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Vintage V10004B

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:35:00 GMT

Read more about Vintage V10004B at MusicRadar.com

The Vintage brand is best known for its price-friendly instruments that hint gently (and not-so gently) at classic models of yesteryear. However, that's not to discount the brand's efforts to also offer something different, and its new Reissue range presents some more interesting and original-looking designs, such as this V10004B four-string active bass. With its contemporary, exaggerated twin-cutaway look and active electronics, it offers something extra for discerning bass players who want to steer away from 1950s and 60s stalwarts, albeit still with a keen eye on value for money.

"It's not all about the bling - this is a very practical bass, too"

With a natural finish and through-body construction, the bass has a striped appearance due to the light-coloured maple centre core being flagged by dark nato 'wings'. Closer examination of the neck reveals that it's a seven-piece laminate at the extremes of the peghead and the body section. The body is also made up of layers of mahogany, maple veneer and a bubinga top, making the whole thing very stable and giving it a rather striking appearance.

Gold-plated parts always look good on these natural wood finishes, and the Wilkinson hardware here is well-suited to the job. The bridge/tailpiece is particularly impressive: it's rather substantial and fully adjustable, as well as offering a choice of through-body or surface stringing. But it's not all about the bling - this is a very practical bass, too.

With its exaggerated upper body horn and minimalist headstock, this full-scale instrument provides excellent balance, while the abrupt neck scooping and additional contouring to this essentially slab-bodied design ensures a very comfortable playing experience. The relatively wide fretboard and shallow depth to the neck in general makes this a very easy bass to play.

Sounds

The V10004B is fitted with a matching pair of Wilkinson soapbar pickups, but rather than being positioned at maximum spread they're set to favour the brighter and tighter bridge section of the strings.

"Whether you favour smooth and subtle sounds or a dirtier growl, the Vintage V10004B delivers"

Whether the pickups are used individually or blended together to take advantage of those funkier sweet spots, they're clean and precise for a really quality tone. Add to that the active circuit and the advantage of having a three-band EQ to play with, and you realise there's lots of sonic potential under your fingers.

The blend control and the tones all feature centre notches to offer a position reference when setting up your sounds. For example, slightly ease the blend back from it centre point and we hear a great sweet spot voice: the depth and warmth from of the centre pickup but with the added bite from the bridge unit. With a little top and bottom EQ added, you can almost treat the mid frequency EQ as an attack control for some instant funky sounds.

Whether you favour smooth and subtle sounds or a dirtier growl, the V10004B delivers and there are plenty more sounds to find. It may not be plug-in-and-play like a Fender Precision, but with a little time, its multiple voices emerge.

There's definitely an 80s vibe about the V10004B, and the sounds it produces suit that funky, slap-tastic period very well. But given the niche appeal of that genre, it's good that the EQ is broad enough to still produce the goods for older styles. The designers have got things spot on here - add in the excellent feel and playing experience and this is a lot of fun.

Read more about Vintage V10004B at MusicRadar.com

Peavey TNT 115 Tour Series

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Peavey TNT 115 Tour Series at MusicRadar.com

The Tour Series includes heads and cabs and a pair of combos: the TKO 115 (reviewed last month) and this new TNT 115 Tour combo. We were impressed with the TKO, but this is more powerful, with a few bells and whistles to allow you to manipulate your sound further. Fortunately, it's also just as friendly to transport, because it's lighter than many other high-powered units.

"Its pedigree is unmistakably Peavey, including those all-important reliability and road-worthiness factors"

From the curved metal grille, inset side handles, metal corner protectors and black covering, this is sturdily built and ready for action. Its pedigree is unmistakably Peavey, and that includes those all-important reliability and road-worthiness factors that the company is known and respected for.

Unlike many kick-back designs, only the lower rear of the cabinet is angled back, to allow more room for placement of the amp in the squared-off section at the top. It comes with a well-equipped control panel that includes a headphone socket, plus an effects loop, variable DI and Speakon connector for an extension cab.

The back is sealed, so the front baffle is ported to allow all the sound to be projected forwards.

Sounds

"Thanks to the clearly set-out control panel, good sounds are easily found"

The TNT 115 is seriously loud, so whether used in kick-back placement or 'straight up', you can be assured it has enough volume to get you heard. Once you've chosen between active or passive input, the sound options are numerous, but thanks to the clearly set-out control panel, good sounds are easily found. Using just the basic tone controls offers plenty of scope, but the unit really comes to life when engaging the graphic EQ section.

The bright switch adds some top-end boost for a touch more note definition, and crunch for some good-sounding front-end distortion. Between these two sound modifiers sits the contour switch, which provides a high- and low-frequency boost while reducing the mids to produce the popular mid- scooped EQ setting. These are convenient ways to shape your sound, but then things get even more interesting.

Either side of the main EQ section are the high and low shelving controls. These act like trimming pots that allow the sound to focus on a frequency and tonality selected by you. Punch in the graphic EQ and you can now modify this sound by degrees. It is an ideal way to eliminate or enhance the natural tones of your bass, and that is the true beauty of this design.

