender built them it was their foray into high end boutique mkt (Tobias, kensmith,etc we’re hot then) fender sold for 1300USD when a nice jazz 700 nearly 2x. Thanks for letting me gush
When I was ~20, that Factor made my jaw drop when I saw Stuart Hamm play it. It only just now dawned upon me that this D-tuner works by actually adding a fret, not by lowering the tension on the string as with the Hipshot D-tuner I have on my Musicman Stingray 🤯
That was a trip down Nostalgia Road! When I was a senior in high school, and had only been playing bass for a little over a year (~1985/86), a classmate, the late Sean Malone (who would go on to become an accomplished musician and teacher) bought (ordered, actually, and waited months to receive) a Kubicki fretless in black. It was the coolest bass I'd ever seen, and remains so to this day. Perhaps one day I'll get the chance to own one. I recommend checking out Sean's work with Gordian Knot, or on his only known recorded solo work, "Cortlandt".
ROTARY SWITCH - 18v The electronics are controlled by the 6 position rotary switch: 1. Standby (full clockwise position) - All controls are completely off. This position is handy for changing strings or in other situations where you want no output. This position does not disconnect the batteries. 2. Active, flat - The bass and treble tone controls are active. 3. Active, with middle frequencies boosted - The bass and treble tone controls are active. 4. Passive, flat 5. Passive, with middle frequencies cut 6. Passive, with high frequencies cut (full counterclockwise position
For those of you who are here for the Kubicki... The actual review starts at 8:10 (and WTH Scott, you should have made two videos. I don't care about your slap course)... :/
Bought a Kubicki when they were going through the Fender Custom shop, later sent it back to Philip to have the Kubicki electronics put in (the custom shop at the time used Jazz Bass Special electronics, not near as versatile as Kubickis!). Of all the 30+ basses I've owned, this is the only one I truly miss. An exceptional instrument, the ebony fretboard was such a joy to play. Mine was Serial number 2999. When Phil was redoing the electronics, he said he had some old stock and could make me another ... for about 5k. Paid $1450 for mine, and it was white, just like yours in the video. I would give anything to have my original back!!!
ROTARY SWITCH - 9v The electronics are controlled by the 4 position rotary switch: 1) Standby (full clockwise position) - All controls are completely off. This position is handy for changing strings or in other situations where you want no output. (This position does not disconnect the battery.) 2) Active, with Presetable Mid Boost - The bass and treble tone controls are active. There is also a presetable amount of boost added to the midrange frequencies. Your bass was factory preset for maximum midrange boost. To adjust the amount of mid boost, remove the back cover plate and adjust the miniature potentiometer, R19, with an appropriate screwdriver. The amount of mid boost can be adjusted from approximately 1dB to 8dB. Maximum mid boost occurs at full clockwise rotation. Be careful not to adjust it beyond its natural rotational limits. 3) Active, flat - The bass and treble controls are active. 4) Passive (full clockwise position) - The lower tone control knob (bass) acts as a standard tone control-brightest in full clockwise position, with the highs rolling off as you rotate the knob counterclockwise.
I've wanted a Factor bass since 1989.. played a used F4 in a local music shop and it blew me away. The best instrument I've even laid hands on. Way out of my price range, but absolutely amazing.
I remember watching a Kenny G performance from the 80s, at the Montreux Jazz festival in which he battles Vail Johnson on a Kubicki. Look up Kenny G vs Vail Johnson. Some awesome tones!
My first bass, which I still have, is a 75 rosewood Jazz. It had the 3-bolt but the neck was so unstable that I had it converted to a 4-bolt decades ago. The bridge pickup also died long ago and I had them replaced with Joe Barden Jazz bass pickups. Interestingly enough, Joe lived near me and came to my house to buy my old SVT cab. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but he brought this frankenstein jazz that sounded absolutely killer. When I asked, he said he made the pickups and had prototypes in the bass. I ended up trading the cabinet for the second set of pickups he built, with the first set going to … Marcus Miller! The 75J also got modded along the way with a brass nut, hipshot + schaller tuners, and badass bridge. Since then though, I had the original tuners and bridge put back on it. Sadly, the pick guard got melted when I was a kid and left my bass in my car. It’s about as original as possible now and still an amazing sounding and playing bass. But HEAVY! I use it in the studio but never take it out on the road any more.
in high school in the 80's i would have done just about anything for a kubicki ex factor, i got a yellow one in the mid nineties, used and in pristine condition... i live near los angeles, and in the late nineties my wife and i took a long weekend in santa barbara, i brought the bass with me to phil kubicki at his santa barbara shop to have him look it over. he refinished the neck and sent it back to me. it is one of my favorite posessions, i'll never part with it! mine is a 1990, from the time when fender was making them. phil said that for a few years fender made them exactly like his, then they cheapened the electronics. mine was made when they were made the correct way according to him and he gave it his stamp of approval... i love that thing.
