Unboxing a Prototype Headless BASS from GOC Guitars!

[@gocguitars]

I like the guard. Yes the bridge needs rework

[@ryanisheartless]

Yes the guard stays for me! Haha

[@Meshuggah333]

Please, tell me you're going to offer kits to upgrade tuners on the older models.

[@dustinjohnsonmusic]

YEEEEESSS!!! Love the look of it, and I agree, the pickguard stays on lol

[@ryanisheartless]

Same man! I love the pickguard haha

[@zynosgd9982]

If GOC is reading this comment section: I recently discovered your brand and am likely to buy from you as my next guitar. I think you guys are coming up with very interesting designs and you are doing people a great service by making your products very fairly priced! I really really appreciate how close ypur are to your clients and, and this video is a proof of that, you actually get real people and players to give you feedback and listen to it. Massive applause from me. I'll definitely pass the word to my bassist friend when the basses come out!

[@ryanisheartless]

I will make sure they read this, thanks so much for the kind words!

[@gocguitars]

Thank you, fun fact. The social guy everyone talking to is me. I am also the senior designer for GOC. I volunteered to do social to hear exactly what people say first-hand. I love my job - John

[@zynosgd9982]

@@gocguitars legend

[@TokenBlacklabel]

I am super happy about this. My guitarist got a GOC guitar and it really got me interested in the brand. Really happy about the bass. I just hope a 6 string version gets made. And yes, a longer scale length would be really nice. Guitar looks great

[@ryanisheartless]

I wouldn’t mind seeing a 6 string myself!

[@gocguitars]

Currently have facebook, Instagram and KZbin reading your comments and on the other is my CAD. Reading comments while designing the bass. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE pitching their ideas. I got hundreds of dms on our social (I apologize as I cannot reply to all) but I am speaking with several bassists worldwide on creating something that is widely accepted.

[@ryanisheartless]

GOC is the people's instrument brand!

[@federz666]

Dream come true. Only things needed is a longer scale length on the bass side.. and aside from that, all I’ve ever wanted from a GOC guitar is a larger fretboard radius.

[@ryanisheartless]

GOC heard that loud and clear!

[@DomLapointe]

Finally making a bass was a good move I can’t imagine how good the AO neck must feel on a bass neck

[@ryanisheartless]

It’s a game changer dude, seriously!

[@miho772]

They really need to do a 34-37 if possible. Whatever keeps the parallel fret and neck where it normally is. But the lowest string should really be 37” on a five string. Goc will own that segment of the market for the price I expect them to go for. Lee Sklar really turned my head with the clarity he gets on his low B and I’m certain people reach F# and can actually hear it instead of just feel it. I’m sure Nolly does fine by it. That and the satin finish and the upgrades to make the bridge better are definitely going to make people take notice. I do wonder about the weight. I hope they manage to keep it low and centered.

[@ryanisheartless]

I can't argue with you on these at all honestly. As for the weight, It has virtually no neck dive for me, and is lighter than my telecaster. I will weigh it soon!

[@zebuloncarpenter58]

I agree wholeheartedly with this. There are only like three basses on the market under $2000 with a 34-37" scale (Two Ibanez BTBs and whatever the Legator bass is called), so another option like this would be fantastic.

[@selfsatisfiedred]

Love that it’s a regular satin finish rather than an open pore finish like regular gocs (at least the last few batches)

[@ryanisheartless]

Satin is great! Until your fingerprints make it shiny over time. I do really love this finsish though and now I want more like it

[@ThorsShadow]

Oh my god they're FINALLY making a bass!!

[@ryanisheartless]

Bout time, yeah? And I knowwww!

[@jonlorbacher]

Literally the ONLY difference I would want would be to have a 37" option. But it's basically perfect on paper. If they need another tester, I'm down to road test it in No Treaty

[@ryanisheartless]

Noted! I myself would like a 34-37” version so I’m with ya!

[@jonlorbacher]

@@ryanisheartless Yeah, the extra long low side is essential for tuning down to F# without needing obnoxiously thick strings. 33-35 is fine for my church stuff, but I still prefer the clarity of a 37 given the option

[@gocguitars]

Let me think about it. The first model we were working on was a 34/37" it was heavy. =_= I have to play with the numbers

[@devinrobbins3854]

Looks sick! It would be cool to incorporate a non-invasive modular pickguard. That way, people won't be divided and can put it on/take it off whenever. I'm curious if the updated bridge system will be a direct replacement with existing models. Would love to have the option to update my guitar bridge without any modifications needed.

