Bigwan Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Vigier are a brand I've been interested in since I used to read Guitarist magazine in the very early 90s and saw a review of the Passion - I never thought I'd be able to afford one, but I recently received a little bit of inheritance money from my grandfather so I'm in bass shopping mode! A used Amethyst Passion 5 at Bass Direct has caught my eye and is just within my budget... The other basses I'm considering are a Dingwall D-roc 5 Standard (currently on order with Mark as it was floating my boat originally) and a Spector Euro 4 or 5 What I'm looking for is a bass that feels ALIVE... Punch and growl are what I'm after. I don't see many reviews for the Passion that would cover my style (hard rock to metal) so it's hard for me to really judge and visiting Warwick is out for the foreseeable. What are the thoughts guys? Would a Passion 5 fit the bill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Geezer says "yes" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Roger Glover says "yes" too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifi2112 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 I used to have a Dingwall ABZ5 but now use a Vigier Excess 4 (passive) .. both great, well made basses ... I prefer the Vigier .. I play heavy rock / metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 If the instrument brand dictates your playing style... no, I won't continue. Make a test ride and choose the one that fits like a glove and sounds incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 11, 2021 Author Share Posted May 11, 2021 18 minutes ago, itu said: If the instrument brand dictates your playing style... no, I won't continue. Make a test ride and choose the one that fits like a glove and sounds incredible. The brand name means absolutely nothing. I'm asking about the tonal attributes of a specific model... A relatively rare bass, I've never seen one in the flesh in my 30 years of playing. It would be simple if I could try everything I wanted to... It's not something a bass player on this island ever has a chance to do on an instrument of the level we're talking about, not without significant travel. That's why I've always relied quite heavily on basschat input, since before day 1 of the basschat forum - some of us remember basstalk.co.uk. If you haven't anything better to contribute maybe you should be on a different thread... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walshy Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 *cough* my Vigier Passion 5 is for sale 😁😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman68 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 I do love a Vigier, a friend of mine plays an 80’s passion in a Rock/metal covers band & it sounds glorious? I think it all depends on what sort of tone you are looking for, The graphite necked Vigier is very full sounding, with a clear top-end but IMO more traditional sounding than say, a Spector or a Dingwall, even a Warwick, which can all provide a real ‘growly mid’ more modern metal sound, especially if you like that overdriven sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 12, 2021 Author Share Posted May 12, 2021 32 minutes ago, Bassman68 said: I do love a Vigier, a friend of mine plays an 80’s passion in a Rock/metal covers band & it sounds glorious? I think it all depends on what sort of tone you are looking for, The graphite necked Vigier is very full sounding, with a clear top-end but IMO more traditional sounding than say, a Spector or a Dingwall, even a Warwick, which can all provide a real ‘growly mid’ more modern metal sound, especially if you like that overdriven sound? I really don't like the modern rock/metal tone. The Dingwall & Darkglass thing is EVERYWHERE and it sets my teeth on edge! Think more James Lomenzo/Billy Sheehan tones (not playing-wise I might add!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 (edited) 13 hours ago, Bigwan said: I'm asking about the tonal attributes of a specific model... A relatively rare bass, I've never seen one in the flesh in my 30 years of playing. I only have two Passion II basses, and their preamps are capable of anything I need to play. So my understanding of the Excess is therefore limited, but I do not have any reason to believe they wouldn't be very good in any genre. String choice affects the outcome quite a lot, so for twang I would choose Vigier's basic strings, 40-95 SS RW. For more middle nickel strings work better, and naturally you can go down to flats if needed. I think string choice is crucial to the basic sound of any instrument. As the necks do not have truss rods, you can only adjust the bridge. If you are after a very low action, my instruments have been steady since 1980's and I am confident that Excess is no exception. Edited May 12, 2021 by itu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 (edited) I saw Lomenzo playing with Megadeth and he was using a Passion at the time. Sounded great. I own an Arpege and Excess. They both cover all manner of rock and metal playing, or funk or pretty much any genre you fancy. They are also brilliant for alternate tunings as the stability of the neck means that set ups are easy. The Vigiers however in my opinion don’t