I finally got to see, play, touch and hear a Nordy vJ5 up close and personal.
I met Adrian and Vic yesterday here in Las Vegas for a mini GTG bass hang. What a huge treat! These guys are the salt of the earth. Totally cool. I felt like we've been friends all my life. They are the coolest bass brothers I could hope for. It's an honor to be one of the brethren.
Back to the Nordy; In short, I was BLOWN AWAY by Adrian's Nordy vJ5. His vJ5 was the original inspiration for the one I have on order. I have now confirmed that the spec's I chose (Adrian's specs) are "exactly" what I want.
Neck Profile: To my hands, the vJ5 has as good of a neck profile as I've ever played. It's not too narrow or small as some have commented about the vJ4. The vJ5 neck profile was friendlier and faster to my hands than Sadowsky as a point of reference. The finish is satin smooth and fast. The fretwork is perfect and finished as if from a fine jeweler. I wasn't sure how much I would like the small fret wire Carey uses. That concern was immediately put to rest. I LOVE it.
Big Splits: These Pick ups are incredibly musical. They are both detailed and clear, yet they have great punch. I didn't play loud enough to determine if I would characterize Big Splits as aggressive sounding. (They are totally hum free and dead quiet) the made it simple to nail Jaco tones, and it was equally easy to get an amazing Marcus-like slap tone. Not quite as glassy sounding as Marcus, but close enough. After hearing and playing Adrian's Nordy with the Big Splits, I decided conclusively to spec the same PU's for the Nordy vJ5 I have on order. Vic put it best when he said; "I want that 'exact' bass! I wouldn't change a thing!" I emailed Scott Pazera when I got back to my room and said; "Tell Carey I want Big Splits ... final answer!" (They are that sweet!) I don't know if I would prefer Fat Stacks if comparing side-by-side. But what I do know is that the Nordy I played gets all the soubnds I hear in my head.
Audere 3 band with Passive tone: Man, this Preamp is versatile, quiet and
totally musical! I adjusted the EQ knobs briefly to see how they respond, but the cool thing was, the bass sounds so good naturally! I just left the EQ knobs alone for the most part and adjusted the passive tone a little bit to achieve some tonal variations in concert with the PU Blend knob. The bass is so musically "right" to begin with, it doesn't need much, if any EQ'ing. I can now see why Scott Pazera is so hyped on a passive Nordy. It's got a great vibe and tone right from the start.
Birdseye Maple FB with Pearl Blocks binding I knew I'd like it, but it looks better in person. To my eyes, it is "off the hook!" Elegant, sporty, classy. Everything a fingerboard should be. Oh, and the action on Adrians bass was very low (the way he likes it) It plays like a dream.
B String: Tight, Deep, authoritative while maintaining perfect volume balance with the other strings. The Nordy has a GREAT sounding B String. As good as I have heard. Equally as good as Adrians MTD Ash/Maple 635, which was freaking drop dead gorgeous!
Weight: We didn't weight it, but Vic and I both thought it was somewhere around 9 lbs. Adrian thinks it's more like 9.5 lbs. In any event, it's not a 'heavy' bass at all. It is very comfortable and way more user friendly in terms of weight compared to something like a Celinder. (Vic confirms)
Overall Looks and Vibe: Priceless! (For everything else, ... and even a 2nd Nordy; there's Mastercard)
I am beside myself I liked the Nordy vJ5 so well. I ordered one sight unseen having never played one. I am 1000 percent thrilled and comforted. For me, the Nordy vJ5 is "the one." I liked it that much. Man, it's going to give my F Bass a serious run for playing time. That will be an interesting comparison.
So for now, .... HURRY UP Carey! Now I am jones-ing worse than ever for my bass! (I'm only 7 weeks or so in to the build/delivery process) It's going to be a long hot summer. I will be looking forward to the Fall more than ever! (singing .... See you, in September)
Lastly, I can't say enough about how cool and awesome Adrian and Vic are. I could hang with you guys anytime. I felt like family. There simply aren't better people on the planet. That's something Mastercard can never buy.
Adrian, you will always be in my prayers. Your humility, kindness and authenticity touch me everytime I connect with you. Your spirit moves me. (and your chops always impress me too) The world is truly a better place because you're here and I love and respect you like a brother. Thank you again for taking the time. Gary
Or ???
), but that he might be offering this new preamp in the future. No confirmation on that last part, though. But the shooting thing has been confirmed.
I'll keep you guys posted. But I expect it will be everything it alleged to be! Gary
As I've said in this thread before, a new rig was gonna come first but when I saw that this bass was available, I couldn't resist. The fact that Paul owned the bass is huge. He is a monster player and I'm a fan. So this is an opportunity for sure.
