Bass Guitar Magazine B a s s G u it a r Ma ULTIMPRESENTS ATE g a z in e P re s e n ts … T h e U e ltim ate h B a s s G T u ide Bass Guide BASSES AMPS EFFECTS TUITION ALL BUDGETS, ALL STYLES – ROCK, JAZZ, FUNK, METAL, R&B AND BEYOND! www.bassguitarmagazine.com UK £7.99 01 FROM THE UK'S NUMBER ONE BASS GUITAR MAGAZINE 9 772055 507001 > 002.indd 2 28/07/2014 15:19 ffoorreewwoorrdd Foreword I got into bass to meet girls. Then I got into jazz and ruined the whole plan... It might be a silly joke, but at least I got into bass. It’s the best thing that I ever did. Being a bass player allowed me to travel the world. My career as a bass player has put me on a permanent vacation for 40 years. I’ve played bass in concerts on tops of mountains, in theatres built by Greek architects 2000 years ago, next to tropical oceans, near active volcanos, in castles, pubs, parking lots and palaces. I once played on the Asian continent, and then took a boat to return to my hotel in Europe. I’ve been paid a lot of money and I’ve been ripped off more than once. Some of the best musicians in the world have given me permission to record with them. I’m known for fusion, but you’ve also heard me on rock and pop music whose names I was sworn never to mention by the producers that hired me. (And I never will. My word is my contract and their regular bass players wouldn’t like it.) My bass playing has been heard by royalty, politicians, actors, and I have dined on some of the best cuisine in the world. I’ve filled up several US passports with visas and entry stamps. I’ve been on a gazillion airplanes, taxis, limos, boats and vans, and slept in some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Almost everyone I have met over the years has been wonderful, kind, honest, and into music as much I am. This guide might offer a little advice for you to join me in this industry. Bass Guitar Magazine has compiled a bunch of columns, bass reviews and artist interviews for you in the ultimate bass guitar resource. In these pages you will discover stories, like mine, that will inspire you to pursue this great and strange career. Certainly you will be enlightened, entertained, and maybe a little outraged. Enjoy this compendium, and remember that all professional musicians share my experiences, and then some. Maybe you can extract a few bits of information to guide you toward a similar experience as mine has been. Enjoy this bookazine and remember that music is something that you have to work for. Everything great is! Jeff Berlin Florida, 2014 PS I did meet some pretty nice girls over the years. Even a funny- looking guy like me has some pretty amazing stories to share when I get a couple of pints in me… BBaassss GGuuiittaarr MMaaGGaazziinnee 000033 ConTEnTS BaSS GIUTaR MaGazInE presents… W Welcome, bass THE ULTIMaTE BaSS GUIdE fan, to Bass Guitar Magazine Presents... The Ultimate Bass Guide, in which you’re about to encounter gear advice, performance tips and all manner of professional help to accompany you on your way to being a better bass player. Bass Guitar Magazine occupies a unique position, we’re proud to say: we recently hit our 100th issue and, just as it was at issue one back in 2002, our mission is to bring you the very best the bass world has to offer. That extends as far as this bookazine, which gathers as much bass-related content as we could pack into its pages. We’ve gone through the last couple of years of BGM and selected the very best and most useful columns, reviews and interviews in order to make The Ultimate Bass Guide truly, well, ultimate. Whether you play at beginner, intermediate or advanced level, whether you prefer rock or funk to jazz and R&B, and no matter what your budget, this unique guide has something for you. Enjoy the ride, and we’ll see you at the London Bass Guitar Show held annually each March, where the world of bass meets for a couple of days that no bass player can afford to miss. Editor Joel Mciver, [email protected] Sub-Editor Nick robbins Joel McIver, editor CoNtributorS Mike Brooks, Dave Clarke, Stuart Clayton, Ben Cooper, Jon D’Auria, David