NBD - Long scale, semi acoustic content

[chriswareham]

Not normally one to show off a new acquisition, but I thought this was unusual enough to make an exception.

 

About ten years ago I owned an Aria semi-acoustic bass that seems to defy all my Googling to find out much about it. It was apparently a "Tab 66" model according to the receipt I still have, but unfortunately it was stolen from the storage locker I had at a rehearsal studio in Walthamstow. I looked into claiming it on my insurance, but factoring in the excess and potential hit I'd take on my renewal I didn't bother.

 

Cut to this year, and I decided I need another semi-acoustic because ... well, they look as cool as f*ck and the other one I own is very fragile. Since I needed it to be my main bass, I ideally wanted a standard 34" scale and that seems to be a bit of a rarity with semi-acoustics. I eventually got the options down to an Epiphone Jack Casady or another Aria, the Tab Classic. As an incurable goth, it had to be in a black finish, so that was the Jack Casady out of the equation. So this is my new bass:

 

The black model seemed to be permanently out of stock in the UK, so I took a chance on buying it online from a German outfit whose name starts with a "Z". It was shipped super quick, although the post Brexit import tax kerfuffle slowed it down a bit when it reached the UK. Still worked out cheaper then buying the red model from anywhere in the UK that had them in stock.

 

As I've come to expect from buying online, the setup on arrival was completely unplayable. The neck was like a banana, action 10mm at the twelfth fret, and bridge jacked up to the point the bolts where about to pop out of their sockets. A nerve wracking session of truss rod tweaks and bridge adjustments later, and it now plays beautifully. It has the rich, woody sound I associate with a semi-acoustic and is perfectly balanced when played standing with no neck dive.

 

The label inside the body only mentions Japan, but I assume it's actually a Chinese made instrument. The body and neck is Maple, while the fretboard is a laminate made by Knoll that feels like Rosewood. The quality is outstanding, the only thing I can fault it on is slightly sharp fret ends which a couple of strokes with a safe edge file sorted out and were probably down to shrinkage in the wood rather than a quality control issue.

Edited December 17, 2023 by chriswareham

[mr4stringz]

12 hours ago, chriswareham said:

As an incurable goth, it had to be in a black finish, so that was the Jack Casady out of the equation.

They’ve stopped making the JC in black?

[TheGreek]

Agree that big body,  semi acoustic basses look cool as but my only venture into this area with a Jack Casady was disappointing - I couldn't get a tone I liked from it so moved it on within a month. 

Not really what you would call perseverance but I did have high hopes which it didn't live up to. 

Hope that you have more success than I did. 

[jd56hawk]

4 hours ago, mr4stringz said:

They’ve stopped making the JC in black?

Still in production, they're the bestselling semi-hollow body basses the bass world, and for some very good reasons...great price, great looks and incredible tone!

Edited December 17, 2023 by jd56hawk

[chriswareham]

On 17/12/2023 at 13:00, mr4stringz said:

They’ve stopped making the JC in black?

I could only find them in the gold or red finish.

[Skybone]

Oooh, been GAS-ing for a semi for a good few years, but have never been tempted to part with any money as yet.

 

Keep forgetting about the good old Aria TAB's, but the Warwick Star was top of the list for a long time (the Korean built ones were 34", where the Chinese RB's are 32" IIRC). 

 

Enjoy your new TAB.

[chriswareham]

I love everything about the Warwick Star bass ... except the headstock. I think it's a great shape for their solid bodies, but find it a bit out of place on a more traditional looking semi-acoustic.

Edited December 18, 2023 by chriswareham