Un bajo muy serio y con un buen precio, tanto compreís este o uno nuevo. Muy recomedable!
Rebajado a 490€
Fotos:
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z45 ... 000496.jpg
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z45 ... 000499.jpg
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z45 ... 000502.jpg
http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z45 ... 000500.jpg
http://www.bladeguitars.com/models/n_b1 ... ndard.html
Construcción:
Un bajo muy bien hecho, ligero.
Está hecho en Japón, los ajustes y control de calidad finales se hacen en Suiza.
Mucho mejor que los Fender's mexicano y que los standard USA, incluso mejor acabados en la unión mástil-cuerpo que los de la Fender Custom-shop (al menos el mío, comprobado y desmostráble).
Electrónica:
El control de tono es push-pull y puedes escoger entre activo y pasiv .
La variedad tonal es mayor que en un j-bass, y el previo tiene un ecualizador interno que se puede ajustar através de un un pequeño potenciómetro, con un destornillador pequeño.
Mástil:
Muy cómodo y estrecho de cuello y de grosor, permite una acción muy baja sin trasteos.
En España cuesta unos 750 euros aprox.
Para alguien que busque un bajo tipo Jazz Bass versátil y bien hecho es una opción muy interesante.
Specifications:
Made in:
Japan (checked in Switzerland)
Colour: Vintage White BGM Ratings
Body: North American Alder
Exceptional
Neck: Hard Rock Maple
Excellent
Neck Join: Bolt-on Good
Fingerboard: Rosewood Average
Pickups: 2 x JS-1 Alnico Single Coils
Poor
Inlay: Dot
Controls: Master volume, pickup blend, push-pull switch for BMB-1
Electronics: BMB-1
Scale Length:
34-inch
Hardware: Chrome
Finish: Black, Vintage White (as reviewed) and 3-tone Sunburst
The B1 Tetra Standard is the latest bass model from Gary Levinson’s Switzerland-based company and was built to combine vintage looks and sound with extra tonal features.
Intro & Background
Gary Levinson has been building guitars and basses for over 20 years now (Levinson celebrate their 20th anniversary this year), and repairing and problem-solving for even longer. Combining his in-depth knowledge of the instrument with degrees in applied and natural sciences, Levinson has always approached the building of an instrument from an analytical standpoint: inherent resonant frequencies of woods, innovative electronics and the tonal effect of hardware designs are all important factors in his concept development, though Gary adds that equally as important is the role of ‘metaphysics’ - or ‘magic’. Gary’s exhaustive research over the years has resulted in the Blade guitars and basses that have become renowned for quality and tone all around the world. The latest bass model, one of three available from Levinson, is the B1 Tetra Standard. The Tetra combines the classic look and feel of the Fender Jazz bass with updated electronics in order to offer a broader tonal palette.
Build Quality & Features
Straight out of the sturdy soft case, the Tetra is an impressive looking instrument: the Vintage White finish and 3-ply tortoise-shell pickguard combined with chrome hardware and a rosewood fingerboard all contribute to the instrument’s vintage appeal. The unusual, but alluring headstock shaping reminds you that while the instrument should be familiar, it’s also something a little different. The Tetra has a North American alder body with a standard 4-bolt neck join which was tight and secure. The bass ships in three different colour options – Black, 3-Tone Sunburst and the Vintage White, as featured in this review. Vintage White is a popular colour for older style instruments, and has been well-executed here - the finishing on both the body and neck was excellent, and in both cases was well polished with no rough patches evident. The fretwork was similarly impressive and the bass was well set-up and felt comfortable to play. The Tetra has an innovative truss rod access point referred to as an E-Z Access Neck Rod. The end of the fingerboard has a cut out section which is occupied by a screwed in moulded plastic section bearing the Levinson name. Removing this section provides access to the truss rod which is adjusted by inserting an angled key into one of the holes around the shaft of the rod and turning – an angled key (note: not an Allen key, although one of these could be used) is included with the bass, as is a small electrical screwdriver (for adjusting the trim pot – more on this later) and an Allen key for adjusting action. While this system works well, it’s not quick to access. I had to make a small
truss rod adjustment to make the instrument more comfortable for me, and it was quite time-consuming. Thankfully, it’s not something you need to do every day.
