I saw the Gecko bass page while visiting the Warmoth website, (www.warmoth.com) got the itch, sold some gear, and called.

Warmoth customer service is very good. They were able to make some good recommendations and answer my random questions in a timely fashion.

After ~6 weeks the bass arrived (in parts). The quality of construction was better than I expected and just looking at the thing really put a bug up my a** to get it put together and playing. One problem; Warmoth was having problems getting the bridge for the Gecko from Kahler and the bridge is recessed into the body, so I couldn't just redrill mounting holes and slap something else on

.

I went ahead and assembled the bass (let me say that wiring 2 series/parallel switches in conjunction with a blend pot and a 3-band EQ was NOT my idea of fun) and about 2 weeks later the bridge arrived. IMO, this is the only subpar component on the Gecko. It LOOKS cool, but it's a complete pain in the ass to set intonation or string height; you have to loosen the string you're working on, make your adjustments, tune the string, check adjustments, repeat as necessary...

Aside from that, the bass plays beautifully, sounds great, and looks like a work of art. I chose components/woods to make sure the bass sounded bright and clear, even down low on the B, and it worked.

If you're looking for a personalized, 35" scale 5 or 6 string bass for ~$1000 give Warmoth a call. One recommendation; the last time I talked to them, they were working with Hipshot on a new bridge for these basses. I'd say wait for those new bridges.

Construction	95%
Playability	90%
Appearance	100%
Sound	95%
Value	100%
Cust. Service	100%
Overall	97%