Barker Vertical Bass

I have had this bass customized- it has a Ghost Peizo on the bridge and Q-Tuners for the mag pickups. It is therefore both active & passive. I have a blend knob to balance my peizo and the mags. The tuners are great, neck is great, and it has both stero & mono outputs. It was made in 2003- the year I bought it. Mine is fretless - which I love. It sustains forever.

It a very versatile instrumanet that sounds incredible. I use it for blues, slower stuff, and just about everything. My other basses include an Ernie Ball Sterling 4 for when I want punch and growl, and a custom Yamaha 5 string with Bartolinis when I want a different, lowerpunch and growl, and my Barker for everything else. It has the most amazing resonance I've heard on a bass.

Perfect. I've played many electrics and string basses- this is the easiest to play, and has incredibly agreeable action. The finish is flawless, and the fit couldn't be better. THis bass is perfect to switch off with my other basses when I need a load off my shoulder. The audiene always loves it when I switch as well.

I have used it on countless gigs - never a problem

Lee Barker's customer service is unbeatable. He has a personal interest in his basses and those that play them that goes way beyond business. The only other company I know of on that level is Genz Benz.

Been playing professionally more than 30 years. Yes, I compared it to about everythnig else out there. Lee let me come to his shop, see how they are made, and choose from all the hand-made basses in his stable. I would definitely replace it if it were lost or stolen.

Other Gear:
Ernie Ball Sterling 4
Yamaha Custom 5 string with Bartolinis
Yamaha Custom 4 fretless
Tacoma Cheiftan 4 Acoustic bass guitar

Amps:
Genz Benz 6.0 shuttle head with both 12 & 2X10 cabs, SWR 550x head, SWR Son of Bertha 15, SWR Big Ben 18", QSB 5 stereo head, Presonous preamps.

I've enjoyed my new Barker B1 Upright Electric Bass for a month now. This one is a fretless 4 string, with an ebony fretboard, maple neck, duncan seymour bassline pickups.

The control knobs are like a standard fender jazz bass: volume, volume, tone.

I had been looking for a bass that would give me more of an upright sound, but without the body size of an upright bass. I tried a few EUB's, but didn't like the neck. When I tried a Barker, I knew immediately that this was the one to get. The string length and neck size is about the same as a Fender Jazz, but the tone, oh the tone, is deep and warm and rich and it sustains forever.

Fit and finish are beautiful. A few dings, as I got this one used, and it was indeed used. Nothing serious though, just the usual dings and scratches, and only a few of those anyway.

I play in a bigband, with music from the 30's and 40's. That music really wants the sound of an upright bass. The Barker Bass sound is fantastic here, even though there is more sustain than in a real upright. Since I'm behind a few instruments, from the audience you can see it is upright, but you can't see that the body is slim and trim compared to an upright. For sure though, you can see this is not a regular electric bass.

I'm playing through an EA rig, with the microscopic i300 and whiyzy 10 cab, and for larger events, through a Shuttle 6.0 with an Epifani UL210. The Barker sounds fantastic through both.

As mentioned above, the fit and finish is fantastic. The particular piece of maple used for the neck is just fantastic. The feel is amazing. And being fretless, it has the mwaaah sound that is just so cool.

Im giving it a 10 here. The bass comes with a tripod stand that holds up the bass, but you can lean it forward so the bass is free standing, like a regular upright. The hardware is very solid. The tuners are wonderful, with a very satisfying feel as you turn them.

I've had several email messages with Lee Barker himself about this bass, and he is generous, kind, positive, and entertaining. Even though I bought this instrument used, he treats me as if I bought it new from him directly.

I've been playing bass 10 years, and guitar for 30, and violin for 40. I have a few other basses, guitars, and mandolins. I play mostly jazz, some blues and rock, and sometimes I just play along with whatever is on the stereo. I play in jazz combos, and in a bigband.

If this bass were stolen or lost, I would replace it with the same thing, or as close to it as possible.

I love the tone! And the feeling that this is really a unique instrument. The ergonomics are really nice. Ie, I'm not carrying the weight of the instrument, unlike a regular electric bass.

