Conklin GTBD-7

I'm usually more custom made bass than production but this one is very impressive! Asian made,nice construction and finish. Not too heavy for being this big and well balanced!

Definitively modern growl!The basic settings give off some good sounds,even more with the mid and bright switches but,and this is the only flaw;the circuitery is very noisy! For that, i brought my bass to MF Lutherie! (lucky me, i live near Montreal!) They've replaced the electronics with an EMG BQS control,hence removed the switches and added an active/passive volume pot and a tone pot for passive mode! The result is "extraodinaire"! My bass now compares with lutherie intruments that cost twice as much!

Quite good! Some loose parts but no real issues!

Seems to me just as any instrument, and if you take care of it...

I'm a professionnal, been playin' more than 30 years, i plug it in my Thunderfunk750 running into my El Whappo cab (yeah man !)It's my main bass, gives me all the sounds i want! Also have a Galveston 7 as back-up(modified with Delano pickups)It is by far the best 7 string bass of my collection,would certainely replace it if needed!

Another reviewer has gone into great detail about the features of this 7 string bass. The GTBD-7 certainly fits into the "and my bass also makes coffee!" catagory of bass. I've owned my bass for a year now and I've discovered some cool electronics stuff inside as well as outside the bass. First, there is an adjustment for the bass boost inside the control cavity that can give you sort of a sub octive tone on your lows. There are other attenuator adjustments you can make inside the cavity that are worth investigating. The only things I can think of that this bass does not have are Piezo pickups and strap locks. The glossy purple burst finish over the flame maple body along with the purple heart fingerboard is beautiful on this bass. The back of the isometrical neck has a nice satin finish that feel great in your left hand. I received a GrooveTools semi-hard case with this bass and the case will litterally self-destruct under the weight of the bass! You can Gorilla glue around the zipper's edge to reinforce the material where the tiny wood screws are located in order to keep the case from ripping apart. Otherwise, just buy a nice quality gig bag or a contra-bass case from another company. The bass receives a 10, the case receives a big fat 0.

Personally, any sounds I've wanted from an active instrument is in this bass. I play in an 8pc praise and worship band that covers rock, gospel, funk, and country styles. This bass can produce a rich-warm-low tone, growly-mid finger style, and has the high end snap and sizzle for a great slap sound. I have not recorded with this bass but I believe it is quiet enough to track well. This bass is not for the guy or gal who thinks you need to "swing it low" to look hip. You have to "chin up" to this baby (think Jazz vertuoso). Otherwise you might snap a wrist trying to play this bass swung around your knees...or waist for that matter. I plug into a GK800RB head w/carvin 210 & 410 cabs. On my regular church gig, I'm also feeding direct to the house....our sound man has bragged on the tone he's getting from the bass.(yeah!)

The basses action was set to what I would call medium low. I prefer mine lower. I reajusted the two truss rods (the necks practically straight) and tweaked the saddles. Good fret work (has to be with action this low!) The paint finish looks fantastic (I was a little bummed by the fact that this Korean bass had my American made Cirrus beat in the finish department...no one wanted to here the Cirrus either! Yea, she's gone.) I haven't had any problems with noise from controls. I was pleased with the way the nut was cut (unlike many of the basses I've owned).

I pamper my basses but I believe this one could take some punishment. The tuner hold well. I installed strap locks before I ever played live.The truss rods (two) have held for a year. I have used this bass without a backup, the only problem is my back needs a backup (this bass is a heavy-wide load!) I've had lower back surgury (no, not because of the bass!)

Haven't had to deal with the company. I did find Conklin GrooveTools online and downloaded a diagram of the Bartolini electronics. I have heard good things about Bill Conklin and the customer support he offers. I would love the opportunity to visit his Springfield MO. shop someday.

