NBD - Fender CS Reggie Hamilton V

[Risk101]

Got this lovely Fender Reggie Hamilton 5er from a nice guy in Austria! They seem quite rare and black especially but I’ve been after a 5 string PJ bass for a while.

 

Not sure about the tortoiseshell pickguard, so I’ve asked “Tiny Tone” to do a 3 ply black one (BWB).

 

First impressions are that the tonal versatility is huge! Using the P pickup in isolation and you’d be hard pressed not to think it was a P Bass and blending in the J gives a more balanced/modern tone. It sounds equally good in passive mode which is selected via a push button.

 

Oh and it only weighs 3.7kg!!!

 

I’ll take some better pics when the pickguard returns, but meanwhile here’s a quick one next to my Shuker!

 

any other Reggie Hamilton owners out there…..?

[Lozz196]

That is stunning!

[Grahambythesea]

That must be the lightest Fender Jazz 5 ever! I really like the tort personally. As it came from Austria, did you have to pay duty?

[Bigguy2017]

A white pearloid (mother of toilet seat) pickguard would work.

[Risk101]

4 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

That must be the lightest Fender Jazz 5 ever! I really like the tort personally. As it came from Austria, did you have to pay duty?

 

Yes, very light indeed - don't know why!  - I try and seek out the lighter stuff. My Marcus Miller 5er is a respectable 4.1kg

 

Sadly I did have to pay duty - but I had factored that into what I paid. 

 

Duty was the "standard" 20% and charged by the UPS courier (who I know far too well now!!) when he arrived at my front  door - paid it by cheque!!   It seems at the moment that sellers in Europe have to declare the value of the item for customs duty purposes although courier firm  MBE (who I rate highly) said this was only if the value was over €1,000. 

 

Some people might think it mad to declare the actual value, but I try and "do the right thing" until the stupidity of charging VAT on secondhand goods ends !!

[Risk101]

4 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

That is stunning!

Cheers Laurence - I'm delighted with it and can't wait to try the black pickguard. Hope you're keeping ok.

Dave

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Risk101 said:

it only weighs 3.7kg!!!

😳 How??

[Risk101]

Balsa?!? 😂 probably swamp ash though! 

[EssentialTension]

Very nice, but I say keep the tort.

[Risk101]

11 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

Very nice, but I say keep the tort.

ha ha !! Well I’ll post pics with both when I get them back then we can have a vote!!!
 

Ok the weight - a bit of digging around the web and it is probably;

· “Lightweight modified select alder body. Sculpted Heel for easier access to upper frets”

[ezbass]

I played a Reggie Hamilton CS 5 many years ago. To this day, it remains the best fiver I’ve had my hands on. Congrats.

[Owen]

32 minutes ago, Risk101 said:

Sculpted Heel for easier access to upper frets”

BAN THIS SICK FILTH!!!!

[Mrbigstuff]

46 minutes ago, Risk101 said:

ha ha !! Well I’ll post pics with both when I get them back then we can have a vote!!!
 

Ok the weight - a bit of digging around the web and it is probably;

· “Lightweight modified select alder body. Sculpted Heel for easier access to upper frets”

With a rosewood board it has to be mint p/g

[Sparky Mark]

I've got a not so posh first year of production Mexican 4 string RH and can confirm they do sound huge! Mine is average weight for a jazz so not as light as yours; but you'd hope CS would use the best timbers all round.

[Risk101]

Right, so the pickguard is back from www.tinytone, and I decided to get a Black Pearl as well as Black - so which do my fellow basschatters think looks best?  And also a purely gratuitous photo of "Reggie & Marcus" - always interesting how "perfect" Marcus looks here, when in fact he is covered in little dings, scratches etc.

 

The other things I've recently noticed since Reggie arrived is that he's got 22 frets compared to MM's 21 and also the bridge is mounted a little further forward on the body. Tonally of course they are chalk and cheese with MM having bass and treble "boost only" and pickup volume/volume, whereas Reggie has 3 band cut/boost and a volume/pickup pan. Both have active/passive switching and passive tone.

 

Anyway, send in your votes for the pickguard choice! (I'm leaning towards the black pearl....!)

[Mrbigstuff]

4 minutes ago, Risk101 said:

Right, so the pickguard is back from www.tinytone, and I decided to get a Black Pearl as well as Black - so which do my fellow basschatters think looks best?  And also a purely gratuitous photo of "Reggie & Marcus" - always interesting how "perfect" Marcus looks here, when in fact he is covered in little dings, scratches etc.

 

The other things I've recently noticed since Reggie arrived is that he's got 22 frets compared to MM's 21 and also the bridge is mounted a little further forward on the body. Tonally of course they are chalk and cheese with MM having bass and treble "boost only" and pickup volume/volume, whereas Reggie has 3 band cut/boost and a volume/pickup pan. Both have active/passive switching and passive tone.

 

Anyway, send in your votes for the pickguard choice! (I'm leaning towards the black pearl....!)

 

 

 

😍 As a pair they look sublime

[ezbass]

As much as I normally like tort on black, that black on black oozes class.

[Owen]

It is obvious. Different ones for different outfits.

[Risk101]

7 hours ago, Owen said:

It is obvious. Different ones for different outfits.

😂Of course, how did I miss that!! 😂

[MJJS]

Always wanted a Hamilton but could never find a fiver. Settled for one of these instead.

 

[Joe Nation]

Tort FTW. Or maybe the Black Pearl but only if you dress as a pirate!

[Risk101]

1 hour ago, MJJS said:

Always wanted a Hamilton but could never find a fiver. Settled for one of these instead.

 

I’ve come close to getting a Schecter over the last year. Very nice basses and I like the 35” scale in particular. Very few “Diamond P5s” about too.

[Risk101]

Actually got a comment from Reggie Hamilton himself on my post on Talkbass!!

 

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/fender-reggie-hamilton-bass-club.745252/page-29#post-26306637

[CameronJ]

Black pearl for me. Love it! Plain black looks great too.

[CameronJ]

On 03/03/2022 at 15:43, Risk101 said:

I’ve come close to getting a Schecter over the last year. Very nice basses and I like the 35” scale in particular. Very few “Diamond P5s” about too.

Schecter have just released a new “Exotic” version of the Model T which looks phenomenal. Not in stock anywhere just yet but it’s a very pretty thing…