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heads on fire « This bass is perfect. »
Published on 12/26/11 at 09:22Handmade in the USA
Bolt-on maple neck
Heel-less neck joint
3-piece asymmetrical maple neck with dual truss rods
Swamp ash body
24-fret, double-octave range
Wenge fingerboard
Custom quad-coil Bartolini pickup
18-volt, dual-channel stereo preamp
Black hardware
Massive ABM brass bridge
Hand-rubbed oil finish
UTILIZATION
This. Bass. Is. Perfect. In every sense of the word, this is an immaculate instrument - the balance is incredible, the playing action is fantastic, and the tones one can coax from this beauty are otherworldly. Did I mention how nice this bass looks? Also, the low B is very tight, with no "floppiness" that can plague other 5 string basses. This is without doubt the most easy to play bass I have ever touched. The tonal balance from string to string is also the most dead-on I've yet seen.
SOUNDS
I've tried this bass on a variety of setups, from a big tube Ampeg SVT with an 810 cab, to little solid-state combos, and other rig sizes in between, and the Growler delivered a solid, memorable tone every single time. The first time I saw it, I was a bit concerned that the lack of an additional pickup near the neck would hinder the versatility of the sound, but I was sorely mistaken after plugging it in. Slapping, popping, tapping, fingerstyle, pick...no matter what my hands do, the pickup translates it exactly as desired. There is no song this bass would be inappropriate for.
OVERALL OPINION
I'll state this simply - this is without a doubt the best bass I've ever played. Period. I honestly got a bit depressed when I had to give this bass back to my friend - he let me borrow it for awhile just to see how I liked it. What cruelty! They can be a bit hard to find nowadays, as they aren't made anymore. If you find one and can afford it, check it out - it'll deliver every single time! Extremely highly recommended!
Bolt-on maple neck
Heel-less neck joint
3-piece asymmetrical maple neck with dual truss rods
Swamp ash body
24-fret, double-octave range
Wenge fingerboard
Custom quad-coil Bartolini pickup
18-volt, dual-channel stereo preamp
Black hardware
Massive ABM brass bridge
Hand-rubbed oil finish
UTILIZATION
This. Bass. Is. Perfect. In every sense of the word, this is an immaculate instrument - the balance is incredible, the playing action is fantastic, and the tones one can coax from this beauty are otherworldly. Did I mention how nice this bass looks? Also, the low B is very tight, with no "floppiness" that can plague other 5 string basses. This is without doubt the most easy to play bass I have ever touched. The tonal balance from string to string is also the most dead-on I've yet seen.
SOUNDS
I've tried this bass on a variety of setups, from a big tube Ampeg SVT with an 810 cab, to little solid-state combos, and other rig sizes in between, and the Growler delivered a solid, memorable tone every single time. The first time I saw it, I was a bit concerned that the lack of an additional pickup near the neck would hinder the versatility of the sound, but I was sorely mistaken after plugging it in. Slapping, popping, tapping, fingerstyle, pick...no matter what my hands do, the pickup translates it exactly as desired. There is no song this bass would be inappropriate for.
OVERALL OPINION
I'll state this simply - this is without a doubt the best bass I've ever played. Period. I honestly got a bit depressed when I had to give this bass back to my friend - he let me borrow it for awhile just to see how I liked it. What cruelty! They can be a bit hard to find nowadays, as they aren't made anymore. If you find one and can afford it, check it out - it'll deliver every single time! Extremely highly recommended!