We also have the option to add variable compression, and whatever style of music you play there is a setting here that will provide added thump and delivery. If you can't get a good sound out of this, then something is wrong... and it's not with the amp!

The new TNT 115 Tour combo is as easy on the eye as it is on the ears. But as cool as it looks, make no mistake, this is one serious mother that will rattle your fillings and make your knees wobble. The 'instant sound' switches get you up and running fast, but the best results come with familiarity of the control panel, and there's no shortcut to achieving that.

However, perhaps the most impressive thing about the TNT 115 is its raw power as a standalone unit. Naturally, you will get even more distribution when using this amplifier with a second cabinet, but it's still very loud when operating just as a combo.

Read more about Peavey TNT 115 Tour Series at MusicRadar.com

Peavey TNT 115 Tour Series

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Peavey TNT 115 Tour Series at MusicRadar.com

"Its pedigree is unmistakably Peavey, including those all-important reliability and road-worthiness factors"

The back is sealed, so the front baffle is ported to allow all the sound to be projected forwards.

Sounds

"Thanks to the clearly set-out control panel, good sounds are easily found"

Read more about Peavey TNT 115 Tour Series at MusicRadar.com

Fret-King Black Label Esprit I Bass

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Fret-King Black Label Esprit I Bass at MusicRadar.com

This latest model in the Fret-King bass portfolio, the Espirit I, would surely have appealed to John Entwistle - it's not a million miles away from his infamous Fenderbird amalgamations!

"The pickup works like a dream: clean and jazzy when wound back, full and punchy when humbucking"

It sports a great offset look, and an oversized scratchplate that takes the eye directly to the heart of this bass: the stunning new WJM pickup, designed, of course, by Mr Wilkinson.

This is a fabulous-looking instrument, and it's medium weight with a keenly contoured and honed satin-feel maple neck bolted onto an agathis body. The surface-mounted controls, chrome-finished WBBC bridge and open-gear tuners all contribute to this stylishly vintage-like persona.

Sounds

"The pickup is basically a Music Man-style coil added to a Jazz-style, coupled together as a humbucker and wired down as a Vari-coil," Trevor tells us.

"Turn the Vari-coil back and the MM factor is lost into a Jazz sound, but when it's wound back up as a humbucker it takes on the aspects of the Music Man: fat but focused."

With controls for volume, tone and Vari-coil, the pickup works like a dream, producing distinct aspects of both basses: clean and jazzy when wound back but full and punchy when humbucking, giving a unique sound.

Read more about Fret-King Black Label Esprit I Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fret-King Black Label Esprit I Bass

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Fret-King Black Label Esprit I Bass at MusicRadar.com

This latest model in the Fret-King bass portfolio, the Espirit I, would surely have appealed to John Entwistle - it's not a million miles away from his infamous Fenderbird amalgamations!

"The pickup works like a dream: clean and jazzy when wound back, full and punchy when humbucking"

It sports a great offset look, and an oversized scratchplate that takes the eye directly to the heart of this bass: the stunning new WJM pickup, designed, of course, by Mr Wilkinson.

Sounds

"The pickup is basically a Music Man-style coil added to a Jazz-style, coupled together as a humbucker and wired down as a Vari-coil," Trevor tells us.

"Turn the Vari-coil back and the MM factor is lost into a Jazz sound, but when it's wound back up as a humbucker it takes on the aspects of the Music Man: fat but focused."

Read more about Fret-King Black Label Esprit I Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Bass

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender's much-loved short-scale Mustang bass design retains plenty of its original DNA in the new Pawn Shop version.

Build

"This may be a fairly simple upgrade, but it's an absolute masterstroke"

The Pawn Shop Mustang Bass has a separate chromed control plate, large baseplate on the bridge, black finger rest and a custom 'competition' stripe. This is now referred to as a 'racing' stripe but, whatever you call it, in Lake Placid Blue, it looks cool.

The Mustang bass has always benefited from having strings that pass through the body, as here, but now the original mini split-coil pickup has been replaced with a substantial-looking humbucker.

The pearloid scratchplate is another traditional feature; collectively, it makes for a busy appearance, especially for such a small-bodied instrument, yet it somehow still manages to work.

Sounds

The humbucker upgrade has made a phenomenal difference to the sound of this Mustang. The original downsized split-coil always looked and sounded a bit dull compared with this larger and more dynamic version.

Back off the volume a tad and we get pretty close to the original sound (although it's distinctly brighter), but wind her up and this baby starts to get nasty in a most pleasing manner. Growl is now on the menu, as well as fuller and warmer sounds that aren't usually associated with a Mustang.

It's a good call: the Mustang should now appeal to a much wider selection of players. This may be a fairly simple upgrade, but it's an absolute masterstroke.

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Bass

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender's much-loved short-scale Mustang bass design retains plenty of its original DNA in the new Pawn Shop version.

Build

"This may be a fairly simple upgrade, but it's an absolute masterstroke"

The Mustang bass has always benefited from having strings that pass through the body, as here, but now the original mini split-coil pickup has been replaced with a substantial-looking humbucker.