Hey Scott Great Video! I love The Kubicki bass also. As a matter of fact, I saw a pic of Mark Greenwood, who is Garth Brooks' Bass Player using one...an unusual one.
The Kubicki Ex Factor, that's my favourite bass ever! I almost got one from the Bass Gallery about a month ago but someone had just got in there before me. It was a beautiful, 1989, blue colour and that's why I wanted it as I only play/collect blue basses. I'm now thinking of having one made from Kubicki who are still going (minus Phil of course who died in 2013), it's expensive, but worth it. One day I'll have a blue 80s model.
Ready for the SBAcc - and the X-factor has been a dream bass since I started in the late 80s and saw Stu Hamm backing Satriani. And I know the hotlicks videos!
I was a new bass player in 1990 and my cousin's husband had a Kubicki Ex-Factor. I fell in love! (With the bass, not him!) It look me almost 20 years before I finally owned one. It wasn't in great shape, and I couldn't justify having it serviced at the time, but Mr. Kubicki took the time to walk me through some maintenance over the phone. You talk about the neck, mine was twisted. Phil told me to tighten the truss rod until it's straight. I expressed my discomfort at messing with truss rods and he said, "I built that neck with my 2 hands. Tighten it until it's straight. It won't break, I promise" How can you argue with confidence like that? I finally had the money a handful of years ago to send it in for service, but sadly, Mr. Kubicki had passed. Mike Haney, The Guitar Doctor, took over for Phil (I believe he has all of Phil's tools and his workbench) and did an AMAZING job on mine.
Kubicki 18v Preamp 2 stacked pots (Vol/Pan and Treble/Bass boost) and 6 position rotary selector switch (three passive, two active and standby playing positions)
I’m sorry if someone already mentioned this. Scott didn’t note that the headstock is made of the same material as the fretboard, so if you drop D it, you have an E Flat that you can hold on the headstock. I had one in the late 80’s and it was great for jazz playing with horns that favored the flats.
My goodness! I went to a jam session at a bar and one of the gentlemen there had one of these and he let me play it for a tune. I remember the bizarre headstock and detuner thing.
Got s/n 112 direct from Kubicki. Had two but sold one 😕. What a great bass! Made Nov, '85. Celebrates it's 37th birthday this month. Had it longer than any other bass.
Ah man, I had a real thing for those Kubicki Factor basses. I tried one back in the day and loved it... that said, my fave bass of that sort of time was the Vigier Passion, which I still hanker after, they sounded great and played beautifully.
I coveted a Factor the moment that I saw John Taylor playing one on the Notorious album. And I've never found one that I've been ready to buy or had the funds to buy.. and when Phil Kubicki passed, the value went through the roof. I'm kinda resigned to not having one now, but its a real bucket list bass. I've always loved them.
I have the same exact bass, 3-bolt neck and the micro tilt, it is so crazy as much as I can see the ware on your bass is almost in the exact same place as mine. I am the second owner I bought it from a guy in 81who played it heavily. The only difference is when I bought it from him he had just put on a Badass Bridge. It's the best bass I have it's better then my 1980 Fender P bass. I have heard that the 3-bolt neck is less desirable, then the 70's 4-bolt, I can't see it because I have played a lot of basses and my 77 is the best bass I have ever played.
The first guy I ever saw using a Kubicki was the late great Michael Bloodgood. He used one when I saw Bloodgood back in 1987. We lost him earlier this year after so many years of taking his faith to the streets with their gritty brand of metal.
My dad had a black Kubicki Factor in Uruguay back when he was young, I've seen pictures from the 90s of him with it and the bands he was part of, funny enough he played it left-handed and was proper sick doing it. He's sold it since then to take care of me and my mum since he was really tight with money when I was born, I still wanna give to him someday a black Factor so he can go back to playing, since he's stopped playing at all since then, because he got so busy and uninspired and he can't play any of my basses, since they're all right-handed. Edit : Just clarifying, no his bass was not an actual left-handed Factor, because aparently there's one (and only one in the world), it was a righty bass strung left-handed.
The first time I saw an Xfactor, John Taylor was playing one at Live Aid and I thought "I just have to have one of those"!! Then I found out how expensive they were. They are now becoming very collectable. A good example is going to set you back somewhere close to £3k, the Fender Custom Shop versions can go for a little bit lower. If you are lucky enough to own one, never sell...you will regret it. I may be so bold to say they are one of the best basses of all time, not just the 80s.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 85 | คู่เอก "ยอดเหล็กเพชร vs ผึ้งหลวง"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qq_19bnnxEo/mqdefault.jpg)
PLEASE READ - It's come to our attention that there are some commenters on our videos who are trying to scam our subscribers with offers of free gifts. None of these comments are official or from us. We will never reach out via the comments of a social media channel. We're doing our best to remove the comments and flag the accounts in question.