really do authentic ‘vintage’ tones so if you are looking for something that gives you that tone then maybe look at something else. Given the placement of the pick up on the Passion it won’t really give you a traditional ‘jazz’ or ‘P-Bass’ tone, primarily because it wasn’t designed to do so in the first place. However, no vintage bass will give you the tone of a Vigier so it is really a case of whether the Vigier is what the OP is looking for. For a Passion I think that the closest comparisons would be a cross between a Warwick Thumb and a Spector but even then that doesn’t really give an accurate description. There are plenty of YouTube demos as well. I would buy a Passion without hesitation for use in a rock/metal context. Edited May 12, 2021 by thodrik 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 12, 2021 Author Share Posted May 12, 2021 1 minute ago, itu said: I only have two Passion II basses, and their preamps are capable of anything I need to play. So my understanding of the Excess is therefore limited, but I do not have any reason to believe they are very good in any genre. String choice affects the outcome quite a lot, so for twang I would choose Vigier's basic strings, 40-95 SS RW. For more middle nickel strings work better, and naturally you can go down to flats if needed. I think string choice is crucial to the basic sound of any instrument. As the necks do not have truss rods, you can only adjust the bridge. If you are after a very low action, my instruments have been steady since 1980's and I am confident that Excess is no exception. That's extremely useful. Thanks @itu! It's a Passion IV I'm interested in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 I own a Passion 5 s3. I've used it for all sorts of music, including heavy stuff, and it's never let me down. I've also tried an Excess 4 and a couple of Passion 5 s4. They're all very well made and play consistently well. Only oddity I've found with my particular instrument is the way it interacts with effects units (especially OD/distortion), possibly due to the low-impedance (600 Ohm) output. Not an issue with the s4, as I don't think the Glockenlang pre has a low-impedance output. Best bet? Try some out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 (edited) Here's the best recording I can find of mine in a band setting; think the intro shows how the Passion s3 cuts through. Carousel.mp3 Edited May 12, 2021 by Lfalex v1.1 Edit- This recording is straight to the desk via a DI box, with only the bass' onboard EQ in play. Further EQ & comp were applied by the mix engineer, but it's still fairly minimal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Another Vigier Passion player here. I've used mine for every style of music, including heavy rock. Comparisons are admittedly difficult to make, purely because there is nothing else like a Vigier out there. Having also owned a Arpege during the late 80's, for me, Vigier are the best basses on the market ... and I've owned almost everything from Wal to Alembic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 Alas I missed the boat on 2 (yes, 2!) Passion IV 5 strings over the weekend. Have wanted ads up - it's time for a bucket list bass so have ads up for Vigiers, Spectors and a left-field-in-comparison Dingwall Super P! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Worth looking at Zikinf, it's the place where to seek for French made musical instruments : https://www.zikinf.com/annonces/search/?q=vigier&rub=17&sb=p&so=a 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 There's also one 1988 Vigier Passion in Belgium at a slim price : https://www.2ememain.be/a/musique-instruments/instruments-a-corde-guitares-basses/m1680224756-te-koop-basgitaar-vigier-passion-bass.html?previousPage=lr 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarlscharisma Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Also check BassDirect out, he stocks Vigiers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarlscharisma Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 (edited) https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Vigier_Excess_4_SH.html. There's also a review on the Excess on the page Edited May 14, 2021 by Sarlscharisma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 5 hours ago, Sarlscharisma said: https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Vigier_Excess_4_SH.html. There's also a review on the Excess on the page Yeah I'd seen that one and I'm tempted. @Dood's video review is of the ACTUAL bass that bass direct have for sale too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 16, 2021 Author Share Posted May 16, 2021 Looks like I'm going to get a chance to find out for myself! Woop woop! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted May 20, 2021 Author Share Posted May 20, 2021 (edited) It's here... And it's SPECTACULAR! Edit: unlike my photography skills... Edited May 20, 2021 by Bigwan 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Did my eyes deceive me or did the Bassist of Blind Channel just use an Excess for the Eurovision show? 🤣🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted May 22, 2021 Share Posted May 22, 2021 Alas not. It was a Low Brow Guitars custom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.