The pearloid scratchplate is another traditional feature; collectively, it makes for a busy appearance, especially for such a small-bodied instrument, yet it somehow still manages to work.

Sounds

It's a good call: the Mustang should now appeal to a much wider selection of players. This may be a fairly simple upgrade, but it's an absolute masterstroke.

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Mustang Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:45:00 GMT

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI at MusicRadar.com

Originally designed as the ultimate baritone guitar to combat the monopoly of the market by Danelectro's U2, the Fender Bass VI was soon adopted by bass players (particularly in Britain), because it was tuned fully in the bass octave with a very tight, short scale. The original 1961 design underwent a few mods for the revised model in 1963, but nothing quite so drastic as we now see on this eye-catching and much-simplified Pawn Shop version.

Build

Gone are the distinctive chromed metal control and switch plates, replaced by an all-in-one scratchplate that holds the lot. Knobs comprise simply volume and tone, and a standard Fender five-way lever switch now takes care of the pickup selection.

"The new Bass VI really still is the sort of guitar that's going to inspire you instantly"

One of the original Jaguar-style pickups has now been replaced by a humbucker (even though it still looks like a single coil), but the lockable floating vibrato system remains, as does the matching headstock colour.

The vibrato unit actually works brilliantly, although you do need to be a lot heavier-handed in using it than you would on a guitar, and a little 'waggle' as you return from a dip will always help to keep it on pitch. The locking feature is a plus, too, particularly when using it as a more conventional bass guitar.

Sounds

The way this Bass VI speaks is noticeably different from the original design, and not only because of the humbucking pickup. It's really all down to the lever switch, because it means you can't engage the neck and bridge pickups together, or all three, both of which were classic sounds from the original instrument.

That said, the new Bass VI really still is the sort of guitar that's going to inspire you instantly. It might be just that it's so different from what you're used to, but notes and chords take on a totally different character compared with their regular-scale counterparts.

Clean or slightly driven, it's majestic for layering parts in recordings - there's no style of music where you couldn't use it to great effect.

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI at MusicRadar.com

Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:45:00 GMT

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI at MusicRadar.com

Build

"The new Bass VI really still is the sort of guitar that's going to inspire you instantly"

Sounds

Clean or slightly driven, it's majestic for layering parts in recordings - there's no style of music where you couldn't use it to great effect.

Read more about Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI at MusicRadar.com

Fender Nate Mendel Precision Bass

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Fender Nate Mendel Precision Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender's latest signature model comes from Foo Fighters' four-stringer Nate Mendel and features some alluring tweaks, including a Badass II bridge, a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickup and a slim neck.

Ever since the immensely popular Eric Clapton Stratocaster of 1988, Fender has been expanding its range of artist signature models of guitars and basses. Some are derived from the player's own instrument, where they have modified the standard spec in some way; others are more like 'dream machines', where a player creates their ideal Fender instrument.

"The neck profile is simply superb: there's plenty of meat in the hand, yet it's beautifully comfortable"

This Nate Mendel bass is a case of the former, modelled on the Foo Fighters low-ender's own 1971 Precision Bass, which has modified body contouring and a C-shaped neck with notably slim dimensions and nut width.

It's a striking instrument: simple in looks, but the combination of Candy Apple Red with the black scratchplate proves a bold statement. It's fitted with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder split-coil pickup, and a bridge upgrade.

It was certainly a common mod to update your 70s or 80s P-Bass with a more substantial bridge; the original, raised-tail bridge/ tailpiece was considered (rightly or wrongly) by many as a weak point. Despite the added mass here, you don't perceive any weight gain to the bass.

As a further bonus, every one of these basses comes with an extra neck plate that has been engraved with a Fender/Foo Fighters hybrid logo. Naturally, each bass also carries the Nate Mendel signature on the back of the headstock.

In this reviewer's opinion, the light relic'ing is a little needless. It's just a series of small chips on the front of the body, with a little wear on the back of the top body horn and the lower front - it's barely noticeable. The neck is pretty much untouched, and the fingerboard is just perfect, with a noteworthy well-played-in feel. In fact, the neck profile is simply superb: there's plenty of meat in the hand, yet it's beautifully comfortable.

Sounds

"The difference provided by the Leo Quan Badass II bridge and the Duncan Quarter Pounder is a big deal"

While this obviously retains all the hallmarks of a classic Precision as far as sound is concerned, the difference provided by the Leo Quan Badass II bridge and the Duncan Quarter Pounder is a big deal. Together, you get the feeling of improved sustain, as well as noticeably fuller bottom-end. The Precision has always delivered across so many styles, but this version feels superbly tweaked for rock.

This focused sound-shaping will appeal to more seasoned players, because there's plenty of thump and projection from a constantly robust tonal range. The volume/tone relationship has always been important in P-Basses, and here it just seems a little more tweakable than 'normal', perhaps because of the beefier pickup.

