The Kubicki Ex-Factor is such a cool bass. I've wanted one of these things ever since I saw Stu Hamm playing it with Satriani. They are pretty nice basses for funk, rock, and even metal. They are nice for slapping, tapping, and just about anything you wanna do on it. The Ex-Factor has a drop D tuner which gives you two extra frets, a D# and an E, and you don't have to do any transposing because the E string extends to 36 inches as opposed to the other string which are 32 or so. The tuners are also at the bridge, as opposed to the headstock which makes for a more balanced bass. Because there are no tuners at the headstock to counteract the weight of the vibrating strings, Phil Kubicki used a 44 laminate neck for support. This bass also comes in fretless, and with tuners on the headstock.