[@ryanisheartless]

Noted!

[@pseud0basslance]

I like the pickguard! Only a 35" scale on a multi scale seems like a missed opportunity though. Dingwalls are so popular because of the long scale and being great for metal and really low tunings. Which this won't be able to handle too much only at 35"

[@ryanisheartless]

I agree, you won't get past Drop G on this for sure. But I will pass along the very much common theme in feedback so far of people wanting a longer scale length!

[@jonlorbacher]

YEEEESSS!!!!!

[@ryanisheartless]

Sooooo stoked!

[@adammotter7430]

I would 100% buy as is and agree there is a hole in the market for it. That being said: Pick guard without the hexagonal holes would be better imo - just one solid piece. Most people are going to want a 37” scale. Personally I’m ok with the 35”. More manageable to play. Yup - new bridge plz. Love the finish! Love the fret markers!

[@ryanisheartless]

I like those ideas man thank you!

[@moanissalem]

I asked @gocguitars about basses a few years ago and finally it's happening! I still believe a 34"-37" would be killer (more ppunch and clarity on the lower side) and in a decent price range these basses will dominate! The pickups placement is kinda off to me, it feels like 70's jazz bass pickups positioning but the pickups are in soapbar size! so for me, I'd move the bridge pickup an inch or so closer to the neck pickup and bring the neck pickup to the middle of the body, making the two pickups closer to each other, like on the spector bolt-on basses it gives more punch and clarity, and maybe keeping a place for a third pickup in between 😉😉

[@ryanisheartless]

Yeah this is a long time coming, and I am so stoked it is finally happening! Thank you for the feedback, it is being taken into consideration!

[@frankmarini5391]

First, the bass looks crazy amazingly awesome. I too agree that there is a market for headless multiscale basses, that are light weight, have a great sound and are much less expensive than Dingwalls. BTW, you are probably aware that a Headless prototype of a Dingwall has been floating around, so expect a headless Dingwall soon. But I suspect this GOC bass will be more price competitive. This GOC bass looks to be a hybrid of a Boden, Abasi, and a Dingwall, particularly with the neck profile looking like it has a ridge in the center. The headstock has a great shape and the string retainers look practical. The Zero fret is great for these types of setups. It was disappointing to hear the tuning ends required you to modify the strings. This make for a very challenging string change, if something breaks, forgetaboutit on stage- just swap basses. I will also comments on the scale length, the 35-32" multiscale is what are on the Boden and it sounds good, but not authoritative. It doesnt have the presence or the sting clarity of a 37" B string. Lastly, since i dont hear you playing this bass, may i ask, how resonant is the whole bass when your playing? that will be a good indicator of punch and sustain. Im team no pickguard.

[@ryanisheartless]

Check out my video comparing the strandberg necks to GOC necks! They’re actually quite different. The GOC neck is considerably flatter, with a different profile

[@frankmarini5391]

@@ryanisheartless Ryan- i also recall you tried out a Legator Wraith headless 5 string bass. How would you compare the workmanship and hardware of that Wraith to the GOC?

[@ryanisheartless]

@@frankmarini5391 I did! And I ended up selling that Legator Wraith fairly quickly. The pickups just did not do it for me. I think part of it was their placement in regard to the bridge, as well as spacing from each other. But I just could never get a sound I was happy with out of that bass. That and the first 5 frets had pretty extensive quality control issues such as very sharp fret ends, damage to the frets themselves, and it just wasnt worth the work or the money. Legator was also zero help as they refused to respond to any forms of communication to help me out with the issues the bass had. Quite upsetting considering I pre-ordered that bass sight unseen brand new from them. But hey, I should have read more reviews on the company first, Legator are unfortunately known for their poor quality control.

[@cags12]

What is the control layout and functionality? any of these is a rotary knob? Initial feedback: 1 - Dissapointed with the scale lenght. I understand perhaps not going up to 37" but at least 36 or 36.5". There is no headless in the market with these specs. Misses the point of a prog oriented bass. Defo needs to be longer in line with how they guitars are or they have lost me. 2 - Pickup placement. Jazz style placement but the bridge pickup seems too close to the bridge. Are those split coils or full single coils? Look like Nordstrands Big singles or Big splits inspired. I'd love to see 3 pickup or a Music Man pickup option. I thik the Dingwall 3x recipe nails it here. 3 - Nitpicking: With pickguard looks better but that particular pickguard design could be improved

