NBD - Jack Casady Signature

[Bassilisk]

Here's my brand new Epiphone Jack Casady Signature bass in (limited run) Alpine White.

 

I played one some years ago and was impressed with the playability and tone, so it was filed away for future consideration. A few weeks ago the future came around. I wasn't actually looking to get another bass (I really don't need one) but a deal came up on one in a sealed box that I just couldn't refuse. One thing - this bass does not come with a case. It's an extra.

 

Cons:

 

-- I'm not a fan of 3 point bridges. I've had several Gibsons with them and, though they can be problematic, once you get the hang of them they're pretty solid. It's still an outdated design and not nearly as flexible as new offerings. The Gibson 3-points are quite solid. The Epi version is not nearly as robust. It works but I didn't like it at all. I was even less enamored when a new set of strings started pulling one of the inserts out. Apparently this is not uncommon on Epi bass bridges - Talkbass has threads full of this very issue. Typically a simple glue-in will solve it, but I wasn't having any of that. I picked up a Hipshot Supertone and had my tech put it on. He even sanded a curve into the bottom to match the body! Gotta love that kind of attention to detail.

 

-- The tuners are Grovers and are only okay. I'm not going to change them as they work just well enough. I wish they made them in black though....

 

-- Because I cannot hang the bass very low to play comfortably the front edge of the lower bout digs into my forearm to some degree while playing. Not super comfortable to say the least. However this does help offset any neck dive and I am willing to deal with this for other reasons.

 

Pros:

 

-- Build quality overall is first rate. Nice tight joints and binding, clean neck set (and the neck on mine is perfect according to my tech - good news!), nice fret work and the finish was nicely done - very even all around.

 

-- Playability is great with a comfortable neck profile. Having the string spacing adjustment on the Hipshot helped make for a perfect setup in every direction. The notes respond very evenly across the entire neck.

 

-- The real jewel of this bass - the pickup!! Wow! Low impedance/low output with a varitone and tone knob allow for a broad and flexible pallette. Settings on the varitone are 50-250-500 (ohms). At 50 it's rich and round, very full sounding with a nice mid girth that cuts through with a lot of support. 250 gives more of a big P sound on steroids, and 500 is in-your-face, as agressive as you like. Each kick up increases in volume from the previous and this pickup is way hot! Lots of output. I have it strung with Chromes and for the 2 gigs I had this weekend I never got past the 50 setting - just a beautiful rich tone. Every note so clear and focused I could swear this bass was active.

 

Bottom Line: I am truly impressed with the quality and performance of this bass, not just at its price point but compared to basses at one substantially higher. I am very happy to put this bass into my keeper circle.

 

Here's a phone pic at a gig - you get the idea!

[capmaster]

Congrats on your nice Limited Jack Casady Signature, HNBD! Glad you're fine with it. :)

[Buttonbox21]

I just purchased the alpine white Jack Casady bass and I love it. It is quite a difference from the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz 77 I traded in. The tone is full and clean. The fret board is what sold me. It is soooooooooooo comfortable to play. I also like the lighter weight. The Squier weighed in at 11 lbs while the Casady weighs in at about 8lbs. Big difference on my neck and shoulders. Getting around the body will take some getting used to. I play it low and at a 45 degree angle. This allows me to rest my right wrist on the flat side of the body and my fingers are right in the sweet zone between the pickup and neck. I still have much to learn about the different tones this bass will produce but in the mean time, I will very much enjoy playing this beauty. Good luck with yours.

[bacongrease]

Congrats.

The white finish I saw wasn't as bright as it appears online it's more like olympic white, & that's good. I think the white model would look great with the cream white pickup & gold speed knobs. The black model s/b a black on black stealth fighter. Why did they put the cream pickup on the black bass & black pickup on the white bass?!

[1954bassman]

I bought a Casady a few months back. I am loving it. Sounds great live through an amp, or DI'd through a good PA. Mine is Alpine white. I took the pickguard off, looks better that way to me. I set it up myself - put DR sunbeams Med Lights, and it plays smooth as silk. Most of the time I set the impedance switch to 250, tone and volume both on 10. I find the tome knob does very little, and the volume doesn't really start working until about 6 or 7. When I first got the bass, I thought I would be replacing the controls, but why bother? I sounds great just like it is, and I am not one to mess with EQ and volume anyway.

[LPS1976]

I bought a Casady a few months back. I am loving it. Sounds great live through an amp, or DI'd through a good PA. Mine is Alpine white. I took the pickguard off, looks better that way to me. I set it up myself - put DR sunbeams Med Lights, and it plays smooth as silk. Most of the time I set the impedance switch to 250, tone and volume both on 10. I find the tome knob does very little, and the volume doesn't really start working until about 6 or 7. When I first got the bass, I thought I would be replacing the controls, but why bother? I sounds great just like it is, and I am not one to mess with EQ and volume anyway.

 

250 impedance and volume and tone both on 10 is where I think it sounds best too. happy NBD!

[ZiggyDude]

I have the ltd. Silver burst and i really like it. The impedance switch is weak and is a known issue. I don't know if that is improved yet. The case is very nice if you get a good one. Don't be afraid to return it if you find glue drpis on the fuzz or bad bubbles on the outer covering. I sm on my third try for the Epi EB3 case.

 

The bas looks great under the lights!