I've been playing bass for over 30 yrs. I've owned a bunch of basses: Fenders, Rics,Ibanez, Peavey Cirrus 5 & 6 strings, etc. This Korean made GTBD rates right up there with the best American and Japanese basses I have owned. It is a head turner for sure. I now own a 2008 American Standard Jazz and an OLP MM22 along with the GTBD-& string. I feel like I have my electric, fretted basses covered (from old school to 7 string contra bass). I love this bass! Late last summer (2007) I purchased this bass online for $1399.00 (the only time I've ever bought a bass sight unseen) Two weeks ago I discovered the street price for the GTBD is now $1869.99. I would consider this bass a great value even at It's new price. If something happened to my bass I would definately want to replace it. the only thing I dislike about her is the weight, but she is a Conklin! She just doesn't cost her weight in gold like one of the basses Mr. Conklin builds in Springfield. Thanks Bill, for making the GROOVETOOLS available to us who can't yet afford one of your hand built beauties!

i boght my bass brand new(natural finish), no need to go into the specifics as it has already been stated for in other reviews.BUT its alot of them,my freind even okingly suggsted that it has a leslie switch on the bass!

this is my first REAL 7 string bass. i formerly had a galveston 7(from ebay) which is a good bass to try and see if you want to really do the 7 thing. i am probably one of the few who play 7 string bass on a regular basis. the brightness of the electronics was something that i had to get used too at first and i tend to play with the highs turned all the way down on my bass, bu besides that it sound great. i play for a church that sits 3500.sometimes at low point in the service when i play muted bass style i turn on the 40k boost.AWWWW MAN! to hear yourself in the subs while you are in the pit is an undescribable experience!i play it through a mesa mpulse600 and a mesa 410 and i usually keep the eq flat. this bass is an excellent value, especially seeing that it is not a custom bass.ohh, you shouldplay with the elctronic gains in the back of the bass, you will be very suprised at the results!

i really like the look of the bass. i wish they had more wood or color options, but for the price. it is nice, seeing that 7 strings usually cost 3 grand and up.the the finish is cool to me. the action was just a tad high, but it was playable. i eventually went and got the action set( they had to sand the nut down a bit to get a really close action. now i can breath on the strings and they play.my bass didnt come with any flaws, however i would suspect the gold harware to tarnish eventually.

i take good care of my things, seeing that my instrument is my 3rd arm. i expect this bass to lat a long time. it is very durable.

havnt had the bass long enoght to say, but i dont think i would ever have to go through theese guys, seeing that i could get whatever needs to be fixed here locally.

I am very pleased witht this instrument. AND, it is sexy. i would even say that this is the best looking factory made bass out right now. it is very intimidating looking and will shureely get others attention. i plan on buying the red one for a backup. i really like this bass and i expect to enjoy it on down the raod for a really long time.

I believe this bass was made in Korea to Conklin specifications. It is a 7-string neckthrough. The neck is 7-piece maple and purpleheart with a gold Gotoh tuners, a purpleheart fingerboard and 24 jumbo frets. There's even a little flame figure in the purpleheart, which shows up under stage lighting. The 34-inch scale neck is extremely wide, but quite thin front-to back. The fingerboard is quite flat--about a 15-inch radius. The body consists of swamp ash wings topped with nicely figured flame maple. The finish is thick, extremely hard acrylic buffed out on the body, and sanded to a satin on the neck. Despite its thickness, the finish doesn't seem to choke the sound of the bass. Pickups are Bartolini Bill Dickens model single coils hooked to a 3-band Bartolini NTMB-BD 9-volt preamp through a noise-cancelling buffer. The bass sports a single volume control with a pickup blend pot, then things get complex. Tone controls are bass, mid and treble cut/boost, with a four-position (plus "off") brightness switch, a three position (250/400/800Hz) mid freq EQ center select and a pull-up 30 Hz boost on the bass EQ pot. The body is the typical Conklin Sidewinder design, with the huge upper horn joining the neck at the 15th fret, and ending at the 11th, providing perfect balance. The small lower horn leaves easy access to the entire neck. The huge,heavy bridge allows for height and intonation adjustment.

This is supposedly a jazz axe--I'm a rock & blues player, working in a cover band that plays everything from Kansas to Chicago to Alanis Morissette and 4 non-blondes. This bass can do it all! Set flat, it has an almost organic growl--sort of a doghouse-style groan that can be easily manipulated by the EQ and boost. The single coils also give it a healthy helping of that classic, smoky J-bass "clank" I love. Once i got used to the relatively tight string spacing, I found it to be an easy slapper, with the brightness switch giving me a variety of available tones to work with. The seven strings give the bass unbelievable harmonic density. The purpleheart fingerboard seems to give it a clear fundamental with a sort of chime on top. Played through my Trace Elliot GP12 SMX pre, biamped through a Soundtech PS 1300 (about 400w/side into 8 ohms) into Trace 2103H (2X10"+horn) and 1153 (single 15) cabs, it commands attention, cutting through the mix without being overpowering. The single coils, despite the buffer, are vulnerable to dimmer hum, though it's not bad, compared to a Fender Jazz.