Etheridge, Paul Geary, Ian Glasper, www.bassguitarmagazine.com Joel Graham, Janek Gwizdala, Mike Hine, Dave Marks, Michael McKeegan, Kevin Sanders, Rob Statham, Jack Stevens www.londonbassguitarshow.com Note: Gear prices fluctuate, of GraphiC dESiGN Steve dawson www.facebook.com/bassguitarmagazine course, and you may find that the ad dESiGN Katherine Mcardle www.facebook.com/londonbassguitarshow costs of various items have changed photoGraphy of yolaNda CharlES, MarK KiNG, pEtEr hooK, larry GrahaM: tina K @bassguitarmagazine since they were originally reviewed GEar photoGraphy: Eckie @londonbassguitarshow – so check before you order. CovEr iMaGE: Status Kingbass paramatrix advErtiSiNG hannah benson opEratioNS dirECtor James folkard aSSiStaNt publiShEr ruth burgess publiShEr Wes Stanton 03 Foreword 23 Enfield Lionheart 4 and 5 aCCouNtS dave deo SubSCriptioNS [email protected], 01926 339808 The great Jeff Berlin shares his welcoming Loaded with Sims’ amazing Super Quad wisdom pickup system, this bass has a serious roar Printed in the UK © Blaze Publishing Ltd 2014. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced 06 How To Use This Bookazine… 26 Music Man Classic Sabre in any form, stored in a retrieval system or integrated into any other publication, database or commercial program without the express What this here bookazine is all about A winning formula, relaunched to mass permission of the publishers in writing. Under no circumstances 07 Glossary acclaim. We run it through its paces should this publication and its contents be sold, loaned out or used by way of trade, or stored or transmitted as an electronic file without the The bass terms you’ll need if you want to sound 29 Carvin Icon publishers prior written approval. cool backstage Looking good and feeling iconic diSClaiMEr While Blaze Publishing Ltd prides itself on the quality of the 32 Status Kingbass Paramatrix information its publications provide, the company reserves the right not to be held legally responsible for any mistakes or inaccuracies 08 Bass Guitar Guide At the thick end of four grand, Mark King’s found within the text of this publication. Bass Guitar Magazine is an independent publication and as such Dive into the best of the bass world, starting signature bass is a serious proposition. does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of manufacturers 36 Warwick Thumb SC6 here... or distributors of the products contained within. All trademarks are acknowledged. 09 25 Basses Under £500 Now we’re talking big numbers. At £4700 and diStributioN Distributed to the news trade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West A quarter-century of affordable axes that you change, Warwick’s behemoth six-string is a Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE need to try today – and if you’re thinking that low force unto itself... publiShEd by 40 Ritter R8 Blaze Publishing Ltd. Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington budget means low quality, think again Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ 16 Ibanez SRI200E Premier £6450 for this work of art? We’ll do our best Bass Guitar Magazine is proud to support the Music Industries Association. Slick lines, killer tones and tasty electronics: all for to persuade you 44 Fodera Matt Garrison less than a grand 20 Gordon-Smith Gryphon Turn to page 44 to see what this utterly This mythical beast rose from the ashes last year. superb Fodera will cost you. Got a spare arm We hail its return and leg? 004 Bass Guitar MaGazine presents… COntents Click to like us Click to follow us 47 Bass amps Guide 80 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff and darkglass The man in the hat continues to astound after all Microtubes these years. Say hello! A trip into sound. Deep, loud sound: the kind that 114 Freekbass drowns out guitarists... Two amazing pieces of bass FX on one page. No 48 TC Electronic BH250 need to thank us Looking for Bootsy’s modern reincarnation? Here 81 Eden i90 Chorus he is A head so portable you can practically carry it in 116 Jeff ament your wallet? This we must see We do love a nice chorus round BGM’s way. No, 50 EBS Reidmar 250 and Classic Line it doesn’t sound 80s... Pearl Jam’s bassist reveals his side project 82 Electro-Harmonix Superego Synth 118 Peter Hook The Swedes are coming. To the battlements! 