Product: Epiphone Jack Casady Signature
Price Paid: US $485.00
Submitted
07/10/2000
at
09:32am
by
Chris Hackett
Email: chackett1<at>excite dot com
Features
:
8
2000 model. Semi-hollow, Maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard with Trapezoid inlays, maple body and top. The neck is set style. Finish is Metallic Gold - like a Les Paul Gold top. Body shape is like a 335 style guitar with a shrap Les Paul style cutaway on the right side. Made in Korea ( but you would never know it!)
There is 1 Low Impedance Humbucker w/ VariTone, 1 volume, 1 tone
Scale is 34" and Nut Width 1.625"
With 1 pickup, 1 vol & 1 tone, this bass is not feature laden. It has what it needs to have. It is definitly made for the player that wants this sound. It doesn't try to be an "all things for all people" kind of instrument
Sound
:
10
The Jack Casady Signature has a great tone; full, round and a powerful bottom. Much Rounder than my Jazz Bass. The varitone offers three settings. The 1st is the purest with the next two giving more power at the expense of tonal range. The most powerful setting is great for serious rock tones and solo style playing. This has the best full bodied sound I have ever heard without extensive eq'ing.
Note, This is not the kind of bass to get if you're looking for trebley, cut through kind of sound
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
My bass is stamped as a Factory 2nd because of a small gash on the back of the guitar. Otherwise it is really well made and finished nicely. A joy to play straight out of the box. Action is nice and low and the nexk is straight. The pots are quiet and the tuning pegs trun nice and smooth. I was leery of a korean made guitar but this bass is really nicely put together, It has a nice weight and solid quality throughout.
I thought the cream pickguard threw off the balance of the body so I removed it. I think the bass looks much nicer without it. For a comparison, you can check out the Lennon reissue Epiphone Casinos at www.epiphone.com. The 65 has the pickguard and then Lennon removed it as seen in the Revolution Casino. Even though these are guitars, they are similar in look. Removal of the pickguard leaves 2 small screws which I don't mind at all.
Playing this bass has really reignited my interest in playing. Even through my little Danelectro practice amp it sounds booming. Through the SVT it is devasating! I can get reggae bass sounds that just THROB! Can't wait to try a set of Flatwounds to see the difference in tone
Reliability/Durability
:
9
I haven't had a chance to play live but I have every reason to think there will be no problems. The hardware looks solid, truss rod access is convient and it stays in tune nicely
Of course, you cannot step on a semi-hollow like you can a solid body <lol>
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Haven't needed any support yet
Overall Rating
:
10
I have been playing guitar and bass for 20 years. I have owned many guitars but have basically stayed with a Fender J bass for years. The Fender is great but I wanted something different yet classic. I have no interest in fancy designer basses or 5 or 6 strings. I was thinking of a Rickenbacker but the Epiphone won out for tone and uniqueness. I also checked out the new Starfire and Gretsch semi hollows and the Jack Casady was hands down MUCH nicer and more flexible. Even the color is cool, flashy yet classic. I have also seen some black ones (nice) and sunburst ones(ugly). The Metallic Gold is the most eye catching.
If you like the a pure, full bodied bass sound that can be subtle or aggressive, yet is always solid, this is the bass. Believe me, this bass is no "wallflower" semi hollow. You WILL BE Heard with this bass.