There's little here to convince you to buy this for the mods alone, so on paper it might only really appeal to Foo Fighters fans. However, take the time to try it and the appeal escalates. Not only is this a great sounding P-Bass, but it also has that well- played-in feel that makes you feel instantly at home. Add the fine choice of component parts, which elevate the quality of the sound, and you begin to understand the allure.

Nate Mendel has always been a very physical player, and his personal Precision has withstood the rigours of constant hard work over the years - this signature model is destined to do the same. As a bonus, this has got to be one of the best 'straight out of the box' setups we've experienced, making a great instrument to own, whether you're a Foo Fighters fan or not.

Read more about Fender Nate Mendel Precision Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender Nate Mendel Precision Bass

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMT

Read more about Fender Nate Mendel Precision Bass at MusicRadar.com

"The neck profile is simply superb: there's plenty of meat in the hand, yet it's beautifully comfortable"

Sounds

"The difference provided by the Leo Quan Badass II bridge and the Duncan Quarter Pounder is a big deal"

Read more about Fender Nate Mendel Precision Bass at MusicRadar.com

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Read more about Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi at MusicRadar.com

The Bass Big Muff Pi from Electro-Harmonix has been loved by players for years, but this latest Deluxe incarnation takes bass distortion to a whole new level.

The sustain and tone controls are retained from the original Big Muff, but here we have a bigger and more complex unit with many enhancements.

Sounds

The blend control mixes the distorted sound with the dry signal, while the Crossover section has its own dedicated footswitch, and features a low- pass filter added to the dry signal, plus a hi-pass filter positioned in the circuit ahead of the distorted sound.

This is particularly impressive, because it not only smooths the distorted sound, but it adds something like funky parametric tone-shaping, and is worthy of being a pedal in its own right.

The low pass is also great, since it tightens your tone and fattens the selected area of operation. The Gate function is used to eliminate any hum that might be generated by mains, lighting or simply by close proximity to high-gain amps.

With a Pad switch on the input signal for passive and active basses, plus an expanded output section with clean direct out and two effected outputs (balanced DI and standard jack socket), this pedal has got it all.

Read more about Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi at MusicRadar.com

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Read more about Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi at MusicRadar.com

The Bass Big Muff Pi from Electro-Harmonix has been loved by players for years, but this latest Deluxe incarnation takes bass distortion to a whole new level.

The sustain and tone controls are retained from the original Big Muff, but here we have a bigger and more complex unit with many enhancements.

Sounds

This is particularly impressive, because it not only smooths the distorted sound, but it adds something like funky parametric tone-shaping, and is worthy of being a pedal in its own right.

Read more about Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:03:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar at MusicRadar.com

What's the most important instrument you'll buy in your life? Arguably, it's not the custom-shop creation you treat yourself to after years of dedicated playing, but your first guitar.

If you start with a bass that sounds bad and is difficult to play, chances are you won't play it all that often. So it's important to get going with something decent, but not prohibitively expensive.

At just under £100, the Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar is squarely aimed at the beginner's market. But what can you expect for your money?

Build

First up, let's look at the basics. The basswood body has two wide-scooped cutaways, designed for easy upper fret access. Although that's unlikely to be a priority for beginners, it helps playing comfort, as does the relatively light weight of the instrument.

The bolt-on maple neck has a rosewood fretboard and a broad but fairly shallow D-profile that is easy to get to grips with. You might want to tweak the neck relief to bring the action down a touch, but it is perfectly playable straight out of the box and shouldn't tax learners' fingers too much. The 864mm (34-inch) scale length emulates that of the Fender Precision model, so it's a well-proven choice.

Meanwhile, at the headstock end, the two-a-side sealed tuners do their job effectively and without fuss.

Turning to pickups, the RS-40 is fitted with a Precision-style split single-coil pickup nearest the neck and a Jazz-style single-coil by the bridge, which gives you some useful tonal options.

As with many basses, there's no pickup selector, but each pickup has its own dedicated volume and tone controls, so it's a case of blending those settings to get the tone you want; the front and rear volumes are uppermost from the player's perspective.

Sounds

Plugging in, we start by rolling the volume of the bridge pickup right down, so the neck pickup can be heard in isolation. We're rewarded with a fairly bright, classic tone. The new strings are probably skewing the sound towards the treble side, but rolling the treble right off on the neck pickup yields a rounded, soulful vintage bass tone. With the treble on full, it verges towards the rockier, contemporary side of the tonal spectrum.

Next, it's time to bring the bridge pickup into play. Turning the neck pickup right down for the moment, we try out the bridge on its own. As expected, it's angular and a little spikier in tone than the neck pickup, and would work well for punky fuzz-tone workouts. Nonetheless, it's not as useful as the split pickup for general playing.

Blending both pickups together gives a raft of variations on the basic tonal theme of each pup, but, for our taste, rolling off a little treble yields the most pleasing sounds.

Jamming with the RS-40 is easy and enjoyable. It's perhaps not the classiest sounding bass we've ever used, but it's capable, playable and has a street price that's equivalent to around five packets of strings, and that's not to be sniffed at.

