SUMMER NAMM 2016: Gretsch Tom Petersson Signature Falcon Bass
12 strings? On a bass?
Gretsch have announced a brand new signature model Falcon bass for Cheap Trick Bassist, Tom Petersson. The model comes in two formats; the USA Custom shop and the standard line G6136B-TP-AWT.
But these aren't just two different quality versions of the same bass, each instrument brings something completely unique to the table. The USA Custom Shop model offers the most obvious marks of originality, offering the bass playing community a completely new type of instrument.
Featuring 12 strings, the Custom Shop model is based on the guitar Petersson has been playing with cheap trick for some time. Set up in a similar method to a 12 string guitar, but with 2 rather than just 1 octave strings for each of the normal 4 bass strings.
A real work out for your finger tips, but rewarding the player with a tone unmatchable and completely original; the Tom Petersson Signature 12-String Falcon Bass is genuinely a new instrument for the bass playing community to sink its teeth into.
The G6136B-TP-AWT standard line version of this bass offers a more conventional 4 string version of this instrument. The twist for this model comes in the pick up formation. Featuring a massive Rumble’Tron pick up in the neck position, the Petersson Falcon offers all the low end you could ever need. Conventionally this would be paired with a bridge pick up to add the zingy high end clarity, but Petersson had other ideas, instead opting for a Seymour Duncan Super’Tron right in the middle of the body, giving the bass a tight P-Bass'esque quality that coupled with soupy sub of the neck pick-up gives the player a huge vintage tone with added mid punch and clarity; an ultimate rock machine.
The Dawn Of Sire
This new brand aim to bring you classic funk basses at an affordable price.
Every now and then a manufacturer appears who breaks the mold of convention, someone who refuses to play by the rules of price Vs quality that have been so rigorously set by brands such as Fender, Gibson and Ibanez.
We've seen this sort of thing in the effects market when EHX released the Soul Food, a Klon Clone drive that sounded so close it the £2000 pedal it was imitating that the £50 price tag seemed almost a joke. We've seen it in amplification when Laney released the Ironheart Studio; an all valve recording and live use head, with USB input for direct recording and built in cab simulation to go directly into a PA live.
This year the subject is far less likely, and far harder a product to drop the price on; introducing the Sire Marcus Miller V7 Jazz Bass. That's right, Miller has finally parted ways with Fender after nearly a decade of them making his signature Jazz Bass in both Japan and Mexico, whilst Fender continue on their road to only give signature model basses to punk players no-one's ever heard of.
The V7 is an active Jazz Bass in many ways very similar to Miller's original Fender, only with some really premium features, upgrades and updates...sounds reasonable right, this instrument should obviously be a progression from his old model, if for no other reason, just so Sire get noticed over the brilliant and extremely well built Fender counterpart. The only problem here is that the Fender Miller signature was £800 retail, and the Sire Miller V7 starts at £290 (oh, they do a premium model too....at £330).
So what makes the V7 stand up to the Fender? Well you have to start from the ground up to be honest. They haven't cheaped out on body wood for a start; most Squiers at this price point use Agathys or Basswood, but Sire go straight in with a choice between Swamp Ash or Alder, even going for a natural finish; something you can only do if you're confident in your wood quality.
The instrument's electronics are similarly premium. Even Music Man drop down to a 2 band EQ on their budget model, but not Sire. The V7 comes equipped with a full 3 band EQ AND a separate Mid sweep control. Then, as if that wasn't already enough, they've thrown on an active/passive switch; a feature that Fender don't introduce until you get to their £1500 premium Deluxe models. The edition of an active/passive is in itself a demonstration of confidence in their product, as the pick-ups need to be versatile enough to sound good in either context.
Additional little touches almost go unheralded in the wake of such great playing feature. Of course you'd expect the physical appearance to be the let down considering the quality parts and price tag, but no. The Sire V7 comes with pearl block inlays in either a rosewood or maple neck, pearloid or tortoise shell scratch plate, a huge high mass bridge, through body strung, body accessible truss rod, and it even comes with an optional neck pick-up cover just like the Fender original. Honestly, what a bass!!!
Check out Sire's interview with Marcus Miller below:
Squier release Ryan Jarman (The Cribs) signature guitar and Gary Jarman signature bass
These Cribs signature models combine vintage style with modern features.
Squier have released two new signature models for Ryan and Gary Jarman of UK indie rockers the Cribs.
The Ryan Jarman signature guitar reflects the Cribs' frontman's sonic philosophy and combines stylistic elements from his favorites offset guitars to create an instrument with a unique voice and body shape.
With Duncan Designed single-coil Jaguar® neck pickup and a output humbucking bridge pickup, this signature models covers a huge range of tones. Featuring a master volume and tone controls along with phase and on/off switches for each pickup, and a toggle killswitch, this unique model allows the player to shape their tone to meet the demands of your music. A vintage-style Jazzmaster bridge, large ‘60s-style headstock and metal control plate offer stylish looks and practical usage.
The Gary Jarman Signature Bass was designed in collaboration with the team at Squire and offers an amalgam of features from The Cribs bassist’s favourite Fender instruments. Sporting a growling P Bass split-coil middle pickup for roaring, punchy tone, the distinctive body shape borrows elements from the traditional Precision shape, as well as the rarely-seen Bass V. A HiMass bridge delivers added sustain and attack, while Jazz Bass control knobs, a metal control plate and original Precision Bass headstock complete the package.
Both models are available to pre-order now.