Fender Reggie Hamilton vs. Peavey Cirrus

[jaywa]

OK, seems like a strange pair-off but here's my situation:

I need a complementary bass to my main player (a 78 P-Bass modded with EMG active P-J pickups and running flatwounds). Right now my 2nd bass is an Ibanez BTB which I got for a great price but frankly, is not a great fit with my current band and is really not holding up very well under a very busy gigging schedule.

The purpose of this 2nd bass is essentially to give me different / broader tonal palette than I get with my P-Bass, and also to give me a bass I can keep in drop-D tuning so I can just switch basses between songs instead of de-tuning. I would be stringing it with roundwounds, as I'm currently doing with my BTB.

I have narrowed down my options to the Fender Reggie Hamilton and the Peavey Cirrus and here's what I'm juggling:

Fender RH Positives - It's a Fender (which I'm used to); active/passive switching gives me flexibility I don't have with either my P-Bass or my BTB (as well as a fail-safe in case batteries fail); vintage burst with tort PG is a look I've always wanted; prices on used models are exceptionally good and in keeping with what I'd want to spend on a 2nd bass.

RH Negatives - Not American made; also, since it has the same pickup configuration as my P-Bass will it give me a "different" enough sound when I want or need it? Wondering if the neck will take me a long time to get used to and also how it will respond to drop D tuning with only a 34" scale.

Cirrus Positives - American made; I've seen many glowing reviews; 35-inch scale would be good for drop-D (as I know from my BTB); pickup configuration would probably give me a lot more tonal options than I have with my P and possibly more than the RH.

Cirrus Negatives - Doesn't seem like these come up for sale used very often and when they do they're more expensive than the RH; would have to overcome Peavey brand bias; seems like they almost always come in natural finishes which don't really do that much for me.

Thoughts?

[Kwesi]

You already have a PJ so why even consider the Reggie Hamilton? I'm sure it'll sound different from your modded '78 but, fundamentally, the tone is bound to be pretty similar.

[Bass_Thumper]

Don't be afraid of brand bias with a Cirrus. They are great basses that stand on their own. They are professional gear and it will certainly give you a modern sound so you should have your bases (basses, yuck yuck yuck) covered.

[jaywa]

Do all the Reggie Hamilton basses come with a Hipshot D-Tuner standard? That would be a huge plus in my book.

[streetknight]

I have a Cirrus that I installed a Hipshot d tuner on and its an awesome bass. Very versatile. I'm not a gigging bassist, so keep that in mind, but I've went thru quite a few since I started playing and the Cirrus was my "ah ha" moment.

[jaywa]

I'm really ambivalent about the whole 35" scale thing, which I would be dealing with on the Cirrus.

On the one hand I really like what that extra length does on my BTB to tighten up the dropped D. On the other hand switching back and forth between 34" and 35" has been a bit of an annoyance and the reach on a 35" gets to be a bit much up by the headstock for a guy like me with shorter fingers.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by jaywa

I'm really ambivalent about the whole 35" scale thing, which I would be dealing with on the Cirrus.

On the one hand I really like what that extra length does on my BTB to tighten up the dropped D. On the other hand switching back and forth between 34" and 35" has been a bit of an annoyance and the reach on a 35" gets to be a bit much up by the headstock for a guy like me with shorter fingers.

It does not sound like you really want a Cirrus. Get a modern bass with a 34" scale instead. I am very partial to 1990s Yamaha TRBs. The 34" soapbar version tends to be cheaper than a Cirrus too.

[bassguitarthund]

My vote is for the Cirrus. Then again I want a Cirrus (American, neck thru) so bad and think it would complement my Fender Jazz! That is my opinion though and may differ for someone else. Good Luck

[Slammin]

Originally Posted by jaywa

I'm really ambivalent about the whole 35" scale thing, which I would be dealing with on the Cirrus.

