A bold fusion of Santa Ana and Fullerton styles yields a wide range of vintage-to-modern sounds.
Daring styling. Transparent onboard electronics. Powerful tone controls.
No passive operation. Hard to access upper frets.
$699
Jackson X Series Concert Bass CBXNT DX IV
jacksonguitars.com
I remember the extreme reactions when the PRS Silver Sky was introduced. The mashup (some might say, clash) of two well-known and classic designs was an earthly manifestation of sacrilege to some. The Jackson X Series Concert Bass CBXNT DX IV could be the Silver Sky's bottom-end equivalent: design elements from two legendary instruments fearlessly thrown together to create something new. The mix already has folks talking. But the real question is whether there is more to this bass than the mix of Fender-style P/J and Rickenbacker visual cues?
What Comes From Where?
The X Series Concert Bass clearly takes inspiration from Rickenbacker's 4001 and 4003. The pickguard, neck profile, chrome bridge pickup cover, control layout, shark fin fretboard inlays, and Jacksons own "Bass Bacher" through-body bridge all nod heavily to Rick. The poplar body profile and pickups, of course, are a nod to Rickenbacker's old neighbors, Fender.
That's the breakdown on the most obvious style moves. But look closer and you'll find features that make this instrument unique. I immediately noticed that the Jackson seemed slightly longer than some basses in spite of the standard 34" scale length. One reason is that putting the Rickenbacker-style bridge on a Fender-style body situates the bridge further forward so the eye perceives the neck as a little longer.
The most unique aspect of the instrument's deign, perhaps, is the pickup placement. The J-style pickup in the bridge position is located further from the bridge than a standard P/J, and the P-pickup in neck position is located much closer to the neck than I am used to. Outwardly, the pickup positions may not seem to represent a huge change, but they make an audible difference.
Tone Twists
The Jackson's departure from the two basses that inspired it become more obvious when you plug in. To start, the Jackson has active electronics and a flexible set of treble, mid, and bass tone controls. But the Jackson doesn't just thump in the hi-fi voice of a typical active-pickup-equipped instrument. The circuit also does a great job of delivering vintage feel in the top end, as long as the treble EQ stays below the 75-percent mark. Such tone-shaping flexibility is rare, and Jackson deserves kudos for being sensitive to the vintage-loving player via these tone controls. On the other hand, the Jackson could have featured a bypass that enables passive operation. That's a big plus for me in any active bass—especially one with such clear vintage ambitions—and it is missed here.
For anyone moving over from a Rickenbacker, or looking for a more affordable alternative, the flatter, wider neck will feel like home.
The X Series Concert Bass' very flat and wide 12"-16" compound-radius neck took some getting used to. I expect it will be an adjustment for anyone accustomed to slimmer, J-bass-style neck profiles. But for anyone moving over from a Rickenbacker, or looking for a more affordable alternative, the flatter, wider neck will feel like home.
The Old Door
The Jackson's voice exhibits a prominent and very honky midrange. And in spite of the P/J pickup configuration, the Jackson has much of the midrange of a Rickenbacker. The extra mids are especially noticeable when soloing the bridge P-style pickup. And getting something close to Chris Squire's tone is surprisingly easy with all that available midrange. The extra mids show up in the neck pickup, too, adding a pleasant woody bark to the output, and at times I could almost hear hints of an old door squeaking, which I mean in the most complimentary way. The laurel fretboard might also contribute something to this pleasant, woody personality.
The Jackson isn't all about midrange. Carve out a chunk of that midrange with the flexible 3-band EQ, engage both pickups at full volume, and it can confidently enter the sonic territory occupied by a more conventional P/J bass. The warm low end gets more room to speak, and that sound lends itself beautifully to playing with a pick. And even when digging in, the relatively transparent active circuitry never gets overbearing.
The Verdict
After living with this bass for a few weeks, it really grew on me. I love that Jackson green-lighted this fusion of design ideas—especially when some traditionalists on both of sides of the Rickenbacker/Fender aisle are bound to consider it a pretty wacky blend. But looks aside, the diverse sonics created by combining two legendary designs are interesting and fun to explore. I applaud big statements in general. And in the world of bass, this Jackson pronouncement is as loud and proud as they get.
