Product: Chandler Royale 12-String Bass
Price Paid: US $2800.00
Submitted
01/01/2001
at
12:08pm
by
Low-End Monster
Email: lowendmonster<at>ilos dot net
Features
:
10
2000 Chandler Royale 12-String Bass Guitar (Made in USA)
Headstock/ Tortoise Shell overlay with White Pearl accents w/ Gotoh Guitar Tuners (for the octave strings) and Gotoh GB-7 Bass Tuners (for the fundamental strings)
10-Piece Laminated Maple Neck w/ a Graphite Nut and a Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard. Two Graphite Rod Stabilizers (on either side of a Single Truss Rod) are installed with the correct tensile strength to resist the tension of the 12 string bass, keeping the neck from bowing or twisting. In addition the extended neck design up to the middle pickup adds extra stability in a 34" Scale.
Body/ Swamp Ash
Body Binding/ Tortoise Shell
Pickguard/ Tortoise Shell
SUPER 60 Pickups (Passive) x3 (as per attatched photo & custom order form)
Mono/ Each pickup has its own volume and/ On/ Off Switch w/ combined output jack.
Output Jack Options:
Mono/ 1 jack/ all pickup combinations possible
Body Color/ "Vintage SG Red" Transparent Stain
US$2800.00 w/ Vintage Tweed Hardshell Case
Sound
:
10
The overall craftsmanship of this instrument is beyond reproach! I can hardly believe how well it is built! The best way to describe the Royale is with two words. "SOLID" and "LOUD"! Even when the Royale is not plugged it's loud. The three Passive Super 60 Pickups (two soap bars w/ one P bass style) are extremely flexible and responsive. They give the Royale a BIG BOLD tone that ranges from a deep low-end growl to a very bright (B12S) piano sound. The octave strings are balanced/ blended very well with the fundamentals by the Super 60s yet both are easily distinguishable. It is very hard to describe the sound of the Royale as it does not sound like any other 12ver. I hope I have done it justice!
I currently have two rigs I work with.
Practice Rig: Royale to a SansAmp Bass Driver DI/ affected siganl to Fender Bassman 25/ un-affected signal to a Marshall MG15R CD Guitar Amp.
Gig Rig: Royale to a SansAmp Bass Driver DI/ affected signal to Eden Nemesis NC-410P.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
The Royale's bridge is very solid and unique. The octave strings are paired and slightly spaced from the fundamentals whereas other 12vers have the octaves and fundaments evenly spaced together. Surprisingly enough it is no more difficult to play than the standard 12ver and it makes it easier to play the octaves or the fundamentals separately should you so desire.
The single truss rod (supported by two graphite rods with the correct tensile strength to resist the tension of the 12-string bass design) makes for extremely quick and easy adjustments. You can see the two graphite rods on the back of the neck (in the form of two black lines) as they are fitted to the depth of the neck. They actually make nice accents.
The neck seems to be extremely stable as I have yet to have to make any adjustments since I have received it (Oct 25, 2000/ this review posted 01 Jan 2001). Considering the fact that shipping can sometimes be hard on a 12ver, and the climate variations it went through during ground shipping from California to Canada, this (to me) proves the stability of the design. The neck itself is very easy to play. It has a very comfortable shape that allows for easy and clean execution.
The "Vintage SG Red" finish is awesome. It is a deep, rich color with an awesome vintage effect. What I mean is that it makes the Royale look a dead mint vintage era instrument. The finish also changes shades in different light conditions and angles.
There is nothing I would change on my Royale. Access to the truss rod cover is obstructed by the A & D strings so you will have to loosen them. This can be annoying, however it is a more than fair trade off for the style of the beautiful lightweight headstock!
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Literally a Rock solid 12-String Bass design!! Everything is of a HIGH quality with no comromises. In my opinion the best built 12-string bass on the market at this time!
I have no hesitation using it without a backup. It would ensure I have extra strngs in case any of the octaves break. As with all 12-string basses however, string breakage can result the neck moving due to the extreme tension of any 12-string bass. This will result in the bass being difficult to keep in tune until you replace the string and re-tune.
Customer Support
:
10
Paul and Adrian Chandler are fantastic people. They were always patient with my inquiries and helped me with my selection of colors and options. They were always open to suggestions regarding options and always offered sound advice. They went the extra mile to get the pickguard I wanted and they threw in a vintage tweed case ($50.00 upgrade) vice the standard white tolex.
While my Royale was in the latter stages of construction, I found a black Royale on eBay. Even though this Royale was second hand, and over a year old, Mr. Chandler contacted the seller and offered his support to the winning bidder. He was willing to make adjustments to the Royale to suit the needs of the new owner(at no charge!) or answer any questions he may have had. Not too many companies back their products like this!
Overall Rating
:
10
The Royale is truly a superior 12-string bass design! It was extremely satisfying when I opened the case for the firdt time and played. As with most 12vers, they are bought "sight unseen" as most stores do not stock them due to their cost. I had purchased a Hamer B12S Shortscale prior to my Chandler Royale. I sold it mostly because I did not like the shortscal "floppiness". As it turned out not on is the Royale a better 12-string bass as a long scale, but for me it also feels, plays, and sounds better in every repsect.
If you want to do some research to help you select the 12ver that is right for you, visit http://www.12stringbass.com . "Everything you ever wanted to know about the 12ver , but had no one to ask!" It is the only 12-string bass guitar online guide on the web!!!
