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Fender Steve Harris Precision bass £1139
The Iron Maiden star's new signature model
Simon Bradley & Roger Newell, Thu 11 Jun 2009, 3:23 pm UTC
Harris is a finger player and likes working the strings at the bridge end for a tight sound and punchy delivery, but he sweetens up for chordal stuff by playing over the pickup. This is the simple beauty of the Precision – it always sounds great wherever you shift your playing position to.
With his low-slung playing style and 'fast fingers' action, Harris is one of the most influential players of the heavy metal world and the SPB-1 pickup is what he currently uses on his own bass.
We feel it works a lot better with the flatwounds than the SPB-3 Quarter Pounder used on the earlier signature model. This is a really great combination that offers a pleasingly vintage element to the sound, which should also appeal to far-from-metal Motown lovers.
The flatwounds do suffer from individual note clarity but provide a superior thump and tonal fatness than the more common roundwounds do. In the right hands, this is a formidable instrument.
Overview
Bass guitars are rarely flashy looking but with its blue sparkle finish and mirror scratchplate this Precision is a real attention grabber. It has a great feeling of 'rightness' about it when you play it and the set-up is far more 'on the road' than 'in the shop'.
That may take the less experienced player by surprise but, of course, it can be easily tweaked to your own style; likewise the strings. Yes, it's pricey, but it offers enough of its own merits and exclusivity to be worth it. There are cheaper options out there, but few that rock quite as hard.
Considering the sheer legacy that Harris and his Maiden bandmates share as players, what's good enough for them to use is no doubt more than good enough for the likes of us. We suggest you reach out…
Verdict
Harris fan or not, this is a great P-bass. The strings, bridge and pickup combine very well.
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MusicRadar rating
Pros
Striking looks. Solid sound. Meaty feel.
Cons
Modern-style tuners – old reverse action is our preference.
Verdict
Harris fan or not, this is a great P-bass. The strings, bridge and pickup combine very well.
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Where to buy
Specification
Steve Harris Precision bass
- Price:
- £1139
- Pickup:
- Seymour Duncan Basslines SPB-1 Vintage P-bass split-coil
- No. of Frets:
- 20
- Scale Length (Inches) (Inches):
- 34
- Country of Origin:
- Japan
- Hardware:
- Leo Quan Badass II bridge; chrome mirror finish scratchplate
- Weight (lb) (lb):
- 9.4
- Neck Material:
- One-piece maple
- Nut:
- 42mm
- Fingerboard Radius:
- 7.25 inches
- Scale Length (mm) (mm):
- 864
- Weight (kg) (kg):
- 4.3
- Fingerboard Material:
- Maple
- Nut Material:
- Plastic
- Guitar Body Material:
- Alder
- Body Style:
- Double-cut signature solidbody bass