Sexy Bass
I’ve dabbled with basses in the past, whether it being playing with one owned by a friend, or in shops, but this weekend I finally went and bought one for myself. I’ve always liked basses, especially the meaty ones.
I went around the shops in Cardiff looking for one that would suit me. I was looking for something more than just the standard 4 string bass. I enjoy the freedom of range that my 7 string guitar provides for me, and I believe that having more range can only be a good thing. More bass to play.
First stop was Gamlins, where I pored over some of the offerings. I almost came ( 
) when I saw this gorgeous looking 6 string monster with a beautiful wood effect finish. The only problem was it’s price. £999! And that was discounted from £1249 because it’s case was broken. I decided I wasn’t going to (and couldn’t) spend that much on my first bass.
I noticed one that looked similar with wood effect, but was only 4 string. I asked to have a go on it, and the dude told me the electrics were dysfunctional, so I left it…
Then we went onto G.M. Music, and tried to fit 6 of us into that tiny cave they call a “shop”. It was a bit funny really. They had an assortment of 4 strings, from Stagg, B.C. Rich, Gibson etc. But only one 5-string, a fugly Fender Squire (hate them). And it was too expensive and covered in dust, so it had obviously been there a while too…
We left G.M. Music pretty quickly, heading for Cranes. On past experience, I knew I was heading to the place that would house my holy grail of basses. I stood looking at the selection of basses, greeted with plenty of 4, 5 and 6 string basses, both fretless and fretful (?), left and right handed. This was a serious bass inventory. Only problem was their price again. Despite most of them being on sale, discounted almost half price, some of them were still around the £500 mark, especially the 6 strings. Then I caught a glimpse of this bad boy hiding near the back. A gleaming red Hudson (I’d never heard of Hudson guitars until now) 5 string beauty. I asked the to have a go, and he set up an amp for me.
First impressions count for a lot, and this one almost sold me instantly. The sound it emitted after plucking the low B was as meaty as meat gets. It made the air in your chest cavity vibrate. You could really feel the power. It was then that the guy explained that the pickup was “Active” and assisted by a 9v battery housed in the back of the guitar. This makes the pickup so much more sensitive, giving the bass a much fuller sound and picking up the tiniest of vibrations. It makes it really easy to play, since you don’t need to pluck the strings nearly as hard as other basses I’ve played with in the past. I spent about 10 minutes finding my way around the fretboard, getting a real feel for it, and I was sold. This is a sexy bass. Not to mention it’s Thru-Neck too, very classy.
The best part was it’s price. £299 discounted from £465. A great deal in my opinion. I hardly put it down all weekend, despite being at a LAN party for most of the time.
Here are some pics for the curious:
