Epiphone Jack Casady Signature

2001 Model which was made in Korea finished in Vintage sunburst. Maple laminated body and Neck with rosewood Fretboard. All the other features have been covered pretty well below, by the other gracious reviewers. I think that it is a very simple bass with no frills it has all you need and nothing you don't. It should get a 10 but to do that it would have to be ergonomic which it isn't.

Like other have stated before this bass has a beautiful sound. It is more airy than a solid bodied bass, but at the same time it lacks in the top end department, that is to say it doesn't snap back like a solidbody instrument. I have had it strung with nickel roundwounds, nickel flatwounds, and stainless roundwounds. With the nickel rounds it has a very warm sound. If you play with a pick you can sound like most of the cure songs out there, if you play with fingers it can do pretty much everything else blues,reggae, fingerstyle funk etc. even slap sounds good on this bass.
Flatwounds, it has all the sounds of the sixties in it. From Paul Mccartney to reggae to bossanova.
with the stainless steel it has more of a metallic sound on it than you get with the nickel and it goes a long way towards ironing out the lack of highend as discussed above. This bass I have used in the studio and on stage. In the studio it's a good option for a couple of reasons, it's dead quiet and it sounds good. Live for the same reasons although I did think at times that it didn't cut through like a solidbody, not that it doesn't cut through it's just a thicker rumblier cut.

Action, it was set up by the Swami and his people over at Basspalce.com so I can't comment on how the factory setup is. The action can be set rather low, lower than most basses............ especially with the flatwounds. The bass was a Factory second, because of some paint blemishes on the headstock, nothing that bothered me though. I did change the tuners to Hipshots ultralites because the bass was neck heavy. The frets were and are perfectly crowned. No buzzing anywhere on the bass and no deadspots. These basses do have poorly finished F-holes though but nothing that should desuade you from purchasing it. The nut was cut perfectly it seems to me, as the grooves just cradle the strings on the bottom part allowing you to experiment with different guages without modification to the nut. The pots may be cheap but I don't have any problems with them. The main drawback with this bass is that it is not ergonomicly designed. And if you don't wear it low enough it will cut into your wrist enough for you to complain about it. But I find that if you drop the bass low enough this isn't a problem, although you do tend to push the body back with your picking forearm to avoid it digging into your wrist, it's a matter of adjusting your playing technique a bit. The finish looks rather strong I think, I have hit it a couple of times and it hasn't chipped, although the hits have left their indentations and marks. no biggie. I sanded the neck down with some 00 steelwool and I didn't have the problem that the other guy had with briging all the finish off with it, You can actually sand down to where the black starts to get a little light and then as long as you leave some finish on it, it should be oK. Now the neck is smooth and fast.

I think it will stand up to playing however with one mighty blow it will smash into smithereens it is a hollwobody after all so be careful with it, the advantage of a solid body is that it will take a lot more abuse. The hardware seems like it will last. Strap buttons are solid, I have never adjusted the trussrod or had a need to and I live in front of the ocean (annoyingly humid). I feel confident in the instrument it is simple in construction and that means there is less that can go wrong with it. I would gig withough a backup. One thing I did that I don't recommend is changing the strap button to the horn, it held up but I thought that with time it would not hold up since there can't be much wood there holding tohether, since it is a hollow body, and by the way the balance doesn't improve becasue the bass is neck heavy on account of the tuners so I don't recommend it.

as the french say ............Garbagge

I have had it for about a year. I would buy again but think that the sunburst color is hard to find. I love the bass and already mentioned that the biggest drawback is the lack of ergonomics. I didn't compare it to other basses. I alwasy wanted a semihollow bass because I though they always looked cool and exuded class and vintage flavor, and still do. This is my baby #1 (as my girlfreind jealously calls it) I also have a danelectro Bass VI a G&L L2000 E (1984) and a Sting bass with a custom Vintage Vibe guitars Tele bass pickup and a Mexican Purple Fretless Jazz bass which I don't really like.

As for the Casady Signature Bass, I've had nothing but glowing
compliments from audience members and fellow musicians alike on
the magnificent tone. The only minor problem I have experienced
was the three point bridge pulling out when changing over to a
different gauge of strings. This however, can be expected and
can be remedied with a little patience. If you are low on patience,
have a pro set it up for you and keep to a consistent gauge of
strings when you change them out. That aside, Rock, Jazz, and
Country players have already gone ape over this bass. The tone is
absolutely beautiful. And that has been my primary concern when
purchasing a new instrument.
Thanks Jack,
Randall Hinson

1998 Epiphone "Jack Casady" semi hollowbody 4-string. Maple neck, maple body 34" scale. Basically a copy of a 1970's Gibson Les Paul Signature. Polyurethane finish (average). One single low impedance p/u. Average tuners and hardware. Comes with a nice case.

The best thing this bass has going for it is the sound. I own a few vintage Fenders and this bass is voiced a little lower than the midpunch of a P-bass. You can get a very warm sound ( mine is strung with Labella tapewounds) making it great for blues, r & b etc. But I find in louder situations it doesn't cut thru the mix like a vintage P-bass, even when I had rotosounds installed. But you are capable of getting some nice tones that you would have a hardtime coaxing out of solidbody. The pots installed in the bass are cheap. I had to have the volume pot replaced ( it not your average impedance).

This is where my review is not as favourable as the other reviewers. I found that although the finish is attractive (gold) it chips very easily. I found the finish on the neck to be very gummy/sticky. I prefer necks with either a satin lacquer or tung oil finish. What you can do on lacquer necks to make them less sticky and feel more vintage/played is take some very fine steel wool and dull the finish. Here is my major problem : Before I purchased the bass I was told by Epiphone that the neck was made of mahogany. So dulling the dark stain finish would still leave a dark coloured neck. WRONG the finish on the back of the neck is so thinly applied it came off with little action and revealed the neck was maple. Oh well, I now have a great playing neck as I refinished it in tung oil. I guess at the price point you can't expect a great finish but it could be better. Also on my Jack Casady and others that I've seen there our little cosmetic flaws: F-holes roughly cut and finished , inlays on fingerboard uneven, neck joints a little uneven. I use this bass alot and I also found that the chrome finish on the hardward tarnishes, flakes.

This bass stands up to gigging but as stated earlier the finish chips easily. The hardware is average and I had to replace the volume pot. I love the sound but playing this bass all night at a gig can be uncomfortable as the sharp edge on the body can cut into your wrist, it is a little neck heavy and it doesn't hug your body. ( God bless Leo Fender and his contoured body designs)

SHIT

I've playing 30 years and this is a nice bass to have in your collection(FAT TONE). It is primarily for fingerstyle/pick playing. But as a main bass I feel it is limited. Your standard fender P or J bass is more comfortable to play. And frankly I just don't think the overall construction/finish is that great even at the price point. They do sound great but if your a serious player you could grow tired of it's limitations.

Gold top bought used $500.

Not real fancy, but it's very well put together and does what it does unlike anything else.

I was afraid that the pickup wouldn't put out enough signal on the low setting for maximum bass tone, but I've had no problem at all.

I've installed Markley Blue Steels and the bass has the most massive fat bass tone ever. When the strings are fresh it almost sounds like a grand piano. Very unique and very musical.

Excellent for recording. The pickup is Low-Z so virtually no noise at all.

Great for live as well. Not too heavy and the neck is very comfortable. Looks fantastic under stage lights too.

I use it with my big rig:
- Ampeg SVP Pro preamp
- dBx 266XL compressor
- QSC PLX1602 power amp
- SWR Goliath Sr. cab (6x10's + Foster horn)

or my small gig rig:
- SWR Bass 350
- SWR Son of Bertha (1x15 + Foster horn)

Bought it used from a professional so it was already set up pretty well, but it would be a simple operation to do it myself.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Folks look at the gold top finish on this beast and their eyes pop out. Then they see "Epiphone" on the headstock and you can see their expression change - "eeewwwwww".

