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. 😎

 

[Musicman666]

my only issue with this bass is that i would constantly feel a bit worried about putting the first ding in...

[NikNik]

On 29/08/2022 at 18:46, 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.

Around ten years back, Eastwood recreated a guitar that I had coveted for years: the Wedgtail, made by Aussie company, Maton. I pre-ordered one, and when it arrived, though the build quality looked ok, there were a few things I didn't like,  so it went back.

 

Does anyone think the Bigsby is out of alignment in the photo of the Eastwood below (top photo)?

 

 

 

 

Edited May 25 by NikNik

[simisker]

1 hour ago, NikNik said:

Does anyone think the Bigsby is out of alignment in the photo of the Eastwood below (top photo)?

 

Yes, even taking into account photo aberrations, angle etc, I'd say it's out of alignment:

 

 

someone clearly used the bridge as a guide

 

I will add that I've recently become the owner of a Hooky Bass 6 Pro, and I love it: No issues with QC. I can only assume that you were unlucky with this particular Wedgetail.

 

Incidentally, the observations from Maude and BigRedX above were spot on: Coming from playing bass, once you play a Hooky Bass 6 you'll never touch a Fender/Squier/HB Bass VI ever again.

Edited May 25 by simisker

[Maude]

On 22/05/2024 at 04:11, Musicman666 said:

my only issue with this bass is that i would constantly feel a bit worried about putting the first ding in...

I know what you mean, and I do to an extent feel that way, but, there were no used ones available and I was considering buying new. Then this came up a few hundred pounds less than a new 'normal' one. So on the one hand it cost me less than a standard one, which I wouldn't worry about dinging, so I shouldn't care if this gets a ding. On the other hand it's more of a collectors piece so maybe should be boxed up and not played. 

I'm fairly careful with my basses, my main gigging basses have yet to be dinged, and I feel a bass is for playing anyway so this one gets used. 

As it's only used at home I'm not overly concerned and I doubt these will ever be worth big money anyway. 

If a cheap used one popped up would I buy it and sell it this to avoid the dilemma? Maybe. 

[Maude]

2 hours ago, NikNik said:

Around ten years back, Eastwood recreated a guitar that I had coveted for years: the Wedgtail, made by Aussie company, Maton. I pre-ordered one, and when it arrived, though the build quality looked ok, there were a few things I didn't like,  so it went back.

 

Does anyone think the Bigsby is out of alignment in the photo of the Eastwood below (top photo)?

 

 

 

 

That tailpiece definitely looks off.

I assume the bridge is angled for intonation, if not that's way off as well. 

 

[NikNik]

1 hour ago, simisker said:

Yes, even taking into account photo aberrations, angle etc, I'd say it's out of alignment:

 

 

someone clearly used the bridge as a guide

 

I will add that I've recently become the owner of a Hooky Bass 6 Pro, and I love it: No issues with QC. I can only assume that you were unlucky with this particular Wedgetail.

 

Incidentally, the observations from Maude and BigRedX above were spot on: Coming from playing bass, once you play a Hooky Bass 6 you'll never touch a Fender/Squier/HB Bass VI ever again.

Thanks for agreeing with me, for Eastwood didn't. That, there, is an internet image, and the Wedgtail Eastwood supplied to me had the exact same issue with the Bigsby alignment. They put in humbuckers instead of single coils, but I knew that. However, they were really dark. But it was the Bigsby that got me: every time I looked at it, I winced, so back it went.

 

Apols for the derail.

[nilorius]

Are You sure it's not baritone? As i remember Squire made only 6 string baritone, and You said You had VI Squire bass, or may be i am wrong.

[simisker]

37 minutes ago, NikNik said:

Thanks for agreeing with me, for Eastwood didn't. That, there, is an internet image, and the Wedgtail Eastwood supplied to me had the exact same issue with the Bigsby alignment. They put in humbuckers instead of single coils, but I knew that. However, they were really dark. But it was the Bigsby that got me: every time I looked at it, I winced, so back it went.

 

I'd have done the same. It can't be unseen!

 

An inherent CAD flaw, perhaps? It's a shame Eastwood didn't acknowledge it - I imagine they order small manufacturing runs, and would have looked to correct it stealthily for their next batch -  but at least you didn't end up out of pocket [I hope].

 

[Edit: for balance, I'd like to point out that my Hooky purchase was not straightforward for reasons [not QC], but the Eastwood UK team went above and beyond to sort it out ]

Edited May 25 by simisker

[Maude]

50 minutes ago, nilorius said:

Are You sure it's not baritone? As i remember Squire made only 6 string baritone, and You said You had VI Squire bass, or may be i am wrong.

The Squier and Fender VIs  are definitely bass guitars, strung EADGBE as a standard guitar but an octave lower, as is the Eastwood and all other 'Bass VIs'. Not to say you can't tune them differently with suitable strings but they are intended to be, and leave the factory as, a bass guitar. 

 

[Musicman666]

On 25/05/2024 at 20:18, Maude said:

The Squier and Fender VIs  are definitely bass guitars, strung EADGBE as a standard guitar but an octave lower, as is the Eastwood and all other 'Bass VIs'. Not to say you can't tune them differently with suitable strings but they are intended to be, and leave the factory as, a bass guitar. 

 

a guitar drop tuned is a baritone all the way until it hits an octave below when magically it turns into a bass. 

[Maude]

25 minutes ago, Musicman666 said:

a guitar drop tuned is a baritone all the way until it hits an octave below when magically it turns into a bass. 

A guitar tuned down an octave is a bass, a bass tuned up an octave is a piccolo bass. 

You hear that guitarists? We will own all the tunings, ALL THE TUNINGS. Mwah ha ha haaa. 

[nilorius]

26 minutes ago, Maude said:

A guitar tuned down an octave is a bass, a bass tuned up an octave is a piccolo bass. 

You hear that guitarists? We will own all the tunings, ALL THE TUNINGS. Mwah ha ha haaa. 

Bass ukulele owners - cheers !

[BigRedX]

I play my Eastwood Hooky as both a guitar and a bass which confuses quite a few people - mostly PA sound engineers.

 

Despite mentioning this when we set up, I have discovered that it's still necessary to soundcheck one of the songs with a "guitar" part so they don't EQ out all the top end.