Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas Bass PJ IV Review

Fender done right

This is how a Fender should be made. I like Fender, the look, the sound, but sometimes I feel like you pay for the name. Charvel is a Fender brand, it has a Fender bridge and headstock. It is Fender in its bones, at a better price. The bridge is labeled Charvel, but it is a Fender Himass bridge with a different name. It's identical, which is good as it's one of my favorite bridges.… read more I prefer the Fender Himass over the Badass or Kickass. It's easy to restring, intonate, and adjust a setup with. Great bridge. The body is a traditional shape, but the cutouts place it in the above average in the comfort zone. And it's not heavy. The black metallic is understated. If you're looking to make a statement, the lime green or mystic blue options are better suited. This bass is planned to be my workman's bass, so having an understated elegance with a big sound is the ticket for me. Let's talk briefly about the weak point of the bass, which is the three band EQ. It is adequate. There are better EQs out there, but this isn't as bad as people make it out. It does the job. I think the biggest problem is that everything else on the bass is such high quality that an average EQ stands out. But let's be honest - it's eons better than a tone knob. The EQ brings punch and versatility. Pull out the volume knob and go passive, and you will see how much it is actually doing. Truss rod - it has wheel for adjustment. I don't know why more basses don't use this system. It is inexpensive and convenient. No fooling finding the right Allen wrench; you can use a screwdriver, Allen wrench, anything that fits will let you adjust the truss. Best thing ever. Left the best parts of the bass for last. The pickups and the neck. The pickups are DiMarzio Model P and Model J. They are Hot, strong lows but not too warm, crisp highs and articulate through out. It is easy to produce bell like tones with these pickups. There's a lot of versatility and tones available, still it's a very modern pickup. Roll back on the J pickup and you get a Music Man like tone. Both pickups are humbuckers, there is no hum on this bass. I know some online reviewers reported a shielding issue, I own two of these and that's not my experience. My shielding has been fine. As I have two, on this bass I went with a different setup. My Mystic Blue bass is stock; my Black bass I went with a DiMarzio 60s P for the neck and their Area J for the bridge. This is to create a more vintage sound. The Sixties P is reminiscent of a Duncan Seymour SPB4, but warmer and fatter, with a little less of the mid tones. The Area J is a good Jazz pickup, a vintage sound, and pairs well with the Sixties P. To bring this all together I swapped out the EQ with a Darkglass Tone Capsule, and it just sounds great. Now for the neck - this is one of the best necks I have ever played. It is roasted maple, in a light satin finish, so it is super smooth. The nut width is 38mm like a jazz, and the profile is thin like an Ibanez, nothing like a Fender at all. How they fit two carbon rods and a truss rod in is beyond me but it is solid. The radius is 12" at the nut, changing to 16" towards the upper frets. Very fast neck to play. And if that isn't enough, the edges are rolled like a Sire or Fender Player Plus model. It is simply a great neck (and why I bought the second one). That's the bass, the good and the meh

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This Blue Monster

There is nothing like Sweetwater. I live in Nashville and I shop here exclusively. I picked this blue monster up on a trip to the awesome Sweetwater Campus. I went there to meet my sales engineer, Derrek Meade, who is without a doubt the nicest and coolest guy ever, not to mention one hell of a sales engineer. I was not sure that I was going to buy a bass because I very selective… read more when it comes to what I am looking for. For a bass to be right for me, it must be comfortable from every angle. By that I mean, it's length must be perfect for my body type. The neck must be the right thickness and the right cut for the small hands I have. The fretboard must be the right width. The spacing of the frets must not be miles apart. The sound must have a distinct natural growl and stand on its own. This is the first bass I have owned that had preamps built in. Wow, what a real difference that makes. The preamps are super powerful and spot on. This bass is all that and more. Lastly, this bass is just downright beautiful. It goes well on my wall of 9 basses. None of them are the same but, this bass is the new generation. Buy this bass if you want power, options, growl and playability. If you don't have a Sweetwater engineer already ask for Derek Meade. He will give you outstanding service. He has knowledge that is necessary to handle your business. A side note: I haven't checked with my sales engineer to see if he purchased this bass... but, last time we spoke via phone, he was considering purchasing this bass. Looks like I am due some commission ... LOL!

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