A double cutaway electric bass guitar featuring a unique part hollow ash body with double 'F'Holes. Double humbucking pick-ups are fitted as standard. The mahogany neck is reinforced with a truss rod and perfectly fretted.
Featured review by:
GreenDayChris, on august 09, 2004 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 320.25
Purchased from: Deaking Guitars
Features: I don't know what year this bass was made or where it was made as I bought the bass second hand. The neck is maple, I think, and the fretboard is rosewood and nice and smooth. It has 24 frets. I am not sure what wood the body is, possibly mahogany. The finish is a nice, lovely black but you kind of see through to the wood grain, which is nice. I have also seen this bass in a natural finish.
The body style is just like a normal bass, kind of shaped like a strat, but the thing I like most about it is the F-holes which lend a bit of class to the look and the gold hardware which looks well flash. There are 4 knobs on the body, two volume and two tone. The pickups are from EMC Electronics, with one single and one double pickup. The tuners have no brand. I didn't get any extras with this bass. // 8
Sound: I mainly play rock with this bass, Hendrix, Bon Jovi style stuff, but also some RHCP's and a bit of punk, like the Clash. It handles these styles well with a nice loud, warm sound through my Page B20 amp. Even through this pretty small amp I can get easily heard over our bands drummer and the bass sounds good fingered or picked. The sound is full and pretty bright and I really like it, I would say it suits my style very well. I have never used it with any effects so I cannot comment on how it would sound with distortion etc. However with a clean sound so good I doubt if I would use effects much anyway! // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: My bass was set up well although there were a couple of minor niggles, nothing to really complain about though. There were a couple of scratches on the body, but it was used so the shop can't really be blamed. These scratches aren't overly visible anyway. The only other problem is that one of the knobs doesn't turn properly but this happened after I bought the bass. I think it's probablu just that the wire got tangled up or something. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I have played this bass live and without backup although if I had more than one bass I would probably take two along just to be on the safe side. The strap has never fallen off and the strap buttons are solid. The finish seems solid and hard to damage, I've knocked the bass a couple of times but scratches are minimal, hard to see and haven't gone through to the wood. I think this bass will last as someone else had it before me and I've had it a few months, played live about five times and it is abosulutley fine. // 10
Impression: I play mainly rock and this bass works well with a lovely, crisp sound. I have been playing guitar about two and a bit years, but bass for only about 4-5 months, this is my first and only bass and I love it. My other gear is a Fender Highway 1 strat, Marshall 15DFX and my Page B20 bass amp and I must say I enjoy plaing this bass nearly as much as the £400 Fender. If this bass were stolen, I would never lose it, I would consider buying one the same again, if I could find one the same price. However as I got mine second hand I know they are more new, about £275-300, but I think the bass is worth it. If it were stolen though I might use the oppurtunity to upgrade to something like a Fender. I love the sound and the fact it is pretty light and my fave thing is the F- holes because I love those stylish, classy, big semi-acoustic Gretches and the like.
Overall I think it is a fantastic bass for a beginner or intermediate player though may even be good enough for pro level. I would recommend anyone looking for a first bass to bypass the normal Squiers/Encores and other cheap basses, which I also looked at, and go but a Tanglewood Warrior 3 FH, a much better instrument at a similar price. // 10
Reviewed by:
theshowbizkid, on may 03, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 384.3
Purchased from: BMI
Features: Tanglewood is a Korean manufacturer, and this bass was made circa 2002. Aesthetics: jazz bass shaped body; green gloss stained finish; maple laminate top; gold hardware; 24 frets; Rosewood fingerboard; 1 single coil, and 1 double coil pickup; 2 symettrical 'f' holes. The bass is passive, with 2 tone and 2 volume controls (1 for each pick-up). Also came with gig-bag. // 8
Sound: The sound is very typical of modern Korean basses. It possesses a very bright, punchy tone - suitable mainly for pop or funk basslines. It isn't very distinctive, and could just about handle most styles of music, but doesn't possess any real deep growl, or singing highs. However, that said, I was pleased with it - it's good for the 'covers band' circuit, as the lack of any distinct sound (for example a Rickenbacker) doesn't alienate it from any musical genre. // 6
Action, Fit & Finish: There's not much to say here - the finish was very good, and looks professionally done, and I have had no problems. The action is quite impressive considering its price, but compared to other basses, this is nothing special. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This bass has withstood many gigs (though it only plays a bit part anyway), and I've had little problems. The jack did come out last year (after 2 years of owning this bass), and I've had no further problems with this since repairing it myself. This is my backup bass, and I can rely upon it. // 8
Impression: It's hard to be overly enthusiastic about this bass, but its good enough. It was my first owned bass (I played a Westone to start off with, and borrowed/inherited my dad's bass), and it has done a very solid job. It is designed to look 'funky', and that appears to be its main purpose, above sound quality, and is also its main letdown. For its price, I would consider buying the same bass again if lost, but purely as backup, as it can't contend with the other basses I own (Rickenbacker 4003, Fretless Warwick Jazzman, 5-String Status Graphite). // 6
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