MusicMan Big AL Bass

Greetings!

This a fabulous bass that you just do not see very often: an Ernie Ball MusicMan Big Al bass. These were introduced at the 2009 Winter NAMM show, and have a few things not seen on MusicMan basses before.

For starters, there are two different pickup configurations available, a single humbucker or (gasp) 3 single coil pickups. And the other new thing is that there is a switchable passive mode on these basses.

The body is made of African mahogany and, of course has an innovative profile and shape and is nicely balanced. The Jetson shape is derived from their Albert Lee signature guitar.

The one we have here today has the original glossy Pearl White finish, and it is gorgeous.

It is equipped with a single humbucker, and I might need to explain what all of those knobs and switches do (it is a bit of a knob farm). There is a volume control, a knob for tone that only works in the passive mode, and the two concentric knobs are a 40band equalizer that only works in the active mode. The two switched are the series/parallel switch and the active/passive switch. It has an 18-volt preamplifier for a little extra mmmmmpf.

The neck is a dream, with a nice dark rosewood fretboard. The five bolts really hold it solid to the body, and the fret pocket is really tight. It is true, and the truss rod wheel makes adjustments a snap. The frets have the fine finishing that I expect from MusicMan. Final quality touches are the Schaller tuners and a compensated nut.

It plays well (of course), but the electronics and tone are where this bass really shine. I do not do much knob-twiddling, but having a passive option is something I have been hoping for from MusicMan for quite a while.

A bonus on this one is that it weighs in at 9 pounds, 0 ounces, which is pretty light for one of these.

Unfortunately, like any good thing, these are not terribly cheap. The list price on these basses is $2300, and the lowest price online is $1679. Call around and you can do a bit better.

Why don’t you see more of these? I would have to think that if they ever marketed this bass (or their Bongo bass), or got one into the hands of a big name artist on stage, that they would sell a metric F ton of these.

Mahalo!

1984 Steinberger XL2 Bass

Hi there!

Back in the 1980s, everybody and their brother wanted one of these: a 1984 Steinberger XL2 4-string bass. I have owned a half dozen of these basses over the past 20 years, and this one is a peach, from a condition and playability standpoint.

These basses were very innovative, with composite materials construction and rock solid electronics and tone. The original run of L series basses was from 1979 to 1995. Gibson bought Steinberger out in 1987 and sent the company straight into the K hole.

If you ever go looking for a Steinberger L series bass, this is THE model to buy. The couple of hundred earliest "transition" XL2 basses have all of the best features from both the L2 and the later XL2.

From the L2: a. warmer EMG "SS" pickups (as opposed to the "HB" models which replaced them. b. more comfortable and cooler looking plug-in curved leg rest. c. rounder neck profile.

From the XL2: a. engraved logo (not a sticker). b. cleaner looking face-plate attached from the rear. c. headpiece designed for double-ball strings (the L2 headpiece was designed before double-ball strings were available).

The body on this one is in great shape, with no modifications or unseemly damage. There some swirl marks and normal play wear evident, but no signs of abuse. There is the slight groove that these get on the back from where the strap button on the pivot plate slides across the bass.

The neck is tdf. The frets have very little wear, and will hold up for years. It may have been refretted at some point. If so, they did a marvelous job. There are no weird bends or lumps on this one. There is a small nick (1/32"), back of neck at around the 3rd fret region. There is no truss rod, so of course there are no truss rod issues…

The pickups and the electronics work fine. It has the original pickups, pots and wiring.

All of the hardware is original. The tuners work well. It still has a battery cover and the super rare plug in leg rest.

The serial number is 1903, which dates this to 1984, and this one was made in Newburgh, NY. Brrr.

It plays great, and it is solid. It sounds great and would work well for most any gig. Just be prepared for the questions when you pull it out of the bag.

Titus Andronicus: The Monitor Album Review

Aloha!

Today I am writing about one of my favorite new albums of 2010: The Monitor from Titus Andronicus. How could I not like an indie rock/punk album that is loosely based on Civil War imagery and themes?