54 Hughes & Kettner Basskick series You do want your bass guitar to sound like a Hooky looks back on his impressive life and Mid-priced amplifi cation, above-average quality. synth bass. You really do times as Manchester’s fi nest 84 diamond Compressor and aphex Xciter 122 Larry Graham Music to our ears 57 ampeg PF800 head and PF210HE cab Time to compress that tone and then jazz it up The master! That is all 86 EBS Billy Sheehan drive The grandaddy of all bass manufacturers, still as solid as ever The Boss has his own overdrive. We step 128 Bass Tuition Section 59 Markbass CMd JB Players School combo reverently on it Begin your journey to better bass playing here 500 nicker for an amp with Jeff Berlin’s school’s 88 Roger Mayer Voodoo 129 Bass Tutors name on it? We’ll take Markbass up on that Jimi Hendrix used Mayer FX. Enough said Meet the team! 61 Ea iamp Micro Head 91 Sonuus Wahoo 130 Beginner’s Theory: Jack Stevens Another eminently tiny (but loud) amp for those This amazing bit of kit does pretty much 132 Beginner’s Technique: Paul Geary who dislike osteopathy bills everything. Yes, we said it 136 Beginner’s Theory: Jack Stevens 64 Gallien-Krueger MB800 92 Cornell Pedalamp 138 Beginner’s Technique: Paul Geary Can GK deliver the goods? Do bass strings snap This futuristic bit of kit looks like nothing else on after you boil them? Planet Bass... and costs nearly £700! 140 Intermediate Technique: Rob Statham 68 aguilar Tonehammer 350 head and SL112 cab 142 Intermediate Theory: Janek Gwizdala Get a load of New York’s fi nest with this sassy 97 Bass Interviews 144 Intermediate Technique: Rob Statham amp/cab rig Meet the fi nest bass players known to man... or 146 Intermediate Theory: Janek Gwizdala 72 orange ad200B MKIII head and oBC810 head roadie 149 advanced Technique: dave Marks It’s Glenn Hughes’s signature rig. Does the 98 Yolanda Charles 150 double Bass Technique: david Etheridge Purple still reign? From Robbie Williams to her own funky 76 acoustic Image S4 Ten2 double Bass Combo 152 advanced Technique: dave Marks creations, Yolanda is the bass player’s bass player The standup bass needs its own particular amp. 102 Mark King 154 advanced Technique: dave Marks This is it! What more needs to be said about King Mark? 156 advanced Technique: dave Marks The man is the most famous thumb-slapper ever 158 I Want To Play Like... Stu Hamm 78 Bass Effects Guide to come out of Britain... 160 advanced Technique: dave Marks 106 Tom Hamilton Whatever the tone, you’ll fi nd it here... 79 Mooer Multi-FX and Sweeper Filter There’s stadium bands. And there’s Aerosmith. 162 afterword Ooer, it’s a Mooer! Sorry. You’ll love this: we We meet the biggest band, like, ever 110 Marcus Miller Steve Lawson bids us farewell... until next certainly did. time! 20 98 118 Gordon-Smith Gryphon Yolanda Charles Peter Hook tHe uLtiMate GuiDe Bass 005 hoW to Use this gUide HHooww ttoo uussee tthhiiss gguuiiddee WWhhaatt ttoo eeXXppeecctt FFrroomm tthhiiss oonnee--ooFFFF ggUUiiddee ttoo tthhee aammaaZZiinngg WWoorrlldd ooFF tthhee llooWW eenndd WW hheenn wwee wweerree aasssseemmbblliinngg The Ultimate Bass Guide in oouurr sseeccrreett ccoommmmaanndd bbuunnkkeerr ddeeeepp iinn tthhee AArrccttiicc cciirrccllee,, wwee aasskkeedd oouurrsseellvveess wwhhaatt bbaassss ppllaayyeerrss nneeeedd ttoo kknnooww.. AAfftteerr sseevveerraall ccaasseess ooff wwhhiisskkeeyy wwee ccaammee ttoo tthhee ccoonncclluussiioonn tthhaatt aa ccoommbbiinnaattiioonn ooff bbaassss gguuiittaarrss,, bbaassss aammppss,, bbaassss eeffffeeccttss,, bbaassss ttuuiittiioonn aanndd tthhee oodddd bbiitt ooff ttoonnee aanndd ddoouubbllee bbaassss eedduuccaattiioonn –– pplluuss iinntteerrvviieewwss wwiitthh tthhee ggrreeaattss ooff tthhee bbaassss wwoorrlldd –– wwoouulldd ddoo tthhee ttrriicckk nniicceellyy.. HHoowweevveerr,, ttoo mmaakkee tthhiiss gguuiiddee