My review of the Barker B1 Fretted 4 string Vertical Bass???my opinions, experiences, and feelings surrounding my Barker???#66. I recieved the bass September, 2006. It's build date was 2004. The bass is a solid body, with internal sound chambers. It has 2 Seymour Duncan Jazzline pickups, with traditional Fender Jazz bass control configuration. The electronics are passive. The neck is a 34" Fender Jazz Bass type, using hard rock maple with a rosewood fingerboard,1.5" at the nut. It is attached to the body with five bolts.
The body is 2" thick 3-ply construction, with a cherry front, and alder core and back. The finish is Hand Rubbed semigloss. So far, it has been very Durable, and the finish gives it a natural elegance. It uses a heavy cast roller bridge. The tuners are Gotoh Bass Compact, with a Black finish. This is a "Vertical Bass". It is played similar to an upright. It comes with it's own stand,and does not need to be supported when being played. The bass plays best when supported on the stand. The stand is fully adjustable, and has a fully adjustable endpin. It uses a positive stud-and-socket attachment to bass body. It comes with a very nice padded gig bag, made using a heavy woven nylon abrasion-resistant material with hand and shoulder straps, and a zippered pouch. It also comes with a separate bag for stand.

So far, i've not discovered any dislikes. The Barker is an absolute tone monster. Big and fat, yet clear and articulate. The Seymour Duncan Jazzline pickups do an excellent job. They produce the tones I need by adjusting the settings of the front and rear pickup volume controls, and single tone control. My usual setting is front (neck) pickup set 50%, and the rear (bridge) pickup set 100%. Tone control set 70 to 100%. Pickups aside, I have always felt that if a bass doesn???t sound good acoustically, the best electronics available probably won???t improve it. The Barker has a great acoustic sound. It's naturally loud and resonant, with great natural and artificial harmonics. I think this is probably due to the sound chambers built into the body, along with the size of the body. The sustain is unbelievable! I feel the body design, choice of woods, and construction all blend to give it that awesome tone. The Barker responds well to various plucking techniques. You can ???dig in??? to get that growl, pluck above the neck pickup to get a smooth, sweet, upright sound, or, work near to the bridge to get a close, tight sound???and yes, as it has been discussed to the contrary in other reviews, it indeed can be slapped and popped. I think the players who write the reviews about the inability to slap and pop the Barker have not spent any time trying it out. Your slapping technique will be slightly different that what you may be using on a conventional bass, but I found adapting was quick and easy. It???s true you probably won???t be playing the Barker with a conventional flat pick???and although it resembles an upright, it cannot be bowed. The Barker is all about your touch, and responds beautifully and obediently. It punches through a live mix very well, It's not noisy, and the engineers love it in the studio! I???m even getting call-ups just because of the Barker???s tone! Most of my work is in Blues and R&B. I require a lot of sonic and tonal flexibility, and my Barker delivers. I use the bass with several amp combinations, depending upon the venue. I use it with a Mesa Boogie Walk-About Scout 300, or a SWR 4004 with a SWR Henry the 8th Cabinet, ( 8-8in. speakers), sometimes with a SWR Goliath 3 Cabinet (4-10's) or a SWR Workingman's 12. I constantly get many positive comments on my Barkers??? tone, and I???m still exploring and developing new techniques to further enhance the Barker???s sonic flexibility.

My first impression was with the quality of construction and finish. It plays very well as delivered with the factory setup, both in string action and pickup settings. The string volume levels are consistent all across the fretboard, and no dead spots! The construction is simply flawless???beautiful woods, quality hardware and electronics. It???s very solid, with no buzzes or rattles. All of the pieces are fitted together with great care, and blend perfectly. It???s obvious a lot of thought went into the design, as exemplified by the layout of the controls, pickups, thumb rests, and the stand. In my opinion, the quality of this instrument is on par with any of the high end Zons, Spectors, or Alembics that I currently own.

I work about 20 or so hours a week. It's been the only bass I have used since I received it. A lot of the shows I work are outside. So far, the Barker has not required any adjustment, and holds tune amazingly well. The hardware is of high quality, and I expect it will hold up well. The finish seems durable and tough, but the bass is not old enough yet to be time tested. I feel it's totally dependable, and I have not felt the need to carry along another bass because of lack of dependability from the Barker.

