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Advanced questions on Reverend Rumblefish basses

barroso

barroso

Aug 16, 2000
3,846
106
51
Italia
www.danguitars.com
#1
Since i have bought my used Rumblefish i have to admit that this is nowadays my most played bass.
This is due to tone, which i love, neck which i love and overall factor.

Now i have some in deep questions about Rumblefishes.

1) have you ever changed pickups to your 'Fish? have you ever used Reverend pickups in another bass?
i ask this not because i am not happy, just out of curiosity.

2) have you ever noticed lack of tuning stability due to the tuning machines?

3) how do you read the serial number?
mine shown seriual number 2294 and Z and G letters with a flash simbol in between. just like in the following pic. Z G should be intials for Reverend emplyee Zacahry Green, i guess. but what about the number? is it a progressive number?
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4) have you ever changed the bridge?

5) how do you EQ your amp when playing with your 'Fish?

6)is there an aspect of your bass you would like to change?

7)taking a look at the neck joint, the neck is "bigger" than the body. to understanf what i am saying take a look at the attached pic. why?

thanks a lot.
 
#2
1) have you ever changed pickups to your 'Fish? have you ever used Reverend pickups in another bass?
i ask this not because i am not happy, just out of curiosity.

No. The stock pickups sound wonderful and there is no reason to change them. Also, they're made according to Joe's specs, so I wouldn't be able to get his pickups to put into another bass.

2) have you ever noticed lack of tuning stability due to the tuning machines?

I have no such problems. In fact, it's probably my most stable bass. Make sure the tension on your tuners is sufficient.

3) how do you read the serial number?
mine shown seriual number 2294 and Z and G letters with a flash simbol in between. just like in the following pic. Z G should be intials for Reverend emplyee Zacahry Green, i guess. but what about the number? is it a progressive number?
Invalid Link Removed

Actually, I'm not sure about this one. You're probably right...

4) have you ever changed the bridge?

No. No need to.

5) how do you EQ your amp when playing with your 'Fish?

I don't EQ my amp any differently than I do with any other bass.

6)is there an aspect of your bass you would like to change?

I can think of nothing I'd change. I've also received MANY positive comments about my Reverend!

7)taking a look at the neck joint, the neck is "bigger" than the body. to understanf what i am saying take a look at the attached pic. why?

I would assume it's for slightly better access to the higher register.
 
#3
1. i would NEVER change the pickups. ever.
2. no
3. i think that's an "S" not a flash symbol. yes, it's a progressive #
4. no, and i wouldn't
5. roll back the bass a notch, roll up the treble a notch, roll up the mids a notch and a half at 600-800 Hz
6. i changed the tuners to elephant-ear style hipshot ultralites, but that was just for looks.
7. hey, my bass only has 4 bolts!
 
#4
Hey Barroso,
Glad to hear you're digging the Reverend so much! To answer your questions:

1) Never changed the pickups. My bass is one of the first 50, and came with Kent Armstrong pickups. They are super loud and sound great. I had a bugeye-top XL model for a little while, with the Reverend pickups, and I didn't like the sound quite as much. I can't imagine my bass sounding any better than it does!

2) No lack of tuning stability. Just keep those machines lubricated. My Reverend holds tune very well.

3) Not sure about that flash symbol. Mine is signed by Joe Naylor. :cool: Serial number 465, bass #47.

4) Never changed the bridge.

5) I don't do any special EQing for the Reverend. Its pure tone is so awesome, I just plug in and go!

6) The only thing I could think to change on my bass would be maybe to have the headstock painted blue to match the body, with the Reverend logo in white. That would look pretty badass, I think!

7) I know what you're saying about the neck joint -- it looks a little strange. Just a design quirk, I guess. But, the neck joint on mine won't allow a business card to pass through.
 
#5
My answers to the questions are the same as everybody else's but I'll comment on the tuning stability question. My 'Fish stays in tune but if you're having a problem, tighten the screw on the end of the tuner. The tension is adjustible and if you're drifting out of tune it is probably because there's not enough tension.
 
#6
Mine is a pretty old one- #808- black with a maple board. Good tip about the tuners lonote!
Sometimes I struggle with the volume/volume arrangement of the pots but I would hesitate to change it because of the cool tones created by mixing various amounts of each. I wonder how you other Rumblers (Fishes?) set your volume/tone levels?
 
#11
The only thing I might want to change on my Rumblfish XL is finding a way to make the chrome armrest a little more comfortable.

I have found something else I would and probably will change (or add) on my 'Fish.

I'm getting a little buzz @ the nut on my A-string, and when I press down on the string just beyond the nut (on the headstock side) ever so slightly, the buzzing stops. I have the string wound all the way down to the bottom of the tuning post to get maximum break angle @ the nut, but that doesn't seem to be enough. So...

...I'm thinking of adding a Bar-type string tree/guide just beyond the nut (a la Sadowsky). I believe this will solve my problem.
 
#12
On the 5L, both pickups up at around 50% and the tone control generally set to 0. This gives me room to play with dynamics if I need to (without wandering back to my amp).

On the Brad Houser Fish, I just don't know yet. Wide open, it wants to knock down walls and break windows. I really need to play with this thing some more to figure out where it lives.
 
#13
I have a fairly early 'Fish with Kent Armstrong's - standard V-V-T setup. I changed the tuners to Carvin and the bridge to a Hipshot (also from Carvin) only because I felt they were a reasonable upgrade, not because of any real probs with the original equipment. I wouldn't even think about changing the pickups - that's the reason I got it in the first place. I have kicked around the idea of pulling them and trying them in different basses just out of curiosity, but I haven't followed through and probably won't.

I like the neck volume at about 3/4's, bridge about 1/2 and the tone rolled off a bit, with a low mid boost at the amp.
 
#19
sorry, no picure, but the inside of mine is a long-nap black fur/fuzz with a large storage compartment located just above where the neck and body joint--hope this helps

BTW:

looked on reverend's website today for the first time in a while and noticed:

they sell both the conventional 4 string fish as well as the p/j

on the regular 4, they went back to the v/v/t controls--only the 5L has the v/t w/ 3 pos voicing toggle (parallel, single coil, series)
 
#20
i have another question.

As you may know i have a 'Fish i bought used.

Mine is in aged yellow with black pickguard. tha bass has black molded polymer rim. each 'Fish i have seen have it in white.

i would like to know if there are some 'Fish with black plastic polymer rim or if mine is a repainted job.


BTW my 'Fish is still going stronger, tried it with flat strings too. Enormous tone, with round strings it has a really barking tone that really shines in a band environment. I love it.
 

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