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Eastwood Classic 4 bass

#21
B-Mac said:
I hope you never have to identify someone in a line up. I pity the poor soul.... :roflmao: :smug: :roflmao: :woot:
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Right? I wouldn't say suspiciously similar, but that they are copying -- excuse me, *inspired by* -- the same OG model. That different body shape means an entirely different jig, so they aren't just different brands on the same item (though the neck might be ...).

I am curious, though, to hear how they compare in terms of playing and sound, rather than just looking so similar in photos.
 
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#23
There's a lot that goes unsaid -- even unrealized -- in quality evaluations. I'd be curious to hear from someone who had tried both the Eastwood and the HB.

I suppose I could do it myself, but that would mean buying (and playing) a right-handed HB-60, as they don't offer it in LH. Which isn't my preference.
 
#24
I've had several Eastwood guitars and basses - still have 2, in fact - but, not a Classic-4 Bass. I'd imagine that they're a typical Eastwood; decent/really good value for the money; but, not a super wonderful instrument. That's been the case with all of mine. The reason I've never considered buying a Classic-4 Bass? I don't need one. I have a left handed '94 Gretsch G6119BO-LH Broadkaster Bass; I really don't think the Classic-4 would be an improvement. That said? I did seriously think about one, when they were first introduced, because the first ones were 34" scale - like a Gretsch White Falcon. Which I would really, really like to own. But, by the time I got around to buying one? I'd waited too long; they had gone to 30" scale. I don't think I've ever seen one of the long scale ones for sale used - especially a left handed one. There can't have been many of them - right or left handed... :cool:
 
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#25
GIBrat51 said:
I've had several Eastwood guitars and basses - still have 2, in fact - but, not a Classic-4 Bass. I'd imagine that they're a typical Eastwood; decent/really good value for the money; but, not a super wonderful instrument. That's been the case with all of mine. The reason I've never considered buying a Classic-4 Bass? I don't need one. I have a left handed '94 Gretsch G6119BO-LH Broadkaster Bass; I really don't think the Classic-4 would be an improvement. That said? I did seriously think about one, when they were first introduced, because the first ones were 34" scale - like a Gretsch White Falcon. Which I would really, really like to own. But, by the time I got around to buying one? I'd waited too long; they had gone to 30" scale. I don't think I've ever seen one of the long scale ones for sale used - especially a left handed one. There can't have been many of them - right or left handed... :cool:
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ah -- the one that got away (sigh). Yep, those happen ... though I might be more inured to that, as a lefty; my experience of the guitar/bass market is constantly "hey wow! cool thing! -- oh, but not for you ... here, maybe we've got an old cheapie in the back corner ... might need new strings ... have you considered learning to play right-handed?"

There's a lot to be said for long-scale vs short. My first bass was a cheap short-scale semi-hollow; when I upgraded to a used Rickenbacker, it was for better quality -- longer scale was just part of the package. I've played long-scale ever since, simply because that's how things came. And for playing fretless, that was definitely a plus.

Getting the Dean acoustic-electric bass (for home practice) was a reminder that short-scale has its own charm. IMO it's just more fun to play, especially for fast runs. So - for me - the Eastwood Classic 4's short-scale is both a nostalgic return and a rational selling point. Plus: finally! a pickup selector switch, which I haven't had since I rent-money-sold the Rick back in 1993. Now THAT's a story of one that got away ...
 
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#26
GIBrat51 said:
I've had several Eastwood guitars and basses - still have 2, in fact - but, not a Classic-4 Bass. I'd imagine that they're a typical Eastwood; decent/really good value for the money; but, not a super wonderful instrument. That's been the case with all of mine. The reason I've never considered buying a Classic-4 Bass? I don't need one. I have a left handed '94 Gretsch G6119BO-LH Broadkaster Bass; I really don't think the Classic-4 would be an improvement. That said? I did seriously think about one, when they were first introduced, because the first ones were 34" scale - like a Gretsch White Falcon. Which I would really, really like to own. But, by the time I got around to buying one? I'd waited too long; they had gone to 30" scale. I don't think I've ever seen one of the long scale ones for sale used - especially a left handed one. There can't have been many of them - right or left handed... :cool:
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34" Classic 4?
 