I see this on just about every video that has more than a few comments. TH-cam needs to really do something about this.
@@stickplayer2 Maybe an authenticity flag than you can buy for eight dollars? No, wait ...
Seen it on samuraiguitarist channel too
I always report them for spam when I get them on my comments
For real, someone has been following me around TH-cam offering me free fake stuff via telegram
ROTARY SWITCH
The electronics are controlled by the 6 position rotary switch:
1) Standby (full clockwise position) - All controls are completely off. This
position is handy for changing strings or in other situations where you
want no output. This position does not disconnect the batteries.
2) Active, flat - The bass and treble tone controls are active.
3) Active, with middle frequencies boosted - The bass and treble tone
controls are active.
4) Passive, flat
5) Passive, with middle frequencies cut
6) Passive, with high frequencies cut (full counterclockwise position)
Thanks so much, Paul!
It depends... there are 2 versions of the rotary switch, with 5 and 6 positions. Depends of the year, voltage, pre or post Fender, etc.
@@PedroBroggini true, I thought (at least on mine) that 4 was bridge pickup in passive mode, 5 was both pickups in passive, and 6 was neck in passive. I tend to use position 3 most of the time, but with an amp on stage sometimes position 2 is better. I manage the treble depending on the song. Rarely use the mute position as my pedal does that and gives me a tuner.
You have the two active modes backwards. The first active mode after standby is active with mid boost. The second active mode is active flat.
@@marshallmorris3656 yeah you are right, I've been messing with them the last few nights in rehearsal and position 2 is mid boosted, I still like position 3 better...lol
That was my old Kubicki. So awesome of Ian to buy that for Scott!! Glad to see you are so happy, Scott. Sounds great in your hands!
WOOOOW - that's awesome!
A little backstory on your Kubicki bass: Phil worked for Fender, and while experimenting with bass necks there, he bravely went after the ubiquitous Fender dead spot usually around the 7th fret of the G, on a mission to eliminate it. I'm sure you've seen the "Fat Finger" and other clamp on weights that people affix to the headstock. These tend to add mass and move the dead spot off the end of the neck. Phil found that alternately, by increasingly lopping off more and more of the headstock, he could move the dead spot similarly off the neck (presumably off the other end?). This is what brought him to the headless design...and the drop D feature, similar to orchestral double bass C extensions, was added on an optional model; those with the extension were called "ex-Factor".
Thank you for those comments, very interesting!!
That sounds like some rumor-myth. I would think the rigidity of the many-laminate neck solved the problem. It also explains the massive punch of those basses. Dual action truss rods also reduce neck damping. Decreasing mass at the headstock would likely just increase damping on the lower frets.
@@GCKelloch Maybe, but I was told this by one of the top electric bass luthiers on the planet, and since he is a pioneer of many of the things standard on today's basses, I have no reason to believe it's BS. It makes total sense since adding a fat finger (adding mass) to the headstock pushes the dead spot off the neck in the other direction.
I bought a black x-factor bass back in 1988 from Knut Koupee music in Uptown Minneapolis. It was a great sounding bass. Sold it to a local musician in the early 90s. I wonder where it is today?
I had that Stu Hamm video as well as Louis Johnson’s.
Awesome! I was good friends with the late, great Phil Kubicki. He spent Thanksgiving with my family and me in 2010. He was such a nice guy with so many great stories. The stories of when he worked at Fender were highlights!
Always wanted a Kubicki bass.
WOW - I bet that was awesome. Would love to hear those stories :)
@@devinebass Thanks! Yeah, my favorites were of him building the rosewood Tele and Strat for George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix respectively and then having to get LF’s approval. Tadeo Gomez reading Mad Magazines at lunch break on the picnic tables outside the factory was another one. He claimed the neck is the most important sound factor in an instrument and proved it to me by striking a note with the headstock against a wall and then again with the butt end of the instrument. Great memories of playing pool with him and absolutely destroying me! I was playing a lot of acoustic guitar then and have fond memories of him and a small gathering of people singing along to me playing Beatles songs. I regret not reaching out to him when he was ill, but the cancer took him so quickly. Very sad. It was an honor to be acquainted with him for a brief couple years.
Late?
Thanks for the news I guess.
@@carpediemarts705 Apparently he died all the way back in 2013, pancreatic cancer unfortunately
Sean Malone, recorded In 1993 Cynic / Focus with Kubicki factor fretless …
The sound is mind blowing …listen to the song Textures, Malone solo is amazing…
RIP Sean Malone… you’ll never forgotten 🤟🏼
Dude, is he dead??? I didn't even realize, what the fuck happened, he wasn't even very old
@@buckemptier yes, he committed suicide in Dec 2020 …really sad …same year at the beginning of the year Sean Reinert, Cynic drummer and founding member also passed away … 2021 album Ascension Codes is dedicated to them …
RIP. Sean's work with cynic is out of this world, feel for Paul Masvidal now he's lost his whole band :(
Who?
