NJ Beast Review

It features Mahogany bodies, Ebony fingerboards and killer Black hardware, Diamond inlays and 2 P style pickups w/ active EQ.

Features:	10
Sound:	10
Action:	10
Reliability:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	10
Users rating:	8.2
Comments:	8

overall: 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 03, 2004

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: The bass I am reviewing is B.C.Rich's current NJ Bass series. The Model I got was the Beast.
- Mahogany Body
- AA+ Quilted Maple top
- Maple Bolt-on Neck
- Paint-to-match Neck & Headstock
- Ebony Fingerboard
- Adjustable Bridge
- Sealed BC Rich Tuners
- 34" Scale Length
- 24 Extra Jumbo Frets
- Diamond Inlays
- 2 P Style Pickups w/ Active EQ
- Black Hardware
Overall this is the very best stuff you can get these days for under $1000 // 10

Sound: Personally I play all kinds of metal (primarily classic metal on my bass). This bass suits my needs more than perfectly and I would never consider any other. I play it through a Genz Benz 100 watt with no effects and it can sound like any CD you can come up with. It has no extra noise to it what so ever. You can adjust the settings dramatically using just the controlls on the bass itself. With all the settings fully boosted (which I usually play) it even gives you a little bit of a fuzz sound if u play it hard enough and it has a very full sound to it no mater what. You could play any style music with it, but with this look why would you not play metal? I have no dislikes about the sound, I love this bass! // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: It is a beauty. The only adjustment I have had to make since I got it was tightening the neck bolts because the neck was slightly bent but only slightly and now it works perfectly. I do not plan on adjusting anything else unless something is messed up in the future. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This bass could take anything you can do to it. I don't think it would break if you threw it off of a building. The only hardware you have to worry about is the battery, but this is the case with all active electronics. The only way to wear off the finish is to hit the bass against a wall...or a garage door. I was at a practice with my band about a month ago and my band and I were kind of inducting a new bass player (whom we immediately fired for sucking). He wanted to try my bass and I reluctantly let him. Upon the romoval of the bass from his shoulder, the ass threw it up and smashed the headstock on the garage door (which was raised at the moment). He managed to dent the garage but it only chipped a very miniscule bit of paint from my bass which I did not notice until further inspection. The wood was completely unscathed and i repainted the small chip and it is nothing more than a memory now. I would use this baby without backup at any show (but I would put in a new battery first if I had any doubts). // 10

Impression: As I have said this is a perfect bass for metal of any type, but it can master any style you wish. I have had this bass for about a year and it is as good as the first day I got it. I went into buying this very blindly because I got it for the look. Normally that would have been a bad decision but I do not regret it one bit. There is no other bass out there that I would rather have (unless B.C.Rich could cook me up a custom 6 string version of this one). After buying it I compared it to every other brand out there and none of them match up in any way. I can immitate any bass I want perfectly and the setting I use is still better than any I have heard anywhere else. I plan to buy a Boss peddle for it soon because Boss kicks ass at making peddles, but it would not be for the fuzz because as I have said it already has a slight fuzz to it. I would get the peddle for the effects and stuff. In conclusion, this is without a doubt in the world the best bass made by the best brand out there. // 10

Comments

[Kain_Doom01]

if it need to be adjusted...even if it's minor, it's brought down to a 7 or 8....and it's a bolt-on neck guitar so its body will vibrate horribly, killing the inner hardware and your tone, you'll see...yes, it is a beauty, but even a Set neck is better on a biiig bass neck, bolt on necks are Veeery iff-y...neck-thru, as always, is the best for crisp...clear sound

[dimebag7]

my friend ahs this, its action is horrible so horrible, and heavy.

[punksucks666]

it sucked balls compared to my warwick double buck, but all in all its a fairly deacent guitar but dodgy wood and construction, big no no

[Rodario]

hey!

i tried this bass, and i... i ... I WANT THIS BASS!! Thank you for this great review, it helped me a lot, and so i tried it.. and i will buy it. This Bass is the best instrument for metal in this world.

Metal4Ever!
NJ BEAST 4 EVER!!

[shammyshamsham]

i had to play a gig with one of these last night, cuz my regualar is bust.
i looked an ass playing pop punk with bc rich, but when i heard the sound in soundcheck i didn't care, it sounds awesome, it is a little heavy, but most bassist are big guys anyways so that dnt matter.

i'm buying it off my mate now for like £100 but i gotta say i'll change the action when i get it, cuz the action is dire, an it's top heavy so it's extra pressure on your fretting hand if your action is shit.

[warlocked]

kain_doom is right, i have a nj neck thru 5 string warlock and i would never ever go back to to a bolt on as u sacrifice much clarity.

no idea what yours is painted with, but i have a fair few chips on the edges resulting from clashes with far less adverseries than garage doors...

but if your after a metal bass there is no opposition to the b.c's nj series!!!

[Lasyk]

these hings are WAAAAAY to damn heavy i think, look sick but i couldnt play a full set playing with it, probly cuz i do guitar style headbanging while i play, but yeah if ur just standin and playing u could probly do it

[Arkenzel]

beautiful.....