#29
B-Mac said:
34" Classic 4?
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Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It was a long time ago, though; about 20 years ago, IIRC... I don't think Eastwood had been around very long at the time. I bought my first Eastwood - a Sidejack Baritone guitar - about that long ago; when the Baritone was the only Sidejack model, in fact. Weird story about that thing, but... story for another time. That long scale Classic-4 was on my short list of basses to buy. But, I was buying a lot of basses at the time, and I was trying to pay off a '95 Alembic Epic and a '94 Gretsch G6119BO Broadkaster, before I bought another bass. When I could? The only Classic-4's on their web page were the 30" ones. Over the years, Eastwood has had a lot of basses and guitars come - and go - pretty quickly. I don't think my "Flying Vee" Bass, for example, was in production for more than 6 months - if that. I don't imagine that a long scale semi-hollow body bass was a big seller back then; and probably wouldn't be a big seller today, either... :cool:
 
#32
Lefty Joe said:
Doesn't the Casady bass count as long-scale? (34") I figure that being available left-handed being pretty much means it's a top seller. Which for me is a pleasant surprise.
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Yes, it's a 34" scale bass, so it definitely counts as a long scale. It's also technically a hollow body long scale bass; two smallish support blocks for the bridge and the pickup, aren't enough stuff to qualify it as a semi-hollow body. Which is why I own one. My 2 Danelectro DC59 Pros, OTOH, are definitely semi-hollow long scales; which is why one of them fills the "Semi-hollow Body Long Scale" spot in my "Bass Herd". The other one fills the "Danelectro Bass" spot...
As for the JC Bass being a "top seller"? Well... Epiphone seems to sell the ones they make, but I doubt it's their top selling bass. Long scale hollow-/semi-hollow body basses do have problems; actually, pretty much the same problems that Thunderbird basses have. Lots of neck dive that, because of the body design - and that long, heavy neck - you can't do much about. And those upper frets are a long way away, too. Slinging them way low, and playing with the headstock way up, is the way most T-Bird players solve those problems (and, so do I; I own 2 of the things); while it does look cool, it's not for everybody. And, T-Birds aren't Gibson's - or Epiphone's - top sellers, either... Comments from Gretsch White Falcon owners here on FB are full of complaints about those same problems. And, that's why Gretsch doesn't make all that many White Falcons - and never has...
So... while Epiphone does sell quite a few Jack Casady basses, and while I was also very pleased when they started making lefties ( that "Long Scale Hollow-body" spot in my "Herd" was empty for a long time)? They still have the same problems that basses like that, have always had. And those problems have made many, many players avoid those basses... :cool:
 
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#33
Hot off the press...

never made it in 34 inch.jpg
 
#34
GIBrat51 said:
Yes, it's a 34" scale bass, so it definitely counts as a long scale. It's also technically a hollow body long scale bass; two smallish support blocks for the bridge and the pickup, aren't enough stuff to qualify it as a semi-hollow body. Which is why I own one. My 2 Danelectro DC59 Pros, OTOH, are definitely semi-hollow long scales; which is why one of them fills the "Semi-hollow Body Long Scale" spot in my "Bass Herd". The other one fills the "Danelectro Bass" spot...
As for the JC Bass being a "top seller"? Well... Epiphone seems to sell the ones they make, but I doubt it's their top selling bass. Long scale hollow-/semi-hollow body basses do have problems; actually, pretty much the same problems that Thunderbird basses have. Lots of neck dive that, because of the body design - and that long, heavy neck - you can't do much about. And those upper frets are a long way away, too. Slinging them way low, and playing with the headstock way up, is the way most T-Bird players solve those problems (and, so do I; I own 2 of the things); while it does look cool, it's not for everybody. And, T-Birds aren't Gibson's - or Epiphone's - top sellers, either... Comments from Gretsch White Falcon owners here on FB are full of complaints about those same problems. And, that's why Gretsch doesn't make all that many White Falcons - and never has...
So... while Epiphone does sell quite a few Jack Casady basses, and while I was also very pleased when they started making lefties ( that "Long Scale Hollow-body" spot in my "Herd" was empty for a long time)? They still have the same problems that basses like that, have always had. And those problems have made many, many players avoid those basses... :cool:
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No, I'm sure it isn't their top-selling bass of any kind, but LH anything being such a small part of the market -- I figured it's gotta be some number that's worth their pursuing.