ttrruullyy iinnddiissppeennssaabbllee,, wwee’’vvee aarrrraannggeedd eeaacchh ooff tthhee bbaassss,, aammpp aanndd FFXX sseeccttiioonnss iinn aasscceennddiinngg oorrddeerr bbyy rreettaaiill pprriiccee,, ssoo eeaacchh zzoonnee bbeeggiinnss wwiitthh aaffffoorrddaabbllee ggeeaarr bbeeffoorree cclliimmbbiinngg tthhee fifi ssccaall cclliiffff ttoo tthhee mmoorree eexxppeennssiivvee iitteemmss.. TThhee rreessuulltt iiss aa gguuiiddee tthhaatt’’ss ttaaiilloorreedd ffoorr eevveerryy ppoocckkeett,, wwhheetthheerr yyoouu’’rree llooookkiinngg ffoorr aa ddeecceenntt bbaassss uunnddeerr ££550000 ((wwee’’vvee pprroofifi lleedd 2255 ooff tthheemm!!)),, aa rreelliiaabbllee mmiidd--mmaarrkkeett iinnssttrruummeenntt oorr aa bbrreeaatthhttaakkiinnggllyy lluuxxuurriioouuss iinnssttrruummeenntt tthhaatt wwiillll mmaakkee yyoouurr aaccccoouunnttaanntt wweeaakk aatt tthhee kknneeeess.. HHaavvee aatt iitt!! 000066 bbaassss ggUUiittaarr mmaaggaaZZiinnee glossary Glossary the vocabUlary yoU’ll need to perUse this gUide to all things bass-related Active – An active bass has a battery-powered EQ eQ – The mix of bass, mid and treble frequencies J-BAss – A Fender Jazz bass. system that is boosted at the top and bottom end, in the your sound: also the controls available to when compared to its passive equivalent. adjust said mix. On bass guitars, EQ varies from a J-style – When used to describe a bass guitar neck, simple tone control to a vast array of switches and this means slim and highly playable. BAttery compArtment – Where the battery lives, duh. pots which require a PhD to navigate. Usually located on the back of the bass. mAchine heAds (Also tuners) – The sticky-out metal things filter – An envelope filter: an effect which lends a that change the pitch of the strings. As in, “If that Body – The main portion of the bass, with a neck, funky, synthesised tone to your sound. guitarist bumps into my machine heads one more bridge and controls attached to it. Much is made time, he’s a dead man.” by experts of the tonal qualities of the woods fingerBoArd – That long strip of wood with frets on it, used for the body, and the concomitant impact of glued to the neck. neck – The long thin bit of the bass beneath the their use on a) the environment and b) your wallet strings. Possibly the most important part of any fingerstyle – The act of playing bass with your bass, it determines how playable your instrument is. Bolt-on – Where the neck joins the body, assuming fingers, rather than with a pick or plectrum. Both separate components are used instead of a styles have their adherents: both sides secretly neck-through (or thru) – A bass body and neck formed single, neck-through construction. Bolts used here despise the other. from a single chunk of wood. Understandably number from four and continue upwards. expensive. fretted/fretless – Basses come with and without Boost – The option available on many basses to frets. With a fretless bass you can make pAssive – The opposite of active. give the top or bottom end of the frequency range interesting microtonal adjustments while the some extra muscle. audience wonders why you’re playing out of tune. p-BAss – A Fender Precision, the first and for many, the greatest bass guitar invented. Bridge – The metal unit at the bottom of the bass heAd – The amplifier which drives your cabinet. Can where the strings slide in. These range from a be powered with tubes or transistors. p-style – Of a pickup, usually a split design with two simple piece of metal to a complex, tank-like offset units. structure. heAdless – A bass which has no headstock: Status Graphite are the best-known. pickup configurAtion – The number and layout of pickup ‘Bridge of sighs’ – The curious metal cover fitted over units on your bass, from a single P-style pickup to a pickup on Rickenbackers and other traditional heAdstock – The chunk of wood at the end of the a double single-coil setup like a Jazz, or a single or basses. Often removed from bass and thrown neck which stops your hand sliding off. double humbucker configuration. away after purchase. hipshot – A popular brand of