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PRS CE22 Price Paid: $1995 (usd) Year Manufactured: 2006 Specs: Bolt on Maple Neck w/ Rosewood Fretboard 25" Scale PRS Trem Dragon II Humbuckers Mahogany Body Maple Top Dot inlays Matteo Blue finish Sound: Loose feel, very good for blues and hard rock (ie Tool Aenima and before, AIC). It fits extremely well for half of my style, and the other half is covered by my PRS Standard 22 Satin. I also love the coil tap, it sounds like a modded strat, which was what I wanted 5/5 Instrument Quality: I've not played better. It's top looks like a swimming pool, was set up perfectly, and the locking tuners are just amazing. No dead notes, no buzzing, and no tuning or intonation issues. 5/5 Playability: Smooth as butter. It is not tight and chunky, but that's not what I got it for. I don't own any guitars with a trem, so this was a big jump on my part, but I'm not dissapointed in the slightest. 5/5 Overall Value: Worth every penny. I used to hate PRS and was a die hard Gibson fan, but as I grew up, I realized guitars are all wood, so the name is a non-issue. I went to the shop, played every brand, and finally settled on PRS. People say they're overpriced, but I disagree. I payed less than I would for a Les Paul Standard, and it blew away every one I tried (I do own one, but Gibson has too much variation in quality on the regular models). 5/5
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Nov 30, 2006 08:25
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 03:18 |
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And here's a pic of my babies, the CE22 and the Standard 22 Satin: If only I could have sex with them.
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Nov 30, 2006 18:29
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Warwick Thumb 4 Bolt-on Price Paid/Price New: $1600/$2560 (bought new, but price has gone up so much) Year Manufactured: 2004 Specs: Ovangkol body Ovangkol neck with wenge fingerboard 24 frets 34" scale (long) MEC J pickups MEC Active EQ with bass and treble controls Sound: 5/5 This bass shines. Because of the active EQ, you can get anything from a thumpy low-mid jazz sound to a scooped-mid funk. And, if you so desire, a crunchy hard rock sound using no effects (thanks again to the EQ). Some people think Warwicks have a specific sound, but a few minutes playing with it will produce everything from a J-bass to the sound of a Wal. I find myself using DI most often, it really sounds that good. Instrument Quality: 5/5 It's perfect. I've used mine for many many shows and there's still not a single dent, even with it being swung around and bumping into things. The frets are perfectly aligned, the intonation is spot on, and the overall quality of the craftsmanship is top-notch. Playability: 5/5 Again, perfection. I have no buzzing, the action is perfect, and it's smoother than butter. I couldn't ask for anything more. Overall Value: 5/5 While I'm critical about instruments, in the four years I've owned my Thumb I can't find a single complaint beyond the weight (8.8 lbs), and with a good strap that's entirely manageable. If there was only one bass I could recommend, the Thumb 4 would be it. The Germans really have the art of design down to a T. As a side note: I've played the neck-through version, and it's a little different. Has a 3-band EQ, Bubinga body, and is slightly heavier (I think). Since I don't own it, I can't comment, but from what I gathered, it's mostly the same (minus being something like $1000 more).
