NBD- Jeff Berlin Rithimic

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I've been interested in a Cort Jeff Berlin Rithimic bass since they came out.
Saw a used one at around 50% of retail and decided to make the purchase. Plus, it's 2026 and I'll need to declare an expense deduction for Uncle Sam.
The previous owner wanted to 'neutralize' the red wood top, so he had an artist friend cover it in newspaper and spray a light finish on it. A half-hour with some water and a scraper, and it came right off.
Weighs a little over 8 lbs. and balances well. Controls are Volume, PU Blend, and Tone. Ebony fretboard, Hipshot ultra-light tuners, Bartoloni PUPs, and a Babicz bridge.
Setup was just right for me, and the intonation was spot on.
Nice bass. I'll be rehearsing and gigging with it at the end of the month.
I just have to make sure I put all the metronomes in its presence. Don't want any bad Karma.

 

[thrashingbass]

I like the original finish better too, creative as the first may have been. Glad it was so easily reversed.

I always found odd his metronome stance (or perhaps I fail to understand the entirety of his meaning), as he of all people should know as a previous young violinist, how crucial metronome practice is for any violin player (heck, even Beethoven used it.) Of course, real performance is rarely metronomic, but properly used as a practice tool, it can do no harm. It *is* possible to overdo it, and honestly I only use it to build skill and for slow to fast muscle memory; definitely not all the time, and my life won't end without it. He also seemingly does not love scales after a certain point, whereas those have been a staple for the violinist for centuries. But much respect, and each to their own. It is also very possible he is exaggerating to make a point against metronome over-reliance (or that he is convinced that for electric bass, it's a different matter.)

I still like your JB bass, and if I had money to spare, wouldn't mind trying it out. Hope you enjoy it!

 

[ajkula66]

Congrats on your "new" bass. May it serve you well.

I always found these intriguing but never got a chance to play one. Since I only play short scale basses nowadays, it's off my radar for good.

Play it in good health and enjoy!

P.S. While I don't agree with his stance on metronome, I'm a big fan of Mr. Berlin.

 

[rockear]

These have always struck me as a lot of bass for your money, and it sounds like you did very well on top of that.

It was kind of a cool finish treatment but yeah I would have removed it too. Prell for 82¢!?! You can't afford not to buy at that price!

 

[J Wilson]

These are a smartly designed, well built bass, and are WAY overlooked. Getting a great deal on it is even better.

Congrats!

JW

 

[ToddB1963]

Very good sounding basses IMO - even more so when Jeff plays them

 

[DWBass]

The only thing I don't like about the bass is the bridge pickup placement else I would have owned one. I like the looks.

 

[basslust]

I either saw that exact bass for sale before, or that "newspaper mod" was done by multiple people. I remember seeing it when shopping around and thinking it was a pretty cool idea. I actually thought it was a special edition or something.

 

[Les Fret]

I like that newspaper wrap. Creative solution. Congrats with the bass. I wonder how the bridge pickup sounds soloed. There aren’t much demos of this bass. Does Jeff play the exact same bass or is his a higher level customized version?

 

[Arjank]

I like that newspaper wrap. Creative solution. Congrats with the bass. I wonder how the bridge pickup sounds soloed. There aren’t much demos of this bass. Does Jeff play the exact same bass or is his a higher level customized version?

From what I've read Jeff uses a "standard" version.

 

[bench]

From what I've read Jeff uses a "standard" version.

Yes, standard. But it gets set up at Joe Glasers shop, which includes filing the frets down "flat and wide"...

 

[bench]

So Anyway, I've been interested in a Cort Jeff Berlin Rithimic bass since they came out.
Saw a used one at around 50% of retail and decided to make the purchase. Plus, it's 2026 and I'll need to declare an expense deduction for Uncle Sam.
The previous owner wanted to 'neutralize' the red wood top, so he had an artist friend cover it in newspaper and spray a light finish on it. A half-hour with some water and a scraper, and it came right off.
Weighs a little over 8 lbs. and balances well. Controls are Volume, PU Blend, and Tone. Ebony fretboard, Hipshot ultra-light tuners, Bartoloni PUPs, and a Babicz bridge.
Setup was just right for me, and the intonation was spot on.
Nice bass. I'll be rehearsing and gigging with it at the end of the month.
I just have to make sure I put all the metronomes in its presence. Don't want any bad Karma.

View attachment 7414113View attachment 7414114View attachment 7414115View attachment 7414116View attachment 7414117

Nice score... Had the old dean version years ago. Wish they would make a version without the split top and black hardware...

 

[BargeOn]

How do they do that split top anyway? It's hard to believe they could cut two pieces of wood like that to fit so precisely.

And bytheway, that paint spatter floor is a great backdtop for the bass.

 

[scuzzy]

I love USA bart pickups, I would guess these things sound great. Congrats on the NBD!

 

[socknroll1]

Cool floor.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I really dig the newspaper finish.
I'd personally like one using the funny pages. Maybe old Calvin and Hobbs strips.

 

[Low Main]

I worry about Jeff a bit. Especially at his age.
There are already so many wrong things in the world that concern him.
Now to that list he has to add decoupage.
It's almost more than one person should have to deal with.

 

[bassclef112]

Very nice! These (all versions) have flitted across my "like to try one of these list" for years. I was pretty sure I would've liked it.

Good luck with it and enjoy!!

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

P.S. While I don't agree with his stance on metronome, I'm a big fan of Mr. Berlin.

Me too. Years ago, I went to one of his in-store clinics when he was in town with St. Louis Music (Ampeg & Crate). Jeff played with a drummer and talked about bass and education. I don't/can't play anything like Jeff but am convinced that he just wants us all to play better and get value for our music education dollar.

It was kind of a cool finish treatment but yeah I would have removed it too. Prell for 82¢!?! You can't afford not to buy at that price!

I almost left it on because of the Prell ad!

Does Jeff play the exact same bass or is his a higher level customized version?

I think he does play a 'standard' model...maybe even one of the first ones.

And bytheway, that paint spatter floor is a great backdtop for the bass.

I didn't think of that, but you're right! The floor was that way when we moved in about 14 years ago. When we have contractors in, they'll often say "Oh yeah, I remember this place." We love our basement floor!

 

[pluki7]

I always found odd his metronome stance (or perhaps I fail to understand the entirety of his meaning), as he of all people should know as a previous young violinist, how crucial metronome practice is for any violin player (heck, even Beethoven used it.) Of course, real performance is rarely metronomic, but properly used as a practice tool, it can do no harm. It *is* possible to overdo it, and honestly I only use it to build skill and for slow to fast muscle memory; definitely not all the time, and my life won't end without it.

Most of the time he is misunderstood, and couldn't care less to explain the proper context, which is learning music.
When you learn music, either from reading or listening, you're supposed to find where the notes are on your instrument, and then decide how to move efficiently from one note to the next.
What he meant to say is do not rush to practise with the metronome, until you really know where the notes are and how to move between them.
That's it.