Shen SB-200 after 4.5 years.

PB+J · #1 01-28-2010, 12:37 PM

I thought I'd give an update--there are lots of "i just bought this and OMG it's incredible" reviews. So here's a review after years of slogging.

First, the reviewer--I'm a reasonably proficient semi-professional gigging a couple times a month roughly, mostly jazz-ish. Been playing slab bass and jazz guitar as well. Gigs have slowed down since the recession.

Second, the bass. It's Shen's 7/8 willow flatback, now listed on the Shen website as the "Gemunder 7/8 willow." It was my first good bass and will probably be my last. Prior to this I had a Kay, an Englehardt, and a couple rented carved basses whose brand escapes me, in addition to trying many basses before buying this one. It came with Spiro Mittels on it, and it's had beaucoupe des stringes on it since including, for long stays, Velvet Animas, Spiro Weichs, and now Velvet Blues, which I'm very happy with. It has a KC strings angled endpin.

Pluses: A very very even tone. No "hotspots" or dead spots. I love that about it. It never gets in the way and I never have to avoid a range of notes or hold back in certain areas. It has an especially pretty midrange, up around the neck heel--a very even, pretty tone and I end up soloing there a lot. It sounds equally good there with a bow, even with the Velvet Blues which aren't much fun with the bow. Overall it has a big, warm, very smooth tone, maybe to the point of bland. The neck has been dead stable and has only recently seemed to have developed a couple rattles. The fingerboard need a little dressing.

Minuses. It's BIG. I wish I'd found a smaller bass I liked as well. It's harder to lug and harder to squeeze into small venues and harder to lay down between sets. If I were looking again I'd think hard before I'd get a 7/8. The tone is smooth maybe to the point of bland. I wish there was a little more whomp and creak on the low notes. It seems like the cost of even-ness, which I really like, was "character." Maybe character comes with age. Could be the strings--of course it could! It could always be the strings! Also I've had trouble with the tuning machines rattling--see my whining thread in the repair section. Shen used lousy screws in the assembly. Its developed two rib cracks--one down by the endpin, caused by me bumping it in transport, and on the upper bout by the neck, caused by my fingernail whacking down on it in some moment of over-exuberant plucking. Is this an unreasonable level of cracking? I don't really know. There's a rattle in the tailpiece somewhere--I keep meaning to replace the tailpiece cable with a cord. It needs to go into the shop for a little clean and press, get those cracks fixed, maybe see if it needs any tweaks. The top and the back have been solid.

Overall--I really like the bass. It's good enough for me, it does nothing to hinder me and there's no defect in the sound that could not be overcome by better playing. Will it develop a richer and more complex character in time? I assume it will, hopefully I will too. I wish it was smaller. I wish the perfect set of strings would emerge from the sea on a clamshell and present themselves.

Jake deVilliers · #2 01-28-2010, 02:10 PM

Thanks for the thorough review. It seems as though the Shen Willow is a good bass overall. You might get more drama with some setup tweaks - sound post location, tailpiece weight and the flexibility of the tailwire will all have an effect on the tone.

jmpiwonka · #3 01-28-2010, 03:19 PM

that's about what my shen willow sounds like. i've managed to turn it into a pretty powerful sounding bass and that in turn maybe mellows the character some. or maybe that's the way willow sounds. either way it's a pretty dark bass, sounds good arco and is pretty ok for pizz too. maybe the smoothness i'm thinking about is coz i had evah's on it. or maybe that's just the way it sounds from the playing position. it's got a big frontend to the notes...or maybe that's my hands that make it sound that way.

anyway. it's a nice bass.

PB+J · #4 01-29-2010, 07:10 AM

Yeah, I like it a lot--it's always fun to play, I never feel like I'm fighting it. It's very well designed that way. Be interesting to see if it develops more with age. I'd still highly recommend this model to anyone who wants a good bass with a strong tone and a very flat, neutral character. Probably the next step in getting a more distinctive sound out of it involves more practice!

I had evahs on mine for a while but they were just not what I wanted for pizz. They were a joy to bow. What changes did you make to yours? All I've done is change the endpin to the angled/rabbath style, using the KC strings endpin mod. A little more drama would be good.

jmpiwonka · #5 01-29-2010, 08:06 AM

it's had a few setups.
last time i found out the soundpost was real tight. so new soundpost and new bridge with no adjusters. medium high string height. mike pecanic walnut tailpiece.
i'm thinking a nice endpin might be in order.

so really i guess just a nice setup and a light tp.

been through the usual strings, just put some old spiro mittel back on until some jazzers arrive...fun to switch strings around.