On the one hand I really like what that extra length does on my BTB to tighten up the dropped D. On the other hand switching back and forth between 34" and 35" has been a bit of an annoyance and the reach on a 35" gets to be a bit much up by the headstock for a guy like me with shorter fingers.

My 32" Alembic has a MUCH longer reach to the headstock than my 35" Cirrus. Heck, the Cirrus, as far as reach feels very close to a P or jazz. In other words, they did a really good job with the ergonomics on the Cirrus as well as the balance.

[StuartV]

I've had several of each (Cirrus 5 and 6, Ps and Js) and I disagree that the Cirrus feels close to a P or J. Out of the 20-something basses I have owned, the Cirrus have felt like the longest reach to the first fret. And it's not so much because of the scale length. It's because the body is short. The strap button on the top horn is even with (I think) the 13th or 14th fret. Most basses have the button around the 12th fret. That means a Cirrus hangs on your body 1 or 2 frets further to the left than other basses. And that is why it feels like a longer reach.

That said, my Cirrus 5 was an awesome bass and so is my Cirrus 6. I only sold the 5 because it was natural colored, which doesn't really flip my switch and my 6 is ruby red and covers all the bases the 5 did, so there as no reason to keep the 5.

I gather the OP wants a 4-string. If you want a 4-string Cirrus, I was just in Rocker Guitars in San Francisco yesterday and they had one hanging on the wall. And it has the Peavey Custom Shop/Millennium preamp in it (a must-have, in my book). And it was there when I was in the shop back in June, too, so they've had it for a while and may be willing to make you a good deal on it. Don't quote me on this, but I think the price tag they had on it was only $800-something. I didn't play it yesterday, but I did play it back in June (unplugged) and I thought it was the nicest feeling bass they had in there.

Their # is (415) 487-1755. If you call them, tell them the guy that was in there yesterday afternoon wanking away on their Stingray 5 for an hour sent you. :-) (And, man, did that SR5 sound good through the '69 SVT + SVT810 rig they had there!)

[jaywa]

Correct, I am looking at 4-string options only.

Also, by "reach" on the 35-inch scale I didn't mean how "long" the neck felt; I was referring to the wider spacing between the frets (which is where my short fingers have a bit of a challenge in 2nd position and below as compared to a 34" scale). But I do appreciate the info on the Cirrus strap button placement and how that affects the perceived length.

[NG51]

I have a Fender Jazz, and two Cirrus 4s-fretted and fretless. I like the tonal contrast between the two types, and I don't find the extra reach a big deal-but then I have these big hammy hands-that being said, I did have to adjust my technique a bit, and span only three frets(comfortably) in first position(first finger on low F) on the Cirrus, where I can reach four frets on the Jazz. I love the Cirrus, especially(as mentioned by stuartV) with the millenium preamp- I have it on the fretted, not on the fretless. It does give me a great range of sound- be hard to pick between the two type of basses. They do feel quite different to me,though.Good luck!

[jaywa]

I'd love to be able to play them both, first. I suppose there's a slim chance my local GC might have a Reggie Hamilton in stock but as far as the Cirrus I'm probably SOL.

[Muziekschuur]

I'd try the Fender Roger Waters bass. A Precision...



And then take it to a guitarbuilder and customize it. It will probably be the same amount, but you'll know you'll like it.

[BassDudeSA]

While I love Fenders, with this option I would go for the USA Cirrus. I have owned 20+ different active basses of many different brands, and by far my favorite active bass under 3K is the USA Cirrus. Brand Bias? What's that? Never should be a consideration.

[smeet]

I haven't played the RH, but the Cirrus is a great bass, probably better made than the Fender IMO. Also a 35" through-body with humbucking pickups is going to give you a lot of tonal options you can't get with a Fender, so you can cover a lot more ground that way.

The Cirrus is going to feel more "modern". Flatter fingerboard radius, and probably you can set it up for a lower action than most Fenders. This would partially offset the feel of the 35" scale, and you could play with a lighter touch etc.

[genstormbringer]

Cirrus all the way brah!!!