Moving on, the control pots felt sturdy and secure and the tuning pegs turned smoothly and without that ‘crunchy’ feeling that is sometimes found with vintage style tuners. The edge contouring was smooth and comfortable and the chunky chrome strap buttons finished things off nicely. There is a small square plate on the rear of this bass that allows the user to access the BMB-1 circuit board and battery. Four screws are between you and the battery, so no quick battery changes here. Much as I love flip-up battery covers, I have to concede that one would probably seem out of place on a vintage-style bass such as this. The cavity was well screened and both the wiring and soldering seemed neat and tidy. It was rather tight in there however, and removing the battery was actually quite difficult since it was hard to get any purchase on it inside the cavity. Hopefully the user of this bass will be conscientious enough to change the battery from time to time and never be faced with an on-stage emergency battery change. The cavity cover plate contains a small hole in the middle through which the user can access the trim-pot for the Midrange Boost control. This can be adjusted with a small Phillips screwdriver and has a range of 0-14dB @ 400 Hz. The Perspex cover plate featured the only instance I found on the entire instrument of less than impressive workmanship – the edges were quite rough, but to be fair this was not noticeable unless the cover was removed.
Electronic
The B1 Tetra has two JS-1 Alnico single coil pickups and features the usual customers in the control set – Master Volume, Pickup Blend and Master Tone. However, the Tetra also has Blade’s BMB-1 Electronics fitted, an active circuit that allows the user a greater tonal range than is offered by a single tone pot alone. The tone pot in this instance is actually a push-pull affair that allows the user to boost the midrange of the tone. A 0-14db @ 400 Hz boost is offered, and the dB level can be adjusted via the trim pot just inside the rear control plate.
Impressions
In use the Tetra was slightly neck heavy – as we’d expect from an instrument with a large headstock and vintage style tuners – but otherwise comfortable to play. While seated the neck needs to be supported, but this wasn’t a problem when standing. It’s a relatively light and comfortable instrument to wear, and I
can’t imagine experiencing much discomfort using it on a lengthy gig. Plugging in, the Tetra had plenty to offer: I found a great, vintage slap tone by soloing the neck pickup and boosting the tone most of the way – fantastic for Larry Graham/Louis Johnson style slap grooves. This tone can be ‘modernised’ by bringing the mid control into play and using an equal blend of both pickups. In both cases the tone was thick and throaty and with a satisfying amount of ‘grunt’.
A fingerstyle tone was easy to find, and entailed favouring the bridge pickup and boosting the mids with the push-pull control. This resulted in a satisfying amount of ‘bite’. When using this control there is a significant jump in volume that needs to be taken into account. If for instance you were to switch it in during a song, there would be a quite a difference.
On the whole the Tetra has an impressive sonic palette and it’s one that sounds familiar and exciting. The mid boost adds a lot of flavour, and it’s just enough to offer a few more options without overcomplicating things. My only complaint with the electronics on this bass is that the pickup blend seems to have been wired in reverse – turning it forward favours the bridge pickup, back for the neck pickup – I’m sure I’m not the only one to expect it to be the other way around, and it’s not clear if this was intentional or a mistake.
Test Results
The B1 Tetra was an enjoyable instrument to play in all respects. It offers comfort, vintage looks, great tone, and great playability, all in an affordable package. It’s well-built, looks great and in every way seems to be a solid and dependable instrument. At £479 RRP, the Tetra would be an excellent (although slightly expensive) first bass for a beginner, and a similarly excellent choice for the more experienced player looking for a well-priced vintage-style instrument with some balls. As far as I am concerned, this bass has enormous market appeal, and at such a sensible price point, comes highly recommended.
by Stuart Clayton