Steve Swan · #6 01-29-2010, 09:56 AM

Willow is a more fibrous and less brittle wood than the maples, so I tend to think of willow basses as potentially more gig-friendly and crack resisitant than their maple sisters.

PB+J · #7 01-30-2010, 04:52 AM

Well last night I was asleep and was awakened by a snap sound and strings ringing. I went downstairs and there is a massive crack along the entire bottom rib, running almost the entire lower bout. I'm not sure it's repairable. The top will have to come off. If it is repairable, it's going to be very expensive.

Maybe now it will have more character, if it lives

Bass · #8 01-30-2010, 06:55 AM

Ouch!! You forgot to knock on wood.

forester · #9 01-30-2010, 06:57 AM

"is this an unreasonable level of cracking"
wow..the power of the spoken (printed) word!
my heart felt condolences.

Mark Carlsen · #10 01-30-2010, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PB+J

Well last night I was asleep and was awakened by a snap sound and strings ringing. I went downstairs and there is a massive crack along the entire bottom rib, running almost the entire lower bout. I'm not sure it's repairable. The top will have to come off. If it is repairable, it's going to be very expensive.

Maybe now it will have more character, if it lives

Have you been humidifying in the room where the bass lives ?

PB+J · #11 01-30-2010, 07:44 AM

Yes but we just had a very bad weather shift from warmish and very wet to in the teens. Humidifier could not keep up.

It's my fault--this rib had a small crack in it and I had been meaning to take it in to be fixed. Was actually planning to call Tom Wolf today to make an appointment. Now there's no choice

It's a long clean break, almost dead straight. More like a split than a crack. I'm thinking it can be fixed but the top will have to come off. Thomas Wolfe says he can't get to it for ten days

RRRRRR...

jallenbass · #12 01-30-2010, 08:50 AM

More than once I've seen newer basses go through that kind of trauma only to sound much better after the repair. Good luck.

Uncletoad · #13 01-30-2010, 09:26 AM

Sucks. Could be better when done.

My equipment insurance took care of the lions share of that for me. Might want to look at that.

PB+J · #14 02-04-2010, 08:23 PM

The poor Shen is in the hands of Thomas Wolf in the charming town of "The Plains" Virginia. Mr. Wolf has assured me it will live again, and he's graciously lent me a lesser Shen to use in the meantime.

I'm going to start looking or a patron saint of bassists--St Cecelia is too much of a generalist. "St: Lonodus of Cremona, who miraculously was able to make a bass the size of a cello, but with the full tone of a bass, and who was martyred by jealous cellists.

Tom also let me play a really pretty glorious Grunert, which is haunting me a bit right now...

Uncletoad · #15 02-04-2010, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PB+J

glorious Grunert, which is haunting me a bit right now...

That's how it starts. Take one hit off that bass crack pipe and you're sunk.

Whatever you do don't take a bass like that on the gig or be prepared to sign another mortgage.

shadygrove · #16 02-04-2010, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

That's how it starts. Take one hit off that bass crack pipe and you're sunk.

Whatever you do don't take a bass like that on the gig or be prepared to sign another mortgage.

yep... better bass, better strings, better amp, better bow... once you've experienced that better sound it's pretty tough to "just say no"

Uncletoad · #17 02-04-2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadygrove

yep... better bass, better strings, better amp, better bow... once you've experienced that better sound it's pretty tough to "just say no"

It's goddamn Lay's potato chips.

bribass · #18 02-04-2010, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

It's goddamn Lay's potato chips.

LOL! You had that first chip at my house Phil.

PB+J, I had a crack like that last year on my German shop bass. It was a gaping crevass of a more than a 1/8 of an inch. Brought it to Arnold and when he loosened the strings it miraculously came together avoiding the dreaded 'removal of the top' for the repair. It was not nearly as costly as I had had envisioned from the look of it at first. Good luck.

Bri

Uncletoad · #19 02-05-2010, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bribass

LOL! You had that first chip at my house Phil.

Pimp.

PB+J · #20 02-05-2010, 04:47 AM

I've thinking about that Grunert. Really a nice bass. When I first tried it, I thought "eh, not so great," but then as I played it a little more it started sounding better and better, like it had to warm up or more probably, I started to understand it a little. The previous owner had obviously spent a lot of time in thumb position because man, it really opened up close to the octave. And that seemed to unlock the low end. By the time I handed it back I was in love. Made nice sounds all over, regardless of what I was doing.

Dammit!

We'll see how Shen-ia turns out. According to the news we are supposed to get a snowfall of biblical proportions and Mr. Wolf will be unable to leave the shop, and there's that pesky Shen waiting to be fixed.