Well, Epiphone may have had their problems in the past, but the Jack Casady Signature Bass is one of the baddest boys in the jungle. It's not for you if you're a slapper, but if you're after vintage massive bass tone - this is the one.

Solid as a rock.

I have replaced the strap buttons with locking Schallers, but I wouldn't want to drop such a cool bass.

Never dealt with them.

Been playing 30+ years. Yes, I would buy another one if something happened to this one.

Fender Jazz (w/Duncan Antiquity II's), 1965 Hofner 500/1 Beatle Bass, '60's Gibson EBO, Yamaha BBN4 fretless.

Very unique and cool bass if you like vintage tone.

I would love to pick another one up used and convert it to a fretless with tapewound strings. Coupled with that Low-Z pickup it would have downright amazing squonk factor.

I was looking for another bass. Been playing my 1972 guild js-2 (eb3 shape) bass since 1976! Always wanted a guild starfire, but new ones overpriced/32" scale.Then I heard of the Jack Casady signature bass. Problem was,nobody had one to try! After getting a great deal on a used guitar from my buddy John from Highway music and finding out he was an Epiphone dealer, i ordered one in black with the hardshell case. Bass arrived in about 5 weeks, and was beutifull. Finish was perfect,intonation was spot-on,frets/bridge/hardware very impressive!The neck is a little thinner than guild/fender basses.And the hollow-body is light (I have shoulder problems). Balance,as on most basses is a little neck-heavy,but not as bad as most.Too bad the hollow horn could not be drilled for a strap button,as this would make balance perfect.

I play mostly southern-rock and blues,with some rock thrown in. This bass gets the allmans vibe right off the bat. full tone that cuts through 3 guitars wailing away! and switch the impedence selector and boom! Your back on top of the mix. Very responsive to dynamics and touch (started practicing more so,this bass can make you realize how bad your playing!). We use several rehersal rooms and a chicken-coop for practice, and no noise comes out of bass/amp combo's (its there,just listen to the strat!),so shielding is perfect. I use a gk800rb amp,bi-amped with a 15" and a 4-10" cabnets.I have to give it slightly more gas and lows than my guild js-2 (js-2 has one pickup wired single coil and a bass boost switch.more output/bottom but noiserier!) Everyone that sees this insturment comments on how cool it looks. Then when they hear it I get more compliments. Too bad my playing don't get this much press!

I've had this bass for over 2 years, and it still looks great. I've also been thinking of removing pick guard. I did'nt care too much for gold color,so when I found out it came in black I was pleased. Nice binding and bass shines up very nicely. I use epiphony strings (not bad,and about 10$ a set!) I've also used Earnie ball's that are a little brighter and piano-y sounding. Bassically use epiphones for practice and 'balls for gigs, as the sound just leaps out with new e-b's!

I would'nt recomend hitting anyone in the face with the neck (as I did with the guild,rough gig!) as it is a hollowbody. Or dropping it,but other than that it appears to be very durable and forgiving.I use it ,along with my guild as practice/main gig insturments. While I don't make a habbit of abusing my basses, I can be kind of rough on them and the epiphony still looks new.

Never needed to contact the company! I believe it had a one-year waranty on basic insturment, maybe longer on electronics. The case is very strong (and fairly heavy).

I'm 44, been playing since age 10. Recently I saw another epiphony Jack model on e-bay and almost bought it! Thought a gold one would be a nice backup,my wife had another opinion! I would replace it in a heartbeat if anything happened to this one.I compared it to epiphone hollowbodies,new/ancient guild starfires,old gibson les pauls(copied from!). Since I couldent play one before i bought it, but was'nt impressed with compitition I am very happy I own this bass, it is the best of the bunch. And the price was'nt bad either!

Made in 2000 in Korea. Semi-hollow body. Full-scale, Metallic (vintage-looking) Gold finish. One low-impedance monster-sounding humbucker, with a three-setting "varitone" selector. 2 knobs: one for volume, one for "tone." Shaped like an Epi Casino guitar, or maybe a 335 with a LP-style cutaway. White pick-guard. Rosewood fretboard; maple, set-style neck. blah blah -- those are the basics... but I bought it because of these two very important features: 1. looks huge 2. sounds huge

My music style: poppy punk rock in the vein of the Jam, X, Clash, and db's. I am basically a guitar player playing the bass, so this thing suits me perfectly, in that it is very friendly to picking and strumming. It chords nicely, with creamy sustain and warm overtones that melt together like Hershey chocolate bars.

