Iceni Zoot Chaser

Made in Essex, U.K in 2002, 24 frets, 4 strings. Two band active EQ with low pass switch, volume and pick-up blend. Two pick-ups - Seymour Duncan Basslines SJB-2N Jazz at neck and Seymour Duncan Basslines SMB-4D Musicman at bridge.Body is made of one piece swamp ash with gloss black finish. Neck is bolt on and made of seven pieces of bubinga and maple,with a rosewood fingerboard. Body style is modern yet traditional if you know what I mean - nothing too alien looking and slightly familiar. Headstock is small and well recessed with two tuners either side and a string tree for correct tension. Gotoh tuners and an Iceni Sustain bridge. Neck is 34" scale a little broader than a Jazz bass, but much thinner - sort of between a Rickenbacker and a Jazz Bass and fast, with excellent fretwork (it should be it being handmade).

This bass is so tonally versatile that it could suit almost any style of music. Having a very fast neck is useful in all departments. I use mainly a finger style, but it's execellent for slapping and pulling also. I use this mostly through Trace Elliot amplification. The pickups are pretty quiet, especially the Musicman bridge p/u. It can sound like a Stingray, or a Jazz/Precision bridge sound. If you can imagine the combinations between these sounds when the EQ and p/u blend is used, then you know you are onto an extremely wide and deep pallette of sounds. It is equally at home in the studio or in a live situation. I can't say there is anything that I actually dislike about this bass.

I bought it second user and it was set up pretty well. Of course nothing is ever exactly to your own taste unless you do it yourself and in this respect, adjustments are easily made for action, this being small allen grubs, two per saddle. The pick ups, perhaps unusually, have no springs in the screw assembly, which implies they are meant to be fixed. A few springs could be added easily enough. A large piece of foam rubber is attached under the bridge p/u. I find the height to be perfect anyway for the way I have the action set up which is medium / low, veering more towards the low. Overall the playability of this bass is a joy.

It is a pretty solid bass but not excessively heavy at 4kg and seems like it is built to last in all situations. The finish is immaculate and seems really hardwearing. I would say its pretty dependable. I have only had the truss rod looked at once by a luthier just as a general check up when I bought it and it needed no adjustment then. As there is no facilty to bypass the actives and go passive (like Musicman basses) I would use a back up, though in saying that, the battery compartment is a Gotoh easy access type, which means changing the single 9v battery would be easy.

I asked one question and received a helpful, friendly reply from Mike Walsh, the guy who actually made the bass, so pretty good service I would say. I have no idea about the warrant status.

I have been playing on and off for about 30 years and I have been through a number of instruments. At the moment I have this bass and a Fender USA Jazz Bass and a Shergold Marathon bass. I have owned Rickenbacker 4001 & 4003s, Guild B-402, Fender USA J & Ps , Yamahas, Arias, Gibson EB-3 and a Musicman Stingray. I can honestly say that this is amongst, if not the best, most versatile and playable bass that I have owned. If it was lost or stolen I would have Iceni make me another. This bass is a really viable alternative to all the basses I have listed above. I find that, especially compared with a Stingray, which I perceive to be it's biggest competitor, that it produces the sort of lowend power that IMO the Stingray lacks. If you get the opportunity try an Iceni.