Affordability is no obstacle to top quality in this understated P/J-style bass.
Solid construction. Beautiful finish. Affordable price.
Overly bright onboard electronics. No passive operation. No option to switch batteries quickly.
$549
ESP LTD AP-204
espguitars.com
Famed Japanese brand ESP launched the LTD series in 1996 as an affordable line aimed at the beginner market. But a visit to the LTD website these days reveals a line evolved well beyond that original premise, with a wide variety of offerings in several price ranges.
Stylistically speaking, brand associations can be a funny thing. I always associated the LTD series with metal and related aesthetics. But the AP-204 represents a much more understated and middle-of-the-road approach with P-Bass-meets-Music Man style and an active P/J pickup setup. The $549 price is a bit higher than some Indonesia-built instruments from competing brands, but the AP-204 delivers a lot of sounds and excellent quality for the price.
Solid as a Rock
The LTD is a well-built bass. As a player who performs live a lot and sometimes bends a neck for a little vibrato or whammy effect (not a practice I recommended, by the way), I'm reassured by an instrument that feels solid and battle-ready. Casual inspection makes it easy to explain the solid feel of the instrument. The neck/body joint is tight, with no visible gap, and the bolt-on neck is affixed with six screws instead of four—a construction technique more commonly seen on higher-priced instruments. The fret ends are nicely rounded and the satin finish on the back of the J-Bass-sized neck is exceptionally comfortable. The test bass also arrived with a perfect setup that required no tweaking before I tested it—not a common occurrence. The pièce de résistance might be the gorgeous metallic purple finish that looks dark and unassuming under normal lighting, but takes on a much more flamboyant personality under bright lights.
The Modern Edge
The bass features straightforward volume and blend controls, and a bass/treble stacked EQ setup. And when playing the AP-204 straight into my user interface and computer, I had to cut the treble about 70 percent to get the sound I associate most with a P/J-bass—not entirely vintage, but not inflexibly modern. Even with that much treble cut, the LTD provided great sustain and a tone with solid lows, musical mids, and present highs that could work for many applications without much processing. This is a great starting point for any instrument, regardless of price.
The sound of my finger pops were quite a lot brighter than I anticipated—with shades of a modern MTD-on-a-budget tone.
Of course, the beauty of any P/J-bass is the ability to use the P-style pickup by itself, and on that count the LTD does not disappoint. With a little tone attenuation, the bass provides plenty of traditional P-style honk and woodiness. Fingerstyle moves in this configuration never sounded muddy or without character. After this encouraging experiment, I returned the bass to a 50/50 pickup blend and rolled the treble back up to check how it reacted to slap technique. Instantly the sound of my finger pops were quite a lot brighter than I anticipated—with shades of a modern MTD-on-a-budget tone. And while the jatoba fretboard is ostensibly a stand-in for rosewood, it seemed to lend more of a bright maple tonality in slapping situations. Palm-muted picking, meanwhile, revealed a cool low-mid thump that some similar instruments easily lose when played with a pick. And a quick recording of this approach demonstrated that this bass sits just about perfectly in this context without taking up too much sonic space.
The Verdict
Just a little time with the LTD AP-204 makes it clear what a solid, all-around bass it is—although there is room for small improvements. Because the bass does not have a passive/active switch, I would switch the battery door from a 2-screw setup to a flip-open compartment to facilitate quick battery changes. It could also benefit from a slightly less bright EQ circuit and a little more range for high-end cut. But unless you are a strictly vintage-oriented player, this might not be an issue for you. More than anything, I am impressed with the build, quality control, and finish on this LTD, which makes me more than a little curious about other offerings from the line. This AP-204 is clearly capable of delivering more than metal tones—and offers great value.
Bold, minimalist style meets multitudinous tones.
Solid build. Great onboard active EQ. Ultra-comfortable neck. Rock star looks.