Does it have a big, round, rawk bottom? Yes -- Like a rural girl in the buffet line.

Does it cut through in a live, loud situation? Yes -- Like a machete.

Does it record well DI'ed into the board? You bet... just listen to this mp3 file. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/noisemakers/files/misery.mp3

The bass can pretty much handle anything and everything in the rock spectrum. I imagine it would do well for country, jazz, blues, etc. But it's not a 5-string, and it's not a slappers/poppers bass.

Came well outfitted straight from the factory. A set-up by a local tech would only enhance it. Action is nice and tight (like a gibson guitar). My finish is virtually flawless... and breathtaking.

No problems in almost two years of daily use. Gigging, rehearsing, etc. -- not a hiccup. (knocking on wood)

Never dealt with 'em. Never had to!!!

This is the most righteous bass ever, and I'm never going to sell it. (Which speaks volume, considering I'd sell my mom to get more gear.) I've been playing guitar since I was nine (I'm 27 now) and bass on-and-off for the past few years. When I bought this 18 months ago, I was playing bass more on than off in a local powerpop/punk band. Since I'm basically a guitar player playing bass, I was attracted to this bass because it looks awesome, sounds awesome for my style (picking, strumming) and was a good price. Everyone -- and I mean everyone, from snobby pre-CBS Fendermen to 5-string metalheads -- compliments me on my bass... not so much my bass playing ... :-) I would be heartbroken if I ever parted with it -- even if I had no hands due to an industrial welding accident. Bottom line: This thing gives me a toneboner.

Made in Korea
Full scale
Sunburst Finish (Beautiful )which I prefer to the Gold
I did replace the strings with those nice Black nylon numbers from Fender these seem to complement the playing and the tone of the guitar
also less fatiguing on the fingers
Heavy chrome bridge and keys
beautiful inlay
The action is so easy

I am an Australian Bassist and brought this Guitar State side last year
I play Country music and it gives a really nice mellow to funky bass tones , tones ,full range
Amp used Peavey seems to be combination
Changed strings to Black nylon tape wound wonderful.
Ideal for stage looks good for live presentation
also ideal for studeo work
WHAT DISLIKES?

Finish is Supurb ! The only thing was the bridge set was a little to high for me but was easily adjusted
Action for playiog is wonderful

This is a high quality instrument and with the high polish finish ,therefore should be treated with that respect.(No finish lasts for ever)
Should last years as with most semi acoustics the tone should also improve over the years

n/a

It took six months from the time I ordered it to its arrival, but I ordered it when it first became available - must have been due to the adjustment of the pick-up location that Jack required (at least according to the Casady interview I read). Manufactured in Korea for Epiphone from the original specifications of the '70's Gibson Les Paul Signature bass, but the workmanship was beautiful. The Epiphone model doesn't have the nice red wood grain finish on the back that the original Gibson had, but I'm struggling to find something for which this beauty can be criticized. It has a full 34" scale and a mahogany neck with nice inlays. The old fashion bridge is very workable, but may limit you when it comes to strings with a thicker gauge. The front to back balance if very good, the tuners are traditional in appearance and extremely functional, and the gold-top finish is an eye-catcher. The single passive low-impedance pick-up has an exellent response throughout and produces consistently exellent and clear tones. Its classic shape looks good just sitting on its stand - and looks even better up close.

What distinguishes this bass from others is the tone - it's great! I play country and Chicago style blues, early rock & roll standards and jam-band style meanderings - some acoustic, some loud. Because of the low-impedance pick-up you'll need a good amp to get the volume you need, but I guess that's why they call them amplifiers. I use a SRW Workingman 15 without any effects pedals. The 3-way impedance switch allows me to change the sound if needed, but most tonal characteristics are accomplished (attempted?) by right and left hand dynamics. Its sound is great, but it is different than other basses - a matter of taste. Did I say the tone was great?

