The black is very attractive - good choice. That solves my main aesthetic gripe about the current MIM signature- all light colors. Light colored body, pickguard, and fretboard. Meh. No contrast.
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Steve Harris Precision Bass Club
- Thread starter led4thehed2
- Start date
The black is very attractive - good choice. That solves my main aesthetic gripe about the current MIM signature- all light colors. Light colored body, pickguard, and fretboard. Meh. No contrast.
I agree. When I was thinking of buying one I noticed that the mirror pickguard looked black in some shots - like the pic below - so I knew I would change it right away. I actually had the store throw in the black PG as part of the deal.
Also I put on a 13 hole Fender PG so 3 of the holes don't have screws. One day I'll get around to drilling the other holes but I totally forgot until you mentioned it a couple of posts back.
So, while I am a huge Steve Harris fan, and I really dig playing his signature bass I have to be honest in saying I'm not a fan of the way it looks. Especially how SHINY and glossy it is.
The first change was getting rid of the reflective pick guard. I did that as soon as I brought it home
Still too shiny. So I finally decided to do something about it....I de-glossed the entire bass
I started with the back of the neck as it look like the neck was dipped in a vat of high gloss lacquer and was really bugging me.
I taped off and tested three options: Green Scotch Brite, 0000 Steel wool, 800 grit sandpaper
I went with the Scotch Brite for the quickest and best gloss removal without scratching. That's the farthest one
Then I did the front of the neck.
Was a little nervous about this but I just avoided the fret wire as best I could giving them only a slight wipe to knock the shine down. You can really notice the difference here
The body was next
Very nervous about this. So I taped off 2 areas under the PG and tried Scotch Brite vs Steel Wool
Here I decided on the Steel Wool (on left) as the Scotch Brite was a little too flat,
harsh and noticeable with swirls etc
Here's the de-glossed neck and body together and almost done...
So then I also Steel Wool'd the glossy PG and put it all back together...
Finally....a group shot....
Overall I am super satisfied. Managed to de-gloss without any noticeable damage at all
Unless you had another SH Bass beside it or looked really, really close at the body in the right light you can't even tell it was done
The first change was getting rid of the reflective pick guard. I did that as soon as I brought it home
Still too shiny. So I finally decided to do something about it....I de-glossed the entire bass
I started with the back of the neck as it look like the neck was dipped in a vat of high gloss lacquer and was really bugging me.
I taped off and tested three options: Green Scotch Brite, 0000 Steel wool, 800 grit sandpaper
I went with the Scotch Brite for the quickest and best gloss removal without scratching. That's the farthest one
Then I did the front of the neck.
Was a little nervous about this but I just avoided the fret wire as best I could giving them only a slight wipe to knock the shine down. You can really notice the difference here
The body was next
Very nervous about this. So I taped off 2 areas under the PG and tried Scotch Brite vs Steel Wool
Here I decided on the Steel Wool (on left) as the Scotch Brite was a little too flat,
harsh and noticeable with swirls etc
Here's the de-glossed neck and body together and almost done...
So then I also Steel Wool'd the glossy PG and put it all back together...
Finally....a group shot....
Overall I am super satisfied. Managed to de-gloss without any noticeable damage at all
Unless you had another SH Bass beside it or looked really, really close at the body in the right light you can't even tell it was done
Thank you so much for sharing pics of this process- this is amazing!! You're totally right, it's such a SHINY bass, and all parts are light colors....not the greatest aesthetic. You did a great job. I made a little side-by-side before and after, it shows rather well how the shiny was toned down.
I heard Fender always re-uses parts, even painting a new colour over a different colour on left-over bodies. My American Performer Jazz Bass has a really dark tint to the Maple, almost like the new Ultra Line. On my P-Bass the Maple has a really light tint. They're supposed to be the same colour! Maybe I got a neck they were using while experimenting on getting the right tint for the Ultra's! Haha.
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Nice Basses! Watch out! Eddie's comin' for ya. Haha. That's why I bought my American Performer Lake Placid Blue, cuz it kinda looks and sounds like his.
Thinking of getting one but if I did I'd put a sticker over that West Ham decal. Wish they'd just make a few without the decal.
The Steve Harris Royal Blue bass, one of my favourites and it goes over really well with sound guys. Definitely a keeper.
To make it more period correct:
History has it that when Steve’s original Precision was made, Fender had run low on its stock of ash bodies, and substituted maple.
"Run to the Hills" – Fender Steve Harris Precision Bass | Bass Gear Magazine
I asked Fender that exact question a few years ago. This was their reply
"Hello,
Artist preference. He wanted a dense bright wood for his body material. All artist models are done to artist spec and approved by that artist before any production. Ash bodies were most typical in the mid 70's and I wasn't present during the discussion with Steve specifically but maple would be more dense and intern more bright.
Regards-
Michael Roberts
Sr Representative, Consumer Relations /U.S. Direct Sales"
Are those EMG Geezer signature pickups? If so, how would you say they compare to the stock SPB-1?
They are the passive EMG P, the SPB-1 was ok but lacked a little definition.
The EMG is deep and you can dial in as much brightness as you want with the passive tone. It’s definitely a winner with sound guys.
No to be honest. I’ve always had a good result with EMG so I just went with what I was familiar with.
I would like to try the SPB-4 though.
To my ears, the SPB-4 has a bit more muted treble response than the SPB-1. Seymour Duncan's specs seem to support this. Plenty of people like them as a more mid- focused option to the SPB-1, but since you mentioned the amount of high end on your EMGs, just thought I'd mention the SPB-4s have less treble. Rock on.
Yes - I would agree with this for sure.
It makes for a great match for the maple on maple Harris bass which is plenty bright
I find the the SPB-4 to be thick and rich but still defined.
It's definitely one of my favourites of the half dozen or so P pickups I've tried
However if extreme clarity is what you are after there are certainly better options
