Since starting out in 1996, instrument manufacturer Xotic
has earned a reputation for high quality among discerning
professionals. Touring pros like Keith Horne, Ric Fierabracci,
Michael Rhodes and even bassist/actor Malcolm Jamal-Warner
have relied on Xotic basses to cover their gigs. In 1999, Xotic
branched into the world of effects and ended up sharing the
love with a number of professional guitar players like Scott
Henderson and Andy Timmons. Seemingly more focused on
their pedal line over the past few years due to its popularity,
Xotic recently returned to the bass world with a bang when
they offered their XJ-1T 5-string bass. Reacting to the massive
response that model received, Xotic released its cousin, the
XJ-1T 4-string, at the 2010 NAMM show. The XJ-1T embodies
what Xotic refers to as an “uncompromising harmony of tradition
and advancement,” and the new 4-string demonstrates
their commitment with conviction.
Flair for the Xotic
The XJ-1T is more than just a classic Jazz-style bass. Even
though the body is inspired by a timeless classic, the bass is
pure Xotic. There are some traditional features that players
would expect, like a bolt-on 22-fret neck, offset body and all
the appearance of a high-end J-bass clone. Features that distinguish
the XJ-1T from other offerings on the market are the
eye-catching Lindy Fralin pickups, Hipshot UltraLight tuners
and bridge, a custom-shaped pickguard and the secret weapon
of any Xotic: the electronics. Xotic has always been known
for their pedals and preamps, and bassists can revel in the fact
that their popular 3-band preamp is onboard the XJ-1T. The
system runs at 18 volts for extended headroom and is a tone
tweaker’s delight. The chrome knobs are the same as a traditional
J-bass: an individual volume control for each pickup and
a master tone. The mini-knobs are for the active preamp and
control bass, mid and treble.
This is not all that dwells deep within the XJ-1T. Both of the volume
knobs on the bass are push/pull. The first allows the bass to
go into passive mode for going completely classic J sonically. The
second is a unique humbucking mode that combines both pickups as one big pickup. In this mode, your front
volume control now becomes a master volume
for some serious thunder. For the tweaking
obsessed, we’re still not over with the Xotic.
Accessible through the back panel are additional
mid-frequency switches and even an output
gain control. You can literally spend hours
dialing in the bass to whatever you fancy.
Granted, the stock settings are top notch, but
this is a super-cool option nonetheless.
Feature-wise, the bass is very similar to the
2009 Xotic XJ-1T 5-String—the most obvious
difference being the fact that it’s got one less
string. But due to its wood combination, the
XJ-1T 4-String has the heart of a ‘70s J-bass. It
sports an oil-finished maple neck with a maple
fretboard, unlike its 5-string cousin. Both basses
do use 6150 Jescar nickel-silver frets. The other
difference is the ash body on the XJ-1T. The
instrument just has the feel of a ‘70s gem…
without the disco music and large collars.
Just taking it out of the case, I was seriously
impressed with the overall craftsmanship,
and after hours of inspection I was honestly
quite surprised not to find any real flaws. The
stock setup was nice and even, but due to
my lighter playing style, I dropped the action.
Luckily, the bass didn’t need any other tweaks
and it was set up like an absolute dream. The
oil-finished neck has a wonderful worn-in feel.
Most surprising was how resonant the bass
was even unplugged. Sustain and articulation
was off the charts, and there was just the
right amount of midrange bark, which was
surprising since maple and ash combinations
have the potential to be overly bright sounding.
To test the bass, I used it on a number
of live dates as well as master and demo
sessions. In every aspect the bass delivered
completely. You can really tell that Xotic has
done some serious homework on this bass,
and I’d venture to guess they’ve been asking
players for their needs as well. Every tone
setting proved to be useful for a number of
needs. Slap players can get a very Marcus
Miller-like tone from the active electronics,
and the Fralins are seriously clean and easy
to record. What I particularly dug was the
fact that I could also dial in a good Jacoesque
tone out of the soloed bridge pickup.
J-basses can usually cover one or the other
well, but not both.
The Final Mojo
Is it worth the funds for this bass in comparison
to other, US-built J clones? Absolutely. It
sounds as good, if not better than, any other
contender out there. Even more important is
that it’s more flexible than most. This bass is
a Swiss Army knife and could be considered
a main axe regardless of what genre you’re
in. I myself am already enjoying being able to
leave a number of other basses in my studio
and just taking the XJ-1T to sessions. If you’re
a lover of high-end J-basses, this may very
well be your axe.
Buy if...
you’re into great-sounding,
high-end J-basses.
Skip if...
you’re not ready to drop more than $2K
on an import.
Rating...
