Fender Rascal Bass....in Production??

[hdracer]

It's about frequencies to me. I don't enjoy thin sounding pickups in a bass.

Thin sounding can describe a lot of single coil pick ups. I think most Jazz pick ups sound thin.
One thing about them that people like is their clarity. A clear tone to one person can be described as thin by another.
Lipstick pick ups have their own sound and characteristics.

 

[grrg63]

Didn't they learn anything from the Musicmaster Bass (also a Strat pickup)???

You mean the same Musicmaster Bass thats been in production for about 40 years now? Ive heard more than a few players sounding good on a Musicmaster over the years.

 

[Lownote38]

You mean the same Musicmaster Bass thats been in production for about 40 years now? Ive heard more than a few players sounding good on a Musicmaster over the years.

Yes I do mean that Musicmaster Bass, and the pickup in it is a Strat pickup with 6 pole pieces (disguised with a plastic cover). Those basses can sound a lot better, but it's difficult to find a pickup with 4 pole pieces that's a drop in replacement. I only know of one company out of Hawaii that makes them, and it improves the depth of the sound immensely. MusicMasterer

 

[SneakyT]

The pickups sound great and are far from being thin. Funny how those who seem to complain about them don't seem to have actually played the bass. YouTube clips don't count either. Does it sound like a pbass? Nope and that's what makes it cool. Go try one before you make judgements based on preconceived notions.

 

[fjadams]

I haven't found the pickups to be thin at all. Does it sound like a P or J, nope. It sounds like itself, and that's one of the things that's so good about it. Plus there are so many tonal variations if you can't find a couple you like something's wrong.

 

[VincentGrim]

This is about the closest thing I can find to a Rascal Club, so I thought I'd show a pic from last night. Don't really understand a lot of the concerns over this bass. Yeah, if you solo the bridge pickup it can sound thin, but that is the only setting I've found that I'd describe this way at all. It may not look like a short scale bass, but when playing it certainly feels like one. One gripe is that, time, you need medium scale strings for it. Went through two sets of SS labella's before I figured that out.
Otherwise, I love this bass. Kinda sounds like a jazz, kinda sounds like a ric, mid pickup solo is a 50'2 P on the roids.

 

[Skillman]

I too would like to try one out just to see how it matches to my other short scale basses. Still wish fender would bring back their standard precision with a thin jazz bass maple neck in the made in Mexico line and not a custom shop order which is expensive!

 

[selowitch]

The Rascal is a sweet bass—refreshingly different and fun to play!

 

[fjadams]

This came across my Facebook feed. Might be the best tonal demo of the Rascal on YouTube.

 

[Honk'n_down-low]

This just landed - digging it so far

 

[bholder]

This just landed - digging it so far View attachment 906273

Nice, and nice amp, too!

 

[Daveypoo]

Oh man - that is sweet. I am REALLY GASing for a Rascal. Is Fender still making them or are they out of production?

 

[fjadams]

They're still listed on their website. There's one on eBay for $410 plus $49 shipping. Up Friday and from the pictures looks like new. Can't see any flaws. If I wasn't starting to plan a new build I'd think of getting another one.

 

[Daveypoo]

Damn - under $500? If only I was in the market...

My timing is never right for this kinda thing.

 

[selowitch]

Oh man - that is sweet. I am REALLY GASing for a Rascal. Is Fender still making them or are they out of production?

Maybe try Invalid Link Removed? Good price.

 

[Daveypoo]

You guys are killing me over here... to be polite, my money has been allocated elsewhere.

<sigh>

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Yes I do mean that Musicmaster Bass, and the pickup in it is a Strat pickup with 6 pole pieces (disguised with a plastic cover). Those basses can sound a lot better, but it's difficult to find a pickup with 4 pole pieces that's a drop in replacement. I only know of one company out of Hawaii that makes them, and it improves the depth of the sound immensely. MusicMasterer

A little late to the party but there's some blatant misinformation about the pickups in the Rascal going here. Yes, putting a 6-pole guitar pickup in a bass is recipe for uneven volume, tonal anomalies and is a really dumb thing to do. However lipstick tube pickups use bar magnets and are completely interchangeable between guitar and bass as long as they cover all the strings. The only thing fundamentally "Strat" about the pickups in the Rascal are their size and how they mount. As a matter of fact it might well be a good drop-in replacement for a Musicmaster bass.

 

[Lownote38]

A little late to the party but there's some blatant misinformation about the pickups in the Rascal going here. Yes, putting a 6-pole guitar pickup in a bass is recipe for uneven volume, tonal anomalies and is a really dumb thing to do. However lipstick tube pickups use bar magnets and are completely interchangeable between guitar and bass as long as they cover all the strings. The only thing fundamentally "Strat" about the pickups in the Rascal are their size and how they mount. As a matter of fact it might well be a good drop-in replacement for a Musicmaster bass.

That's all well and good. The post of mine you quoted is referring specifically to the Musicmaster bass, and not the Rascal. The Musicmaster DID have a 6 pole piece guitar pickup in it. I do know the difference between that and a lipstick tube pickup.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

That's all well and good. The post of mine you quoted is referring specifically to the Musicmaster bass, and not the Rascal. The Musicmaster DID have a 6 pole piece guitar pickup in it. I do know the difference between that and a lipstick tube pickup.

Really? Your initial post below seemed to imply otherwise.....

It looks cool, but they should have avoided using any type of Strat pickup. Especially one that Seymour Duncan describes as "jangley". The pickups should be bass pickups. Didn't they learn anything from the Musicmaster Bass (also a Strat pickup)???

You do realize that the pickups in all the old Danelectro and later the Jerry Jones basses were the same pickups that were in the guitars? If you don't like the sound of them that's more than ok but going after them for using "Strat" pickups on this bass isn't a valid complaint. The lipstick tubes in the Rascal are far from just a cosmetic choice. They give it a unique sonic personality and a bunch of very usable sounds.

 

[Lownote38]

Really? Your initial post below seemed to imply otherwise.....


You do realize that the pickups in all the old Danelectro and later the Jerry Jones basses were the same pickups that were in the guitars? If you don't like the sound of them that's more than ok but going after them for using "Strat" pickups on this bass isn't a valid complaint. The lipstick tubes in the Rascal are far from just a cosmetic choice. They give it a unique sonic personality and a bunch of very usable sounds.

Well, it is a preference thing for me. I don't like jangly bass sounds. I've played a Rascal, and I couldn't stand the tone(s). Lipstick pickups don't work for me on a bass due to the sonic characteristics which I personally found to be very "guitar-ish". That's what led to me mentioning the Musicmaster and Strat pickups. Oh yeah... I DO realize that Danelectro and Jerry Jones basses had lipstick pickups. I didn't like those either.