NBD: The Bass That Made Me Want to Play—Jackson David Ellefson Signature

I had this poster over my bed from when I started playing in 1993 to when I graduated high school in 1999:


From 1994 to 2007, I had a passive, bolt-on, dot inlay, four-string Jackson that mostly looked and sounded the part, and the band on this poster may have influenced that acquisition While I traded that instrument well and without regrets, I have always remembered it fondly.

Though I never stopped playing completely, music took a back seat until 2018. Life had changed quite a bit, and so had what I wanted from an instrument … or so I thought. After trying a few different ways of getting at the new sound in my head, it seems the instruments I chose in my earliest years of playing would have gotten me there fastest: my Ibanez ATK (which I managed to keep) and my Jackson.

This time, though, I went full Rust In Peace-era Megadeth:
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Behold the Jackson X Series Signature David Ellefson 30th Anniversary Concert™ Bass CBX V!





It arrived set up so poorly that it was literally unplayable, but fortunately it responded well to my adjustments. It practically plays itself, and it sounds very metal. Finally, the burly PJ5 sound I (apparently always) wanted. Time to get some better strings on this and fine tune the setup.

David Ellefson’s playing turned out to be an even bigger influence than I realized, so it feels right to have the instrument to match.

 

The big reveal just had to glitch out

 

Nice! While sentimental reasons certainly factored into my acquisition of the 30th anniversary model, I have really wanted a good 5-string Precision-ish thing for the past couple years, so this particular model also made a lot of practical sense. As I modded my Squier VMPV over several months it finally dawned on me that it just wouldn’t get quite where I want it sonically, and there just aren’t a ton of options for 5-string Precision-ish things under 1,000 USD. I had pre-ordered an Ibanez RGB-305 but those won’t ship until May, and when my unused ‘90s pedals somehow turned into several hundred dollars more than expected, the choice was between this and the LTD AP-5; buying new and sight unseen, I went with the more familiar option (I still want all three, haha!).

Pretty sure my “new” bass is in fact a customer return; the box had been resealed, the bass was poorly cleaned, I found a few tiny scratches, and as mentioned in the original post, the setup wouldn’t have passed the most rushed inspection at the most bargain basement of facilities. I decided to give it a try anyway and obviously it sprung right into shape and I bonded with it right away. I have notified my contact at the vendor and I know he’ll take care of me.

I remembered that I really liked the neck on my old Jackson Concert EX Professional 4-string, but apparently not much about why! This neck differs dramatically from the ATKs and Precisions I have come to prefer: wide and shallow profile with a nearly flat fingerboard, almost like a 2x4—but nice, haha! As said already, this instrument almost plays itself. Those who remember the ‘90s likely also remember Carvin’s catalogs extolling the virtues of neck-through construction; I don’t detect any substantial tonal differences from my bolt-on instruments, and while I might detect a bit more sustain (or might just be imagining it), it certainly feels different, all in good ways. I was a bit skeptical of the EMGs going in based on my limited underwhelming experience with their HZs, but I figured I would at least like the P well enough. To my surprise, the PJ combination really does it for me here—plenty of midrange, not so hollowed out as I expected (I preferred this combination with my old Jackson as well, but I also preferred a scoopedy sound at that time), and about perfect with the preamp set flat. The preamp gets boomy and buzzy only at extreme settings; oddly enough, I use it to mostly to tame the highs with the P soloed. I don’t generally care for J pickups or bridge pickups of any kind, but this one seems both better positioned and punchier than most.

Other than the scratches, I only found one tiny blemish on the binding, which I could probably sand away if I felt like it. The finish is shiny and black, which at this point I just accept is what the universe insists upon me having (I don’t choose shiny black instruments; they choose me). Oregon humidity quickly got the fret ends where they belong; I can imagine how things must dry out in a Reno warehouse in winter! The hardware feels solid; I usually tune GCGCF and this is the first instrument of mine with fine enough tuning on that biggest string that it doesn’t take forever to dial it in, and it seems to stay there.

Apparently some wanted to know more, and apparently I had a bit to report! Thank you for asking.

 

Mine would be of the poplar variety, as was the previous Jackson I loved. Thanks