[@zebuloncarpenter58]

I just stumbled across this video, and I'm definitely interested in hearing tones. I do have some suggestions as one of those weirdos who actually chose to play bass instead of guitar, rather than in addition to guitar: 1 - You need to do a longer scale. 35" is decent for a B string in standard tuning, but there is really nothing like the full Dingwall 37" scale for the low string, especially for tuning low. For a bass that is oriented in a metal direction, this should be a no-brainer. 2 - Offer this in a six-string, PLEASE! 3 - I'm listening with my eyes here, but I would love to see the neck pickup moved much closer to the bridge pickup. That gives a more defined tone when the two pickups are blended together. 4 - I don't know what the string spacing is here, but wider (18-19mm at the bridge) spacing is going to open the door for a lot of techniques that are a lot harder with narrow spacing.

[@ryanisheartless]

Tones on the way!! And thank you for the suggestions dude!

[@DominiqueHeine]

The pickguard looks great on this. (And that's coming from a guy that usually really doesn't like them). Agree with several others here. 37" scale on the bass side would definitely be desirable and would also help fill a certain void in the market that Ibanez has left open with their EHB series so far. I love my EHB but still wish it had the longer scale.

[@ryanisheartless]

Longer scale is now being looked at thanks to all the feedback around it!

[@Dekcatta]

Dingwall doesn't do active pickups - they ship the NG2/3 and Combustion with a preamp, but they only ship their basses with their proprietary passive pickup designs.

[@ryanisheartless]

You’re correct, I misspoke.

[@KeshiaCabrera]

Ooooh niiiice

[@ryanisheartless]

It really is! Love it already

[@HeroOfTme13]

I think this is great I've been looking forward to this release. I'm personally team pickguard myself. it works better with a burst color imo. I think outside of the already existing changes planned for the bass, I think it being a bit longer of scale would be nice. as it is, the scale is battling against the Ibanez EHB line of basses and I think even making the bass 33-36 would make it stand out. additional thing but something to consider for the future. As I don't know if there's going to be a 4 or 6 string run of these eventually, I'm thinking it would be cool to have the scale specs be like. 4: 32-35 5: 32.5-36 6: 32.5-37

[@ryanisheartless]

Wow, thank you for the detailed feedback here! All of it makes ense logically to me as well honestly, although I have never played a 32-37 scale bass. That seems like a very aggressive fanning to me, having only played dingwall's 34-37 and that one is a hell of a reach to get to the first fret lol! I will pass all of this along man thank you!

[@HeroOfTme13]

@ryanisheartless no problem! I've been using GOC for quite some time so I'm always doin my best to put in detailed feedback as I think of it But yes I agree a 32 to the 37-in would be quite extreme. I was mainly just spitballing the idea for the low end of the multi-scale. I think 33-34 for the high end Will be the sweet spot. I know that ding wall actually makes it smaller on their 6 string then they're 4 string so more things to consider. Thanks for taking a look!

[@frankmarini5391]

@@ryanisheartless the reach issue is easily solved by relocating the back strap pin inward to near the battery cavity. This relocated strap pin idea is whats on all the expensive Dingwalls for years and moves the bass across your body. You can buy a recessed strap pin system from Dunlop. I have them on all my Dingwalls

[@pawefortuna9173]

As i see string holding "claws" (ball end) and string saddles are made from stainless steel not brass it's a huge step up in terms of durability would love to see them in guitars. Also upragde sets for already owned guitars would be nice or new upgraded bridges sets when they relase them so we don't have to buy entire new waraxe (don't get me wrong i would cuz they are phenomenal quality for buck

[@ryanisheartless]

Yeah the bridges on these will be replaced entirely though to. I’ll 100% pass this feedback along too man, and I agree with all of it!

[@jorgeaguirre7346]

Sick TDWP tat 😮‍💨

[@ryanisheartless]

Thank you for recognizing it haha!

[@Euathlus1985]

That thing looks damn hot 💥 PLZ without the P-guard

[@ryanisheartless]

Haha but I love the guard!!