Titus Andronicus is a New Jersey band that has been around since 2005. Do not think they are a bunch of pompous a-holes because they took their name from Shakespeare’s play, or because of this album’s subject matter. This band is high-energy and really fun to listen to, mostly because of frontman Patrick Stickles. I found out about them when I saw them perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The Monitor is their second album, and it has gotten very good reviews since it was released in March. For those of you who do not remember your old history classes, the USS Monitor was the first ironclad ship of the United States Navy.

The ship was probably best known for its epic 1862 fight with CSS Virginia at the Battle of Hampton Roads. And, “The Battle of Hampton Roads” happens to be the 14-minute foaming-at-the-mouth finale to the album, which even has a bagpipe solo in it,

Like I said, The Monitor album draws inspiration from the Civil War, which is maybe one of the biggest bags of inspiration you could dig around in. But this is not a Civil war album. There is some period spoken word and imagery, but it mostly seems to be angst-ridden New Jerseyites having a good time and exorcising their emotional demons at the same time. It seems that every war reference should be interpreted as current day issues experienced by Stickles.

And, my god, Stickles sure seems to channel some Springsteen. His phrasing and voice have some distinct similarities. Taking it a little further, the opening song (“A Perfect Union”) actually paraphrases Bruce’s lyrics, and they give him a shout-out in the finale. And do not take this as a bad thing, I think it is awesome.

Also awesome is the way The Monitor build to the finale, travelling though a waltz, some drinking songs, some Irish jigs, punk rock anger, and finally, the bagpipe solo.

As a bonus, there are guest appearances by members of Ponytail, Wye Oak, Hallelujah The Hills, Spider Bags, Vivian Girls, and The Hold Steady.

The Monitor is worth every penny, and I recommend downloading it today. It is 65 minutes of pure self-indulgent goodness. One warning, though: don’t play “The Theme from Cheers” around little children.

Mahalo!

1965 Fender Jazzmaster Guitar

Hey there!

Today we are looking at a well-loved 1965 Fender Jazzmaster. This example is mostly original, and has a true mojo to it.

The original run of Jazzmasters were built between 1958 and 1980, and were designed to be the top of the Fender line (i.e. most expensive) but never really caught on with the same popularity of the Stratocaster and Telecaster models. They have a warmer tone, and did catch on with the surf bands, though.

The slab body on this one was finished in black with a non-matching headstock, which is fairly rare. I believe this is the original paint, and it shows a lot of lacquer checking on the front and back.

This Jazzmaster has the most worn neck I have ever seen, making me wonder if maybe someone took some sandpaper to it at some point. There is a little flame to the male which you do not usually see on these. It is dated 4 MAR 65 B. The medium frets and nut were professionally replaced at some point, and they did a really nice job.

All of the hardware and electronics are original. The pickguard turned a lovely minty green over the years.

It came to me with the tremolo arm, the bridge cover and the ultra rare no logo hardshell case that was only available in 1965.

It played well, and the neck was super-well broken in. The sound was ok, but perhaps a bit noisy. I was always afraid to mess with those original solder joints.

I sold this a few years ago before the economy fell into the crapper. It was a great guitar, but was just not my style.

Mahalo!

Custom Color Guitars and Basses

Howdy!

Before I share my thoughts on custom color guitars, I had better admit that I am guilty of craving shiny/flashy instruments that are not found in the usual spectrum of colors you find hanging on the walls at Guitar Center.

Major guitar manufacturers do not usually stray beyond the norms: black, white, natural, and bursts. Why is this? Because those are the ones that sell. What color is Eric Clapton’s Strat? Geddy Lee’s Jazz Bass? Roger Waters’ P Bass? Tony Iommi’s SG? If you answered “black:” to any of these questions, you are right.

The only unique colors that seem to sell well are the 1960s Fender custom colors. Everybody and their brother wants Fiesta Red or Lake Placid Blue. Not everybody is looking for Antigua, though.

