New Epiphone Basses

[dukeorock]

And what, in your view, are the negatives?

Trust me, I'm hoping to eat my words and come back with glowing reports!

It's a really enexpensive bass, but also sounds and feels a bit like one to me. I gotta tweak the setup and change the strings and with any luck it'll start coming to life

 

[MordBass]

Fwiw I picked up an Epi goth thunderbird last year because my stage basses get beat up pretty bad. I cant believe that it has maintained its action the whole time and sounds as big as it does. Gotta be honest, ill take chinese machines from epiphone over angry underpaid gibson hands.

 

[dukeorock]

Fwiw I picked up an Epi goth thunderbird last year because my stage basses get beat up pretty bad. I cant believe that it has maintained its action the whole time and sounds as big as it does. Gotta be honest, ill take chinese machines from epiphone over angry underpaid gibson hands.

I can see that!

After playing the Embassy an hour or so, it's starting to grow on me

 

[MordBass]

I can see that!

After playing the Embassy an hour or so, it's starting to grow on me

To be fair I will say this.... I went shopping for a second one as a backup for shows and after playing 6 of them... none were as smooth as the one that I have. I think I lucked out to be honest. Theyre awesome but you really need to put your hands on it and see if its a good one or not. I normally play a Zon or Lull but my main band is black metal and the bullet belts and spiked gauntlets really do a number on the basses hahahaha.

 

[kat888]

My Embassy Pro arrived today. Hoping a better set of strings will increase my appreciation, but it's not doing much for me right off the bat. The positives are it looks great, plays pretty good and if you love super light basses (I'm not so fussy about that) this is certainly crazy lightweight

As has been said over in the main house, try cranking those pickups up danger close to the strings.

 

[dukeorock]

As has been said over in the main house, try cranking those pickups up danger close to the strings.

I plan on it! Been nursing a cold all day, so got some time in on the bass. It's growing on me

 

[Goingdownslow]

On their web site, Epi are listing the same case part number for the Vintage Pro, as I bought for the Classic IV, 940-ETBCS.

A search on this number comes up with two cases, one oblong the other tapered.
Is one a 'fits all' case?

 

[clivem]

A search on this number comes up with two cases, one oblong the other tapered. Is one a 'fits all' case?

IIRC, the rectangular case, came first, and was subsequently replaced by the tapered case, but they kept the same part number. I'd expect unless you stumble on a store that has "old stock" that the case you will get now if you buy one new using that part number, will be the tapered one.....

 

[NoiseNinja]

The Embasy bass really looks pretty cool.
If there had been a short scale version I might even had considered buying one.

 

[Mr.Fingers]

They look very cool, and very well built, and they sound awesome (if I can believe teh youtubez)... But here I am waiting eagerly for a reissue of a mid-sixties Rivoli (2). With the slightly more pointy horns as was done from 1964 onwards.

Come on Epiphone. You can do it!

 

[dukeorock]

The Embasy bass really looks pretty cool.
If there had been a short scale version I might even had considered buying one.

I'm 6'4" with monkey arms, so this may be of no value to you, BUT the Embassy has more of a medium scale feel to me. One of my main basses is a 35" scale 4 string that's feels great to me though, so take comments with a grain of salt. Just saying if one shows up in your area, consider giving it a test drive

 

[NoiseNinja]

I'm 6'4" with monkey arms, so this may be of no value to you, BUT the Embassy has more of a medium scale feel to me. One of my main basses is a 35" scale 4 string that's feels great to me though, so take comments with a grain of salt. Just saying if one shows up in your area, consider giving it a test drive

Actually to not much value exactly.

I am 6'4" myself, but still I don't exactly have huge hands.

Also I started out playing a regular 34" scale bass, like for the first 10 years or something like that, so technically I have no problems playing one, yet I happen to prefer the increased playabillity, comfort and feel of a short scale.

Why challenge one self for no apparent reason when there are perfectly fine, even great, alternatives?

Actually in fact my main at the moment is an Ibanez Mikro, which with a scale length of just 28,6" would be categorized as a sub short scale bass.

However I don't feel like I am missing out on anything, not anything that brings anything better to the table at least.