Just practicing on my P-style Yamaha BB350 (whose frets I pulled), and noticed that I did have to go pretty vertical to access those higher notes with any real control -- Bill Wyman style, as I think of it. I hadn't noticed before, but it was diving a bit (despite the P-bass type body), thanks to the smooth padded strap. Of course, even that is better than I previously experienced with RH basses upside-down.

Think I'll be getting another rough leather strap like I have on my acoustic-electric Dean: it isn't so pretty, but it grips the shoulder and stays put. With the semi-hollow Classic 4, that should work great.
 
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#36
B-Mac said:
Hot off the press...

View attachment 7087151
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Well...
I'm actually glad to find out I've been wrong, all these years. The spot that it would have filled, turned out to be the second hardest one to find a bass for. And took about 30 years to do it, too. So, it's nice to know that I didn't miss filling it by stupid procrastination. I'm usually wrong about something or other, at least twice a week; so I'm used to that. But, missing out on a purchase by putting it off... that hurts worse. What I'm wondering, though, is: what in the Classic 4's specs, made me think it was a 34" scale bass?!? I can read OK now; pretty sure I could read then, too... :facepalm:
 
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#37
GIBrat51 said:
Well...
I'm actually glad to find out I've been wrong, all these years. The spot that it would have filled, turned out to be the second hardest one to find a bass for. And took about 30 years to do it, too. So, it's nice to know that I didn't miss filling it by stupid procrastination. I'm usually wrong about something or other, at least twice a week; so I'm used to that. But, missing out on a purchase by putting it off... that hurts worse. What I'm wondering, though, is: what in the Classic 4's specs, made me think it was a 34" scale bass?!? I can read OK now; pretty sure I could read then, too... :facepalm:
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Well. Yes, you'd never find one. :whistle:
 
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#38
GIBrat51 said:
What I'm wondering, though, is: what in the Classic 4's specs, made me think it was a 34" scale bass?!? I can read OK now; pretty sure I could read then, too... :facepalm:
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If it's any consolation: I have a pretty good memory, but sometimes it gets a bit of crossover -- substituting more what i thought something might be, than what it actually was. Then it's years later, and the memory of what I'd hoped is sometimes stronger than the fact of actual details. And thus do we see why even vivid memories of long ago can sometimes drift a bit ....
 
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#39
So, it arrived and ...

1. Yeah, looks great etc.
2. Neck dive: surprisingly easy. But that's just inherent to this light-bodied shape. Rest the fingering arm on it, and it largely stays.
3. Electronics: sure, it sounds fine.
4. Performance issues?

Well, here's the thing: when playing high up on the higher strings, I cover the lower strings with my fingering palm (note here: I say "fingering" or "fretting" rather than "left/right" because, as a lefty, I am using the opposite arm/hand to most of you). In doing so, I necessarily press the heel of my thumb onto those lower strings.

Why mention this? Because, on the Classic 4, this sometimes means inadvertently contacting the low E string with the metal frames of the pickups -- which makes a loud unpleasant *ktch* sound through the amplifier. Yeah, I was surprised too. This hasn't been an issue with my other basses -- but then, maybe it's because they have plastic covers on their pickups, or more clearance beneath the strings.

Now: obviously this is a matter of my own (faulty? sloppy?) self-taught playing technique, and since all technique is learned, it can also be re-learned or unlearned. But it also means that, instead of simply moving forward with my existing technique but with a shorter playing scale, an unexpected challenge has arisen - precisely in the most challenging part I have to play in the current band (the fast-and-high bass intro on "Real Real Gone" accompanied only by drums and a sustained Hammond note).

Also the string action seems a bit higher than necessary ... which is easily addressed, but seems lowering that would actually contribute more to the issue above. Of course, there's also lowering the pickups.

The best answer is probably the same as it is for most playing issues: more practice, approaching this particular bass the way it wants to be played. And then determining if it's actually helping me accomplish what I need to accomplish (which could simply be less fatigue over a couple shows in the same day).
 

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