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Jack Casady
- Thread starter jn_93
- Start date
Quiet? Hmmm. Not how I would describe the Casady. "Authoritative" would be the word I'd pick, especially in 500 ohm setting. The one you played might have had the pickup set too low.
I've had mine for about a year now. I'd say that it's a great bass for the price. There are some minor finish imperfections on mine, I'm not crazy about the tuners, and it's not the most ergonomic bass out there... neck dive, large body, etc. The three-point bridge takes a bit of figuring out to get it set up right (or just take it to a proper guitar tech). But for me, the tone outweighs all of those minor quibbles. The three positions on the impedance switch offer three very usable and different tones ranging from mellow to aggressive. I have mine set up nicely now, and the playability is excellent.
Great bass, IMO. I don't regret buying it.
I've had mine for about a year now. I'd say that it's a great bass for the price. There are some minor finish imperfections on mine, I'm not crazy about the tuners, and it's not the most ergonomic bass out there... neck dive, large body, etc. The three-point bridge takes a bit of figuring out to get it set up right (or just take it to a proper guitar tech). But for me, the tone outweighs all of those minor quibbles. The three positions on the impedance switch offer three very usable and different tones ranging from mellow to aggressive. I have mine set up nicely now, and the playability is excellent.
Great bass, IMO. I don't regret buying it.
jn 93
don't know about slap, but my son got a new one off ebay for about 500.00 about a year or a year and a half ago; love it, love the sound; as the other poster said, we took it to a guitar tech and had it set up and a bone nut put in. could not be happier; yeah, it's definitely neck heavy, and we had some issues with the impedance switch, which the tech tightened up for us, but overall, one of the absolute best sounding basses he owns and a damn good buy for the price.
/s/ Dave
don't know about slap, but my son got a new one off ebay for about 500.00 about a year or a year and a half ago; love it, love the sound; as the other poster said, we took it to a guitar tech and had it set up and a bone nut put in. could not be happier; yeah, it's definitely neck heavy, and we had some issues with the impedance switch, which the tech tightened up for us, but overall, one of the absolute best sounding basses he owns and a damn good buy for the price.
/s/ Dave
Ya, the nuts came loose on the impedance switch and the jack on mine. I just had to tighten them up. No big deal.
It never occurred to me to try slapping on my JC. It's just not the kind of bass I would take to a gig where I'm going to lay down some slap. I'd take my Stingray for that. Plus the JC is a passive bass, and I usually prefer to slap on an active bass. That's not to say it can't be done though. Lots of people have/do slap on passive basses.
In terms of the neck dimensions, I find it quite playable. The gloss finish on the back of the neck a bit sticky and I've been meaning to take the shine off with some steel wool but I haven't done that yet.
I'm not a good judge of neck profile because I've spent 30 years constantly switching up basses and playing different genres of music. I'd play whatever bass the gig calls for and I don't typically have much trouble adapting from one four string bass to another, as long as it's set up to my liking. I was able to set up the JC to my liking, and the tone is solid, so it's a keeper.
I read somewhere that the bass player from Death Cab For Cutie played a JC on the studio version of I Will Possess Your Heart. I don't know how much truth there is to that; it sounds like it could have been a p-bass to me. I find I can get a meaty p-bass style sound out of my JC, so the story is plausible. It's a real big aggressive sounding bass.
Here's the song, but like I said, I'm not sure if its true that he used a JC on this. He's shown in the video playing a vintage bass that is similar to an EB2 or a Rivoli (I'm not much of an expert on those hollow body basses). Who knows what he played on the recording.
It never occurred to me to try slapping on my JC. It's just not the kind of bass I would take to a gig where I'm going to lay down some slap. I'd take my Stingray for that. Plus the JC is a passive bass, and I usually prefer to slap on an active bass. That's not to say it can't be done though. Lots of people have/do slap on passive basses.
In terms of the neck dimensions, I find it quite playable. The gloss finish on the back of the neck a bit sticky and I've been meaning to take the shine off with some steel wool but I haven't done that yet.