@@brandondavidson2200 if you need to ask it's obviously not going to hold any relevance to you. Pretty easy to work out from above comments.
Damn, I think that lever over the headstock is genious. I think Modern bass companies should do that on today's basses.
yep - me too. It's super useful, and because the notes stay the same it's SO much better than a regular D-tuner.
The added frets behind the lever were extra impressive to me. Such a cool invention.
@@ReasonableRam Yeah, and it looks pretty damn cool too.
its common on double basses called C-extension, so maybe its just a matter of time before you see extensions on electric basses ;-) I have even seen a H/B extension once instead of having a 5th string. I myself have an extension on my double bass, but I think id prefer my good ol 6 string E-bass after all
On a guitar the fret shift is kind of a feature more than bug cause of the different chord grips it enables, but for bass this is just perfect
I saw Stu Hamm playing a Factor with Joe Satriani in an old live show on VHS. It was blue and he just ripped through his bass solo. Amazing memories.
There's video of him playing a solo on that bass on youtube...
A fair few people got introduced to the Factor via Hamm! What a bass! What a player! 🔥🔥
Stu had at least six of these, all set up differently. The action on his red one was for slapping, on the blue one for tapping. He had a fretless yellow one. He even had a white one he added a P pickup to, between the Kubicki pickups, and he added a pickguard too!
Philip Kubicki personally setup my friend’s Kubicki bass; my friend drove to his NH house and spent the day with him.
I loved those basses back in the day. The era of craving a Pedulla, Kubicki and Steinberger with a Trace Elliot rig.
Same but with an SWR rig. I would have taken the Trace rig in a second though!
Greatest bass of the 1980's... with third of it on Jazz Bass.
With 50% advertisement
TH-cam has a skip function
That detuning system looks a lot like the ones classical bassists use. You see them on uprights in orchestras all the time. Genius system.
SO COOL!
When I saw it I immediately thought of the C extension
Love the old Factor and Steinberger basses of the late 80s and early 90s.
🔥🔥🔥
Because the lever isn't actually a detuner, but a range extender,
the E string is still more tight and defined than you would find on a normal 32" scale bass.
I would LOVE to have a Kubicki Factor :)
YES. GREAT concept
The lever is virtually a capo for the E string only.
@@Nikolay_Nikolov That's exactly what I was thinking. The "E-string" is actually a D-String with a capo on the 2nd fret.
Yes I agree, a truly amazing bass. Always wanted one but beyond my budget at the time they were in production, these are now highly sought after.
I played one a few years back and was blown away. It's so incredibly powerful. And yes, I love the E/D idea. It's just brilliant.
🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
That’s actually an ex-factor. The factor doesn’t have the d-tune function. If my memory doesn’t fail me, I think it’s 14 pieces of timber laminated in the neck. You could break the E string and still stay in tune. I searched for one here in Australia for one not that long ago. I wanted one so badly in the 80’s.
Cheers for the heads up, Justin!
Australia can be a difficult place to find interesting instruments!
@@devinebass It is a beautiful bass. I’m jealous because I’ve always wanted one after seeing Stu Hamm playing them with Vai and Satriana. I think I’m going to have to become good friends with Ian Martin Allison. Maybe he can find me one as well.
@@gordonhodgson8403 there was one at the bass center in Melbourne. Was not for sale understandably.
@@justinmills556 I haven’t been playing any bass in a very long time but I still have a custom refinished Ex- in the closet. Just hard to part with it.
I have used a Kubicki since 1990, played more than 2000 gigs with it before it needed a refret. Still the best bass design ever, in my opinion.
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Two completely different & awesome basses. "Hot Licks" I grew up on those vids. Lol. Had the good fortune to study privately with Stu Hamm in the mid 90s after my time at BIT. Used to goto his home studio for lessons. Got to check out a bunch of his basses- even got to play a few! Good times. Good dude. Thanks for sharing these fab instruments.
Thanks for checking out the vid & sharing your story Dan!
The VERY FIRST TIME I heard and saw a FACTOR BASS was in about 1986 when John Taylor of Duran Duran started using them instead of his Aria Pro ii SB 1000s. It was on the "NOTORIOUS" video was the first time.
Yes dude! Gonna have to go rewatch that video!
@Scott's Bass Lessons you will never regret it man.
Let me know what you think.
Peace, love, LOW END.
Didn't he play one in Power Station before that???
@@jimcharles651 HEY....YOU ARE RIGHT!!!
WOW...I FORGOT ABOUT THAT.
Getting older makes it a little hard to put the yeaes into perspective sometimes. Yeah, Bang A Gong had that sick slap bass break in it.
Lol
Thanks!!
