Flea’s Bass Guitars

Flea’s Bass Guitars

Amazing photo Flea slapping bass

Flea obviously owns a lot of bass guitars; this article covers the main ones and doesn’t try to include everything e.g. some of his bass guitars are just used for back up on tour. We’ve tried to make this as accurate as we can; if you have any more information please let us know! Special thanks to Paul McGhee who provided most of the information on the actual bass guitars for this article.

Funkadelic Flea bass player RHCP

  

Flea talking about his basses

 

Some of Flea’s Bass Guitars:

Alembic Epic

A flame maple topped mahogany body with ebony fingerboard (One Hot Minute)

Blue Flake Modulus Fleabass (Californication tour)

flea playing with his blue modulus which has the blood sucking flea sticker

Customized with a sticker which reads, “A flea still drinks the blood of those who wouldn’t harm a flea”.

The ‘Punk Bass’

Flea playing Punk bass guitar with Circle Jerks logo

Close up Flea playing Punk Bass guitar

Flea’s most recognisable and probably iconic, bass guitar’ it is a custom model Modulus Flea Bass which was nick-named the ‘Punk Bass’ due to its decoration; it was painted red, white and blue and covered in graphics featuring Flea’s favourite punk bands.

1961 Shell Pink Fender Jazz

Flea slapping 1961 fender bass in shell pink with D Boon sticker

An incredibly rare bass guitar; originally pink it now looks slightly yellow due to the varnish aging and discolouring on the bass. Flea horrified bass guitar collectors by firstly ‘defacing’ this guitar with a sticker showing D. Boon, lead vocalist of the Minutemen, and then adding a second sticker lower down.

A close up of the D Boon style sticker (the one of Flea’s bass is red not blue)

Sunburst Modulus Flea Bass

Flea Sunburst Modulus Bass

Used for theStadium Arcadium tour; sunburst design with a black pickguard.

Basses and the Albums/when they were used:

Pre- Red Hot Chili Peppers (album): Prior to their first album, Flea mostly played a cheap Squire bass guitar.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: For this album Flea played a Music Man Stringray (or Cutlass) which was covered in pink and green tape, painted and then plastered with stickers.

Freaky Styley: Flea played using Music Man Stingray & Fender Precision

Uplift Mofo Party Plan: A Spector LV was used for this record.

Mother’s Milk: Flea played a Spector NS-2

BloodSugarSexMagik: Flea played most of the tracks for BSSM using a blue Wal Mach II; the exceptions were the tracks ‘Funky Monks’ and ‘The Righteous And The Wicked’ for which Flea used a Music Man Stingray 5 (also seen in the video for Under the Bridge).

One Hot Minute: Flea played an Alembic Epic for all tracks except two; he used a Music Man Stingray for ‘Aeroplane’ (which can be seen in the video) and a Sigma Accoustic on ‘Pea’. A Music Man Sterling was used by Flea on the ‘My Friends’ video.

Californication: Flea played an original Modulus Flea Bass* for most tracks using a Fender Jazz on ‘Easily’ & a Taylor acoustic bass guitar on ‘Road Trippin’. The Californication tour saw Flea mostly using a blue flake finished Modulus Flea Bass.

By The Way: Again Flea mostly played a Modulus Flea Bass* for this album, using his 1961 Shell Pink Fender Jazz for a couple of songs (this bass can be seen in the ‘Can’t Stop’ video).  The ‘Punk Bass’ was used for most of the By The Way tour.

Stadium Arcadium: Flea played his 1961 Shell Pink Fender Jazz for whole album. For the Stadium Arcadium tour he used a new Modulus Sunburst Flea Bass.*

 *Note: the Modulus Fleabass is now called the Funk Unlimited to avoid confusion with the new line of Fleabass guitars (see below).

Flea destroying a bass…

 

Article on Flea’s Gear & Set up

 

Flea’s Range of Fleabass Guitars

Flea playing green punk Fleabass Selfridges, London

Flea was concerned that music students could not afford a decent bass guitar so he decided to launch his own range which provided the budding musician an opportunity to play a good bass guitar at an affordable price. The company was launched in 2009 and Flea made several personal appearances to support the product. The initial four designs (sunny bass-orange, water bass- blue, the wild one- black & white- and punk bass-green & orange- have recently been extended to include four new Street Bass designs (black & white, silver & black, blue & white and white and black).

