NBD Stevens Slant 5

[Thor2]

Arrived safe and sound last week and it has exceeded all my expectations. Bringing to it's first band practice tomorrow. Have been enjoying it unplugged and through the small rig, but looking foward to putting it through it's paces through the D/13 TBL200 and Berg 6x10!!!

For those who don't know, Michael Stevens is one of the founders of the Fender custom shop and the Rosco Beck model was his design. He is a master in every sense of the world, and a real gem of a person - if Mark Twain was a luthier he'd be Michael Stevens!

 

[Thor2]

Seem to be having some technical difficulities with the images

Here is a link to the photo gallery:
Invalid Link Removed

Sorry 'bout that

 

[Jamie_Funk]

Seem to be having some technical difficulities with the images

Here is a link to the photo gallery:
Invalid Link Removed

Sorry 'bout that

Looks awesome - and slanting those pickups, with the BASS end closer to the bridge, seems to me to make so much sense....tighten the bottom, thicken the top

J

 

[Darkstrike]

Badass!

 

[DWBass]

 

[Thor2]

Thanks DW!

That's it, but in a sparkle silver bust and a black guard. (fixed the links in the first post)

It is my new #1 and it just scratches every itch I have!

Michael Stevens is just a genious with a keen eye for both function and form. The bass hangs perfectly from a strap - most well balanced bass I've had the pleasure to play. The B string is the best I've heard on a passive bass. The neck is supper comfy and the controls are simple and quite effective. The only thing I wish it had was a notch for the mid point on the tone control, but the screw is postioned upright at the half-way mark, so it does have a visual cue.

Even the string tree is a cool machined block mini-structure. The fit and finish are beyond reproach. And the sparkle silver burst really floats my boat! It's funny, because Michael Stevens wasn't too keen on the idea when we first started cooking this one up, but even he was really pleased with how it turned out.

As for the tones - my TBL200 and 6x10 Berg never sounded so good! It is so easy to dial in a solid and convincing P-bass tone, and it has everything I wanted from a J-style and then some. I think that the angling of the neck pup really does help create a more even string-to-string balance and I like how it does slightly brighten up the low strings while slightly beefing up the high ones.

I know that this is a honeymoon review, but I have a very strong feeling that I will only gush about it more 1 year from now!

If you are looking for a great bass that is just a bit left of center in terms of appearance, make sure to keep Stevens on your radar screen. He doesn't get much attention here on TB, but he really is one of the best!

 

[MattyH]

Cool! I LOVE the position of the string-thru slots. Unique and awesome placement for it.

 

[Thor2]

Cool! I LOVE the position of the string-thru slots. Unique and awesome placement for it.

Agreed. A very cool touch.

 

[Thor2]

Spent another several hours with the Slant 5 this weekend, and it continues to amaze. One of the things that really struck me is how well balanced it is. Whether on a lap (rests perfectly - even holds up to the "look mom, no hands" test), or on a strap (probably due to the more proximally placed recessed strap locks) - it just feels great.

Any other Stevens owners lurking out there?

 

[Thor2]

Just got word that there is a used Slant 5 available through Michael Stevens that looks like this (but a 5er).

Wish I could justify a second!!!!