There's a famous brazlian bass player, Bi Ribeiro from the band "Paralamas do Sucesso" that uses one of this FACTOR basses for many many years. The band has a strong influence of reggae and ska mixed with latin and brazilian rythms and also a strong The Police influence. Totally worth check it out. I know you love brazilian players Scott
Kubicki Ex Factor 4. Got one. I guess the `89 model has a 18v preamp like my `92 model. The six position selector switch has the following settings. 1. Off 2. Mid boost active 3. Low/high boost active 4. Flat passive 5. Mid cut passive 6. High cut passive. All relative to the use of the Bass/Treble selector.
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Owned one when I was a kid in the late 80's. Will never forget it. The drop d was great. First person I saw with this bass after I got it was John Taylor in Duran Duran.
I saw Stu back in the 80s
Playing with Joe Satriani
I was 2 bodies back
General Admission show. 👍
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Great Video Scott. The Kubicki Factor is such a amazing Bass. There were a lot of Brands back in the 80´s and 90´s making incredible inovated Basses like Vigier, Status, Le Duc, and my all time Favorit Atlansia... just to name a few of them. Great to see the old Stuff still Sounding and looking great. Thank for showing... Best Regards Nik
Ahh yeah. The Fender Jazz Bass Plus had a Kubicki preamp in it. Man those were such underrated basses
Still are.
Indeed they are! I have a reverse blue burst that I had converted to fretless.
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@@jeffwolinski2659 ahhh jis that was my favorite finish! My best mate has the natural ash
I have always wanted one, I played one for a day and it was epic, really hard to find, once you have one you never give it up, they are a real gem.
An absolute 💎 for sure!
I first became aware of these when I saw Duran Duran's John Taylor playing them, which at first made me go "Aw shucks, he stopped using the Aria Pro2!"
Around a decade later, I was in college and I came across one in a music shop and I figured "Cool it's a Factor, let me try it!" I remember it being really light and with a neck profile not that different from an Ibanez Soundgear, although it's likely the other way around.
It sounded really good though.
I still have my Aria Pro II SB Elite 1. The neck shape is really great.
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Notorious and some like it hot were recorded with that bass right ? 😊
@@karimgandoura6124 I don't know about "Notorious" but there's footage of Power Station recording their album where John is seen using his Aria. So it's safe to assume he used it on "Some like it hot" too.
My Ex-factor is serial # 120. I bought it new in 1985. Only Phil has ever worked on it, and he signed the back of the headstock the last time he worked on it….sadly only 6 months before he passed. He was a great guy. By far my favorite of all my basses.
Wow Mark! Hold on to that badboy!
70's Jazz Basses just sound so damn good. Sooooooo damn good.
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@@devinebass I had a Kubicki but Fenders just record soooo much better
First time I saw a Factor bass was from the Bass player from my favorite band in Brazil called Os Paralamas do Sucesso. His name is Bi Ribeiro, he plays the same red factor for the past 30 years. And of course Vail Jonhson in the Kenny G Live album is amazing!
For many years I used a Musicman Stingray, which itself has a great slap tone. But when I bought my 70's Jazz my world changed. The 70's Fender Jazz is THE slap tone I hear in my head when I'm mind jamming. Vail Johnson was the first player I noticed with a Kubicki; great player, massively under-rated...
Yes Craig! Thankyou for sharing 🙌🏻
My dad played one of those back in the day! The factor is a dream for me, if I ever get my hands on one
Amazing basses dude! 🙌🏻
What a beautiful instrument, I remember John Taylor of Duran Duran using it in the 80s. It was totally ahead of its time back then and I think it held up good.
Yes he played it at Live Aid
Bizarrely I just watched TOTP from 1987 and Duran Duran were on playing 'Notorious'. As a bass player I always take a look at what the bass player is using and was confounded to see John Taylor playing a weird black bass with a narrow headstock. Your video came up on my timeline and what do I see. The same bass. A Kubicki Factor bass. These are quite sought after. Nice friend you've got there.
As both a professional bassist and a Kubicki (though sadly of no relation), I approve this video.
Haha I basically shouted with joy when I saw this! Much love to the Kubicki!
Lol, amazing!
I have a 1991 Fender Jazz plus with the same preamp.
Knob 1. Volume, blend
Knob 2. Treble, bass
Knob 3. Passive, active, active with mid boost, stand by.
The active with mid boost is adjustable on the preamp itself. There is a Phillips head adjustment pot located in the service cavity.
I remember seeing my first kubicki at a Petra concert with Ronny cates. Thought it was the coolest bass I had ever seen. Had to have one and bought one in 91, and still have it. Became a Stu Hamm fan and remember watching Vail Johnson on arsenio hall just killing on it.
I still own my 1989 Kubicki xFactor. I had Phil do a tune up on it a few years before he passed. Such a great artist!
Phil was THE MAN! 🙌🏻🐐
I own 4，They play Comfortably，good balance, unique tone，especially the neck，move so naturally and fast.
Amazing instrument，which makes me really love bass guitar.
