Product: CB Basses Big McNeely
Price Paid: USD 3,400
Submitted
07/31/2009
at
04:59pm
by
Scott McNeely
Email: scott_mcneely<at>yahoo dot com
Features
:
10
-Fretless five string custom Ball bass design called the BIG McNeely.
-Completed in the summer 2009.
-35" scale.
-This bass has a Burl Maple top/Purple Heart layer/ Spanish Cedar with a thick Wenge layer through it that is decorated with Purple Heart/ Purple Heart layer/ Bridseye Maple back.
-Two tone maple fret board.
-All wenge neck with thin maple stringers.
-Wenge Volume and Tone knobs.
-Kent Armstrong quad coil pickup with wenge pickup cover.
-Hipshot ultralite tuners.
-I got Cliff's chambered body design, which made the bass really light and makes the fretless really sing!
-Deluxe gig bag.
Sound
:
10
The tone on this bass is killer! I asked Cliff to have Kent Armstrong make me a quad coil pickup, but Kent Armstrong didn't offer one. So Mr. Armstrong took two quad coil pickups and tied them together. The pickup sounds as huge as it looks paired with the Audere Z mode preamp. It also doubles as a ramp, making it much easier to play fast runs on. I really like that Cliff offers about any kind of electronics that you can think of to order. The Audere Z mode preamp is very flexible. This bass has a Wenge neck, and it has more growl than any of the ten Warwick basses that I use to own.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Just in case you haven't heard, Cliff's basses have the straightest necks I have ever seen! This bass is no different; it is perfectly straight no matter what temperature I keep my home at. The neck joints on his basses are a work of art. This bass came set up perfectly and in tune just like the other two CB basses I have did. Cliff's basses are ready to walk on stage with and play right out of the UPS truck. The neck is perfect and very comfortable to play for long periods of time. The carving on this bass is truly beautiful. The looks and positive comments I get with this bass never end when I take it out.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
This bass is solid! I have two other CB basses that I have had for over a year or two now, and they still look and feel like new. My other two hardly ever have to have the trust rods adjusted because the necks are so strong, so I think this one will be no different.
Customer Support
:
10
I must have sent more emails to Cliff than I would like anyone to ever know! Every time I send out an email, I get an email back within that day. This always makes me feel like I am getting even better service than what I paid for. Cliff also spent lots of time helping me find just the right pieces of wood for this bass.
Overall Rating
:
10
I feel like I got another bass that I plan on keeping forever. This was the first time that I had Cliff make a bass with a custom body style that I had dreamed up. It was a lot of fun working with him and seeing how patient he was with some of the ideas I had him try. I'm a big guy, and I wanted a larger CB Ball bass body to fit me. Cliff went out of his way and gave me a bass that looked and sounded just like I had dreamed of. I find his prices to be more than fair when comparing him to other builders that will offer you what they call a custom bass, but limit you to a small amount of options. I highly doubt that this will be my last order from CBBasses.
