Overall very playable bass, some shortfalls that could be fixed to make this a top quality bass
The CB4 has a very nice design and super comfortable neck. Fretwork is solid and smooth. The volume pot was loose from the factory setup, but music shop staff quickly tightened the nuts from inside the preamp compartment. The bass sound from the EMG pickups is on the harsh side but can be warmed up with the active pre-amp EQ and different strings (Rotosound roundwounds). A shame that there is no passive mode. The bridge looks great but quality is poor with very difficult to adjust intonation and tiny screws cutting into metal for stability. Metal shavings appear when adjusting. The nut is set slightly too high and will need filing. The tuners are not top quality and make tuning somewhat difficult. The battery cover requires a screwdriver. A latched battery door could have been used easily. With higher end tuners, a better adjusted nut, a screwless battery compartment door, passive mode and a high quality bridge this bass could be top notch. I wonder if the CB4 Charles plays does not have better quality hardware.
The CB4 has a very nice design and super comfortable neck. Fretwork is solid and smooth. The volume pot was loose from the factory setup, but music shop staff quickly tightened the nuts from inside the preamp compartment. The bass sound from the EMG pickups is on the harsh side but can be warmed up with the active pre-amp EQ and different strings (Rotosound roundwounds). A shame that there is no passive mode. The bridge looks great but quality is poor with very difficult to adjust intonation and tiny screws cutting into metal for stability. Metal shavings appear when adjusting. The nut is set slightly too high and will need filing. The tuners are not top quality and make tuning somewhat difficult. The battery cover requires a screwdriver. A latched battery door could have been used easily. With higher end tuners, a better adjusted nut, a screwless battery compartment door, passive mode and a high quality bridge this bass could be top notch. I wonder if the CB4 Charles plays does not have better quality hardware.
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