Bass Centre 'Wyman' Bass review

Ex-Stones man's remodelling of his first bass

  • £595
By Roger Newell
( Guitarist )
published
The Wyman Bass's unique shape is the result of the ex-Stones bassist's heavy augmenting of a Dallas Tuxedo model

MusicRadar Verdict

Wyman still uses his unique original but this fretted replica has more universal appeal. It retains the look and general sound but is far more appropriate for today's players.

Pros

  • +

    Compact and lightweight. Super-fat sounds.

Cons

  • -

    Provided you like the small proportions, there's nothing to dislike.

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Looking for his first bass, the young cash-strapped Bill Wyman spotted a Dallas Tuxedo bass for a mere £8! Unimpressed with the single cutaway and overall size, he set about drastically reshaping the body and adding a second pickup. The frets buzzed, so he removed them.

"The curious pickup pairing is great for unusual sounds but the surprise is just how good they are"

With a soapbar pickup and a Burns-style single coil this new version is better spec'd than the original with a quality chrome bridge (that allows top-load or through-body stringing), Hipshot micro tuners plus a short 762mm (30-inch) scale length.

Sounds

When first introduced, the Wyman Bass was supplied with flatwound strings, but a recent change to roundwounds has really brought it to life.

The curious pickup pairing is great for unusual sounds but the surprise is just how good they are. With twin volumes and a single tone it's warm and rich, but lift the treble and ease back from full volume on the pickups and things get decidedly funky.

Roger Newell