I had a little problem with the factory intonation set-up, but that was easily corrected. The finish and workmanship is outstanding, so don't be scared away by old-timers' stories about crappy Epiphone workmanship. Whatever the problems may have been in the past, this bass is very well-built. The neck has a great feel, although I prefer the slightly thicker Gibson-style necks as opposed to Fenders.

Well, I've had no problems with reliability in the 3 years I've owned it. Because the electronics are not active you don't have those types of reliability concerns. Everything seems sturdy and top-shelf. I've never had to adjust the neck/truss rods and the strap buttons are very solid. I see no reason why this bass can't take you from child prodigy to geezer rocker.

Who knows? Never had a reason to find out.

I looked a lot of basses before buying and nothing seemed to be as good of a value or have near the tone. Play one through a good chord and amp and you'll be impressed.

See below :) Plus this has the Vintage Sunburst finish.
I had to buy a case seperately.

The only thing I have to add is that I'm used to playing Fender solid body basses and guitars. This is my first semi-hollow body anything. I don't even have an acoustic. So it was very difficult to get comfortable with it. I almost gave up and sold it. I'm SO glad I didn't though. I have to either have the strap adjusted pretty short, or extremely long (even put two together once), simply because we're too fat for each other :)

Unbelievable sound. I ordered this based on the reviews other people gave on it's sound. They did not exaggerate. It is probably the best bass I'll ever own, and I've spent a LOAD of money on projects like my '55 P bass replica...

My G string wasn't intonated properly. I don't know that much about set up and the mechanics of it all. But when the open string was tuned, it wasn't in tune on the twelfth fret. I adjusted the saddle until it sounded right. And I didn't even know what I was doing. The finish is great. Apparently people don't like the vintage sunburst. Because I got this super cheap from Musician's Friend. I thought the gold top or ebony would look better, but I'm happy with sunburst. I got this thing for it's sound anyway. I've already chipped the finish with a jack input though (moron). I took the pickguard off and it looks like a freakin cello or something, absolutely gorgeous. I can't imagine a neck that's easier to play...

It IS a semi-hollow body, so I don't know how many times it could stand being dropped by my idiot friend's 13 year old cousin! But it only made a slight scratch on the neck. So I'm impressed. I'd recommend getting the hardshell case for it. I would definitely gig with it without a back up. Cuz unless you've got another one, you won't be happy with your back up's sound after playing this thing. :)

notta clue

I'm relatively new to all this, and have tried only a few other basses, but I did a lot of research before buying it. I have NO regrets about buying this thing. (You won't either.) I was prepared to pay a few hundred dollars MORE for it. I would definitely buy another one. I think it even sounds kewl unplugged with a pick. The ONLY thing I had to complain about it was the sheer size and bulk of this thing (it is super light though). But now I think we were made for each other :)

Semi-hollow body, metallic gold finish w/ white pickguard (only finish available) set neck, accu-tone knob, treble and volume knobs, and trapezoid inlays.

Absolutly incredible! I don't think of this as a thrasher or metal bass, but it has some of the fullest lower ranges of just about any other bass out there. Neck is set perfectly, light weight, but not cheaply made by anymeans. I could definitly see this as a live bass, and in the studio, it would kick ass! Plays like silk!

QUick, smooth action, built really well. I was put off at first by the mettalic gold finish, but its not ugly, its really kind of cool. I'm just so used to the black, red, blue colors, ya know? It only has one pick up, but the accu tone knob thingy acts like an equalizer, siving different tone emphasis depending on it's setting. No flaws I could tell of.

It's a semi-hollow, so I don't know what it can stand up to as far as abuse goes when compared to solid body guitars, but again this isn't a thrash band bass. Hardware seems pretty tight, and the finish should last about as long as any other guitar in this price range ($799).

N/A

Awesome guitar. If you want great tone, and don't want to break the bank, here ya go! I love this guitar!