- Mar 1, 2005
- 3,101
- 385
- 62
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Crook Custom Guitars
Well, now that Ive had this instrument for over 2 months, Id say its long overdue to write a review of my newest bass, a Crook Custom Guitars 5 string.
I have been playing in a Telecaster oriented band for the last 3 ½ years, and it seemed to me that a Telecaster bodied bass would be a lot of fun ..problem is, I only play 5s, and nobody makes a Telecaster shaped 5 string bass .thats where Bill Crook stepped in.
First, just a bit about Bill ..after being on the road with the band America for the last 15 years or so, and previously having spent time working with Frank Zappa, AC/DC, Three Dog Night, and probably a couple of others that Ive forgotten about, Bill decided it was time to retire from the road and build guitars full time. Thats where Crook Custom Guitars was born Bill is making the best guitars he can, one at a time, at a level of quality and attention to detail that is absolutely incredible. Bill does a lot of Tele style guitars (and other styles too), and he has become recognized as one of the industrys leading authorities on the paisley finish. (It doesnt hurt that a certain extremely talented guitarist of the same name is from our hometown, a friend of ours from way back, and plays Crook guitars, almost always with a Paisley finish. Check out Bills website, youll see what I mean.)
Bill does FOH sound for our band, Link Removed, and has been a friend for many years. After I joined the Benders, I realized that when I was standing onstage with nothing but Crook Custom guitars all around me, a Crook bass was going to be the obvious choice. We talked and planned for a year or more about this Tele bodied 5 string. I am fortunate to own and play some very nice basses (check the gear list on my profile), but none of them truly fit the vibe I was searching for with the Benders. All of my other 5s are active, with rosewood or ebony boards, and a bit on the modern side. The Crook bass would buck every one of these trends!
First, we went with a maple fingerboard .something new for me. After carefully measuring the dimensions and profile of my Sadowsky Metro (my previous #1 bass), Bill worked with Tommy at USA Custom Guitars to build a neck that felt just right, just like home. 1 7/8 at the nut, 19mm bridge spacing, 34 scale, and finished with just a slight vintage tint. The fingerboard is birdseye maple, it looks great, and feels perfect. The fret work is simply to die for. The body is swamp ash, finished in a massive metal flake for the maximum bling, and topped with a white MOP pickguard. Hipshot tuners, and a Hipshot aluminum B Bridge are the hardware of choice. For electronics, Bill suggested that I try out some Bill Lawrence PuPs, and we went with a reverse PJ combination, all passive. I should point out that in a band like the Benders, with lots of vocal harmonies and a ton of Teles and Baritone guitar, the space occupied by the bass needs to be compact and very well defined. We went the route of the reverse P and the aluminum bridge for this very reason, for sake of a tone that is full without being muddy in any way, and allows you to hear the instrument, not just the electronics. Speaking of electronics, the control setup is Vol, Blend, (Blank), and Tone. (The blank is for possible future use. I ordered a Lawrence Q control when I got the PuPs, but have not yet installed it, since I wanted to hear the bass in the simplest possible configuration to start.)
Its hard to imagine how I could possibly be more pleased with the end result! The look, the feel, and most importantly the sound is absolutely what I was seeking. I will make no attempt to hide the fact that Bill is a friend of mine, and I want to let everyone know that he is now starting to build basses as well as guitars. Beyond that, that product speaks for itself. Hes got a couple of 4 stringers in the works for other customers, and Im proud and excited to say that my next 2 (yeah 2!) Crook basses are already in progress! Other than saying that the next one is a modern twist on a vintage design, Ill let the rest be a surprise.
I have been playing in a Telecaster oriented band for the last 3 ½ years, and it seemed to me that a Telecaster bodied bass would be a lot of fun ..problem is, I only play 5s, and nobody makes a Telecaster shaped 5 string bass .thats where Bill Crook stepped in.
First, just a bit about Bill ..after being on the road with the band America for the last 15 years or so, and previously having spent time working with Frank Zappa, AC/DC, Three Dog Night, and probably a couple of others that Ive forgotten about, Bill decided it was time to retire from the road and build guitars full time. Thats where Crook Custom Guitars was born Bill is making the best guitars he can, one at a time, at a level of quality and attention to detail that is absolutely incredible. Bill does a lot of Tele style guitars (and other styles too), and he has become recognized as one of the industrys leading authorities on the paisley finish. (It doesnt hurt that a certain extremely talented guitarist of the same name is from our hometown, a friend of ours from way back, and plays Crook guitars, almost always with a Paisley finish. Check out Bills website, youll see what I mean.)
Bill does FOH sound for our band, Link Removed, and has been a friend for many years. After I joined the Benders, I realized that when I was standing onstage with nothing but Crook Custom guitars all around me, a Crook bass was going to be the obvious choice. We talked and planned for a year or more about this Tele bodied 5 string. I am fortunate to own and play some very nice basses (check the gear list on my profile), but none of them truly fit the vibe I was searching for with the Benders. All of my other 5s are active, with rosewood or ebony boards, and a bit on the modern side. The Crook bass would buck every one of these trends!
First, we went with a maple fingerboard .something new for me. After carefully measuring the dimensions and profile of my Sadowsky Metro (my previous #1 bass), Bill worked with Tommy at USA Custom Guitars to build a neck that felt just right, just like home. 1 7/8 at the nut, 19mm bridge spacing, 34 scale, and finished with just a slight vintage tint. The fingerboard is birdseye maple, it looks great, and feels perfect. The fret work is simply to die for. The body is swamp ash, finished in a massive metal flake for the maximum bling, and topped with a white MOP pickguard. Hipshot tuners, and a Hipshot aluminum B Bridge are the hardware of choice. For electronics, Bill suggested that I try out some Bill Lawrence PuPs, and we went with a reverse PJ combination, all passive. I should point out that in a band like the Benders, with lots of vocal harmonies and a ton of Teles and Baritone guitar, the space occupied by the bass needs to be compact and very well defined. We went the route of the reverse P and the aluminum bridge for this very reason, for sake of a tone that is full without being muddy in any way, and allows you to hear the instrument, not just the electronics. Speaking of electronics, the control setup is Vol, Blend, (Blank), and Tone. (The blank is for possible future use. I ordered a Lawrence Q control when I got the PuPs, but have not yet installed it, since I wanted to hear the bass in the simplest possible configuration to start.)
Its hard to imagine how I could possibly be more pleased with the end result! The look, the feel, and most importantly the sound is absolutely what I was seeking. I will make no attempt to hide the fact that Bill is a friend of mine, and I want to let everyone know that he is now starting to build basses as well as guitars. Beyond that, that product speaks for itself. Hes got a couple of 4 stringers in the works for other customers, and Im proud and excited to say that my next 2 (yeah 2!) Crook basses are already in progress! Other than saying that the next one is a modern twist on a vintage design, Ill let the rest be a surprise.
