Anyone ever played one of these or know a bit more about them? They do a short scale bass that looks killer, dual 51 pickups and a preamp. Really interested in that combination of specs, sounds like a do-it-all type. Not sure if they're worth the hassle of importing though, might as well take another look at a Woodcraft Ampmaster.
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Bee Wing Basses (Japan)?
- Thread starter Naviiin
- Start date
Great point, wonder if that makes a difference in balancing and neck dive too. Wish they were readily available in Europe...
The regular ampmaster 5 balances well on a strap. The headless version is actually slightly body heavy which is awesome on a strap.
Interesting bass. It looks similar to my Tribe Shob, but it looks like both pickup are closer to the bridge and the bridge position itself reminds me of a G&L Fallout where you get the tonal difference of a shortscale without any of the ergonomic advantages of a smaller bass. I prefer the looks of the Woodcraft Ampmaster myself, although their basses aren't active.
I like a short scale with the bridge more forward like the Bee Wing. If you’re going shorty for tone and not ergonomics it makes the bass feel like less of a toy, and obviously the short scale makes fretting easier. I had a Rascal from fender that had a similar vibe. I almost always play over the neck pickup but on that bass my hand fell just over the bridge pickup. Not always the tone I want but being a short scale it made the playing experience better because the strings were very taught exactly where my hand wanted to play, super helpful during fast passages or when I wanted more articulation.
You’ll be taking a gamble on the brand, I’ve certainly never heard of them. As long as it’s well made the components could be upgraded/modified if it leaves something to be desired. Looks like it has a substantial neck, which is something I dig in a shorty and I love the color. I’d gig it!
You’ll be taking a gamble on the brand, I’ve certainly never heard of them. As long as it’s well made the components could be upgraded/modified if it leaves something to be desired. Looks like it has a substantial neck, which is something I dig in a shorty and I love the color. I’d gig it!
I was in Tokyo this past week and got the chance to play one of these. I liked it, so I bought it and brought it back to the states! Unfortunately, I'm not in my studio, so I can't record samples for the next few weeks.
The Good:
Tone is massive - both pickups sound great, particularly the bridge pickup which is full and rich even when soloed.
Playability is excellent - neck carve is chunky but feels great.
Fit and finish on all the important bits is superb. (More on this later)
Yellow!
The Bad:
It's deceptively heavy despite being a short scale, probably in the 9 lb range.
Some non-essential fit and finish is lacking - neck pocket is a bit loose, some chipping in the truss rod access channel in the body.
Tiny finish imperfections which are visible when very close.
There are some grounding issues that need to be remedied.
The Odd:
The preamp is a bit crispy for my tastes. I haven't had a chance to really play around with it yet, but I generally preferred the bass in passive mode.
Speaking of the preamp... instead of the industry standard 9V battery, this one runs on 4x AA.
All in all, I'm happy with the bass, especially since it was under a grand. It came with a decent gig bag, and I managed to hand carry it onto the plane, so no shipping or duties to contend with. For less than the price of a new Fender Vintera, this is a fun and quirky bass that sounds excellent.
The Good:
Tone is massive - both pickups sound great, particularly the bridge pickup which is full and rich even when soloed.
Playability is excellent - neck carve is chunky but feels great.
Fit and finish on all the important bits is superb. (More on this later)
Yellow!
The Bad:
It's deceptively heavy despite being a short scale, probably in the 9 lb range.
Some non-essential fit and finish is lacking - neck pocket is a bit loose, some chipping in the truss rod access channel in the body.
Tiny finish imperfections which are visible when very close.
There are some grounding issues that need to be remedied.
The Odd:
The preamp is a bit crispy for my tastes. I haven't had a chance to really play around with it yet, but I generally preferred the bass in passive mode.
Speaking of the preamp... instead of the industry standard 9V battery, this one runs on 4x AA.
All in all, I'm happy with the bass, especially since it was under a grand. It came with a decent gig bag, and I managed to hand carry it onto the plane, so no shipping or duties to contend with. For less than the price of a new Fender Vintera, this is a fun and quirky bass that sounds excellent.
Nice, sounds like you're liking it! Thanks for the honest review, tbh things like info on the weight and the preamp situation were impossible to find for me.