The infamous Philip Kubiki Factor bass. Always want one since the 80s when I bought Stuart Hamms 1st album where he has one on the cover.
I bought my first new Kubicki in 1992. I have it still, I bought a brand new one in 2020. Phil's wife has parts built by Phil before he passed away. She, along with Mike Haney (The Guitar Doctor) are assembling them and selling them as new, until the parts run out. They are a bit pricey but well worth it, in my opinion. Thank you, Scott, for showing love to one of the best bass builders and one of the best basses ever built.
Wow Harlan that's great to know! Thanks for sharing 🙌🏻🙌🏻
I haven't seen one of those Kubicki basses since reading a John Taylor (Duran Duran) interview back in the 80s. I remember being fascinated by the dropped D mechanism. Very cool instrument!
24 layer laminate neck. Designed ergonomically , he has the patent on the tuner design. His basses are 18 v the fender is 9 v and fell identical.
Selector knob: off- active mid boost - active flat - passive. 32 “ neck is to accommodate the D tuner. His is no sound like it. “Addicted to love” is with this bass. When fender built them it was their foray into high end boutique mkt (Tobias, kensmith,etc we’re hot then) fender sold for 1300USD when a nice jazz 700 nearly 2x. Thanks for letting me gush
24 laminates... THAT is why it doesn't move, lol ;)
The video literally does not start until 8:12. The 1st EIGHT MINUTES are one long commercial.
When I was ~20, that Factor made my jaw drop when I saw Stuart Hamm play it. It only just now dawned upon me that this D-tuner works by actually adding a fret, not by lowering the tension on the string as with the Hipshot D-tuner I have on my Musicman Stingray 🤯
Yup, such a killer gadget! 🔥🔥🔥
Such a great video! Please more low fi, spontaneous bass talk 👍
Will do, cheers Philip! :)
That was a trip down Nostalgia Road! When I was a senior in high school, and had only been playing bass for a little over a year (~1985/86), a classmate, the late Sean Malone (who would go on to become an accomplished musician and teacher) bought (ordered, actually, and waited months to receive) a Kubicki fretless in black. It was the coolest bass I'd ever seen, and remains so to this day. Perhaps one day I'll get the chance to own one. I recommend checking out Sean's work with Gordian Knot, or on his only known recorded solo work, "Cortlandt".
Sick dude!!
@@devinebass Great story thanks!
That detune system is insanely cool. I am surprised more of this thing's features aren't standard today. Brilliant.
Yeah it's damn nuts! Bring it backkkkk! 🔥🔥🔥
A mate of mine had 3 Kubicki`s at one point including an ex Stu Hamm one. Great to play and sound amazing.
Marcus has such an incredible bass tone, and it's also Fender bass tone.
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It's got stiff competition for "greatest bass of the 80s", but it should certainly be in the conversation. 32" / medium scales need more love.
💯💯💯 !!
My 86 Kubicki is one of my favs! I bought it from Mr. Kubicki’s family after he passed away and they told me it was one of the last that he restored
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ROTARY SWITCH - 18v
The electronics are controlled by the 6 position rotary switch:
1. Standby (full clockwise position) - All controls are completely off. This position is handy for changing strings or in other situations where you want no output. This position does not disconnect the batteries.
2. Active, flat - The bass and treble tone controls are active.
3. Active, with middle frequencies boosted - The bass and treble tone controls are active.
4. Passive, flat
5. Passive, with middle frequencies cut
6. Passive, with high frequencies cut (full counterclockwise position
AWESOME!
Vail Johnson who toured with Ken Mo and Kenny G also played one!
Awesome! 👊🏻
For those of you who are here for the Kubicki... The actual review starts at 8:10 (and WTH Scott, you should have made two videos. I don't care about your slap course)... :/
I first saw a Kubicki in Stu Hamm’s hands. I always loved them.
I got to play a Kubicki Ex-Facror in the late 80's and dug it. I even had Stu Hamm's 1st release on 12" vinyl!
Bought a Kubicki when they were going through the Fender Custom shop, later sent it back to Philip to have the Kubicki electronics put in (the custom shop at the time used Jazz Bass Special electronics, not near as versatile as Kubickis!). Of all the 30+ basses I've owned, this is the only one I truly miss. An exceptional instrument, the ebony fretboard was such a joy to play. Mine was Serial number 2999. When Phil was redoing the electronics, he said he had some old stock and could make me another ... for about 5k. Paid $1450 for mine, and it was white, just like yours in the video. I would give anything to have my original back!!!
I love the Kubicki Factor bass ❤ . I always wanted one .
They're AWESOME! 💛
Wait.... I grew up with Scott's videos and this is the first time I've ever seen him play without the glove on.
So cool! and such a cool bass!
Thanks for supporting dude! 🙌🏻
ROTARY SWITCH - 9v
The electronics are controlled by the 4 position rotary switch:
1) Standby (full clockwise position) - All controls are completely off. This position is handy for changing strings or in other situations where you want no output. (This position does not disconnect the battery.)
