So I love me some Steve Harris and I have wanted to try his signature bass out for awhile. I found one today in a pretty conservative music shop today so I was surprised it was there. I gotta say, it's an awesome bass! I didn't think I'd like the blue sparkle and mirror pickguard but I actually really liked how flashy it was. Not a lot of variety in tones and needed a bit of a set up but that big fat neck was awesome and you could get a big fat p bass tone out of it. I don't think I'd ever spend 1500 bucks on one as its not that much better than my 50s mim p bass but boy was it ever cool. Just thought I'd share a fun bass browsing experience! Now I have to go buy some sparkly paint and flatwounds for my squier and see what happens haha.
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Tried a Steve Harris bass...
- Thread starter russpurdy
- Start date
Not to mention, every time I see him play live, he's playing his white P. Far less flashy. But yeah, if I were in the market for a P bass, I couldn't justify the extra price on the signature model.
It's the same bass
Back when Maiden was making their name and killing it in the 80's, it was finished in the blue sparkle. I prefer the white as well...it's actually the reason why I own a white P.
Perfect thread to ask what you feel the differences in the necks is. I've had my eye on a 50's Classic for a while and always wondered what the differences might be between those two necks.
If your talking about the mim 50's bass I can give you a comparison...
To me there isn't a massive difference. The string spacing feels very similar on both. The back of the neck on the Steve Harris fills out your hand a bit more though. If your used to fast skinny necks it would take some getting used to but I found it comfortable. I also played a roger waters bass and thought the neck was pretty much the same as my 50's presicion. I honestly thought the harris neck would be a much bigger difference but it was less than I expected. Keep in mind the Harris comes string with flats so that makes for a different experience as well. The one I played was muddy unless the tone was almost all the way up but that was a great sound.
To me there isn't a massive difference. The string spacing feels very similar on both. The back of the neck on the Steve Harris fills out your hand a bit more though. If your used to fast skinny necks it would take some getting used to but I found it comfortable. I also played a roger waters bass and thought the neck was pretty much the same as my 50's presicion. I honestly thought the harris neck would be a much bigger difference but it was less than I expected. Keep in mind the Harris comes string with flats so that makes for a different experience as well. The one I played was muddy unless the tone was almost all the way up but that was a great sound.
I can't compare them, but the SH neck is the biggest P neck I've felt. It's gigantic, the definition of a baseball bat neck.
I just purchased a Steve Harris P Bass a couple weeks ago. I always wanted one, but the 1.75 nut turned me off on it. One pooped up in the classifieds with a 1.65 nut and I jumped on it. Absolutely love this bass!
The neck is chunky, but it's a nice chunky. The finish is so cool. It's not obnoxious at all. I describe this bass as my badass muscle car amongst my Spectors. Looks like a muscle car - tons of chrome and an old school sparkly finish.
I got lucky with this nut width SH neck. I did some research online and found one other dude posting about having one so they apparently made a few. Definitely very rare. I'm lucky I guess!
The neck is chunky, but it's a nice chunky. The finish is so cool. It's not obnoxious at all. I describe this bass as my badass muscle car amongst my Spectors. Looks like a muscle car - tons of chrome and an old school sparkly finish.
I got lucky with this nut width SH neck. I did some research online and found one other dude posting about having one so they apparently made a few. Definitely very rare. I'm lucky I guess!
Ha, two rather different answers! I realize that it's mostly subjective but interesting to hear none the less. I wish there was someplace around here where I could actually give em a try. Bass offerings here are okay at best.
Hey Fender, if you're listening, try to find a better way of putting this kind of info on your site!
Hey Fender, if you're listening, try to find a better way of putting this kind of info on your site!
He does use the sig model as a backup though. It seems to have more clank than his normal one.
http://youtu.be/Z7GgxdRfZvY?t=1m33s
This is the bass you see in that video. It's a Fender custom shop he's had for years.
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You can see him play his signature series in the British Lion videos.
http://vimeo.com/54438854#
Not trying to be a know-it-all, I just love steve Harris and I love my SH signature series!
This is a great pic of his basses up close. His signature series is the closest one.
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Why is this bass so expensive? It's a friggin' MIJ Precision Bass! I love the look, but I could build one myself for less than $700, and probably a lot less, and it would sound every bit as good as what is basically a standard P Bass with a Badass and Duncan. Drop some Duncans and a Badass in a Lake Placid Blue MiM, add a mirror pickguard and there you have it. I think paying over a grand for these basses is crazy. Where do they get off charging that much?
Having never played one...I LOVE the SH bass. Probably b/c I love SH and Maiden. I want one. Could never pay that price. So I'd like to pick up a LPB P someday and mod it.
Scott in Dallas
Commercial User
- Aug 16, 2005
- 2,084
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- Builder and Owner: DJ Ash Guitars
First off, I have one and it is worth every penny. The quality on this bass is amazing, and far beyond a MiM standard P. It has tone unlike anything I've ever played. The blue is not Lake Placid Blue either, it's a custom Royal Blue Metallic. You really should play one before you make such comments.
I don't have one of the current Harris Sigs, so the specs might have changed, but I do have one of the original Harris Sigs that I bought in 2000, and there are some differences between it and most CIJ Ps. In addition to the pickup and bridge, the neck has a 7.25 radius and uses small-gauge vintage fret wire. Also, as others have stated the neck is HUGE, which was a big selling point for me. I paid $1,100 for mine 13 years ago, and while that is a chunk of change I honestly believe the CIJ basses from that era surpassed MIA stuff in quality, and it's been one of my favorite basses ever since.