detuner which allows pop/popping – Pulling a string up with your finger cAB – Cabinet, or speaker. The loud part of your amp. you to instantly add greater range. and allowing it to snap back for a funky ‘popped’ effect. coil tAp – The option with certain pickups to reduce hook – Either James Jamerson’s finger (he plucked the wiring in the live circuit, thus enabling a his bass strings using only one) or a famous pot – The controls on your bass which determine different sound. bassist from Manchester. your volume and tone. Also a substance which, when inhaled, makes your drummer play at ever comBo – An amp where the head and cab are humBucker – A pickup whose inner wiring system is decreasing tempos. combined in a single unit. designed to cancel the humming that sometimes accompanies the operation of standard systems. register – Frequency: you can play notes in the drive – Overdrive, fuzz or distortion: when your bass upper, mid or lower registers. sound becomes crunchy via an effects pedal or JAco-esQue – A growling, fretless bass sound like that knackered speaker. of the late Jaco Pastorius. slAp/slApping – Hitting a string with the edge of your thumb (or rarely, finger) so that it bounces rapidly ‘dusty end’ – An amusing title for the area of the JAmerson-style – A Motown-alike root/fourths/fifths off a fret. fingerboard to the right of the 12th fret, implying bass-line played with great economy and melodic that higher notes are rarely played. Not true if you awareness, preferably fingerstyle, in the style of ‘thumB of doom’ – A digit belonging to the hand of play fusion. the late James Jamerson. Primus bassist Les Claypool. the Ultimate bass gUide 007 GEAR Bass Guitar Guide YOU’RE THE CORE OF ANY BAND AND THEY KNOW IT. WITHOUT A BASS PLAYER, ANY BAND SOUNDS THIN AND LOOKS NOWHERE NEAR AS COOL. WONDERING WHICH AXE IS FOR YOU? WONDER NO MORE… T imes have changed in the bass guitar world. work. You’ll be left poorer, but in possession of a truly Gone are the days when a simple four-string was unique artefact that you can bequeath to your offspring, all that was available. Five, six, seven, eight and or alternatively to the Hard Rock Cafe if you get famous. more strings are at anyone’s disposal these days. In between these poles there are literally thousands of Another relatively recent development is that mid-budget options for bass players of more or less any cheap Asian basses don’t have to suck: in the 80s and string, wood and electronics preference. before, bassists tended to assume that low-budget also Where to go for guidance about your bass choice? meant low quality. Well, none of that applies these days: Why, Bass Guitar Magazine of course, and in thanks to the evolution of mass production technology, particular our review section, where we aim to cover a sub-£150 bass from India or Korea is almost (almost as many different bass confi gurations and quality being the operative word!) guaranteed to do its job with levels as possible. Here we’ve distilled a series of the minimum of hassle. instrument reviews into a single, easy-to-use gear At the same time, the market is packed to the brim with section – easy because it starts at the affordable upmarket basses, made by hand from the fi nest eco- end (less than £500) and goes all the way to super- friendly materials by renowned luthiers who will be all expensive basses which will make your drummer too happy to charge you the price of a family car for their jealous and your bank manager wince. Enjoy! 