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I think Cliff is thinking about making this an offered shape but I could be wrong. He definitely added his own flavor to the original shape I drew out (and made it even better).
After a month of playing and having a set up done by someone down here in Hawaiʻi, I feel that I can now give an honest review of the bass.
Build: Of course, the build quality is top of the line. The walnut heel and black veneer lines in the body and headstock really give the bass a classy look.
Playability: I am used to a 32” scale. Moving to a standard 34” scale was more than doable with the thin neck profile as well as the 16.5mm string spacing. The chambering also has this bass weighing less than my 32” scale Bordwell at 9lbs 12oz.
There was a bit of buzz on some frets when I first got the bass which was probably due to the climate/humidity change. Once I had it set up down here, the bass became effortless to play, even more so than my first Bordwell.
Tone: I am happy to finally have the tone that I have been chasing. One passive Bartolini around the MM position wired in series did the trick. There is also an airy/organic quality to this bass, maybe as a result of the chambering. I have a clip here on my Instagram that captures the tone well: Login • Instagram
No EQ or compression, just a smidge on the tone knob and a little reverb.
Overall, I am ecstatic to have a bass that is unique to me. I set out on this build in search of the holy grail bass. I am happy to say that this is the one for me!
Build: Of course, the build quality is top of the line. The walnut heel and black veneer lines in the body and headstock really give the bass a classy look.
Playability: I am used to a 32” scale. Moving to a standard 34” scale was more than doable with the thin neck profile as well as the 16.5mm string spacing. The chambering also has this bass weighing less than my 32” scale Bordwell at 9lbs 12oz.
There was a bit of buzz on some frets when I first got the bass which was probably due to the climate/humidity change. Once I had it set up down here, the bass became effortless to play, even more so than my first Bordwell.
Tone: I am happy to finally have the tone that I have been chasing. One passive Bartolini around the MM position wired in series did the trick. There is also an airy/organic quality to this bass, maybe as a result of the chambering. I have a clip here on my Instagram that captures the tone well: Login • Instagram
No EQ or compression, just a smidge on the tone knob and a little reverb.
Overall, I am ecstatic to have a bass that is unique to me. I set out on this build in search of the holy grail bass. I am happy to say that this is the one for me!
I like the added tension. The lower tension on the 32” scale was one of the things that I didn’t really care for. The 34” scale, to me, also has a more piano-like tone with more note separation. That makes chords and solo ideas much more clear.
