New Fender Adam Clayton and Dee Dee Ramone Signatures

[bartelby]

I have a Fender Steve Harris P (Royal Blue and chrome) mainly because I've wanted a bass that looks like that since about 1985.
It's also a bloody good bass. But it now has a gold pickguard, so it looks more like an Edgar Willis sig...

[Marvin]

I can understand someone going for say, a Steve Harris sig, he is after all a very good bass player and someone who bass players find inspirational...

not something I think would apply to AC and any instrument carrying his name.

[Geek99]

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1410361781' post='2548568']
Sort of thought an Adam Clayton would be based on his original Precision with Jazz neck bass with the chunk of scratchplate missing.
[/quote]
Agree, with relicus maximus

[Geek99]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1410422566' post='2549205']
How much difference does a signature make? do more people actually buy them? I guess they must or fender wouldn't bother...

For me thats a lovely bass ruined by a signature...
[/quote]
I do agree that theyre probably not worth the extra unless they contain some [b]truly[/b] out of the ordinary associated feature, such as say, Yngwie Malmsteen's scalloped board that would allow the buyer and fan to play his music, in his style, more easily. A direct connection, if you will.

I dont think a matching headstock or unbound blocks are so exceptional,or that a simple black, white, maple P are so exceptional. They are purely cosmetic.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Geek99

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1410444372' post='2549511']
I can understand someone going for say, a Steve Harris sig, he is after all a very good bass player and someone who bass players find inspirational...

not something I think would apply to AC and any instrument carrying his name.
[/quote]

Really?

I think it's more down to whether you:

1. like the instrument.
2. like the music the signature artist is involved with.

I have no interest in the music that Steve Harris creates (what I have heard of I've disliked intensely) so how good or not his playing is, for me is completely irrelevant.

I quite like a few of U2's tunes (mainly from the first album and before) but I still wouldn't buy AC's or SH's signature basses as they just look like ordinary Fenders to me. If I was into Fenders I'm sure I could find a non-signature bass that looked just as good and played how I want it to.

[Marvin]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1410445983' post='2549531']
Really?
[/quote]

Yes, because some people like to buy gear endorsed by famous players. So someone, who plays bass and is a big Iron Maiden fan, might want to buy a SH sig

I was looking at it from someone else's perspective not my own. SH gets many positive comments on here, AC doesn't, hence I struggle to see where the market is.

[Cat Burrito]

STOP PRESS: Apparently Fender are to launch deluxe versions of both these basses to include a big bumper book of root notes.

[stingrayPete1977]

These things really only matter between us bass players, my wife could not tell you who Nate is, Matt Freeman, Gary Willis, Geddy Lee, Marcus Miller etc even though she probably has some of there recordings in one way or another, I dont know who most of them are without googling! Most of my musician friends would struggle with most of them too, Adam Clayton and Geddy would probably be the best known and I dont think many people know who Marcus is never mind the obscure Ibanez and Yammy sigs.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1410448944' post='2549565']
STOP PRESS: Apparently Fender are to launch deluxe versions of both these basses to include a big bumper book of root notes.
[/quote]

I wonder if these basses come with widdlle/slap-limiters..........

[dudewheresmybass]

I played the Harris sig a while ago. Initially I wanted to play one as he is pretty much my prime inspiration musically, but very quickly discovered that it is quite simply THE best precision I have ever played (and I have played very many over the years, both new and vintage)
If I could free the cash up, I'd have one in a heartbeat!

[Geek99]

how precisely is it different to a standard precision (ignoring cosmetic considerations) ? I'm honestly curious

[No lust in Jazz]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1410515460' post='2550207']
how precisely is it different to a standard precision (ignoring cosmetic considerations) ? I'm honestly curious
[/quote]
[media]http://youtu.be/A72TYFcqk4E[/media]

[Geek99]

He likes it and approves of the pickup and neck profile

[bartelby]

Yeah, that review sums it up nicely...

And swap the chrome plate for a gold one:

[Lozz196]

Tort, must always be tort.

[GrammeFriday]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1410521740' post='2550298']
Yeah, that review sums it up nicely...

And swap the chrome plate for a gold one:

[/quote]
Never would have thought of that, but ooh, me likey.

[ebenezer]

the adam clayton jazz looks nice!!...for £1600, nitro finish would have been good
but I suppose you can't have everything

[karlfer]

[quote name='ebenezer' timestamp='1414249699' post='2587503']
the adam clayton jazz looks nice!!...for £1600, nitro finish would have been good
but I suppose you can't have everything
[/quote]

It does, but Thomann not due until December?

[Lozz196]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1414250229' post='2587514']
It does, but Thomann not due until December?
[/quote]

So that would be why AC wasn`t using one on Jools Holland on Tues - he can`t get one yet.

[darren]

[quote name='Storky' timestamp='1410361450' post='2548561']


+1

OK, so I admit it; I play bass in a U2 Tribute band.
[/quote]

That's an important first step in starting the recovery process.

[karlfer]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1414256669' post='2587638']
So that would be why AC wasn`t using one on Jools Holland on Tues - he can`t get one yet.
[/quote]

[throwoff]

I know for a fact Warwick don't pay royalties to any of the their artists as a matter of principal, even the ones with Sig instruments, it is the honour of the guitar rather than a money making venture.
Mind you even if they did quite who was buying a 6 grand Clayton Sig reverse bodied Z thing I don't know.

Also, fun fact. Fender do pay royalties

Additional fun, Tom Delonge with his Mexican Strat with a single humbucker and volume control still holds the record (by a country bloody mile as well) for the largest royalty cheque ever paid by Fender due to the sheer number of them they sold. Mr Hoppus is up that list also. Their instruments were genuinely different to anything else in the catalogue not to mention about 400 pounds street and therefore affordable.

[Ruiner]

[quote name='throwoff' timestamp='1414685271' post='2592252']
Mr Hoppus is up that list also. Their instruments were genuinely different to anything else in the catalogue not to mention about 400 pounds street and therefore affordable.
[/quote]

Tis true! Cheapest way at the time of getting a jazz body, P-neck, spb-3 equipped, thru body strung bass. And good choice of colours. Still fancy getting my hands on a shell pink one at some point if one pops up in good condition.

I like the finish on the Clayton jazz, but it doesn't seem to have that many unique features compared to a US standard.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Ruiner

[4000]

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1410361781' post='2548568']
Sort of thought an Adam Clayton would be based on his original Precision with Jazz neck bass with the chunk of scratchplate missing.
[/quote]

Ditto. Was quite looking forward to that.

[Geek99]

Surely that was an actual Jazz bass neck, not an A type Jazz width neck ?