NASH GUITARS? Thoughts?

[jmpiwonka]

you guys are really complaining about the way the back of bare neck might not have uniform player wear.
if it's a bare neck it shouldn't take very long for you to develop your own darker pattern...

 

[bevan lurrito]

...and stay classy with the objectification.

There is something classy about objectification?

 

[monsterthompson]

There is something classy about objectification?

That's the point.

 

[RickC]

Yep. I think that after several years of trying to figure it out, he broke the code.
It's like everything, there is a learning curve and there is definitely more to it than aging parts and sanding necks.
I can't figure what he does but the results speak for themselves.

+1 #1

I've played many Nashes and owned a few of the guitars (no basses, yet). Not every one is great, but his hit rate is pretty high. There is *something* that he does that make his instruments play like no others, in a good way. It's not exactly like a vintage instrument, but it satisfies in a similar way. And I've found that quality consistently enough that it's no accident.

/rick

 

[RickC]

I really like the brighter yellow on the Nash basses..especially the sunburst on the 63p...It may not be the exact authentic colour..but it is a very cool interpretation....To each their own,I guess.

+1 #2

I like to think of Nash's relics as almost caricatures. Many are so over the top and they would never really fool you and I don't think that's his intent. I love the way some of these look just for what they are. And his colors are similarly intense, over-the-top, and cool. Imo, his colors often look *better* than the "real thing"; his fiesta red and lake placid blue especially. Again, I enjoy them for what they are.

/rick

 

[bassbully]

you guys are really complaining about the way the back of bare neck might not have uniform player wear.
if it's a bare neck it shouldn't take very long for you to develop your own darker pattern...

Exactly and this is what I have done. The problem with most Nash basses necks are all the neck finish is often removed something I rarely see on vintage relic basses. From 1st fret to past 12th it's bare wood. We are bass players not guitarists

 

[Not yet]

Found some varied results... Just sat in w Blues Band in Tokyo (that was a trip, no speaking English but sound like the Southside when they sing) and the bass player graciously let me play his 64sh P Bass and the neck was worn Zactly like my Nash. Others I've had luck to okay were not all that different

 

[Spinal Tapper]

They're pretty nice. They play great.
I've only had experience with their guitars. My guitar-playin buddy dropped almost $2k on a Nash Telecaster and couldn't get $1200 for it when he decided he didn't like it a year later.

I told him he shoulda just gona vintage in the first place. Granted, it was one of those 62 tele's with the binding around the body - pretty sweet. The wear wasn't overdone, either, except for the armrest which looked fake as heck.

 

[monsterthompson]

Clearly the resale value indicates the secondary market for these isn't great. However, if you buy one you like, you save the trouble of flipping it for another stick a few months down the road.

 

[mattj1stc]

Is that "Ransom," as in Dan Ransom; from right here in the Bay Area? I have heard really good things about this gentleman... perhaps (when the time comes) I needn't look further than my own back yard for the best custom builder.

I asked about Nash because I would someday like to have a Slab66 type P-Bass built (natural finish, maple neck, white or tort guard, reverse long-stem clovers, covers)... but the Slab66 fellow felt it would be too costly to have one built in the UK and shipped to the US. So, when I'm ready to make this happen, it looks like I'll be trying to find a builder on this side of the pond.

Again... Dan Ransom is someone who it has been suggested to me that I look into. Do folks out there agree? Dan Ransom before Nash or Bluesman Vintage?

Opinions?

Not sure about Ransom, but I did have John at Bluesman Vintage build me a wonderful 66 Slab Precision - happy to answer any questions about it - just PM me. I did also look at Nash, but at that time, the dealers I spoke with were not open to a custom order. John at BMV took the time to understand what I wanted - I even sent him descriptions from the book I have on the slab precisions. Anyway - I'm very happy.

 

[Laurent]

Clearly the resale value indicates the secondary market for these isn't great. However, if you buy one you like, you save the trouble of flipping it for another stick a few months down the road.

Very true but the resale value is no worse than buying a brand new Fender. Try buying a new Fender Custom shop and getting some value out of it. You're in for a traumatic experience. Please prove me wrong, but in this market short of buying something vintage at a low price, resell value across the board does not hold. I think there is an over abundance of really nice instruments and that depresses the market. Instrument retailers are looking pretty bleak across the board.

 

[b15fliptop]

The good thing about these is that they're always in "like new" condition!

 

[Laurent]

There are quite a few fender custom shop basses at the GC in Hollywood, where I happen to live. Right across the street is Mesa Boogie and they stock Nash guitars. So I get the unique perspective of playing 4 or 5 Fender CS and A/Bing against 4 or 5 Nash basses. Let me preface this by saying that I am a Fender guy, but a vintage Fender guy. I my opinion the Nash's have got the vintage feel and sound all over the Fender CS's and at substantially less money.

That's an interesting question, Fender Custom shop versus Nash. Nash about $2K, Fender custom shop is $4.3 to $4.7K.
I would say that if money if no object, the custom shop is a slightly better bass and it's easy to get smitten by the Fender name on the headstock. Most custom shops I have played sound pretty outrageous (in a nice way) tone wise. I am a Fender guy too. That being said, is the custom shop twice as nice as the Nash? Not in my mind and for the vintage feel, I think Nash wins.

TGB, I would be interested in reading your thoughts about this point.

