NBD Eastwood Hooky Bass 6 Pro Fac51

[Maude]

Well that's a mouthful! 😁

 

I've had a Squier Bass VI since they released them but, like many, have never really got on with the string spacing, it's fine if you played it like a guitar. 

The Eastwood is much more like an actual bass. 

 

I'd been keeping an eye open for a used Eastwood but they just never seem to come up for sale. This one had been on facebook for a while but was too expensive for me, £300 more than new as it's one of the limited edition Fac51 Hacienda ones, so I'd kind of been toying with ordering a new one. 

 I was selling stuff to buy the Peavey T40 I'd mentioned in other threads (I won't bore you) but the seller has decided to keep it. 

Feeling a little deflated I looked up the Eastwood ad and the seller had reduced it substantially. I made an offer and we struck up a deal. 

Now, I wasn't after the Hacienda one, it's kind of tacky, and being only 51 made is more of a collectable than a player, but I got it for a couple of hundred less than a new standard one so what does it matter? And being a huge Joy Division/New Order fan helps. It'll sit nicely with my Yamaha BBPH. 

It's never been played, just bought then squirelled away, so is absolutely mint condition. 

 

It's actually way nicer in the flesh than the pictures online make it look. Well built, lovely finish (I'm a fussy git) and really nice neck wood with quite a bit of quilting and grain, it looks really 3d as you move it in the light. 

It feels so much better than the Squier to play, the stock strings are fine and the spacing feels much better for me. Although wide, the neck is very shallow so feels very comfortable. 

It sounds fantastic, of course I had to put it through my EHX Bass Clone and play some New Order. 😁

 

It was bought as a 'let's see' kind of bass, which is why I was after second hand. But after a few hours of playing I can already tell it's a keeper, it just feels right where every other Bass VI I've tried doesn't. 

 

Anyway you must be bored by now so here's some pictures. 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[merello]

That's stunning.

[BigRedX]

On 27/08/2022 at 13:44, Maude said:

It was bought as a 'let's see' kind of bass, which is why I was after second hand. But after a few hours of playing I can already tell it's a keeper, it just feels right where every other Bass VI I've tried doesn't. 

 

Exactly how I felt when I first played my Eastwood Hooky bass. All the parts that I had to really concentrate on not to mess up were suddenly simple to play. I won't be going back to a Fender style Bass VI ever. I've been looking for another one second hand to use as a spare, but as you say they never come up for sale.

[velvetkevorkian]

I'm quite taken with that treadplate pattern control cover.

[Maude]

1 hour ago, velvetkevorkian said:

I'm quite taken with that treadplate pattern control cover.

 

I'll be be completely honest, the looks aren't doing it for me at all. 

It's in the style of the Hacienda club but the mish-mash of patterns doesn't appeal to me. 

The blue is nice enough, but the mix of yellow & black hazard tape, aluminium checker plate, odd knobs and the red/black striped TRC look like a child has been let loose with the crayons. 

I'll probably make a new scratchplate, control plate and TRC which will serve two purposes. 1, make it look better (in my eyes) and 2, save the originals from getting scratched in case I sell it, as it is a collectors bass really. Any light plectrum scratches around the playing area can be polished if and when the time comes. 

The fly is under the lacquer so will have to stay. 

Also some new knobs. 

 

 

[Maude]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

 

Exactly how I felt when I first played my Eastwood Hooky bass. All the parts that I had to really concentrate on not to mess up were suddenly simple to play. I won't be going back to a Fender style Bass VI ever. I've been looking for another one second hand to use as a spare, but as you say they never come up for sale.

 

The only thing that's tripped me up a couple of times is that the fretboard feels very flat. 

But I'll soon get used to that. 

 

One thing I'll ask you as it strikes me as odd. The control switch is held on with a nut and the washer between the nut and control plate looks more like it should be below the plate, between the actual switch and the plate, if you see what I mean. It has a little tab which is usually there to dig into the reverse of the plate to grip on other basses. 

Is yours like this or is it a mistake on mine. 

[msb]

Looks good!
I’ve been surprised by Eastwood’s offshore build quality. Some years back picked up a white Classic IV for a good price, it’s not bad. Still play it. Much better made than I thought it might be.

[BigRedX]

20 hours ago, Maude said:

The only thing that's tripped me up a couple of times is that the fretboard feels very flat. 

But I'll soon get used to that. 

 

One thing I'll ask you as it strikes me as odd. The control switch is held on with a nut and the washer between the nut and control plate looks more like it should be below the plate, between the actual switch and the plate, if you see what I mean. It has a little tab which is usually there to dig into the reverse of the plate to grip on other basses. 

Is yours like this or is it a mistake on mine. 

 

The flat fingerboard suits me fine, and IIRC is exactly like the Shergold original.

 

Mine also has the tab on the top of the control plate. AFAIK the tab is designed to dig into the wood to stop the switch turning on instruments where the controls go through the body rather than being mounted on a plate. Normally, on a plastic or metal control plate you wouldn't bother fitting it at all. I haven't looked under the control plate but I would hope that there is a serrated washer stopping the switch from turning.

[BigRedX]

20 hours ago, msb said:

Looks good!
I’ve been surprised by Eastwood’s offshore build quality. Some years back picked up a white Classic IV for a good price, it’s not bad. Still play it. Much better made than I thought it might be.

 

The problem I always have with Eastwood is not the build or QC (both are excellent on my Hooky Bass) but the fact that the majority of their instruments only bear a passing resemblance to the guitar or bass they are supposed to copying, and are generally cobbled together using standard modern hardware, which might result in a more reliable playing experience, but loses much of the charm and quirkiness (and IMO the USP) of the original. Their "copy" of the Ovation Magnum bass was particular poor.

 

However the Hooky 6-string bass simply wouldn't be possible with on-the-shelf parts, and therefore is a completely different proposition.

[PaulThePlug]

Great these kinda things are out there...

[Maude]

As this thread has been dug up it would be a good time to add that the bass has now been signed by the man himself. 😎