2) Active, with Presetable Mid Boost - The bass and treble tone controls are active. There is also a presetable amount of boost added to the midrange frequencies. Your bass was factory preset for maximum midrange boost. To adjust the amount of mid boost, remove the back cover plate and adjust the miniature potentiometer, R19, with an appropriate screwdriver. The amount of mid boost can be adjusted from approximately 1dB to 8dB. Maximum mid boost occurs at full clockwise rotation. Be careful not to adjust it beyond its natural rotational limits.
3) Active, flat - The bass and treble controls are active.
4) Passive (full clockwise position) - The lower tone control knob (bass) acts as a standard tone control-brightest in full clockwise position, with the highs rolling off as you rotate the knob counterclockwise.
I've wanted a Factor bass since 1989.. played a used F4 in a local music shop and it blew me away. The best instrument I've even laid hands on. Way out of my price range, but absolutely amazing.
I remember watching a Kenny G performance from the 80s, at the Montreux Jazz festival in which he battles Vail Johnson on a Kubicki. Look up Kenny G vs Vail Johnson. Some awesome tones!
My first bass, which I still have, is a 75 rosewood Jazz. It had the 3-bolt but the neck was so unstable that I had it converted to a 4-bolt decades ago. The bridge pickup also died long ago and I had them replaced with Joe Barden Jazz bass pickups. Interestingly enough, Joe lived near me and came to my house to buy my old SVT cab. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but he brought this frankenstein jazz that sounded absolutely killer. When I asked, he said he made the pickups and had prototypes in the bass. I ended up trading the cabinet for the second set of pickups he built, with the first set going to … Marcus Miller! The 75J also got modded along the way with a brass nut, hipshot + schaller tuners, and badass bridge. Since then though, I had the original tuners and bridge put back on it. Sadly, the pick guard got melted when I was a kid and left my bass in my car. It’s about as original as possible now and still an amazing sounding and playing bass. But HEAVY! I use it in the studio but never take it out on the road any more.
Thanks so much for covering the kubicki. I have one and it took me 90s and 2000s. Great for club music gigs
Nice dude! We 🧡 Kubicki!
Oooh... the Kubiki X-factor... dream bass from the 90s (especially in that deep red they came in.) Still want one...
Im loving these videos with you both.
in high school in the 80's i would have done just about anything for a kubicki ex factor, i got a yellow one in the mid nineties, used and in pristine condition... i live near los angeles, and in the late nineties my wife and i took a long weekend in santa barbara, i brought the bass with me to phil kubicki at his santa barbara shop to have him look it over. he refinished the neck and sent it back to me. it is one of my favorite posessions, i'll never part with it! mine is a 1990, from the time when fender was making them. phil said that for a few years fender made them exactly like his, then they cheapened the electronics. mine was made when they were made the correct way according to him and he gave it his stamp of approval... i love that thing.
Thanks for sharing that story, Tom! :)
as for the selector knob you asked about, there's the 'off' position, then the first two are active and the next 3 are passive
I have a Kubicki exactly like that one!!! Glad to see it’s getting reviewed!!!
I had a fender jazz plus with that Kubicki electronic setup
Sounded fantastic
My current bass is a Jazz Plus and not gonna lie, this one is a keeper
Yes dude! 🙌🏻
Hey Scott Great Video! I love The Kubicki bass also. As a matter of fact, I saw a pic of Mark Greenwood, who is Garth Brooks' Bass Player using one...an unusual one.
I had that Stu Hamm VHS Hit Licks video. And I saw Stu playing his Kubicki at an instore clinic in Tampa, FL in 1990 or 91. It was awesome!
A classic VHS! 🔥
From memory, the four way rotary switch is:
Passive
Active
Active with mid boost
Off
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The Kubicki Ex Factor, that's my favourite bass ever! I almost got one from the Bass Gallery about a month ago but someone had just got in there before me. It was a beautiful, 1989, blue colour and that's why I wanted it as I only play/collect blue basses. I'm now thinking of having one made from Kubicki who are still going (minus Phil of course who died in 2013), it's expensive, but worth it. One day I'll have a blue 80s model.
I got to hold a Factor Bass two months ago. That Lever for Eb is genius.
Ready for the SBAcc - and the X-factor has been a dream bass since I started in the late 80s and saw Stu Hamm backing Satriani. And I know the hotlicks videos!
My first memory of a Kubicki was John Taylor playing one with Power Station.
I was a new bass player in 1990 and my cousin's husband had a Kubicki Ex-Factor. I fell in love! (With the bass, not him!) It look me almost 20 years before I finally owned one. It wasn't in great shape, and I couldn't justify having it serviced at the time, but Mr. Kubicki took the time to walk me through some maintenance over the phone.
