Bacchus Series 02 Strong 4 Handmade Brown Oil

Description

Bacchus Series 02 Strong 4 Handmade Brown Oil

Why we love it

The Bacchus Strong was a flagship in the Bacchus line prior to being discontinued. Completely handmade at Deviser’s Aska factory with extreme attention to detail and premium wood selection, they are a joy to play, with a comfortable and fast neck, easy action, and fabulous tone. At almost 20 years old, this bass is near-vintage age, but still has many years of great performance left. There weren’t many of these basses when new. Finding a Bacchus Strong in good condition is becoming a rare find. This bass has tons of mojo without feeling beat up or abused during its years of service.

Condition

This bass is in Very Good overall condition with normal signs of use scattered around the body. The back of the body has buckle rash over a significant area. There are a couple of small dents on the upper horn. The oil finish shows playing wear (this is normal and expected with use). There is a shallow groove around the master volume. None of the scratches or dents are through the finish to the wood. The electronics are in proper working order. Pickup foam has been replaced to ensure correct pickup height and adjustability. Foam to hold the battery in place in the electronics cavity has also been replaced to keep the battery from shifting and making noise while using the bass. There are no noticeable signs the electronics were modified. Pickup covers show minor signs of wear just under the strings. Pots have been cleaned to ensure smooth, noise- free operation.

Frets show minor signs of wear and have a lot of life left. The neck shows no signs of warping or waviness. The truss rod is very smooth and in good working order with plenty of adjustment left. New D’Addario EXL 45-105 strings are installed with string height set to medium-low (2mm E) with no significant buzzing.

Overview

The Strong is roughly based on a Fender Jazz-style design but features a slightly smaller and more contoured body. Beautiful details abound with beautifully executed pearloid binding around the maple neck and ash body, and block inlays on the fretboard. The binding is still firmly in place with no gaps or cracks noted. The modern C-profile neck is slim and fast without feeling cramped. Width at the nut is 1.34 in (34mm), with 1st fret depth of .82 in (20.9mm) and 12th fret depth of .91 in (23.1mm). The real bone nut and fretwork are masterfully executed as would be expected on a flagship build. A lovely jet black slab of Ebony is used for the fretboard. The brown oil finish highlights the striking grain of the ash body and is wonderfully smooth to the touch. High quality hardware is used throughout for tuners, bridge, and electronics. This bass weighs in at 9.77 pounds.

Electronics and Tone

The Strong features a Bartolini NTMB preamp and great sounding Bacchus original humbuckers. Output from the bass lives up to the model’s name (strong!). Tone from this bass is focused, deep, and detailed. The fundamental is well defined and punchy. Midrange and treble are detailed, smooth and complex without sounding overly processed. This bass is active only as there is no active/passive switching. Controls consist of master volume, pickup balance, and EQ controls for bass, mid, and treble. EQ pots have center detents.

The Bacchus Strong 4 is a unique, masterfully crafted, and easy playing instrument that is difficult to put down. It will arrive ready to rock out of the box. It has been inspected and set up, including cleaning, string replacement, truss rod adjustment, intonation, and string height adjustment upon arrival here at Professor Nigel’s. A padded gig bag will be included.

Specifications

Body: Ash

Neck: Maple

Fingerboard: Ebony

Scale: 34 inch (864mm)

Frets: 21

Nut: Bone

Width at Nut: 1.34 in (34 mm)

Fingerboard Radius:12 in / 310R

Bridge: Bacchus original

Tuners: GOTOH GB11W

Preamp: Bartolini NTMB

Controls: Vol, Pickup Balance, EQ: Bass, Mid, Treble

Pickup: Bacchus Original Humbucker

Year of manufacture: late 2005 or early 2006

Country of manufacture: Japan

Accessories: Gig bag

Serial Number: 131093

Weight: 9.77 lbs / 4.43 kg