 

[Laurent]

The good thing about these is that they're always in "like new" condition!

True! Actually they should gain value when played since they were further reliced by hand!

 

[bassbully]

That's an interesting question, Fender Custom shop versus Nash. Nash about $2K, Fender custom shop is $4.3 to $4.7K.
I would say that if money if no object, the custom shop is a slightly better bass and it's easy to get smitten by the Fender name on the headstock. Most custom shops I have played sound pretty outrageous (in a nice way) tone wise. I am a Fender guy too. That being said, is the custom shop twice as nice as the Nash? Not in my mind and for the vintage feel, I think Nash wins.

TGB, I would be interested in reading your thoughts about this point.

Agree the only basses you can get a decent resale value out of is cheaper basses like $500 and under. I took a beating on the MIA Fenders I owned thru he years. I was never a fan of CS but the Nash's look cool.

 

[mattj1stc]

The Nash basses that I see online (and my own Bluesman Vintage customs) used to be a little more than the AVRI series, but a lot less than the Custom Shop. Today, Nash and BMV are actually less than the AVRI. Inflation at Fender has been pretty steep since they went up one year on the AVRI series. I also own a Fender AVRI 57P that I got new. I really like it as well, but at today's prices, I would consider the Nash and BMV for the money if buying new and planning to hold.

 

[Mark Wilson]

I use a Nash bass almost exclusively. In 5 years, it's never needed to be set up, and nothing has ever failed me on it. I couldn't talk enough about how fantastic this bass is. I've taken it across Canada, the U.S., France and England and nothing has ever gone wrong.
Once again, play the bass. If the neck profile isn't right, who cares? If it fits in your hands, then it's good!

 

[Tgb]

That's an interesting question, Fender Custom shop versus Nash. Nash about $2K, Fender custom shop is $4.3 to $4.7K.
I would say that if money if no object, the custom shop is a slightly better bass and it's easy to get smitten by the Fender name on the headstock. Most custom shops I have played sound pretty outrageous (in a nice way) tone wise. I am a Fender guy too. That being said, is the custom shop twice as nice as the Nash? Not in my mind and for the vintage feel, I think Nash wins.

TGB, I would be interested in reading your thoughts about this point.

That's an interesting question, Fender Custom shop versus Nash. Nash about $2K, Fender custom shop is $4.3 to $4.7K.
I would say that if money if no object, the custom shop is a slightly better bass and it's easy to get smitten by the Fender name on the headstock. Most custom shops I have played sound pretty outrageous (in a nice way) tone wise. I am a Fender guy too. That being said, is the custom shop twice as nice as the Nash? Not in my mind and for the vintage feel, I think Nash wins.

TGB, I would be interested in reading your thoughts about this point.

I was going to respond to this earlier and then thought I'd go play a couple, it's been a while. I wanted to check out an AVRI, that's probably the Fender that should be compared to the Nash. They're comparable in price and target. Unfortunately, they didn't have any, but they did have CS '59 P bass at $4300. So I figured I'd give that a go. First off, the salesman sets me up with this little Acoustic practice amp. Really? I'm supposed to check out a $4300 bass through a $100 amp. So I ask if I can plug into the SVT, he grumbles a bit, goes and finds a speaker cable and I'm running. But I digress, back to the issue at hand. I really tried to like this bass, I spent about an hour trying to get acclimated with it. I tried walking on it, slapping on it, rocking it hard and playing it as soft as I could. In the end I found it to be mediocre at best. Not even comparable with the Nash at $2000 less. The thing I found really odd about it was the fact that the body was relic'd and the neck was not, not at all. I don't really care all that much one way or the other if the body is relic'd. The neck on the other hand, I want as nekkid as possible. I want to feel the wood working with me, warming up and getting sweaty with me. That sticky high gloss barrier just keeps me from connecting with it. So, in conclusion, you'd never catch me with a new $4000 Fender.

 

[Not yet]

Absolutely cannot explain it, but really dig all my P Bass' until I pick up the Nash

Game over

 

[Laurent]

I use a Nash bass almost exclusively. In 5 years, it's never needed to be set up, and nothing has ever failed me on it. I couldn't talk enough about how fantastic this bass is. I've taken it across Canada, the U.S., France and England and nothing has ever gone wrong.
Once again, play the bass. If the neck profile isn't right, who cares? If it fits in your hands, then it's good!

Yes I think you nailed it. Nash basses are players.

To respond to people comparing Nash to AVRI, I would say they are different animals. I own a Fender P62 AVRI and a Fender P63 AVRI and I would not part with any of these three basses. The two Fenders are not reliced so they play and feel like brand new instruments. During the week I played a P66 with an immaculate neck that felt also like a brand new instrument, that was bizarre given the actual age of the bass. The Nash plays and feel like something that's been played for years.

During the week I also played a couple of Rust Jazz basses that were very nice. I am not a jazz neck guy but these really played well. They were certainly on par with Nash for quality and vintage look and feel.

I also played a Fender Custom Shop Pino Palladino which sounded great, looked the part but the back of the neck had been heavily sanded and left kind of raw and grainy. Did they forget to use a finer gain sand paper on it? No instrument that emulates a heavily played instrument should feel like that. I had played the instrument a few years back and the relicing of the neck was far better. That instrument also has a huge neck. Neck profile feels bigger than my Fender P63 AVRI which is already quite chunky.