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Jul 20, 2008 04:41
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Apogee Ensemble Price Paid/Price New: $1950/$1950 Year Manufactured: 2006 Specs: 24 bit/192k interface 36 channel simultaneous audio 8 channels of AD/DA (8 1/4", 4 XLR preamps) 4 channels of coaxial (2/2), 16 channels of ADAT lightpipe (8/8) Firewire 400 2 headphone outs Zero-latency direct monitoring Maestro software for mixing/loving with dBu and SoftLimiting UV22HR dithering Sound: 5/5 The Ensemble is a pretty kick-rear end interface. The preamps are clean with a large amount of gain and the DA conversion sounds rather pristine. It doesn't match up to a gold-channel level preamp, but the dynamic range matches anything a home-recordist could need. My only 'complaint' is four preamps, but at this level you're not going to get much more. Equipment Quality: 4/5 Though the Ensemble is touted as the end all be all solution for a home studio, I've had some issues with the drivers. It loses sync a little more than I'd expect, first off, and the drivers are still somewhat buggy for OSX Leopard. Other than that, it's drat reliable, and the ability to use it as a mixer after the computer is shut off is a godsend. Usefulness: 4/5 This is approaching the ceiling for home-based firewire setups. If you get this, you probably know exactly what you need. Though the addition of 8 channels of ADAT is nice, it could use one or two more inputs. I have a digital mixer that can do 16 ins/16 outs, and with only one lightpipe input, I have to leave 8 channels free. For most people this isn't an issue, but if I'm doing a band that has two vocal tracks, 10 drum tracks, two guitar tracks, two bass tracks, and two synth tracks, I'm already over what this can handle. Just a minor gripe though, as I also have an RME 96/52 and Fireface to cover additional ins. Overall Value: 4/5 While it's not perfect, the Apogee Ensemble is pretty drat close. Close enough that I will forgive any faults I can find. Another piece of equipment that I'd highly recommend.
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Jul 20, 2008 05:08
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Douglas WOB-826 Price Paid/Price New: $85/$179.99 Year Manufactured: ???? Specs: Ash body 24 fret maple neck Adjustable double truss rod Rosewood fretboard with medium-jumbo frets Two humbucker pickups Active pickup system with volume, balance, bass and treble controls Adjustable BB-006 bridge Die Cast tuners Gold hardware Actual Weight 8.5 lbs Sound: 3.5/5 Pretty drat good for the cost. Because the EQ is active, you get a pretty wide range of sounds. For comparison purposes, it's absolutely nothing like a Fender Jazz. Whereas the Jazz has a solid (and loud) midrange, this bass has almost none. It's more felt than heard on the low notes. It's rather bassy overall and lacking slightly in the top-end, but those are only minor gripes. This is ideally used in situations where the bass is filling out the other instruments because of the nonexistent midrange. Instrument Quality: 4/5 Again, a steal even for full price. It's solid, durable, and I can't find any complaints. Playability: 3/5 Since I got it used from a pawn shop, the neck is a little bowed, so I'll have to adjust the truss rod when I can. Other than that, the action is pretty good and the frets are smooth with no burrs. No dead notes either (surprisingly) The neck is nice and thin, this is a good introduction into the world of 6-string basses. I've gotten some minor hand cramping, but that's the nature of the beast. Overall Value: 4/5 I got this on a whim because of the low cost, and it was a perfect impulse buy. I've wanted a 6-string since I started playing bass, since a friend would let me use his 6-string Warwick Corvette on occasion, and I finally have one. It's pretty amazing that the quality is so high for such a cheap instrument. But looking into it, it's made by Rondo Music, the company that makes the cheap but good Les Paul knockoffs (Agile). I'd recommend this to anyone looking to get into six-string bass, as it's totally worth the little bit of money it costs.