A passive tone control would be nice. Limited paint options
$949
Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ IV
charvel.com
For a large part of the guitar-playing population, seeing "Charvel" on a headstock inevitably leads to thoughts of over-the-top paint jobs and Floyd Rose tremolos. And while Charvel built great instruments for use outside the shred realm, traditionally shaped bass guitars are probably not the first thing you associate with the brand.
Prior to this review, my only impression of Charvel as a bass builder was hearing about Lee Sklar going to the Charvel shop in the '70s to pick out the body for his legendary P-style bass—the instrument that eventually became "one of the most recorded basses in history" in his own estimation. That's not an inconsequential bass legacy. And the Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ IV certainly feels like it's built from that substantial foundation.
A Lot of Flash With a Little Bit of Cream
Charvel began as a high-end repair and custom shop in Los Angeles. During its '80s heyday, the brand was owned by Jackson. But since 2002 Charvel has been part of the Fender family, and the visual influence of the parent company shows through here.
The first thing that struck me about the Pro-Mod San Dimas was an immediate feeling of deep affection for the vintage DiMarzio cream pickup covers—a classy statement on any instrument no matter the paint scheme that transports me to the time I first picked up a bass. The second thing I thought was, "Holy smokes, this bass is very green!!" (In addition to the lime green metallic finish on our review model, the 4-string version also comes in a more sedate mystic blue).
The roasted maple that makes up the neck, 12"-16" compound-radius fretboard, and headstock give this traditionally shaped bass a unique, understated look that's a nice contrast to the bold green finish.
Precision Re-imagination
You can make a lot of sounds with any good P/J setup. But you can cover a lot of extra mileage with what this race car has under the hood. The San Dimas PJ IV features DiMarzio Model J DP123 and Model P DP122 pickups in the bridge and neck respectively, a 3-band active treble/mid/bass boost/cut tone control array equipped with a push/pull switch for passive operation, as well as pickup balance and master volume controls. The slim C-neck is graphite reinforced, features convenient heel access to the truss rod adjustment wheel, and has very nice rolled edges, which makes the neck feel even slimmer. Luminous fretboard side dots are a suitably flashy but practical finishing touch.
The Charvel communicates quite a bit more midrange information than most other P/J setups.
Simple Lines, Multiple Tones
The best, simplest way to describe the Pro-Mod's sound with both pickups all the way up and the active tone stack engaged is full. There's a distinctive piano-like zing in the high end and a very firm, solid low end that doesn't come across as too modern or too stiff. The output is impressively even across the neck and in all registers. One reason for the balanced output is the reverse-P pickup (with the bass segment of the split pickup shifted closer to the bridge). The setup helps the first and second strings ring with authority and lends a very strong low-end presence. The overall voice of the instrument is distinctly P/J, but with some of a Spector's extra punchy top and low end on tap. The bass also feelsincredibly solid. The high mass bridge adds sustain and helps create a sense of playing a neck-thru instrument when bending or playing aggressively.
Coaxing a more vintage-style voice out of this speed racer is as easy as engaging the passive circuit and grabbing a pick. A slightly softer voice emerges, but it's filled with personality. Playing with a pick in passive configuration also reveals that the Charvel communicates quite a bit more midrange information than most other P/J setups. Although the midrange overall is strong, it's easy to use the active EQ to scoop some out, but there is no tone control in passive operation. However, in this mode the Charvel rewarded me with a hot-rodded J-bass-style slap tone that's a great addition to any bassist's bag of tricks and well-suited to the slim, fast neck.
The Verdict
For some, the look of the Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ IV will be enough to evoke stereotypical associations with hair spray and the Sunset Strip circa '86. But this bass is much more than a flashy finish. It's one of the most well-built and versatile examples I have played in a very long time. All the Pro-Mod features are player-oriented additions that make sense rather than feeling like sales gimmicks. At less than a thousand bucks, the Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ IV provides pro-level playability, quality feel, and a tone palette that you typically hear from instruments priced two or three times higher.