With the Mikro's stock pickups replaced by a pair og P/J EMG Geezer Butler I honestly think it, while of course having it's own unique character, is fully on par tone quality wise with some of the 1000$+ basses I owned, which include a Rickenbacker 4003, a Jerry Jones Long Horn as well as a custom made bass.

I realize though that non of the mentioned basses are actually full scales per see, even if the Rickenbacker comes God damn close, the Jerry Jones is a regular 30" short scale and the custom made one was just about same scale length as the Mikro, still I think I got a point.

The one 100% regular 34" scale bass I have, the one I started out playing and still own, an Aria Pro II Laser Electric Classic, I don't really feel is any competition to the Mikro, even if the Aria Pro is actually a quite decent bass and not exactly can be considered a budget instrument either.

Note:

I realize I came off sounding a bit offensive there, while it is my honest impression you were just trying to be friendly.

Sorry for that!

Guess I am just tired of ignorant people pointing fingers and laughing at people playing budget short scale basses.

 

[dukeorock]

I realize I came off sounding a bit offensive there, while it is my honest impression you were just trying to be friendly.

Sorry for that!

Guess I am just tired of ignorant people pointing fingers and laughing at people playing budget short scale basses.

Brother, I feel your pain! It's pretty annoying to know what you like, only to have others come along and tell you what you SHOULD like Certainly not my intention!

One of my favorite bass players here in Nashville, Dave Roe, is a big dude and mostly plays 30" scale instruments. He gets along just fine

My only intention was to point out that the Embassy Pro feels a bit more compact than the scale length would suggest, which could be helpful to someone!

 

[woodyng2]

My only intention was to point out that the Embassy Pro feels a bit more compact than the scale length would suggest, which could be helpful to someone!

That’s actually very helpful to know!
The ‘67 Embassy i once owned really made me stretch for the low F. I have the same issue with a set-neck Guild SB-202 bass I currently own.
I am 5’11”,but i do have long arms,so i’m hoping the playability of the new Embassy Pro is better suited for me.

 

[BklynKen]

That’s actually very helpful to know!
The ‘67 Embassy i once owned really made me stretch for the low F. I have the same issue with a set-neck Guild SB-202 bass I currently own.
I am 5’11”,but i do have long arms,so i’m hoping the playability of the new Embassy Pro is better suited for me.

The Thunderbird with the strap pin at the neck heel pulls the lower frets closer to you as well.

 

[dukeorock]

That’s actually very helpful to know!
The ‘67 Embassy i once owned really made me stretch for the low F. I have the same issue with a set-neck Guild SB-202 bass I currently own.
I am 5’11”,but i do have long arms,so i’m hoping the playability of the new Embassy Pro is better suited for me.

The slightly longer top horn of the new Embassy seems to help in that regard, I think

 

[woodyng2]

The slightly longer top horn of the new Embassy seems to help in that regard, I think

Yep. Even though i loved the look of the batwing headstock on the original,i think this new reboot is going to correct some of the playability issues of the original,and be a better ergonomic design overall. And i really prefer 2+2 headstocks....

 

[Goingdownslow]

They look very cool, and very well built, and they sound awesome (if I can believe teh youtubez)... But here I am waiting eagerly for a reissue of a mid-sixties Rivoli (2). With the slightly more pointy horns as was done from 1964 onwards.

Come on Epiphone. You can do it!
View attachment 2801129

A couple of years back they did announce a '62 reissue but nothing became of it.
I would love Rivoli II.

 

[dukeorock]

Yep. Even though i loved the look of the batwing headstock on the original,i think this new reboot is going to correct some of the playability issues of the original,and be a better ergonomic design overall. And i really prefer 2+2 headstocks....

Funny, I prefer the batwing on the original for pure kitsch value, but yeah, this works better

 

[Duder]

Brother, I feel your pain! It's pretty annoying to know what you like, only to have others come along and tell you what you SHOULD like Certainly not my intention!

One of my favorite bass players here in Nashville, Dave Roe, is a big dude and mostly plays 30" scale instruments. He gets along just fine

My only intention was to point out that the Embassy Pro feels a bit more compact than the scale length would suggest, which could be helpful to someone!

Man, you're just making it harder for me to not order one of these.