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Jun 26, 2009 01:39
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 03:18 |
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Agile Septor Elite 827 EB DNC White HiRes pic (it's huge)(my hosting) Price Paid (new): $849 Year Manufactured: 2011 Specs: 27" scale 8-string electric guitar Lightweight Mahogany arch-top body with high gloss finish Ebony fretboard with 24 jumbo frets (fretboard radius: 16") Two Seymour Duncan Blackout active humbuckers Hipshot bridge Grover 18-1 ratio tuners Ernie Ball 8-string Slinkys (10-13-17-30-42-54-64-74) Sound: 4.5/5 - This is my first 8-string (and first guitar with active pickups) so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had the choice of either the Duncans or EMG 808s, and all research pointed towards the Duncans (EMGs are apparently a bit compressed and overtly bassy on the low F#). I wasn't disappointed; the Blackout neck has a bell-like clean tone, and the bridge has slightly sharp cleans, with a well-rounded tone. There is no overt muddiness on the low F# (tuned to drop-E), and it sounds good with both fingerstyle and picking. Distorted tones are similar, with the neck pickup offering a unique booming sound on the drop-E and a smooth full tone on the rest. It sounds great for soloing, with no unnecessary EQ boosting. The bridge pickup handles everything just as well, with quality sounds for every genre I've tried. Note: I'm not entirely sure, but it seems like the tone control might be active. With it on full the tone has a sharper high end with a helluva bite, but crank it down and the guitar takes on a jazzy tone, without the traditional boominess that seems to happen on my other guitars. This gives me an extra range of sound closer to that of passive pickups, while still keeping the extra output. Unplugged it has decent projection with crisp highs, which I assume is because of the Ebony fretboard. It doesn't have the reach that a chambered guitar would, but there's enough of it to hear in a quiet room. The only negative is some annoying resonating tone on the low-B, caused by the string vibrating before the nut. I've had to use a rubber band and cotton to stop it, since it's prevalent enough to screw up any palm-mutes or quick stops. Instrument Quality: 4.5/5 - The guitar arrived in perfect condition, with no scratches, paint flaws, fret issues, or intonation problems. I was a little worried before, considering the issues some people have had with Agiles, but I seemed to luck out. The volume and tone pots are smooth as hell, and the 18-1 tuners are the tightest/most precise I've ever used. It does have an issue with the battery slot though; the slot is just barely big enough for the battery, and the connector can't be extended beyond the slot. This means I have to force the battery in at a weird angle, then use something to press it into the connector (usually taking a lot more force than I'd like). I'm not sure how to fix this, and it means a battery change can take upwards of 10 minutes. Playbility: 5/5 - Here's where the guitar really shines. Like I said before, it came with perfect intonation and amazing action. This is usually the area where a shipped guitar fails, but the Agile was perfect right out of the box. I don't know how it compares to something like the Ibanez RGA8, but it's extremely capable on it's own. To put it another way I don't feel limited by the guitar. I'm not a fast player so speedy solos are outside my ability, but I can reach my peak no problem with this and still feel there's room to expand. I also gained the benefit of being able to cover a wider range of music with little more than a capo. This is a great solution, since switching guitars constantly sucked. One of my conditions for the 8 was to have a 27"+ scale, which narrowed it down to Agile and Ibanez. The additional scale length in this case allows for higher string tension, making lower tunings retain their feel much better and giving longer sustain at regular tunings. It does mean the frets are slightly further apart, but it's not that dramatic. Just means I can no longer span a 6-fret gap low on the fretboard. Even the width of the neck isn't an issue, since I'd been using my six-string bass as a guitar for a while before. I'd imagine it would be hard coming from a six-string, but if you're moving up from a seven it'll be a minor adjustment. Overall Value: 4.8/5 - This is about as perfect a guitar as I could expect in this price range. 8-string guitars are still an uncommon breed, and there are very few in the $800-1000 price range that feel worth that amount of money. I did have the option of spending anywhere from around $500-1200 for an 8-string, but the one with the specific features I wanted was $850. Still, one could spend $650 and get a great guitar, just with a different arrangement. I did end up getting the last one of this specific model, making apparent how quickly the stock can change. (Note: Rondo Music does have a custom shop, open once or twice a year. I haven't checked it out personally, but it allows a much greater level of customization, at a slightly higher cost.) I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay more than I did for the guitar (not saying that it's not worth more though), since I feel that $849 is the perfect price point for it. I would definitely recommend Agile to anyone in the US thanks to the quick shipping (got mine in 1 day with regular ground) and the return policy (7 days for full refund, and people have been able to switch models around if they didn't like theirs), but outside the US it's more of a crapshoot (no returns, high shipping costs).
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May 30, 2011 18:37
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