So... I've had this bass for two months now. Have posted several things on the Clement thread but I feel like this deserves it's own review thread.
This is my third Clement. The other two were great but not perfect for me. This bass is perfect for me. Now. The only issue I had with it was the fact it came with vintage frets vs. the bigger frets I prefer. It played fine as it was but really prefer the feel of bigger fretwire. Justin Kennedy did an excellent refret for me. Not a big deal for most people but I am kind of picky about frets.
I have been through a lot of basses and to this point this is the most perfect bass for me. It sounds like a great jazz bass, plays like butter and fits my misshapen body perfectly. It is my perfectly comfortable jazz bass (and don't have to make a pesky pickgaurd choice, possibly the hardest part of owning a jazz bass). Tom has many different shapes he can build you so most people should be able to find one they like. Hanging on a strap it hangs in the perfect position. It weighs in around 7.5 lbs and it is perfectly comfortable for a loooong time.
Some specs....
- Clement Mike Shape
- 34" scale
- Spanish cedar body
- Claro walnut top
- Bolivian Rosewood Fretboard
- Quartersawn Maple neck
- Fender Vintage Jazz Single Coil Pickups
- Glockenklang 3 Band Preamp
I tried a few other pickups before picking the Fender SC's. They are not dead quiet but man do they sound good. Really get along well with the Glockenklang preamp too.
So Part of the addictive nature of Clement basses I find are the necks. Tom really knows how to make a great feeling neck and he can tailor it to your needs if you like. This bass has a slightly chunky jazz neck. Perfect!
It's also nice to be able to choose the exact woods on your bass. I really like the claro/rosewood combo. Can look subtle unless you're up close or under bright lights. Which is what I personally prefer.
I guess the highest praise I can give Tom is ordering yet another bass from him. Which I have. #306 will be Identical to this bass except it will be fretless, have a maple top and be passive. Can't wait!
I can and do recommend Tom if you want a beautiful custom bass built just the way you want it for around the price of many Mass produced basses. Tom is excellent to work with and sends regular updates with pictures so you can see your bass coming along on a regular basis. He is super responsive to emails and even has a good sense of humor about my bad jokes!
Here are some more pics...
Glad you're happy with this one. And the weight is great!