I???ve owned and played many basses since I first began to learn the electric bass, in the winter of ???62. I still own most of the basses I???ve ever had, and enjoy using them regularly. I???ve always been open to try something new or different???be it someone???s latest offering, or a cool old vintage piece.

I???m very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to work regularly, and I always enjoy playing???whether it???s live shows or studio work. Most of my work is in Blues and R&B. As the result of a particularly busy two week period, my left shoulder and neck developed a painful condition. My doctor, a guitarist himself, told me that it would not go away until I gave it a rest from a bass hanging around the injured area. Although I play upright also, (1942 Epiphone B4 ?? Bass) an upright does not lend itself to every situation. Not really willing to stop working for the period of time necessary to allow the injury to heal, I began researching alternatives to having a bass strapped around my shoulder. There were various strap configurations available, but I felt they would make me look like a dog in a harness type collar!

I then came upon the Barker Bass website. I was immediately intrigued by the concept and design???not to mention a solution to my shoulder problem. After researching the Barker on the web, I came to the conclusion not only would this solve my injury problem, but this was a very high quality and versatile instrument. By all accounts of what I was able to read from owners and players who had experience with the Barker, this bass was a tone monster. Always seeking that ???perfect tone??? I decided I should own a Barker.

I got acquainted with Lee Barker just by visiting his website, www.Barkerbass.com, and decided to e-mail him to make some initial inquiries. Lee is a Bassist himself, and his responses were prompt. In communicating with him, I got a good feeling about Lee and his bass. After several more e-mails, we spoke over the phone several times. Each and every time I called, Lee answered the phone himself! Lee was always willing to take time away from his work to talk with me, and answered my questions in a most forthright manner. Lee, and his company, really does understand the meaning of ???Customer Service???.
I gave Lee an order, and in a few days, My Barker arrived.
(There is a thread on the Barker Bass Forum ???Leo gets his Barker!???) I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent with my Barker. Since I took delivery, it???s been the only bass I have used. It???s a whole lot of fun, and it looks and sounds great. If you ever have the opportunity to play a Barker, I think you???ll see why I feel the way I do. Although the Barker costs a little more that your average Fender, Lakland or Gibson, (around the $2800 to $3700 range) I feel it???s an outstanding value. When you take the customer service, construction, performance, and value into consideration, well...my Barker was worth every dollar.

Now a word about Lee Barker and his company, using a quote from one of my previous posts on the Barker Bass Forum.
???I got the feel of Lee???s passion for his instrument, along with the ingenuity, creativity, and forthright thinking that is so apparent when you view, and put your hands on the instrument in person. Lee understated every aspect of the bass, and greatly over delivered in every respect. So, thanks Lee??? for a wonderful Bass!??? And Lee, get to work???I???m jonesin??? for a Barker Fretless!

The Barker Verticle Bass. U.S.A. 22 frets. It comes in 4 or 5 string fretted or fretless (with or without fret-lines. Basic Jazz control configuration, two volume and one tone control. Two passive Seymour Duncam Basslines Jazz Pick-ups. The body is made of beatiful hand selected Cherry.It has a Maple neck with choices of Maple, Rosewood or Ebony fretboards. The Barker comes standard with a beautiful custom "hand-rubbed" Satin finish.The body design is an original "Vertical Barker" solid body design. (see Barkerbass.com).
The bridge is a string-through bridge Schaller and comes with Gotoh tuners. The neck is a standard maple Jazz bass neck, narrowing at the "nut". The Barker Vertical Bass comes with custom "super" durable gig-bag.

The "Tone" is to die for. I play in Blues, Jazz and Rock outfits, and this bass fits them all. I play through either an Ampeg SVT 4 Pro or a Gallien-Krueger 800 RB amps,, and use either an Ampeg SVT 8x10 or two (2) Epifani T-112 cabs, depending on the venue.
This bass is extremely quiet on all settings, with a very full and rich sound, but is very versatile depending on how you set the controls.It's an extremely versatile instrument. Stage or studio, it's a winner in either situation.
To be completely honest, I have NO dislikes regarding this bass.

