Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is one funky bassist. Not only does he play a mean slap bass, he also is know for his flashy bass guitar gear and music equipment. Flea has used many different bass guitars in his career. Let's take a look at what bass gear and equipment has been seen in Flea's bass rig.
Click the gear images for more info and specs at Guitar Center and Amazon
Bass Guitars
- Flea Bass, bass guitars - Flea has his own line of Basses
Notes: Flea has tended to use basses with active electronics. His signature live bass up until Californication was the Music Man StingRay, which he also used to record the album Freaky Styley. In the studios for The Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Mother's Milk Flea used a Spector bass. Blood Sugar Sex Magik was recorded with a Wal Mach II, Stingray 5 string and One Hot Minute with an Alembic Epic bass. From Californication onwards, he had a signature model from Modulus Guitars, which is based on the StingRay. For Stadium Arcadium, he used a '61 Fender Jazz bass. The Jazz Bass was used during some of the Stadium Arcadium tour, but Flea later switched back to using his Modulus Signature bass on the tour.
Flea's basses feature BadAss II bridges, Aguilar OBP-1 preamps, and Lane Poor pickups.
- Sunburst Modulus Flea Bass: Flea’s main Bass on tour. It has a “sunburst” body with the pickguard removed, a Carbon Fiber neck with a black headstock. The bass has stickers on the body.
- "Circle Jerk Punk-Rock" Modulus Flea Bass: Custom "Red, White & Blue" paint job with custom shaped White Pearl pickguard. Carbon Fiber neck with a white headstock that matches the white on the body. The bass has stickers on the front of the body. The bass was used to record By The Way and on tour.
- Blue Sparkle Modulus Flea Bass: This bass has a “Blue Sparkle” body with a White Pearl pickgaurd, a Carbon Fiber neck with a matching Blue Sparkle headstock. Also, this bass has a black sticker under the bridge that reads "a flea still drinks the blood of those who wouldn't harm a flea". This bass was used during the Californication tour.
- Silver Sparkle Modulus Flea Bass: This bass has a “Silver Sparkle” body with a White Pearl pickgaurd, a Carbon Fiber neck with a white headstock.
- Silver Sparkle "5-String" Modulus Flea Bass: This is Flea's only 5-String bass on tour. This bass has a “Silver Sparkle” body with a White Pearl pickgaurd, a Carbon Fiber neck with a white headstock.
- Some aboriginal painted Modulus basses
- "Shell Pink" '61 Fender Jazz Bass: Vintage Bass. “Shell Pink” body with a Tortoise-Shell pickgaurd, a rosewood neck with a maple headstock. Sticker of D. Boon, former lead singer of the Minutemen, on body. Bass is stock. Given to Flea as a gift. Flea used this bass to record Stadium Arcadium and some live shows. One of very few original "Shell Pink" jazz bases ever produced by Fender.
New 60's Jazz Bass:
- Spector basses
Amplifiers and cabinets
Flea has been using Gallien-Krueger as recently as 2012.
- 3x Gallien-Krueger 1x15 115RBH Bass Cabinets
- 3x Gallien-Krueger 2001 RB amplifer head
- 3x Gallien-Krueger 410RBH 4x10 cabinets
In 2011, the Acoustic USA website indicates Flea is using their gear on tour
- Acoustic USA 360 pre-amplifier bass heads (x3)
- Acoustic USA 361 powered cabinets (x3)
Effects and Accessories
- Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive (set for a highly distorted sound heard on "Around the World" & "So Much I")
- MXR Micro Amp (for a clean boost during heavy slap passages)
- Electro Harmonix Q-Tron (for filter sounds on "Sir Psycho Sexy")
- Dunlop 105Q Bass Wah
- Whirlwind DI
- Malekko Barker BAssmaster Pedal (Barker Assmaster)
- Moog Moogerfooger 12 Stage Phaser
- Electro-Harmonix USA Big Muff Pi pedal
- DOD Envelope Filter
- Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2+
Strings, Picks, and More
- GHS Boomers guage .045-.105 (used before his signature string came out)
- GHS Flea Signature Series strings
- Dunlop Tortex 1.14mm pick (used when needed)
- Korg digital tuner
- Shure SM98 microphone
- Furman power conditioners
- Monster Cable, Mogami Cable, Switchcraft Cable
Go to the next page for pictures of Flea's Bass Rig