Then there are the sparkle fanatics.

I love reading all the online complaints from musicians that say they really want sparkle finishes. Manufacturers are not listening to them, and are missing out on tons of lost sales. Really? If someone wants a new guitar, they will head out and buy one anyway, sparkly or not.

Sparkle finishes clog paint guns, and when they are available nobody actually buys them and they have to be clearanced out after they hang on the wall for a few years. Look on eBay. Do sparkle finished guitars sell for more than those with a more normal finish? Nope. Why would a manufacturer go through this hassle, when they know what the masses will buy?

So next time you are in an online forum, and are typing “I would buy one of those, if only they offered it in (fill in the blank)”, think twice. Would you really? Will 1,000 of your best friends run out and buy one too? The answer is probably “No”, so it is not going to happen. If you want a sparkly orange guitar with purple stripes, get ahold of a quality refinisher and they will be happy to take your money and spray it for you. And good luck getting your money back when you try to sell it later on.

Mahalo!

Yamaha MG 102C Mixer

Greetings!

A while back I was looking for a new mixing board to use with my QSC powered PA speakers. I needed something that I would use mostly for DJ situations, and maybe a little band use. The decision to get the Yamaha MG 102C was easy.

My requirements are not exactly over-the-top. I need at least 4 microphone/XLR channels (with switchable phantom power), as well as RCA inputs, speaker out, recording out, and a headphone jack. That is about it, really. No fancy effects or flashing lights.

Well, the MG 102 C has all of that stuff. Some bonuses are a usable compression feature (on two channels), an effects loop, and separate monitor and stereo outputs.

Looking at the specs on this mixer, I have one little gripe. Yamaha calls this a 10-channel mixer, which is technically true, but take a closer look at those inputs and controls. They are counting the 4 stereo inputs as 8 channels, but they are only controlled in pairs. Sounds like six channels to me. It is a cheesy way to market it, but I knew that when I bought it.

So far I have used it for 2 DJ gigs and for the band at my house party. The sound output is clear without added hum or noise. I have not had any problems with it yet, or found that it will not do anything that I ask of it. Sliding faders would have been nice but at this price point, I am happy enough with the knobs.

Oh, and the price point is the best feature, which I have saved for last. The Yamaha MG 102C is incredibly cheap with a list price is $129.99, and a street price of $99.99. Wow!

It also comes with a 1 year limited warranty, and Yamaha customer service is great. If you do not need a powered mixer with a metric ton of channels or effects, this board is a great buy.

Mahalo!

Sadowsky NYC PJ Bass

Hi there!

Today we are looking at maybe the best quality bass I have ever owned, a Sadowsky NYC Vintage P J bass guitar. For the gigging man (or woman) Sadowskys are some of the most desired basses ever made.

Obviously it is a Fender clone, but the Fender Custom Shop has never cranked out anything as good as this bass. Really.

The full-size alder body has a P-bass profile and shape, and it is finished in Olympic White. Is it chambered? I have no idea. Probably. And, you have to dig that parchment pickguard with the Olympic White.

It has a P-Bass width neck which is 1.75-inches wide at the nut, and a 9-inch radius on the fretboard. This has the optional vintage tint on the neck and a Brazilian rosewood fretboard, which is a $300 up charge. The neck is a dream. The neck pocket fit is the tightest I have ever seen. It is true, and the truss rod wheel is a very handy feature for quick adjustments.

It has the original Sadowsky pickups and pre-amp with VTC. It has no unusual noises, and sounds flawless.

The high-quality Sadowsky hardware is all present and in great condition. The bridge and tuners are full of chrome goodness.

It has all of these great features, and It weighs in at 8 pounds 5 ounces, according to my scale. Amazing!

This one was made in 2009, and I got it from the original owner, who had hit on hard times. I really liked it, but this bass is just too nice to be sitting in its case all of the time, so I moved it along.

Maybe you need to get one. These basses sell for over $3700 new, and you will have to wait at least 6 months to get one, so you had better order yours today!