Don't underestimate the worth of decent entry-level instruments such as the RS-40. They are how musicians get started in music, and you won't outgrow this one in a hurry. The RS-40 is perfectly good enough to gig with and has no serious vices. The review model is a metal-ready, gloss black finish, but a more classic sunburst option is also available.

Actually, we reckon the RS-40 is better suited to contemporary rock and pop styles than vintage sounds, but it's versatile enough to do justice to most types of music. Overall, it's a good deal of bass for the money.

Read more about Gear4Music Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:03:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar at MusicRadar.com

What's the most important instrument you'll buy in your life? Arguably, it's not the custom-shop creation you treat yourself to after years of dedicated playing, but your first guitar.

If you start with a bass that sounds bad and is difficult to play, chances are you won't play it all that often. So it's important to get going with something decent, but not prohibitively expensive.

At just under £100, the Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar is squarely aimed at the beginner's market. But what can you expect for your money?

Build

Meanwhile, at the headstock end, the two-a-side sealed tuners do their job effectively and without fuss.

Turning to pickups, the RS-40 is fitted with a Precision-style split single-coil pickup nearest the neck and a Jazz-style single-coil by the bridge, which gives you some useful tonal options.

Sounds

Blending both pickups together gives a raft of variations on the basic tonal theme of each pup, but, for our taste, rolling off a little treble yields the most pleasing sounds.

Read more about Gear4Music Electric RS-40 Bass Guitar at MusicRadar.com

Rickenbacker 4004CII Cheyenne Bass

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:40:00 GMT

Read more about Rickenbacker 4004CII Cheyenne Bass at MusicRadar.com

The Cheyenne, at just shy of 20 years old, is actually one of the newer models in the Rickenbacker bass range. Here we look at its latest iteration, the 4004CII.

Compared with most American makers, Rickenbacker has never been one to constantly fill its catalogue with new models and upgrades, instead keeping to the tried, tested and much-loved instruments that bear its name.

However, the 4000C Cheyenne I Bass was introduced in 1994 to offer a more contemporary look and sound to its classic bass range, so it is a relatively new model. And while it retains much of the classic 4000 Series in shape and dimensions, it neatly avoids the heavy metalwork and fixtures associated with those earlier models.

"Well balanced and light in weight, the Cheyenne is an absolutely lovely instrument to play"

The 4000CII was introduced in 1999 as a revised version with a bubinga fingerboard, a maple and walnut body, and gold- plated hardware. Having no scratchplate, a pair of pickups, only two controls and a mini selector switch gives the Cheyenne a clean, uncluttered look, with the added benefit of gentle curving to the body edge.

It has a great neck profile and retains the classic headstock shape. Plus, with a close eye on future production, Rickenbacker now operates a policy of using American farm- grown sustainable woods for its instruments.

Well balanced and light in weight, the Cheyenne is an absolutely lovely instrument to play. It's comfortable, too, and without the restrictions of the classic hardware, this bass presents the ultimate in string access. But just how good does it sound without the presence of the classic large, old-style pickup?

Sounds

Actually, with a matched pair of Rickenbacker humbucking pickups and the minimum of controls (just volume, tone and three-way selector switch), the stage is neatly set for some really great blended sounds.

"The setup on this review model is rather keen, with the strings set very low to fretboard - an important element in producing that legendary 'clanky' sound"

Individually, both pickups offer a warm element to the tone, but with such wide spacing on the body that they have their own sound characteristics, too. But it's the blending of the two that really brings out the full potential of this bass, with sweet spots aplenty for a very funky playing experience.

Far more importantly, as far as most players are concerned, is that the setup on this review model is rather keen, with the strings set very low to fretboard - an important element in producing that legendary 'clanky' sound. In fact, it's exceptionally good here, and much easier to attain than on the classic models, where pickup blending was hampered by the big difference in output levels from the two pickups.

It does sound clean, smooth and sonically sumptuous if you wish, but if you really dig in with aggression, this will bark and spit like an angry Rottweiler, and it's this dual personality that we really love. So, as far as great sounds are concerned, there are absolutely no complaints here - suffice to say, the Cheyenne II doesn't disappoint at all.

This is a great bass to play: comfortable, smooth and all with a sumptuous neck and fretboard, plus a fabulous sound that's clanky in all the right places. However, it does present a significant outlay of cash, and because Rickenbacker production runs are relatively short, finding one to try in a high street shop in the UK is not always an easy task. But we suggest it's worth the effort, because it is such a great- sounding bass, and one that retains the Rickenbacker heritage in every way.

Read more about Rickenbacker 4004CII Cheyenne Bass at MusicRadar.com

Rickenbacker 4004CII Cheyenne Bass

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:40:00 GMT

Read more about Rickenbacker 4004CII Cheyenne Bass at MusicRadar.com

The Cheyenne, at just shy of 20 years old, is actually one of the newer models in the Rickenbacker bass range. Here we look at its latest iteration, the 4004CII.

