I thought I'd give an update--there are lots of "i just bought this and OMG it's incredible" reviews. So here's a review after years of slogging.
First, the reviewer--I'm a reasonably proficient semi-professional gigging a couple times a month roughly, mostly jazz-ish. Been playing slab bass and jazz guitar as well. Gigs have slowed down since the recession.
Second, the bass. It's Shen's 7/8 willow flatback, now listed on the Shen website as the "Gemunder 7/8 willow." It was my first good bass and will probably be my last. Prior to this I had a Kay, an Englehardt, and a couple rented carved basses whose brand escapes me, in addition to trying many basses before buying this one. It came with Spiro Mittels on it, and it's had beaucoupe des stringes on it since including, for long stays, Velvet Animas, Spiro Weichs, and now Velvet Blues, which I'm very happy with. It has a KC strings angled endpin.
Pluses: A very very even tone. No "hotspots" or dead spots. I love that about it. It never gets in the way and I never have to avoid a range of notes or hold back in certain areas. It has an especially pretty midrange, up around the neck heel--a very even, pretty tone and I end up soloing there a lot. It sounds equally good there with a bow, even with the Velvet Blues which aren't much fun with the bow. Overall it has a big, warm, very smooth tone, maybe to the point of bland. The neck has been dead stable and has only recently seemed to have developed a couple rattles. The fingerboard need a little dressing.
Minuses. It's BIG. I wish I'd found a smaller bass I liked as well. It's harder to lug and harder to squeeze into small venues and harder to lay down between sets. If I were looking again I'd think hard before I'd get a 7/8. The tone is smooth maybe to the point of bland. I wish there was a little more whomp and creak on the low notes. It seems like the cost of even-ness, which I really like, was "character." Maybe character comes with age. Could be the strings--of course it could! It could always be the strings! Also I've had trouble with the tuning machines rattling--see my whining thread in the repair section. Shen used lousy screws in the assembly. Its developed two rib cracks--one down by the endpin, caused by me bumping it in transport, and on the upper bout by the neck, caused by my fingernail whacking down on it in some moment of over-exuberant plucking. Is this an unreasonable level of cracking? I don't really know. There's a rattle in the tailpiece somewhere--I keep meaning to replace the tailpiece cable with a cord. It needs to go into the shop for a little clean and press, get those cracks fixed, maybe see if it needs any tweaks. The top and the back have been solid.
Overall--I really like the bass. It's good enough for me, it does nothing to hinder me and there's no defect in the sound that could not be overcome by better playing. Will it develop a richer and more complex character in time? I assume it will, hopefully I will too. I wish it was smaller. I wish the perfect set of strings would emerge from the sea on a clamshell and present themselves.
First, the reviewer--I'm a reasonably proficient semi-professional gigging a couple times a month roughly, mostly jazz-ish. Been playing slab bass and jazz guitar as well. Gigs have slowed down since the recession.
Second, the bass. It's Shen's 7/8 willow flatback, now listed on the Shen website as the "Gemunder 7/8 willow." It was my first good bass and will probably be my last. Prior to this I had a Kay, an Englehardt, and a couple rented carved basses whose brand escapes me, in addition to trying many basses before buying this one. It came with Spiro Mittels on it, and it's had beaucoupe des stringes on it since including, for long stays, Velvet Animas, Spiro Weichs, and now Velvet Blues, which I'm very happy with. It has a KC strings angled endpin.
Pluses: A very very even tone. No "hotspots" or dead spots. I love that about it. It never gets in the way and I never have to avoid a range of notes or hold back in certain areas. It has an especially pretty midrange, up around the neck heel--a very even, pretty tone and I end up soloing there a lot. It sounds equally good there with a bow, even with the Velvet Blues which aren't much fun with the bow. Overall it has a big, warm, very smooth tone, maybe to the point of bland. The neck has been dead stable and has only recently seemed to have developed a couple rattles. The fingerboard need a little dressing.
Minuses. It's BIG. I wish I'd found a smaller bass I liked as well. It's harder to lug and harder to squeeze into small venues and harder to lay down between sets. If I were looking again I'd think hard before I'd get a 7/8. The tone is smooth maybe to the point of bland. I wish there was a little more whomp and creak on the low notes. It seems like the cost of even-ness, which I really like, was "character." Maybe character comes with age. Could be the strings--of course it could! It could always be the strings! Also I've had trouble with the tuning machines rattling--see my whining thread in the repair section. Shen used lousy screws in the assembly. Its developed two rib cracks--one down by the endpin, caused by me bumping it in transport, and on the upper bout by the neck, caused by my fingernail whacking down on it in some moment of over-exuberant plucking. Is this an unreasonable level of cracking? I don't really know. There's a rattle in the tailpiece somewhere--I keep meaning to replace the tailpiece cable with a cord. It needs to go into the shop for a little clean and press, get those cracks fixed, maybe see if it needs any tweaks. The top and the back have been solid.
Overall--I really like the bass. It's good enough for me, it does nothing to hinder me and there's no defect in the sound that could not be overcome by better playing. Will it develop a richer and more complex character in time? I assume it will, hopefully I will too. I wish it was smaller. I wish the perfect set of strings would emerge from the sea on a clamshell and present themselves.
Ouch!! You forgot to knock on wood.
