Hi everybody.
Well, this is the first time in my life I buy a bass strictly based in the combination of looks + price (I wouldn't have done it if it was expensive), although of course the favorable reviews helped as well.
And I agree: While not a high-grade instrument, this is definitely not the POS many might think it is. Ladies and gentlemen, let me show you my new toy: The GENE SIMMONS CORT AXE BASS.
OK. First things first, and I have to talk about this bass' biggest (and only) flaw: The ergonomics. From that standpoint, it's definitely an awful instrument. Not only you can't play it while sitting, but the strap pin over the 17th fret puts everything really far left and generates a hardly controllable neck dive. It's terrible. The only way so far I've found to play it comfortably is hanging it on my right shoulder, as you can see on the first picture. BTW, while it's not the best solution, I think it's a very good one to deal with instruments with the strap pin at such bad location. Yes, the instrument doesn't feel that secure wearing it that way, but unless you do a lot of jumping and stage antics, it will stay there (specially if you use a rugged strap). I did a search and, as far as I could find, nobody has suggested that before.
But aside from that, I am extremely happy with my purchase. It's a cheap instrument made in Asia, but it definitely doesn't feel cheap. The tuners are very smooth, the neck is pretty comfortable and, contrary to many other instruments you can see in music stores, this one arrived with a very good setup. Not exactly what I like and because of that I performed my usual setup routine on my new baby, but it had a dedicated setup job for sure.
As far as I have seen, the only QC flaw I've noticed is that the 19th fret wasn't properly filed and it sticks out a bit.
I was expecting a really unpleasant tone from this instrument, but to my surprise, the stock Mighty Mite pickups deliver both a clear and powerful tone. The noise level isn't bigger than the average expected from a passive bass with a single coil pickup. With the tone control fully open and both pickups engaged, its "brightness" is a little too much for my taste, but nothing that cannot be solved with some EQ. I was ready to order an EMG PJ set to replace the stock pickups, but now I'm having second thoughts about it. Time will tell. Actually, I think this is a great sounding instrument and its tone reminds me of the one heard on a very famous recording made with a really expensive bass. Right now I'm practicing that bassline to record a demonstration video, so then you'll know which song I'm talking about.
I like the output jack location...
Oh, and it arrived with this nicely padded gig bag:
That "hat" on the gig bag is a protective cap for the axe body. It looks funny to me. BTW, the bass' finish is very nice and the bridge cover is a touch that makes it look even nicer. A beautiful, shiny instrument that seems to have gotten a lot of commitment from the manufacturer, or at least exceeding what could be expected from an Asian factory like Cort.
So, those are my first impressions about this cool instrument. Of course, I think you must be (or have been) a real Kiss fan like I was in my teenage years to appreciate it. My fascination with the axe bass dates from 1982, when I saw Gene for the first time playing his Kramer Axe on Invalid Link Removed. BTW, young people (specially young Kiss bashers) will never understand the meaning of being a hardcore Kiss fan during the time they didn't show their faces to the public. For those of us who were also fans of superheroes (Superman, Batman, Spider Man... you name it) and the concept of keeping a secret identity, Peter, Ace, Gene and Paul were that: True music superheroes. An incredible mystique surrounded them during that era. Even such a cheesy movie like "Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park" was something to get crazy about just because of that: The materialization of their "superhero" status. Even better if you, like me, grew at a time in which our favorite musicians were like gods because you didn't see them that often on TV and, in the case of my country, seeing them in person was out of the question. Besides, when you don't play an instrument and don't know anything about music aside from listening it (as in my case at the time) you can enjoy it without thinking/questioning about your favorite musicians' skills as players. It's absurd to pretend denying or getting rid of the mark that an artist left in your life just because you later get to realize that he/she wasn't what you were convinced he/she was.
Well, this is the first time in my life I buy a bass strictly based in the combination of looks + price (I wouldn't have done it if it was expensive), although of course the favorable reviews helped as well.
And I agree: While not a high-grade instrument, this is definitely not the POS many might think it is. Ladies and gentlemen, let me show you my new toy: The GENE SIMMONS CORT AXE BASS.
OK. First things first, and I have to talk about this bass' biggest (and only) flaw: The ergonomics. From that standpoint, it's definitely an awful instrument. Not only you can't play it while sitting, but the strap pin over the 17th fret puts everything really far left and generates a hardly controllable neck dive. It's terrible. The only way so far I've found to play it comfortably is hanging it on my right shoulder, as you can see on the first picture. BTW, while it's not the best solution, I think it's a very good one to deal with instruments with the strap pin at such bad location. Yes, the instrument doesn't feel that secure wearing it that way, but unless you do a lot of jumping and stage antics, it will stay there (specially if you use a rugged strap). I did a search and, as far as I could find, nobody has suggested that before.
But aside from that, I am extremely happy with my purchase. It's a cheap instrument made in Asia, but it definitely doesn't feel cheap. The tuners are very smooth, the neck is pretty comfortable and, contrary to many other instruments you can see in music stores, this one arrived with a very good setup. Not exactly what I like and because of that I performed my usual setup routine on my new baby, but it had a dedicated setup job for sure.
As far as I have seen, the only QC flaw I've noticed is that the 19th fret wasn't properly filed and it sticks out a bit.
I was expecting a really unpleasant tone from this instrument, but to my surprise, the stock Mighty Mite pickups deliver both a clear and powerful tone. The noise level isn't bigger than the average expected from a passive bass with a single coil pickup. With the tone control fully open and both pickups engaged, its "brightness" is a little too much for my taste, but nothing that cannot be solved with some EQ. I was ready to order an EMG PJ set to replace the stock pickups, but now I'm having second thoughts about it. Time will tell. Actually, I think this is a great sounding instrument and its tone reminds me of the one heard on a very famous recording made with a really expensive bass. Right now I'm practicing that bassline to record a demonstration video, so then you'll know which song I'm talking about.
I like the output jack location...
Oh, and it arrived with this nicely padded gig bag:
That "hat" on the gig bag is a protective cap for the axe body. It looks funny to me. BTW, the bass' finish is very nice and the bridge cover is a touch that makes it look even nicer. A beautiful, shiny instrument that seems to have gotten a lot of commitment from the manufacturer, or at least exceeding what could be expected from an Asian factory like Cort.
So, those are my first impressions about this cool instrument. Of course, I think you must be (or have been) a real Kiss fan like I was in my teenage years to appreciate it. My fascination with the axe bass dates from 1982, when I saw Gene for the first time playing his Kramer Axe on Invalid Link Removed. BTW, young people (specially young Kiss bashers) will never understand the meaning of being a hardcore Kiss fan during the time they didn't show their faces to the public. For those of us who were also fans of superheroes (Superman, Batman, Spider Man... you name it) and the concept of keeping a secret identity, Peter, Ace, Gene and Paul were that: True music superheroes. An incredible mystique surrounded them during that era. Even such a cheesy movie like "Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park" was something to get crazy about just because of that: The materialization of their "superhero" status. Even better if you, like me, grew at a time in which our favorite musicians were like gods because you didn't see them that often on TV and, in the case of my country, seeing them in person was out of the question. Besides, when you don't play an instrument and don't know anything about music aside from listening it (as in my case at the time) you can enjoy it without thinking/questioning about your favorite musicians' skills as players. It's absurd to pretend denying or getting rid of the mark that an artist left in your life just because you later get to realize that he/she wasn't what you were convinced he/she was.