"Well balanced and light in weight, the Cheyenne is an absolutely lovely instrument to play"

Sounds

"The setup on this review model is rather keen, with the strings set very low to fretboard - an important element in producing that legendary 'clanky' sound"

Read more about Rickenbacker 4004CII Cheyenne Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender American Standard Jazz Bass

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:43:00 GMT

Read more about Fender American Standard Jazz Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender's never-ending quest to reinvent the wheel is a constant source of amazement. Case in point is this latest American-built Standard Jazz, which looks exactly as it should, but the devil is in the detail.

"Clean, vibrant and sonically versatile are all terms associated with the Fender Jazz"

Along with all the usual appointments is a tinted maple fingerboard with hand-rolled edges and a comfortable C neck profile, lightweight Fender tuners and a beautifully designed high- mass raised tail bridge with vintage saddles and added style.

This offers through-body stringing, but can also hide the ball ends if you prefer top- loading to avoid the sharp break angle on the strings that's created by feeding them through the body.

Sounds

Clean, vibrant and sonically versatile are all terms associated with the Fender Jazz, along with its sweet spots and delivery. If you're going to stick with two pickups and passive electronics, this is the benchmark.

So, what's different about the sound here? Well, nothing, except it's cleaner, more vibrant and even more sonically versatile - a Jazz Bass Plus might be a better name.

What's most appealing about this model is that Fender has made the best use of modern technology and design while retaining all the essential elements of what is a truly classic bass guitar.

Read more about Fender American Standard Jazz Bass at MusicRadar.com

Fender American Standard Jazz Bass

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:43:00 GMT

Read more about Fender American Standard Jazz Bass at MusicRadar.com

"Clean, vibrant and sonically versatile are all terms associated with the Fender Jazz"

This offers through-body stringing, but can also hide the ball ends if you prefer top- loading to avoid the sharp break angle on the strings that's created by feeding them through the body.

Sounds

So, what's different about the sound here? Well, nothing, except it's cleaner, more vibrant and even more sonically versatile - a Jazz Bass Plus might be a better name.

What's most appealing about this model is that Fender has made the best use of modern technology and design while retaining all the essential elements of what is a truly classic bass guitar.

Read more about Fender American Standard Jazz Bass at MusicRadar.com

Archer 3/4-size professional double bass

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:25:00 GMT

Read more about Archer 3/4-size professional double bass at MusicRadar.com

The recent resurgence of 50s-style music, led most notably by the likes of Brian Setzer and Imelda May, has seen the double bass become an increasingly common sight and sound in contemporary music. If you're unsure of just how it sounds, check out either L'éléphantfrom Saint-Saëns' Carnival Of The Animals or, perhaps more familiar still, the theme to Steven Spielberg's Jaws.

The classification of this bass is somewhat confusing as the term '3/4-size' is used to describe what is the most commonly-used size of instrument. It measures 182cm from the tip of the scroll to the bottom of the body, while the largest bass size, the virtually redundant 7/8, actually possesses its own gravitational pull. With an extendable spike to help it stay reasonably stable when held upright, it's a cumbersome beast indeed.

Size matters

Included in the price is a humungous padded case, which should protect the bass from knocks, and even has wheels mounted into its base to make transportation easier. That said, it's unlikely to fit into a family hatchback and the tribulations involved in moving a double bass from gig to gig is baked right into the experience.

The construction is also traditional. The top is fashioned from Canadian spruce, with a body and ribs of lightly flamed Canadian maple. All surfaces save the rear of the maple neck and the maple bridge itself have been hand-stained in orange-brown.

Bass fingerboards are usually made from ebony, and here the spec merely states that 'hardwood' has been used. Be that as it may, the playing surface is suitably smooth, which, sadly, is more than can be said for the somewhat untidy finishing elsewhere.

Unlike other orchestral string instruments, the double bass is tuned in fourths and, even better for guitarists, runs E, A, D, G, from low to high, at the same pitch as a standard bass guitar. It's important to ensure that the bass is tuned to the correct pitch in order to allow its full range to be heard.

A set of bass strings can range from £20 to over £200 and the Archer is strung with flatwound steel wires. You can also opt for old-school gut strings, which do sound better for slap techniques, but tend to break more easily. There's also a bow of the German style included and, last but not least, a block of overly hard rosin to aid the horsehair in gripping the strings.

Plucking good

The tone of the bass is pleasantly surprising in the various styles we tried out on it. You tend to feel the sound as much as hear it, and the plucked tone is warm and well balanced. For beginners the action may be a little high, but the adjustable maple bridge and even a little sandpaper applied to the underside of its feet will allow you to set it to your exact tastes. The instrument is equally convincing when bowed, with just the right mix of rasp from the bow and depth from the spruce. All in all, we're impressed.

We'll let you into a little secret: if you can get yourself to a decent standard playing the double bass, you should be able to make a nice stack of cash as bands are crying out for players. This isn't the cheapest bass we've found, but neither is it the most expensive - a pro-level classical bass can set you back five figures. If you're serious about playing, yet don't want to break the bank, this is a serious option.

