Dear all,
I am wondering if anyone has experience with both the "Old Trace Elliot" T-Bass and the new Status T-Bass. I know that the old version was made by Status but it does have a wooden neck, the new ones have the graphite neck.
I have the older T-Bass. It is the 1998 Special Editioncandy apple-red 5 -string. EVERYONE loves this bass. I have some friends that work in the LA recording and fim music industry and they love the sound of my T-Bass. They often ask me to bring it to their studios for small projects they are working on...
Even the great Alex Acuna heard me play the bass in church one Sunday morning and asked me to go to his house the next day with the bass so he could record it for a personal project he was working on. Everyone that hears it says it is the best bass they have ever heard! Mind you, Status basses are amost unknown here in the US. I have 2 other Status basses and this T-Bass.
The truth is that I love the sound of this bass but I have always hated the look of it. I just dont like vintage basses with pickguards.... Mine is the vintage candy apple red with white pickguard. Yuck!
I do drool over the new T-Basses with maple tops and see-through finishes. They are gorgeous! I always think about simply selling mine and ordering a new T-Bass to my liking.... BUT while I love graphite necks I fear everyone loves my current T-Bass because it has that classic Fender sound with the wood neck. Help!!!!
Does anyone have experience with the new T-Basses? How do they sound compared to the old T-Basses? Does the graphite neck make that much difference? I know this is difficult to answer. I love my graphite Status basses but admit they are not "vintage sounding"...
I am mostly a jazz bass player (as a well as a jazz educator in various colleges here in LA).
I play classical double bass in two community symphonies and jazz basses in various pro jazz groups.
People in Jazz circles are very caught up in the "mandatory" Fender Jazz bass sound...
Thank you very much in advance!
-Chris Coulter

Trace Elliot T-bass SE 5-String
Status Eclipe Bass 5-String
Status Smart Fretless 5-String
NS Design CR4T Electric Upright
German Upright Bass, circa 1930s

Interesting question. You sound experienced enough to know how to get various sounds out of your basses. As you know the pickups play a big part of the Status sound but I agree the graphite necks do give them a bit more Zing! I can get a fairly good 'P' bass sound out of my S2 but I think your theory on a wooden neck does hold water, they do sound a bit warmer. I think the T bass has a ground breaking look and no other bass has a headstock as cool. I would embrace its great sound and if it really kills you, lose the pickgaurd and get a refinish done on it? It's very cool producers are requesting your bass!! There is a very successful dance act in the UK called Faithless and their bassist uses two wood T basses live a four and a five string so they do have kudos!! Sorry I can't answer your original question.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qcVY0sGVOro

T bass in action, don't knock the wooden ones!

I absolutely love the look of the T-bass, Trace Elliot or Status, especially the Daphne blue-looking one. However, you shouldn't keep the bass just because other people like it. Life's too short. Sell it to them, and buy yourself a new one!

I own both T-basses, wood neck is going to sound different. If you refinish your bass you are still going to need a pickguard, which hides the third hum cancelling pick up.

There is a nice T bass 5 on eBay UK right now (3/8/13) block inlays special edition. Guy will part x reasonable guitars!

Thank you to all who have replied. Your comments were very helpful to me. I recently found a mint condition 1996 T-Bass standard for sale in a music store. I bought it to check out how it compared to my current T-Bass. It also has the wood neck. I decided to sell this T-Bass I just acquired (for the price I picked it up for) and I will then order a new T-Bass direclty from Status (with a graphite neck).
I realized that these basses are so good that I should simply have one of each. I am now convinced that there simply is no better bass guitar than a Status.
This bass is now listed in the "Basses for sale forum".
Thanks again for everyone's comments!
Here are pics of the bass.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cecoulterjazz/sets/72157635054084426/
-Chris