Pre Owned 1996 Rick Turner Prototype E-2 EL-434 PM Transparent Green Bass With OHSC

 

This is the prototype that eventually became the EL-434 Electroline Bass but with the 18-volt system and diamond shaped pickup - which was the original design for this model before it became the Electroline model with the J-style pickups.  You have full tonal control with a variety of sounds, thanks to the dual system with both a piezo bridge pickup and the magnetic diamond shaped pickup.  A blend control allows you to mix both in, or go full on with either.  A tone control allows further sound shaping, and there's a notched volume control.

 

According to Turner, he designed his piezo to capture both vertical string vibrations (the typical “pressure mode” picked up by a piezo) and lateral motions (“shear mode”), recognizing that most plucking and picking techniques create lateral motion. Turner explained: “If you get the geometry and preamp interface right, you can get incredibly flat frequency response, as well as amazing phase response—there’s no time smear, giving you a really fast low end."

 

Also, it's an amazing feeling bass - the neck & fretboard are super smooth, allowing you to play runs up & down effortlessly.  It's a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, and a gorgeous ash body.  The wood grain really shows nicely through the transparent finish.  It's capped by a super cool tortoiseshell headstock faceplate, adding to the custom look.  

The bass is in great condition - there are a few small dings on the body (check out the photos), and other than that, it's in primo shape, especially considering its age.  The techs in our shop have set it up to play perfectly.  Everything is original and the original hardshell case is included.

Sadly, Rick Turner passed away recently - he was a legend in the guitar world, a friend of Truetone's, and one of the top boutique builders for decades.  He will be sorely missed.  We feel lucky to have this bass here.  It's the blend between the pickups that make this bass truly unique, not to mention the gorgeous Transparent Green finish - this bass definitely turns heads in terms of both sight & sound.  You won't find another out there, as it's one of one!