000088 BBBAAASSSSSS GGGUUUIIITTTAAARRR MMMAAAGGGAAAZZZIIINNNEEE PRESENTS… Gear baSSeS baSS collection liZZY baS£S385 bc rich paolo gregoletto Signature wa£r4l8o5ck on a budget MANUFACTURER|Bass Collection MANUFACTURER|BC Rich COUNTRY OF ORIGIN|Korea COUNTRY OF ORIGIN|China BODY|Basswood BODY|Mahogany NECK|Maple NECK|Maple NUT WIDTH|41mm NUT WIDTH|43mm FRETBOARD|Rosewood FRETBOARD|Ebony FRETS|20 x sixties style FRETS|24 Jumbo SCALE LENGTH|34” SCALE LENGTH|34” TUNERS|Open gear TUNERS|BC Rich Die Cast BRIDGE|Babicz Full Contact Hardware BRIDGE|Adjustable Stop PICKUPS|Proprietary PICKUPS|BC Rich BDSM Bass Humbuckers ELECTRONICS/CONTROLS|Passive, 1 volume, 1 tone CONTROLS|2 volume, 1 tone HARDWARE|Chrome HARDWARE|Black FINISH OPTIONS|c/o Power Bass colour chart FINISH OPTIONS|Natural (Spalted) as We all KnOW, there’s a reCessiOn On. What the hell is a Bassist tO dO? relaX – here’s the ultiMate Guide tO YOur First Bass Guitar, Or iF YOu need an aFFOrdaBle BaCKup FOr YOur priCeY pride and JOY WOrDs: ben COOPer t hese days the sheer choice of instruments available to the bass-buying public is quite simply staggering. From a bewildering variety of Fender Jazz and Precision knock-offs, to seven-string fretless beasts that will set you back several thousand pounds, the choice on offer has never been broader. Yes sir (or madam), the days of “Would you like a Fender or, er... a Fender?” are well and truly gone. No prizes for guessing where this If you’re looking for an out-and-out One of the most competitive sectors of the market is the sub- instrument takes its cues from. metal machine then the Trivium 500 quid zone, as it captures a wide variety of players, not simply Essentially a modifi cation of Bass bassist’s signature model from the beginners. The quality of instruments made in the east has taken Collection’s Power Bass, a Precision leading manufacturer of pointy quantum leaps in recent years, and with the much cheaper clone, the Lizzy bass has that classic basses and guitars, BC Rich, has to manufacturing costs associated with the workforce in that region, P-Bass look with the added cool factor be the one for you. Its mahogany it’s now possible to get a genuinely high-quality bass for well under of the mirrored pick guard. The bass body and maple neck means this the £500 mark. This means that even those of us lucky enough to isn’t just about looks though, with bass has plenty of guts, while the own, say, an American-built deluxe Precision or a hand-built luthier’s some serious design budget thrown twin humbuckers will give you all instrument, can choose instruments in this price bracket for a solid into its tone circuit and neck. Sure the aggressive sounds you could gigging workhorse or backup to our beloved bass. And it’s not just this doesn’t have the playability of a desire. the bog-standard garden variety four-string bass we’re talking about, fully-fl edged Precision, but there’s no The natural-style fi nish makes either. If you’re looking to dabble in fretless or fi ve-string bass, but mistaking that super-cool look, which it a bit different from the usual don’t want to shell out big money on one at fi rst, then there are many will transform the budding bass player black that is so strongly associated options out there for you. into a Phil Lynott. with BC Rich instruments, but Due to the sheer quantity of instruments released by the multitude We love the black fi ngerboard this is still a headbanger’s dream. of manufacturers out there, browsing can be a daunting task, so fi nish, complemented by the silver We can’t guarantee that you’ll we’ve collated a list in alphabetical order by manufacturer of 25 sub- hardware, and you’ve always got Bass be transformed into a rock god £500 instruments that we feel are worthy of your attention. A feature Collection’s reputation to rely on. overnight however. like this can’t hope to include everything out there, of course, and CONTACT | www.rosetti.co.uk, CONTACT | www.basscentre.com prices are obviously subject to change, so check before you buy... 01376 550033, [email protected] the ultiMate Bass Guide 009 APP009-015 basses_rev3_NR.indd 9 07/08/2014 09:33 basses unber £500 danelectro 58 longhorn£399 dean edge 10a pJ Skull cruSh£e2r9 9 encore blaSter £159 epiphone eb3 £219 MANUFACTURER|Danelectro MANUFACTURER|Dean Guitars MANUFACTURER|Encore MANUFACTURER|Epiphone MODEL|Longhorn COUNTRY OF ORIGIN|China BODY|Solid Wuton tonewood, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN|China BODY|Masonite, laminated wood frame BODY|Basswood vintage comfort contoured BODY|Mahogany NECK|Maple, bolt on NECK|Maple NECK|Vintage profi le maple NECK|Mahogany, Set, Slim Taper D Profi le BINDING|N/A NUT