ped Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Hi bass friends I put up a post here a while back asking for a 70s jazz bass. I love the sound of a 70s jazz, with the wider spacing, and in particular the Marcus Miller slap sound (although Melvin Davis sounds amazing on one too!) This one was offered to me - you don't tend to see Atelier-Z basses very often but if you don't know about them they are made in Tokyo to super high standards, using fine ingredients and top craftsmen/women. This bass is an unusual one in that it has two important features - firstly the 70s spacing, which isn't always the case - and the body is chambered. As a result the bass growls like nothing else and it weighs under 4kg. Every time you pick it up it's really surprising because as you know, the traditional jazz bass body shape is quite large. Only recently I found what has been my dream jazz bass for some time and I can only realistically keep one. In fact this bass matches the other very well considering the relative price, and the fact it has taken a full weekend of playing and experimenting to compare the two goes some way to explain what a superb bass this is. It NAILS the Marcus slap sound. The only difference making the other bass win top spot is that I can get the action fractionally lower on the other bass. That said, I like a SUPER low action - anyone who plays my stuff at bashes normally thinks I'm mental (other factors probably play into this). The neck is dead straight but easy to adjust with a 5mm wrench - truss rod moves smoothly and responds quickly. Fretwork is impeccable and the fingerboard wood is gorgeous ebony. Because it's chambered the body is sliced down the centre - the back is alder and the front is ash, giving a nice mix of both tone woods. The controls are rear routed further lessening the amount of wood hanging from your shoulder. Leccy-wise you have two volumes, the second of which lifts for passive mode. Then there's a treble boost/cut, I'm not sure of the freq but it feels around 6K, very musical and adds tremendous bite, and when turned down it delivers thump. Then there's a bass boost only, adding girth and a very punchy bass response. Try the back pickup with the bass boost half way and treble rolled off. I live in York and could post this but will need to buy a case for shipping which I have built into the price. I'm also prepared to meet half way with quite a decent range, or if you can collect then it'll be cheaper for you. I've never sold a bass that I like as much as this - normally it's because I've fallen out of love with one or it no longer gets played or I can't quite get what I want from it. This is absolutely spot on, and I challenge anyone to find a better 70s jazz, especially given the light weight. Let me know if you have any questions Cheers ped 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 (edited) This is crazy nice. Makes me wonder what the other bass is, to knock this one off the shelf! Edit: ah, the Celinder! Edited October 29, 2020 by CameronJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apothem Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 I own an Atelier Z M245 and previously had a Jino 4 as well. Very underrated high quality basses. If they are good for Jerry Barnes of Chic.... GLWTS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songofthewind Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Cor, lovely Jazz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebenezer Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Stunning, fingerboard looks rosewood to me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted October 29, 2020 Author Share Posted October 29, 2020 2 minutes ago, ebenezer said: Stunning, fingerboard looks rosewood to me though. Same, but apparently ebony can be quite light in some cases. I was surprised when I read it was ebony. I had a Bacchus jazz a while back with nearly identical fingerboard, also ebony. An expert may be able to confirm or deny as I know Atelier make a lot of options available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 7 minutes ago, ped said: Same, but apparently ebony can be quite light in some cases. I was surprised when I read it was ebony. I had a Bacchus jazz a while back with nearly identical fingerboard, also ebony. An expert may be able to confirm or deny as I know Atelier make a lot of options available. It can indeed. One of my ACG fretless basses has a lighter ebony board with some almost tan streaks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Great bass! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted October 29, 2020 Author Share Posted October 29, 2020 On hold! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon. Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 3 hours ago, ped said: On hold! Glad to hear that! That bass is far too lovely and tempting to be allowed to roam free. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted October 29, 2020 Author Share Posted October 29, 2020 It’s an absolute bargain and I don’t think you can do any better for twice the price. Fantastic bass 👍🏼 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normski Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 These are absolutely amazing basses. I love mine! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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