I'm not a good judge of neck profile because I've spent 30 years constantly switching up basses and playing different genres of music. I'd play whatever bass the gig calls for and I don't typically have much trouble adapting from one four string bass to another, as long as it's set up to my liking. I was able to set up the JC to my liking, and the tone is solid, so it's a keeper.
I read somewhere that the bass player from Death Cab For Cutie played a JC on the studio version of I Will Possess Your Heart. I don't know how much truth there is to that; it sounds like it could have been a p-bass to me. I find I can get a meaty p-bass style sound out of my JC, so the story is plausible. It's a real big aggressive sounding bass.
Here's the song, but like I said, I'm not sure if its true that he used a JC on this. He's shown in the video playing a vintage bass that is similar to an EB2 or a Rivoli (I'm not much of an expert on those hollow body basses). Who knows what he played on the recording.
I have tried so hard to like one of these, but the build quality scares me. Every time my local shop gets one in, there is something wrong with it. Impedance knob busted, volume pot busted, F holes screwy....etc
yamark-
well, no denying that we had to correct some items on ours; impedance switch needed tightening and bone nut etc.
however, these things were very minor in the overall scheme of things. the basses can be had for a good price, and right now, you couldn't pry my son's away from us with a crowbar!
the sound is amazing and the neck (although, admittedly, heavy), is good
they are quite simply good basses with a phenominal sound. for everybody? nope. but if you dig the sound of older 60's and 70's Casady, you'll be happy.
/s/ Dave
well, no denying that we had to correct some items on ours; impedance switch needed tightening and bone nut etc.
however, these things were very minor in the overall scheme of things. the basses can be had for a good price, and right now, you couldn't pry my son's away from us with a crowbar!
the sound is amazing and the neck (although, admittedly, heavy), is good
they are quite simply good basses with a phenominal sound. for everybody? nope. but if you dig the sound of older 60's and 70's Casady, you'll be happy.
/s/ Dave
I can honestly say that the Casady I had was tonally AMAZING. It smoked even my Wal in the tone department. The only reason I ever sold mine was because neck dive and congenital deformities in both hands made it unplayable for me in a standing position. If Epiphone ever found a way to build them perfectly balanced, it would be the only bass I'd play or even own.
gm60466-
that's true, but the real reason no one comes close to his tone is....well, he was Jack Casady, and the majority of tone is in the player and his ability. to sound like jack casady, you have to BE jack casady.
that said, I stick by my assertion that if you (like me) absolutely love his sound, owning this bass will get you a good start. the rest is up to you and your electronics.
/s/ Dave
that's true, but the real reason no one comes close to his tone is....well, he was Jack Casady, and the majority of tone is in the player and his ability. to sound like jack casady, you have to BE jack casady.
that said, I stick by my assertion that if you (like me) absolutely love his sound, owning this bass will get you a good start. the rest is up to you and your electronics.
/s/ Dave
A question about the newer Casady basses--has Epiphone fixed the input jack issue? I have owned two of them, and played several more, and the input jack on all of them was wobbly and/or had at one time fallen into the bass cavity.
It's like the jack is 1.00001" wide and the hole is 1.000" wide.
It's like the jack is 1.00001" wide and the hole is 1.000" wide.
Mine did that and I replaced it with the long bushing version of the Switchraft jack.
Basvarken
Commercial User
- Dec 3, 2010
- 1,744
- 10,611
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- Hobby Luthier / Gibson Bass Book
I have a JCS. But I was not overly enthousiastic about the Elektar pickup. In comparison to the Les Paul Signature it sounds far less authoritative. A bit bland even.
That's why I took the Elektar pickup out and replaced it with a Gibson Lo-Z from a Gibson Triumph.
Big improvement!
Yes, it's a neck diver. I'm going to put Gotoh Res-O-Lites on it to cure that.
That's why I took the Elektar pickup out and replaced it with a Gibson Lo-Z from a Gibson Triumph.
Big improvement!
Yes, it's a neck diver. I'm going to put Gotoh Res-O-Lites on it to cure that.