[@GDT1124]

WANT

[@Wyatt.D.Loiselle]

This was mentioned already... but... those pickups look EXACTLY like Nordstand Big Singles. I'm pretty sure that those pickups are passive because I don't see a double battery box and that battery would be needed to power the preamp... right? The design is sick, I've never had the chance to try a GOC guitar so I don't know what the A/O neck feels like but it almost seems like a Strandberg Endur neck. I really think that this has potential, but the scale needs to be Dingwall scale for more people to justify a multiscale 5 string. I like the pickguard in this one but I think that if it was to have a sparkle or gloss solid color ( anything that isn't wood grain tbh) it should not have the guard. One last thing... I really hope that the horn lines up roughly with the Dingwall basses in terms of where the neck is set and the horn is compared to the 12th fret. BECAUSE... my legator feels awful compared to both of my NG3's and every other Dingwall I have tried. Dingwall is actually working on a headless model and honestly, I am super excited about that! Overall this looks like a great bass with some tweaks and adjustments... I would love to see where this goes and hopefully an update in the new year.

[@ryanisheartless]

All great feedback and I will make sure they see it! QQ about the horn: does the legator feel awful because of the neck dive? I owned a 5 string headless legator for a few months, bought it on pre-order when they first launched it, and it was one of the worst basses I ever owned. Its what drove me to finally buck up and buy my Dingwall NG2

[@Wyatt.D.Loiselle]

@@ryanisheartless I had the same experience that you just described with my WR5F. I didn't really find an issue with neck dive, I found more of an issue with the 1st and 2nd frets being very hard to reach, which I don't find with my Dingwall. The neck was also quite large for a bass of those specs and overall was uncomfortable. I am pretty sure it is because of where the straight fret is, as well as how far into the body the neck is set... you can tell just by looking at the WR5F and any 5 string Dingwall where the horn comes out to, how far the neck is set into the body and where the straight fret on the fretboard is... all make a difference in playability. Again, like you said... it's what made me put an NG3 on financing for 4 months and I got another a few months after. I honestly feel that Dingwall now is the peak bass for all genres and if they develop and make the headless prototype a real item you can buy... they might have the market beat lol

[@HarryVu-oi3rn]

HOLY FUCK I WOULD BUY THAT AND MOD THE HELL OUT OF IT LOL

[@ryanisheartless]

Ohhhh what would you do as mods to it?? How can we make it to where you wouldnt need to mod as much?

[@harryvu7878]

@@ryanisheartlesshaha sorry i got way too excited and that came out wrong. The bass looks AMAZING, very edgy and very modern and classy with the satin finish and the guard. What i meant was im sure the electronic sounds fine, however, bases on the review on the community about the guitars, the electronic is most likely not going to held up with this kind of price so id put darkglass preamp and possibility new pickups in them. But imo, the electronic can be modify but i trusted the build quality to be the finest (maybe rework on the bridge but tbh i dont mind). The reason why i said i love the build quality is both me and my coworkers have GOC guitars and they are great!!! Way better build quality as expected! But overall, if they were to release the bass today id buy it with no hesitation

[@harryvu7878]

@@ryanisheartlessanother thing is i would be awesome if they can do 37" scale length. This would get people crazy about the product as there aint many 37" out there. Aesthetic wise, i think they should do resin fill top 👀? Also if your confused, im the same guy that commented last night just different account cuz im on my phone haha

[@ivanvicente9633]

just make the parallel fret on a higher fret ie 14th to make chords easier. I’d like to know price too. A 3 pickup option would be nice, as well as actual active pups and not just a preamp. The strandberg cutaway is absurdly comfortable too. I find that the traditional leg cut normally leaves the bass too high while playing seated, btbs have it very deep to leave it lower. I also find that the bass side of the body is normally quite redundant and only adds weight. Thumb rests are quite useful in a bass like this in which you probably play a lot the low string. I have never used a pick to tune a headless bass, probably screws with a single thin thread and very parallel fixes the force issue. Mute switches are quite useful to me. 6 strings are very nice too. I find 35 inch not enough most of the time, 36 tends to be good enough. This is pretty much an ehb with probably a not shit craftsmanship, I have not had good luck with indonesian ibanez basses from the last 3 years.

[@ryanisheartless]

Great feedback!

[@sonatabigdeal8683]

The pickups in most basses, including Dingwall, are NOT active. They are passive pickups with active preamps. EMG and Fishman are the only common active pickups.

[@ryanisheartless]

Yep, I responded to another's comment about the same, I mis-spoke! I am used to talking about guitars as you can see!

[@nj1255]

Is GOC a fully Chinese company? I mean, are they both designed and built in China? If so, they have to be some of the best electric guitars coming out of China. Eastman might be the only Chinese brand that trumps them. Although, it might be a bit of a stretch to call Eastman a Chinese company.

[@ryanisheartless]

Designed in the US, built in China!