Read more about Archer 3/4-size professional double bass at MusicRadar.com

Archer 3/4-size professional double bass

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:25:00 GMT

Read more about Archer 3/4-size professional double bass at MusicRadar.com

Size matters

Plucking good

Read more about Archer 3/4-size professional double bass at MusicRadar.com

Archer 3/4-size professional double bass

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:25:00 GMT

Read more about Archer 3/4-size professional double bass at MusicRadar.com

Size matters

Plucking good

Read more about Archer 3/4-size professional double bass at MusicRadar.com

Vox StompLab IB

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:41:00 GMT

Read more about Vox StompLab IB at MusicRadar.com

Floor-dwelling multi-effects processors for bass have traditionally been rather large units, designed to fulfil all your sonic needs between guitar and amplification.

Trends change, though, and doubtless helped by the increasingly smaller amount of space you actually need for potent digital processing, recent multi-effects pedals have been seen in increasingly tinier footprints.

They also now perform a wider range of roles, such as a pedalboard-friendly jack of all trades that can usefully complement your existing pedals. The new Vox StompLab range of multi-effects units is the latest of the breed to exhibit the smaller footprint, and could sit comfortably among a host of conventional single-sound pedals, even though two of the models sport treadles.

There are four pedals in the StompLab range: the IG and IIG (that's 1G and 2G to you and me, but Vox likes roman numerals) are designed for guitar, and are identical apart from the fact that the IIG adds an expression pedal to control volume, wah or whatever parameter is assigned to it. The IB and IIB do the same thing for bass guitar. Here we look at the IB...

"All of the Stomplab pedals feature an onboard tuner and come with 120 onboard memory slots, 100 of which are presets, leaving 20 opportunities to edit and archive your own sounds."

All the pedals feature an onboard tuner and come with 120 onboard memory slots, 100 of which are presets, leaving 20 opportunities to edit and archive your own sounds.

The units can be used between guitar and amp, but the single output will also drive a set of stereo headphones for silent practice. You can practise anywhere you like, in fact, because power comes from four AA batteries, although in most cases we imagine users would employ a nine-volt adaptor, both for convenience and to keep costs down.

The factory presets and the user memories are accessed via a rotary switch, which selects banks - there are 10 banks of 10 user presets and a single bank that contains all 20 user presets. Two footswitches scroll up and down through the presets in each bank, loading them immediately.

The factory preset banks are categorised by musical style, so the bass pedal's categories are Jazz/ Fusion, Pop 1, Pop 2, Rock 1, Rock 2, Heavy Funk 1, Funk 2, Dance and Other.

Structurally, each preset is constructed from a chain of seven modules: pedal, amp/ drive, cabinet, noise reduction, modulation, delay and reverb. While there's one universal noise reduction effect, each of the other modules has a variety of effects that can be loaded into it.

The Pedal module offers compression, various wah effects, octaver, acoustic simulation, U-Vibe, tone and ring modulation options, as well as an exciter. The amp/ drive module offers amp emulation or different drive types, including fuzz, distortion and overdrive options. There are 10 amps and eight drives on offer, plus a selection of 12 cabinets.

Modulation, delay and reverb options are the same for all Stomplab units, with nine modulation types, including two chorus options, flanger, phaser, tremolo, rotary speaker, pitch shift plus auto and manual Filtrons.

In addition, there are eight delay options, plus room, spring and hall reverbs, while four output options also allow you to match whatever the StompLab is connected to: headphones or another line input, plus various amp types.

Sounds

Switching between the various presets is dead easy using the footswitches or the pair of front panel buttons, which also scroll through them all. Instant tweaking is available courtesy of two chickenhead knobs: one to control the amount of gain and the other controlling the output volume.

Vox says that the StompLab series is designed to be easily usable, even by novice players, which is why each program is named with a musical style, making it easier to find a sound without being concerned with specific effect names.

"We like this type of unit, because you can plug in and select a sound that you might not have considered using and find yourself getting creative"

While the presets found in these banks could be said to be representative of the nominated genre, in many cases they're usable in other genres, too, so it's just a case of trying them out, seeing what you like and perhaps putting some favourites (maybe with a few tweaks) into the user slots.

Although there are some outrageously over-effected tones in there, the presets are generally very playable. We like this type of unit, because you can plug in and select a sound that you might not have considered using, or that's not possible with your usual rig, and find yourself getting creative - the actual sound inspiring you to play differently.

The range of amps covers a selection that focuses directly on a bass player's needs in a dedicated pedal - much better than just sticking a few cursory bass presets into a guitar pedal. Likewise, the range of effects covers a lot of ground, with the common and the esoteric side by side. They all work well in the presets, but many sound good enough to work in isolation when you separate them out.

Editing presets to create your own sounds is a matter of pressing the edit button and using the category selector rotary knob to select which module you want to edit. You can select the effect for each, or make it inactive and then tweak parameters using the two knobs.

The effects have up to two parameters each, but the amps have gain, volume, bass, mid, treble and presence. It's all pretty straightforward, the only slight niggle being that the screen supports two characters only, so you have to rely on abbreviations (all listed in the user's guide) to see what amp or effect you are calling up.

