Just bought a Surveyor 414

[ishouldbeking]

Haven't noticed that on mine, but I'll keep an ear out. With the bass boosted I do find the E string can be pretty dang powerful, but I generally don't boost the bass much anyway.

My old Stingray had the classic "weak D & G string" issue, where the E and A sounded great but the D and G sounded thin and quiet. Got better results (though not perfect) by adjusting saddle and pickup height, which might work for you.

[marnold]

Yeah, my suggestion would be to lower the low E side of the pickup a tad.

Also, I asked elsewhere but got no response. Any idea what the radius is on these basses? It's not as flat as my Spector (16" radius), that's for sure. Whatever it is, I like it.

[mikeddd]

I was jamming away on this bass for about an hour today, just smiling the whole time. Was playing mostly Aerosmith tunes and with the versatile EQ you can really nail Tom Hamilton's P Bass tone. I was noting how much I loved the neck and the EQ and realized "Wait...I never posted my thoughts on this bass in "the Surveyor for a steal" thread.

So here's my 414...which looks exactly like everyone else's 414 in this thread. LOL!



Before thoroughly playing this bass, I was doubtful that I'd care much for the active EQ. I've only had one other bass with an active EQ; a Spector Legend Custom, and I really disliked the EQ on that bass. Way too trebly, silibant and hissy. And the bass boost was all "woof" and no "bass."

But on this bass, the EQ is really usable. Someone above said "Motown to Maiden" and I couldn't agree more. The bass as from the factory was pretty dead on. String height could be a tad lower but I haven't messed with anything since taking delivery. Pickup height is perfect and intonation is pretty spot-on. It still has the original SIT strings on it, which I keep wanting to change out for my usual D'Addario EXL160's but never seem to find the time.

For the $320 delivered that I paid for this bass, it is an absolute STEAL. Earlier in the thread I asked "Is the quality of this instrument really in the $700 range (It's usual price) and I got an emphatic "YES" in reply. I couldn't agree more. Awesome bass that I can honestly say I'll never sell. And what a sweet deal we got!

OK, my conscience is clear now. I've finally posted in this thread! So how are you guys liking yours after 9-ish months? Still rockin it?

[Templar]

You guys are dead-on right about the Surveyor.

Although not for everyone's tastes, I've always been an EMG fan, but had not yet tried a DC35 along with a MM type EMG. So into Club Surveyor goeth I, with this black 400.

As expected, the EMG array sounds huge, and the Surveyor's coil tap is a sweet feature that expands an already wide tone palette. The ebony board is a nice bonus with the black ones.

As impressive as the kickass electronics are, the playability of my example is just as remarkable. It's perfect, surely one of the best playing basses I've stumbled across in years. Smooth and expressive, it speaks with both authority and nuance. And as mentioned, the balance is spot on.

My one niggle is the side dots are virtually invisible. My poor night vision doesn't help either, so my tech buddy is installing some larger, brighter dots for me. And maybe a Hipshot A bridge to give it a bitta class. For basically a "budget" bass, this is a total sleeper.

[marnold]

Originally Posted by mikeddd

OK, my conscience is clear now. I've finally posted in this thread! So how are you guys liking yours after 9-ish months? Still rockin it?

I still love mine. Matter of fact, I love it more every day! I've been working on my slapping and popping. It's a bit of a trick since I don't have a tip on my index finger, but I'm getting there!

[ishouldbeking]

I'm just returning to TB after a lengthy, unintentional forum sabbatical, and stumbled upon this thread again. Man, I love my Surveyor. So many "steal/deal" bass purchases have come and gone over the years, but I can't let this one go. It's become my absolute go-to bedroom recording bass, beating out my custom precision or Rick just about every time (unless those specific tones are required). I've got a comedy rock project that mainly focuses on '80s tones, and this thing is just unreal. And versatile to boot! I haven't even changed the strings since I bought it - though I am due for that, at least. Maybe a setup while I'm at it, maybe upgrade to 18volt setup... who knows.

Does anyone know what gauge the stock strings are? I'd rather not have to file the nut slot for a simple string change if I don't have to.

[marnold]

I believe they are .045-.105. I swapped mine out a long time ago for some Fat Beams. That's the gauge I use.