Synchro
January 30th, 2012, 02:32 PM
The Quest
Gretsch basses are so rarely seen at dealers that many Gretsch players have never been in the same room with one. I've been looking for quite a while and finally caught up with a Broadcaster up at Rainbow guitars. Not knowng just what to expect I plugged into a bass combo amp and gave it a short test.
The Instrument
The Broadcaster bass is basically a Tennessee Rose with a short-scale bass neck and two Filtertron bass pickups. If you are accustomed to being around Gretsch guitars it doesn't stand out but if you are more accustomed to seeing Fender guitars and basses it will definitely stand out. It is a full hollow-body with open F holes and either a walnut or orange finish. The walnut stained example I played was nicely finished and in keeping with the excellent quality I've come to expect from Gretsch guitars originating in Japan. It was comfortable to play and felt balanced on my lap. I didn't have an opportunity to play it on a strap but I would expect that it is not inclined to neck-dive problems.
The Sound
Basses have long been identified by their relationship to the sound of Fender Precision and Jazz bass models. The P-Bass and the Jazz Bass are so ubiquitous that such comparisons are inevitable. Using that criteria alone I would say that the Broadcaster reminds me more of a Jazz Bass than a P-Bass. The pickup output is defined and focused without the thump of a P-Bass. However, that is not to say that the Broadcaster sounds just like a Jazz Bass. The biggest difference is the openness of the Broadcaster's sound. It's a hollow instrument that keeps that hollow-body sound when amplified. The sound isn't quite into double bass territory but it's good enough to improve the sound of many a band. In fact, I think that may be its greatest feature, it could really help fill out the sound of a band without the cost of a double bass. (Not to mention the fact that learning double bass takes a while and once your bassist gets good at double bass every Rockabilly bass in the county will be courting him or her.)
As reviews go, this one will be short, more a spin around the block than a full road test. It's not that there was a lack of interest on my part but simply I found out what I needed to know in a matter of minutes. This wouldn't be my first choice for heavy metal or funk but for most Rock, virtually all
Rockabilly, Surf music or Country this would be quite high on my list. It's tight enough of a sound to allow a bass solo to pierce through but it's also open enough to fall back into a double bass' role as a thump that is as much felt as heard. If I were in the market for a bass I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Gretsch basses are so rarely seen at dealers that many Gretsch players have never been in the same room with one. I've been looking for quite a while and finally caught up with a Broadcaster up at Rainbow guitars. Not knowng just what to expect I plugged into a bass combo amp and gave it a short test.
The Instrument
The Broadcaster bass is basically a Tennessee Rose with a short-scale bass neck and two Filtertron bass pickups. If you are accustomed to being around Gretsch guitars it doesn't stand out but if you are more accustomed to seeing Fender guitars and basses it will definitely stand out. It is a full hollow-body with open F holes and either a walnut or orange finish. The walnut stained example I played was nicely finished and in keeping with the excellent quality I've come to expect from Gretsch guitars originating in Japan. It was comfortable to play and felt balanced on my lap. I didn't have an opportunity to play it on a strap but I would expect that it is not inclined to neck-dive problems.
The Sound
Basses have long been identified by their relationship to the sound of Fender Precision and Jazz bass models. The P-Bass and the Jazz Bass are so ubiquitous that such comparisons are inevitable. Using that criteria alone I would say that the Broadcaster reminds me more of a Jazz Bass than a P-Bass. The pickup output is defined and focused without the thump of a P-Bass. However, that is not to say that the Broadcaster sounds just like a Jazz Bass. The biggest difference is the openness of the Broadcaster's sound. It's a hollow instrument that keeps that hollow-body sound when amplified. The sound isn't quite into double bass territory but it's good enough to improve the sound of many a band. In fact, I think that may be its greatest feature, it could really help fill out the sound of a band without the cost of a double bass. (Not to mention the fact that learning double bass takes a while and once your bassist gets good at double bass every Rockabilly bass in the county will be courting him or her.)
As reviews go, this one will be short, more a spin around the block than a full road test. It's not that there was a lack of interest on my part but simply I found out what I needed to know in a matter of minutes. This wouldn't be my first choice for heavy metal or funk but for most Rock, virtually all
Rockabilly, Surf music or Country this would be quite high on my list. It's tight enough of a sound to allow a bass solo to pierce through but it's also open enough to fall back into a double bass' role as a thump that is as much felt as heard. If I were in the market for a bass I'd buy one in a heartbeat.