It would have been nice to have a little more tweakability (you only get delay time and mix for the delay effects, with different feedback levels stored with each of the eight delay types), but it's all perfectly workable, and it would be churlish to complain at these prices.

The unit can be bypassed or muted by using both footswitches simultaneously. Just hitting them bypasses all effects, while holding them down for a second or so mutes the StompLab's output. Both methods also bring the handy onboard auto chromatic tuner into play.

Our main thought on this pedal is that it's a more practical version of a desktop processor - one that you can use as a genuine floor pedal, but still use at home. As a pedal plugged between bass and amp, it's certainly rugged enough for stage use, and probably small enough not to cause too much congestion on your pedalboard if you intend to use it alongside other pedals.

We'd be inclined to create presets with the amp modelling turned off if we were using the pedal with an amp, leaving the possibility of creating some composite effect sounds, or just limiting the preset to a single effect. That's 20 different single effects and a tuner that you can have instant access to if you don't mind hitting two footswitches at once, and that's really not at all difficult.

Finally, the most remarkable thing about this pedal is its value for money - you are getting a lot of bang for your buck here, with the IB available at a street price of less than £50. What better way to start the New Year?

Read more about Vox StompLab IB at MusicRadar.com

Vox StompLab IB

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:41:00 GMT

Read more about Vox StompLab IB at MusicRadar.com

Floor-dwelling multi-effects processors for bass have traditionally been rather large units, designed to fulfil all your sonic needs between guitar and amplification.

"All of the Stomplab pedals feature an onboard tuner and come with 120 onboard memory slots, 100 of which are presets, leaving 20 opportunities to edit and archive your own sounds."

All the pedals feature an onboard tuner and come with 120 onboard memory slots, 100 of which are presets, leaving 20 opportunities to edit and archive your own sounds.

The factory preset banks are categorised by musical style, so the bass pedal's categories are Jazz/ Fusion, Pop 1, Pop 2, Rock 1, Rock 2, Heavy Funk 1, Funk 2, Dance and Other.

Sounds

"We like this type of unit, because you can plug in and select a sound that you might not have considered using and find yourself getting creative"

Read more about Vox StompLab IB at MusicRadar.com

Black Knight CB-42WS bass guitar

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:41:00 GMT

Read more about Black Knight CB-42WS bass guitar at MusicRadar.com

If you've got £200 to spend on a bass guitar, you'll be spoilt for choice. At this price point the battle lines are clearly drawn between established budget brands such as Encore and Stagg, and Fender and Gibson's entry level brands, Squier and Epiphone. It's also where brands such as Dean, ESP, Ibanez and Jackson begin to appear, making choosing a bass at this price a tough task.

Enter the CB-42WS from Gear4Music's Black Knight range. It's a modern looking four-string which, at £209.99, is priced to go head to head with all the above brands and more. The question is: can it withstand the competition from the big boys?

First impressions

First impressions are extremely good. The classy black nickel hardware inspires confidence with both tuning and intonation, and it looks really smart. It's certainly preferable to plain chrome or black.

Moving over to the body, although a 'red wine stain' sounds more like something you'd find on your mum's carpet than the colour of a rock instrument, it is an agreeable enough finish. It's nothing flashy and definitely for those of you who prefer your playing to do the talking rather than the appearance of your guitar.

Indeed, playability is where the CB-42WS really scores highly. The Canadian maple neck is slender and the rosewood fretboard is smooth. The expertly dressed fretwork is impeccable, giving perfect intonation right up to the 24th fret. The action on the review model is comfortably low and, given the overall quality at this end of the instrument, we don't doubt it'll go lower, if that's how you like it. In terms of playability the CB-42WS really could be all the bass you ever need.

Sounds

There are loads of companies offering active basses around the £200 mark, so the Black Knight really needs to perform well in this area. The neck pickup is meaty with a touch of treble bite - a perfect modern rock tone straight out of the box. The bridge pickup is a thinner sounding device and we had to tweak the two-band EQ constantly to get the sound just how we like it.

The bass boost straightens out the bridge pickup, but it seems too heavy to be used with the already hefty neck pickup. By contrast, the high EQ control seems to be more of a high-mid-range boost, with a slightly nasal, boxy quality. It might be good for funk, perhaps, but we'd prefer it yielded just a touch more treble. That said, a little boost of the high EQ still gives the CB-42WS a pleasing boot up the rear end, and generates a bit more drive from your amp in the process.

The tones available from this Black Knight are genuinely decent and varied, suitable for everything from modern rock and metal to funk and acid jazz. That said, you will almost certainly find yourself frequently adjusting the EQ to find the optimal setting for the bridge pickup. It might not bother you at all, but we'd prefer a more usable tone from the bridge pickup with the EQ 'flat'.

This really is a fantastic bass. It would be a bargain even at twice the price and is a total steal for £209.99. It plays impeccably, looks good, and the tones it delivers, minor reservations aside, have all the sustain you could wish for. If you want a modern sounding and looking active bass for around the £200 mark, check out the CB-42WS.

Read more about Black Knight CB-42WS bass guitar at MusicRadar.com