Build quality is flawless. I bought the unit used, so I can't comment on the setup, but the fretwork was immaculate, with the ends nicely manicured. There were no high frets and no buzzes, despite the fact that the action was set lower than I like. I switched strings immediately to Ken Smith Masters Taper B, so my local guitar tech did a full setup to my specs. I also replaced the plain strap buttons with my preferred Schaller straplocks. Conklin uses Dunlops on his custom pieces.

I've been giging with this bass for six months, now. Outside of changing the battery once, and lubricating the brightness switch when it began to hang up, I have done nothing to this bass since the initial setup. I'm even using the same strings, which are still plenty bright. I do depend on this bass. I don't carry a backup. I carry a spare battery, a spare cord and a set of strings. This bass is solid.

I've dealt directly with Bill Conkin twice. Once to get a set of electronics, once for a couple of nut blanks. Both times he was friendly and helpful. The nut blanks came "no charge."

I got my first bass in December of 1964. I've played since then--first in garage bands, then, beginning in May, 1969 as a touring pro. These days, I play weekends, but virtually every weekend. I've also worked as aproduction and studio engineer. I'm a fanatic for sound, and a fanatic for quality. This bass has both. At present, I own the Trace rig mentioned earlier, two old Sunn Sorado 50watt tube heads, each over a pair of Altec 421s and an Ampeg SVT cab reloades with aluminum-cone 10s. My basses include Koa-bodied Warmoth 4 and 5-string Jazz basses with Reflex pickups, a Fender ASJB with reflexes, an early '80s Elite P, '70 Ricky 4001, an Arbor Stiletto, a Deiss headless 6-string bass (a one-off custom piece) and the GTBD-7. If the Conklin were stolen, I would collect the insurance, buy another, then use any leftover cash to track down the fool who stole it. The GTBD-7 offers tremendous tone, tremendous flexiblity and tremendous range (4 1/2 octaves). The bass has had a tremendous impact on my style. the additional strings allow me to work horizontally, as well as vertically. I can play lines differently--invert them--play them from the middle out, or just go two octaves up and head for Neptune. I also find it easier to sing while playing, because I don't have to move around as much on the neck, unless I want to.

This bass is a new type of intrument! It was made in early 2000. It has 24 frets, 7 strings and a flat, purpleheart fingerboard.
I tune it in standard bass tuning (in 4ths) from low B,E,A,D,G,C,F.

I've tried many strings, and have settled on the Conklin Snakeskins (1.27 - .22) w/ a wrapped high F, or DR's (1.20 - .20) w/ a plain .20 high F (for a really great jazz sound)!

The ash body is capped w/ a nice thick piece of curly maple on either side of the neck through section (body wings). the amazing neck is 7 pieces of purpleheart and hard maple. It has Gotoh tuners, a Mighty Might high-mass bridge.
-Jumbo Frets (finished nicely)
-34" scale
-Gold Hardware
-High gloss finish w/ satin neck
-dual trusssrods

The electronics are all custom Bartolini, and this being the Bill (The Buddah) Dickens signature model, includes signature pickups to Dickens' specs. Bass, Treble, Volume, Pan, Mid boost w/ a toggle for mid frequency boost/cut, and a rotary switch for high frequesnce boost/cut.

Amazin range of tones. A really diverse instrument. I can go almost as high as a regular guitar, and often do for combo solos! Does Jaco and Wooten sounds!
From slap to smooth jazz chords, it does it all. Just remember to play it high on your body.

Needed a litlle setup, but then again, I like the neck flat!
I wish it has slightly wider string spacing, then again, it would then be too wide!
No blems or orange peel in the natural high gloss finish.
Wonderful figuring on the maple top...I was extra lucky here.

Truly Depepndable....no real problems to date (after 6 months.)

Customer service is astounding, for I had a slight problem w/ the preamp, so without hesitation, they sent out a whole new one!
Almost too kind!

I've been playing for 11 years, and performing regularly for 6.
The only thing I wish it had was a MIDI pickup/synth system...and it's available at a price for Bill Conklin and friends.