You talk about the neck, mine was twisted. Phil told me to tighten the truss rod until it's straight. I expressed my discomfort at messing with truss rods and he said, "I built that neck with my 2 hands. Tighten it until it's straight. It won't break, I promise"
How can you argue with confidence like that?
I finally had the money a handful of years ago to send it in for service, but sadly, Mr. Kubicki had passed. Mike Haney, The Guitar Doctor, took over for Phil (I believe he has all of Phil's tools and his workbench) and did an AMAZING job on mine.
Wow! A great story. In every story I've heard featuring the main man Phil he sounds like an absolute gent! 🙌🏻
Kubicki 18v Preamp
2 stacked pots (Vol/Pan and Treble/Bass boost) and 6 position rotary selector switch (three passive, two active and standby playing positions)
I saw someone with this bass at a show a couple weeks ago and my mind was blown but couldn't remember what it was called, thank you for this video
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I’m sorry if someone already mentioned this.
Scott didn’t note that the headstock is made of the same material as the fretboard, so if you drop D it, you have an E Flat that you can hold on the headstock.
I had one in the late 80’s and it was great for jazz playing with horns that favored the flats.
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Pretty neat engineering on the pull-down detuner. But what can I say, the minute you took the JB, my ears popped up pleasantly.
The selectors are
-mute
-active 1
-active 2
-passive 1
-passive 2
-passive 3
Great bass!
Thankyou!!
My goodness! I went to a jam session at a bar and one of the gentlemen there had one of these and he let me play it for a tune. I remember the bizarre headstock and detuner thing.
My friend and Mentor Wes Wehmiller played those Kubicki basses for years and when we were at Berklee. He made them sing.
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Brilliant bridge design. The whole thing is truly innovative in so many ways.
Yup - Beaut!
WOW! those kubicki pickups sound insane! I'd love to know what's in them, in terms of wiring/magnet layout.
you're right... they sound INCREDIBLE!
Got s/n 112 direct from Kubicki. Had two but sold one 😕. What a great bass! Made Nov, '85. Celebrates it's 37th birthday this month. Had it longer than any other bass.
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Ah man, I had a real thing for those Kubicki Factor basses. I tried one back in the day and loved it... that said, my fave bass of that sort of time was the Vigier Passion, which I still hanker after, they sounded great and played beautifully.
A Vigier Passion... Now theres a funky lookin' thing!
Stu Hamm did an awesome job with this bass. Double cheers!
He DID!
So did Vail Johnson, Kenny G's super slap happy bassman!
I got my '87 Kubicki back in 1990. It's such a unique machine. It's mandatory to play Stu Hamm's Black Ice first time you drop that D!
Yes dude! 🖤🤘🏻
Loved my Kubicki bass - wish I still had it. That and my Steinberger. Thanks for the memories!!
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I played an xfactor once, loved the dropped D feature, so simple
So damn cool!
I coveted a Factor the moment that I saw John Taylor playing one on the Notorious album. And I've never found one that I've been ready to buy or had the funds to buy.. and when Phil Kubicki passed, the value went through the roof.
I'm kinda resigned to not having one now, but its a real bucket list bass. I've always loved them.
A bucket list bass for many I'm sure! 🧡
I have the same exact bass, 3-bolt neck and the micro tilt, it is so crazy as much as I can see the ware on your bass is almost in the exact same place as mine. I am the second owner I bought it from a guy in 81who played it heavily. The only difference is when I bought it from him he had just put on a Badass Bridge. It's the best bass I have it's better then my 1980 Fender P bass. I have heard that the 3-bolt neck is less desirable, then the 70's 4-bolt, I can't see it because I have played a lot of basses and my 77 is the best bass I have ever played.
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The first guy I ever saw using a Kubicki was the late great Michael Bloodgood. He used one when I saw Bloodgood back in 1987. We lost him earlier this year after so many years of taking his faith to the streets with their gritty brand of metal.
I have an 89' Kubicki and it is an excellent bass.
NICE!
My dad had a black Kubicki Factor in Uruguay back when he was young, I've seen pictures from the 90s of him with it and the bands he was part of, funny enough he played it left-handed and was proper sick doing it. He's sold it since then to take care of me and my mum since he was really tight with money when I was born, I still wanna give to him someday a black Factor so he can go back to playing, since he's stopped playing at all since then, because he got so busy and uninspired and he can't play any of my basses, since they're all right-handed.
Edit : Just clarifying, no his bass was not an actual left-handed Factor, because aparently there's one (and only one in the world), it was a righty bass strung left-handed.
The first time I saw an Xfactor, John Taylor was playing one at Live Aid and I thought "I just have to have one of those"!! Then I found out how expensive they were. They are now becoming very collectable. A good example is going to set you back somewhere close to £3k, the Fender Custom Shop versions can go for a little bit lower. If you are lucky enough to own one, never sell...you will regret it. I may be so bold to say they are one of the best basses of all time, not just the 80s.
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