The bass was perfectly set-up right from the factory. I couldn't believe how well everything fit perfecly together, the neck pocket was firm and snug, no gaps. Very clean control cavity. The option of black or gold hardware is also very nice. I can't say enough about the beautiful "custom" satin finish.

This bass could handle "live" roadwork no problem. Definitely long lasting hardware, finish. Strap buttons top-of-the-line, no worrys. Solid neck, truss-rod only needed slight adjustment after shipping.
I would definitely use this bass without a back-up.

Lee Barker is there to answer any questions, he's always friendly, informative and supportive. I've yet to ever need any repair work done.

I've been playing professionally for over 30 years. My other basses are an original '58 Fender P-Bass, '66 Jazz, '76 P-Bass and a fretless Jazz. I would definitely replace it with another Barker Vertcal Bass if it were ever lost or stolen.
What do I love about it? In one word, "TONE" baby. There's nothing to hate about this bass.

This bass was constructed in 2003 in the USA. This bass comes with a tripod stand and is freestanding. The bass is about five feet tall or more. Mine is a fretted four-string model with solid alder top and back, semi-hollow core. Mine has two Seymour Duncan Basslines passive J-style pickups with V, V, and T controls. The neck is maple and the fretboard is rosewood. Smooth satin-type finish over a long and unique body style. My bass has a roller-type bridge, probably a Schaller, and a 34" scale neck. It also has a five-bolt neck attachment. My bass came with an endpin, custom gig bag, and a tripod stand that has its own bag. A thicker gig bag with two shoulder straps would have been nice. The bass shows much care in its finish and construction. This is basically a freestanding EBG with a huge body.

Firstly, I removed the roundwound strings provided with the bass and installed La Bella tapewound flats. With the flatwounds, the tone is deep and precise. The best part about the sound of this bass is the clarity of the notes. I can easily distinguish the lowest notes from one another. The closest bass I've ever heard to this one was my old Travis Bean bass. (What a shoulder wrecker that was!) This is the first set of Duncan bass pickups that I have realy liked. I do alternate between the pickups quite a bit--the bridge pickup has a bit more gain. I may install a toggle switch and use a master volume at some point. I ended up setting the 4-band eq on my bass amp flat--the bass sounded great and didn't need any eq.

The bass was expertly set-up when I received it. Since I changed to a much larger gauge string, it needs a bit of work on the nut, but it is still quite comfortable to play. If there were any flaws in the bass, they remain hidden. This is the best-built bass I have ever owned.

This bass seems extremely durable. Our drummer has knocked into it a couple of times already and I can't see any dents. It is pretty stable on the tripod; with the endpin extended, it has a four-point stance. It is still a relatively new bass, so time will reveal its durability.

Not yet needed. They seem friendly in the owner's manual and at their website.

I have been looking for a solution to shoulder and neck pain issues I have with playing electric bass--the band I play with has a weekly outdoor six-hour gig. I tried lightweight basses, headless basses, and short scale basses. I tried moving strap button positions, wide padded straps, etc. I was about to try a Gracie stand when I found the Barker Vertical Bass. This bass has been a perfect solution for me. It is freestanding, so I don't have to bear any of the weight of the bass. It is vertical (upright), so I can access the frets and strings more comfortably. It is passive, so I have no additional electronics to concern myself with or maintain. This is also the best sounding bass I have ever owned; by that I mean that it is clearer and richer in tone and timbre. (I expect this is due primarily to the large body.) Furthermore, it has a great stage presence. I have gotten many compliments from audience members and other bass players on both the sound and appearance of the bass. I own/have owned 60s/70s US Fender Precisions, a Telecaster and Mustang, a Ric 4001, various Carvins, a Warmoth/Moses, a slew of 80s/90s Japanese Fenders, and an assortment of Hohners, Corts, and other lesser-priced basses, along with the aforementioned Travis Bean. This bass is easier to play and better sounding than any of them. I would have to buy a replacement; I may get a second one anyway. They're fun to play!