Drive Like the Wind I set up a mid-’70s 2x15" Sunn cab with an all-tube Verellen Meatsmoke head and soloed the Barchetta’s bridge pickup with bass and treble set at at their center detents. The thick tone boasted lots of high snap and surprisingly full lows for a bridge pickup, lending itself to hard rock and metallic riffing. Lows and mids responded naturally to changes in my picking style, producing a thicker, bubblier tone when using my fingers rather than a pick. The highs seemed less willing to back off when I employed a lighter touch, but the tone control effectively tamed them when I wanted to transition from slap-friendly tones to warmer, softer sounds. The control is handy for boosting lows and highs separately or together, though raising the treble above 75 percent (halfway into the boost zone) gives highs a noticeably processed edge.
Ratings
Pros:
Neck profile and taper are very playable. Pickups provide plenty of detail, definition, and punch. BTC tone control is effective and easy to use.
Cons:
Overusing the tone control gives the tone a processed-sounding edge. Pricey.
Tones:
Playability:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$1,199
Company
dbzguitars.com
Applying a bit of the Meatsmoke’s growling overdrive further rounded out the tone while giving the midrange a more authoritative bark. The richness of the mids and highs also increased, and their heightened touch sensitivity made it easier to control their intensity. This was especially true when digging in with a pick for Mike Inez-style grind, and then switching to softer fingerpicking for fuller-bodied tones with more low-end emphasis.
The neck pickup is almost as clear and articulate as the bridge, but with smoother highs and expanded lows. Fingerpicked bass lines leapt from the Sunn’s speakers with a meaty snap, similar to the sound of Tony Levin’s springy line in King Crimson’s “Sleepless.” The bass and treble controls were at their flat settings—great for solid rock tones with ample lows and pick-attack detail.
The bright-toned ash body and responsive neck pickup help create solid, snarling rock tones, but that’s not to say that the Barchetta can’t handle more subdued styles. Cutting highs produces jazzier tones, though I found that cutting them too much can overemphasize the lows. It can take a little effort to find a balance where one frequency range didn’t overpower another.
The Verdict The Barchetta SM delivers huge tones, superb playability, and distinctive looks. The massive frequency range of its EMG pickups provides outstanding clarity and power. Used conservatively, the tone controls offer plenty of variation, so you can tailor the tone to taste. The Barchetta’s asking price might be a little steep for some, but the bass’s solid build, comfortable neck, and enormously punchy tone should put it on the radar of players seeking an instrument with unique looks and potent sounds.