NBGD - 2019 SE Kingfisher - Tortoise

[shimmilou]

Up until a couple months ago, I have only occasionally dabbled with bass. The group that I have been jamming with asked me to try bass as they often don’t have a bass player. I thought it would be fun to try it, and it is, very much, and I’m really learning a lot, using their F Jazz bass.

I have owned a cheap Ibanez GSR 200 bass for about 10 years, that I modified a little, and haven't used it much until recently, and then the bridge pup quit working. The F Jazz is quite heavy and neck heavy, so I thought it was time to get myself a better bass, for practice and use with the group, and after much deliberation this one seemed like a great choice for my needs, and a decent price.

Wow! The Kingfisher is levels above the Ibanez, really killer for me, as basically a beginner. It will be a week before I get to try it with the group, but it is fun to play, and seems like a fantastic instrument. The fit/finish/feel/function are all wonderful, everything about it is perfect, and it even looks awesome, IMO. Really like the neck-through design, and the convertible bridge is a nice feature, although I’ll probably keep it as string through body. It is heavy, but not bad for a bass, about 9 lbs 6 ozs.

After I try it out for awhile, I’ll review it in more detail. Until then, here are some pics.

 

[dmatthews]

Brilliant!
That's a very fine looking instrument, congrats!

 

[AP515]

I have a similar story. I switched from rhythm guitar to bass for a cover band I was in. It was s ton of fun. The P bass was very heavy and though I am no longer a bass player (I acquired too much intelligence and was excommunicated), I picked up a Peavey millennium. If I didn't already have it, I'd find a PRS like yours. Congrats!

 

[bodia]

That looks sweet! Almost makes me want to learn bass!

 

[Windymiller]

Classy!!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

That’s a sweet as Bass guitar! Congrats

 

[shimmilou]

Thx guys!

I had a chance to play it for the last couple of nights, took awhile to get my Bassman dialed in with the right cabinet for decent bass sounds, and it is loads of fun. This bass is really versatile, and can get a wide variety of sounds, from clear and articulate, to thumping, to smooth and deep. It was really surprising to find that turning the tone control all the way down didn’t make the sound muddy at all, just gave it a more bassy sound that was still clear and piano like. I even tried some slap-pop stuff that sounded really neat, although I’m not great at it, still sounds cool sometimes.

I got rid of my 200 watt bass amp awhile back, due to the first noise complaint I’ve had in 20 years of jamming at the house, so I’m anxious to try it out this weekend on a real bass amp. This bass guitar is more bass than my skill level deserves, so it should suit me for a long time while I try to grow into it. I don’t know that I’ll ever need 24 frets, but they are there just in case.

 

[László]

I really like that. How does it sound compared to, say a typical Fender bass? I haven’t played one.

 

[shimmilou]

I have actually been using a Fender bass for several weeks, and the PRS is much more versatile. The PRS can do everything that the Fender does, and more, due to the individual volume for each pup, and the tone control seems to react differently than a typical tone control. I’ll have to open it up and see if there is anything different, but it sure sounds different. The feel of the PRS is better to me, especially the fret ends, and the balance is much better, even when seated.

I decided on the Kingfisher, as I felt that the Kestral would be very similar to a Jazz bass, and I wanted something different, more unique. The PRS is definitely that exactly. It is like a Jazz combined with a Precision, and a little extra.

 

[shinksma]

Not sure how I missed this thread (oh, now I remember - new job! Very busy...), but "we" also have a Kingfisher bass in Tortoise Shell. I say we, because my wife has really started to bond with it, and get fully into the bass thang.

They are great instruments, and cannot recommend them enough!

Now I just need to find a gig bag for "ours" - it came without one (for a really great price), and I didn't think I'd need one, since I have a hardshell that fits well. But we are gigging with it more and more, and gig bags you can throw over your shoulders are so much more practical, as long as you are the only one handling it.

@Shawn@PRS , any movement towards offering the PRS bass gig bag through the West St Store? I asked about this a while back and the response was "no", but maybe there is a chance? They don't pop up often on the auction sites.