WIDTH|40mm FRETBOARD|Rosewood NUT WIDTH|42mm FRETBOARD|Rosewood FRETBOARD|Rosewood FRETS|20 FRETBOARD|Rosewood 12” Radius FRETS|24 FRETS|22 SCALE LENGTH|34” FRETS|22, Medium Jumbo SCALE LENGTH|30.5” SCALE LENGTH|35” TUNERS|Guitar Tech chrome, with authentic SCALE LENGTH|34” INLAYS|Dots TUNERS|Sealed Die Cast Black ‘Elephant Ear’-shaped keys TUNERS|Open Gear, nickel plated TUNERS|Kluson Style, cream plastic buttons BRIDGE|Die Cast Black BRIDGE|Guitar Tech fully intonatable face-mounted with BRIDGE|3-Point BRIDGE|Rosewood Bridge Saddle PICKUPS|DMT designed PJ Pickups steel baseplate and individual saddles PICKUPS|Sidewinder HB (neck), NYT Bass Mini HB (bridge) PICKUPS|2x Lipstick alnico magnets ELECTRONICS/CONTROLS|Active 2 band EQ PICKUPS|Guitar Tech split single coil ELECTRONICS/CONTROLS|2-Volume, 2-Tone, ELECTRONICS/CONTROLS|Dual Concentrics, Volume, Tone HARDWARE|Black ELECTRONICS/CONTROLS|1 x Volume/ 1 x Tone 3-Way Selector Switch HARDWARE|Chrome/Cream FINISH OPTIONS|Skull Crusher HARDWARE|Chrome HARDWARE|Nickel FINISH OPTIONS|Copperburst FINISH OPTIONS|Right-handers: Black, Sunburst, FINISH OPTIONS|EB, CH Vintage White. Lefties: Black For pure retro charm the Longhorn has If you’re looking for something If you want something cheap and The Gibson EB3 ranks right up to rate near the top of the tree. With understated and classic, then you’d cheerful for a knock-around bass, or there with the Fender Precision its short scale length, the Longhorn is best look elsewhere, as the sole fi nish perhaps if your kid is looking to take and Jazz in terms of iconic design. an easy play and would be ideal for option on this bass screams metal. The up the bass, then the Encore Blaster is A big hit with players in the the smaller framed player, which is Skull Crusher offers fantastic value for the perfect solution. The general build 1960s, the EB3 had a thudding tone ironic in some regards given that the money at just £299. You get the jack- quality is fi ne for the money, and it’s all of its own, thanks to the deep not-insubstantial John Entwistle used of-all-trades pickups combination of a certainly not going to break the bank. bass pumped out by the enormous to play these basses in the early to Fender Precision-style humbucker in However, the Blaster also comes in a neck position humbucker (which mid-60s. The plywood body, topped the neck position coupled to a single pack that, for £229, includes a 10-watt truly earns its name by being with masonite, makes this instrument coil Fender Jazz-style pickup at the practice amp, a Qwik Tune Tuner, a right up against the end of the incredibly light, almost alarmingly so, bridge, meaning you can get deep and Kinsman Carry Bag, a Kinsman Guitar fretboard), and the biting treble and yet it still delivers high-quality throaty rock tones, and added edge Stand, a GYC Guitar Lead, a Guitar Tech tones from the bridge position tones from its passive lipstick tube and punch from the bridge pickup. Guitar Strap, an Encore Tutorial DVD, pickup. pickups. Sonically the Longhorn isn’t The Skull Crusher also features a pick and a tutor listing. That’s a full The Epiphone version has the comparable to the usual suspects active electronics, with bass and beginner’s set-up for less than most looks and sounds without the hefty because it has a unique tone; the treble controls, which at this price of the basses in this feature. While price tag. A solid mahogany body instrument has a cutting high-end is really excellent value. It might not the instrument is basic, it’s hard to makes this a relatively weighty sound, which must be why the Ox be to everyone’s taste visually, but it think of a more cost-effective way for bass, and its set neck construction enjoyed it so much. certainly nails its colours to the mast. beginners to test the waters. gives it plenty of sustain. CONTACT | www.danelectro.com and CONTACT | www.deanguitars.uk.com CONTACT | www.jhs.co.uk/encorebass.html CONTACT | www.epiphone.com www.jhs.co.uk/danelectroguitars.html [email protected] 010 Bass Guitar MaGazine presents… APP009-015 basses_rev3_NR.indd 10 07/08/2014 09:33