Vigier Passion Carbon

(Originally written by astroperenoel/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Vigier Passion 2:

French bass dated September 1986.

- Carbon neck-through body neck, phenowood fingerboard (wood/epoxy mix)

- 22 frets with zero fret, pearl inlays on fingerboard edge

- 2-piece alder body, glitter gray sunburst finish plus varnish.

- Schaller machine heads, Schaller bridge with 3D setting (3D-4 model)

- Passive Benedetti pickups

- Special electronics with volume control, 3-way toggle switch, 3-stage selector (-15/0/+15 dB), parametric filter and tone control for the bridge pickup

- 18-volt operation

It's wonderful, everything is exceptional, inventive and daring!

- When you only use the bridge pickup, the tone control becomes a volume knob (!)

UTILIZATION

Extremely pleasant neck, perfect access to upper frets, it's as fast as it gets!

The action can be set very low.

Slightly aggressive but very versatile body shape.

Daring pickups positions (3rd octave for the neck pickup and 4th octave for the bridge pickup), very effective, and they allow you to perfectly block the thumb for walking bass lines.

Average weight.

Total versatility.

The feel of the pickups is disconcerting at first but after a while it becomes very pleasant even if the thumb doesn't normally like thin edges.

SOUNDS

YOU CAN PLAY EVERYTHING WITH THIS BASS!

The acoustic sound is surprising.

The electric sound has a very dynamic response without noise. The sound is absolutely CLEAN.

Slapping is amazing!!

When tapping it sounds perfectly precise!

With finger picking the sound is accurate, clear and rich with a long sustain!

With a pick you get an incredible sound with lots of overtones!

Dynamics, precision and balance regardless of the position on the neck and the string you play!

Very comprehensive electronic possibilities... it's incredible!

The parametric filter can replace the standard 3-band EQ (it's the best bass EQ to my taste and Patrice Vigier says a second one would be necessary to scoop the whole frequency spectrum of an active preamp...). This solution makes a standard 3-band EQ fully obsolete.

The French passive Benedetti pickups are a delight. Nowadays, Vigier uses Delano pickups.

No noise in spite of the very large frequency response.

Thanks to the design and the production quality, every sound is possible, from a very fat and damped tone (double bass-like) to a very brilliant and sharp one.

OVERALL OPINION

I bought it at the beginning of 2008 on an auction website.

It was love at first sight. I never thought I would ever own such an old secondhand Vigier bass guitar!

But for me, it sounds better than all "modern" basses!

Vigier builds excellent instruments and this one is another proof of that!

It's not new so it could use new frets, an electronics restoration and a new varnish...

But it's the ultimate bass for metal freaks looking for an accurate, natural and dynamic sound.

But also for everyone else looking for a versatile instrument.

This is a low 4 fretted made in France.
It has 22 frets with a zero fret, 2 pickups Benedetti
The settings are a bit complicated (assets, liabilities, parametric equalizer), but detailed site Vigier.com.

Channel 100% Carbon

UTILIZATION

The handle is the centerpiece of this instrument, it is 100% carbon and crossing, it is of incredible finesse and requires no mechanical réglage.Les oil bath and are perfect agreement.
Access to acute is very simple.
This bass is very light compared to those I have tried at the time (Warwik, Jazz Bass ...)
Only drawback, I can not get a smooth and round, it is an instrument typed "modern".
Models to handle 90/10 (carbon + wood) are they less? A test.

Addendum: I just take it to the luthier for proper planning and review, the frets were starting to widen and knobs crachouillaient wicked.
Since I no longer recognize, I can get the sound I need with incredible ease whether passive or active. it sounds even walking!
New strings, position mics I do not really know what he did but it's simply awesome. of the cost I pass my note 9, perfection does not exist.

SOUNDS

It is well suited to what I play (a bit of everything, Blues, Hard rock, Jazz-rock), but at least if I look or sound jazzy reggae.
I play on a 12 amp SWR no effect.
It's a bit why I made 4 months ago acquired a Stringray 4c. Both low complement parfaitement.Quand the Music Man I I a bit better in hand I will give my opinion.

See, it's almost perfect.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 3 years (I started with the bass) I especially like the ease of its handle, I'm guitarist at the base and I was looking for a bass as easy as SG.
Its quality / price ratio is excellent since I bought it secondhand (env.1000 €), new models of this award did not happen at the ankle.
I would do probably what a choice but to 90/10. Well let me try a Passion IV but my banker may not be OK, and then I'm not sure to win!