A group of Fleabass guitars sunny bass orange, water bass blue, the wild one black & white and punk bass green & orange

58 thoughts on “Flea’s Bass Guitars

  1. I play bass guitar since first of September 2010. To this day not a Flea’s music but himself is my inspiration. I love that guy!!

  2. I hav a Musicman sterling ray 34 and I love it. You’re the one who inspired me to pick it up in the first place flea. Thank you soooo much for passing on ur passion for the bass guitar and music onto my blessed soul.

    Many thanks flea,

    Rahul Padmasola

  3. Can anyone tell me where I can buy a fleabass punk touring bass in the United States? All of the retailers listed on the fleabass website don’t carry it.

  4. Just found out that fleabass has is no longer making bass guitars (per 8th street music), which explains why I have not been able to find the touring bass anywhere.

  5. Flea this 60 year old bass man love your music. Pleas tell me how can I get one of your bass? (Redd)

    • This is an unofficial website so we have nothing to do with actual band members but this is what I know:

      I’ve been told by other fans that there are problems buying them and that the range has been removed; I’ve contacted the Fleabass company to ask what’s going on but never got a reply. All listed retailers on the Fleabass don’t seem to stock them any more but apparently you can often get them on eBay so it might be worth looking there if you can. Hope that helps.

      • They are very hard to find now and are very sought after.. I have a brand new tour bass that I will sell if interested……………………..

    • I have a brand new sunny tour bass for sale.. It plays like a vintage jazz bass on steroids…………give me a ring

  6. check it out – Thomann are putting out touring fleabass’s (model 32) for 190 Euros! I just got delivered to my door for £160! Ridiculous! They have run out of a street bass’, but who wants one of those!

  7. i have 1 brand new model 32 sunny flea bass left. found it in the back storage of my muysic store. if anyone wants it hit me up 972-636-7650.amps music studio.its brand new with case . just now took outta the box and adjusted the neck. so its setup and ready to rock…hit me up and make me an offer. i take paypal…

  8. Hi, Does anyone know what kind of bass Flea is playing on the inside of the cover of the ‘Mother’s Milk’ album? It looks like a vintage 60s Eko or something(?) It’s kind-of Fender Jaguar-ish/Pawn-shop looking? Flea is wearing trousers made of stuffed toy animals in the photo. As you do…
    Cheers 🙂

  9. Just found this thread. Does anyone have a “Water bass” and want to sell it’s pickguard, or know where i can get a new? Mine broke :'(

    Cheers!

  10. Squiers have been in production since 1982. You’re right about the’61, though. Totally different Jazz Bass that he plays at the end…

  11. So I just stumbled upon this thread, and am interested in acquiring a model 32 Punk (Green body with Pink pick guard) fleabass. Does anyone have one they would be willing to sell/trade, or know where I would be able to acquire one?

  12. he has now a new bass. not a modulus anymore. fender build a signature bass only for him. and you can but a “fender jazz bass flea signature” now. but he doesn’t use that one.

  13. Hello. You can add some informations about the Pepper’s latest albums. I think Flea definitely used his Fender Jazz Bass for “I’m with you” and “The Gateaway” albums. You can clearly hear it in a few songs, like “Monarchy of Roses, “Go Robot”, Dark Neccecities”, “Factory of faith”, “Ethiopia”, “Look Around” or “The Adventures of raindance Maggie”. Those songs have kinda “leading” basslines, the bass tone cuts through a mix in those songs and you can definitely tell it’s a Jazz Bass.

    Neverthless, he uses a different bass in live situations. These days he’s using something that looks like a Jazz Bass with a humbucker. The guitar sound similar to Modulus Flea signature.

    • I would but I have no clue. This info came from a friend and a couple of online articles. If you can help out or know someone who can, I’d be more than happy to update.

      • I’m sorry, but I can’t help you more. My ear is the source 😉 I’d say that Flea used Jazz Bass for the recordings that I mentioned, though I can’t tell you if it was his new Fender Signature Jazz, or that ’61 Fender, or anything else…I couldn’t find many articles or similar which could have confirmed that.

        The best way is to ask someone from the recording studios I think. It’s not a secret I believe 😉

        • Oh, by the way…Fender Jazz Bass can be seen in “Dark Neccecities” video. It might have been the studio bass for the song, because like I said, Fender Jazz Bass definitely was used to record that song 🙂

  14. I`ve started with a junior Squire bass. At 71 I`m not about to join a band. Do people like Flea, et al. suggest `newbies` learn the music (ie staves) or just learn to use the bass tabs?
    Many thanks,
    Frank Hancock.

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