Fender Steve Harris P Bass

[melodymaker631]

It will be mine... oh yes... it will be mine....

[sapelopelo]

Do you recommend this bass for a not-fan of Steve Harris? The thing is that Im sure that this bass with some DR sunbeams I think I can get a nice roundwound just like the well known John Paul Jones, but at the same time is still a P bass and could play some rock with a help of a pick in some cases. I like pretty much the style of the 70's P bass with that maple plus a badass bridge it sounds amazing. Thanks and sorry for my bad english. Greetings from Uruguay (Yes, 4th at Southafrica worldcup).

[Phergan]

Timing is off? On the Maiden riff.

[19ToMaC89]

@Phergan The Nmuber of the Beast is ok, but Wrathchild and The Trooper are a bit slower.

[petersktet]

Is it an ovation magnum in the background? :O

[turbocamps]

I'm not a bass player: what did you do at 3:55?

[jpuckett1989]

@turbocamps he put a piece of foam under the strings. Gives you an old school thumpy tone. Older fender basses came with foam mutes to give a more "double bass" tone.

[DrFeelGood4tw]

no slapping on the steve harris!!!!!!!

[fenderrlee]

great job on number of the beast!!!!!!!

[Pharmakon7]

THIS is the best bass for metal!!

[Thommislav]

My Fender Jazz sounds like P-bass damn........

Although the sound is different in ''Slap mode''

[ampmjuku]

hyottoko1 uses all variations of Steve's basses, check him if you want awesome Maiden and old school Heavy Metal covers

[Pbassman74]

Great job Ed! You played those lines perfectly. In fact you played them too well. Steve has a roughness in his playing to get that clanky galloping sound.

[FrancheskaDeLinch]

I want this bass!!!)))

[cestoiber117]

5:20 thats what she said

[thecoolestdad]

Ed,when you did the demo of the 70's slapping,it sounded to me that you were playing Fantastic Voyage by Lakeside.Is that true?Was it fantastic Voyage?Thanks.

[poseurkiller]

They should have gotten a better person to review this bass. He play it likes he's afraid of it and doesn't use any kind of aggression with his fingering hand like Steve does. Hell he even says that he doesn't like Maiden.

[poseurkiller]

@poseurkiller I meant to say a different person instead of better person.

[zenburger]

steve harris must have hands like a terminator, you get knackered just playing one of his bass lines

[olflatop]

Hmm, not a metal guy, but I like this P bass. Gonna check the pricing.

[FredericoMercurio]

I didn't know that Jordan Rudess plays bass too... ; )

[Eddiehunter05]

i like big necks an i can not lie XD

[oaklandgroove77]

LMAO at 1:27...im doing that on my next gig after a solo. "my apologies". Love these videos, entertaining and informative!

[elpactodejohnson1]

i always wonder whats the sense of signature basses/instruments... Apparently, one day a brand want to sell you an instrument claiming "this is the Steve Harris (or whoever) sound" when actually the guy played during his entire career with a different instrument

[GVike]

I once saw the bassist for... wait for it... Death Cab For Cutie (!!) use the Steve Harris P-bass model in a Spain show a few years back. A P is a P. :)

[chrishampton1981]

Hi Ed!

Great review of the fantastic Bass and I'm lucky enough to own one. Really great to play and like yourself, I love the thickness of the neck and the tone you get with the flatwound strings. I play in a rock band and as a fingerstyle bassist, I like the cutting tone it gives me.

Looking forward to more gear reviews

Best Wishes

Chris

[FlorenceGrin]

i wish i had one

[OhmBassBubba]

Maiden Japan (September 14th 1981) lol!

[N10BASS]

Is that any particular foam mute or is just a generic one that you can get at the hardware shop?

[Mr4stringman]

"with this mirrored pickguard the fans can dig you, but also they can dig themselves" Classic!

[hongdekong]

bass players look so much cooler then guitarist

[BassGuitarMag]

@hongdekong - Yeah man, no guitarist would ever wear something as cool as that sweater....

[killiney4444]

@hongdekong must be high

[JackOrion0670]

@hongdekong I got to say this guy is pretty flippin cool. He's a jazz cat no doubt and his Jamerson groove is like the bridge, bad ass!!

[TRJBASS]

" I like big necks and I can not lie." classic

[finfrocka10169]

Dude Ed, that sweater is sick. Totally metal.

[PANICBLADE]

the bass whisperer? WHY THE HELL DIDNT I THINK O THAT?!?!

[Zeroreidz]

The real difference between Steve Harris' p-bass and a common p-bass is Steve Harris.

[sticittome]

What is that bass hangging in the backround?

[hardy1122]

@sticittome I believe it is an ovation magnum..it looks to new to be one though, might be a copy. hope this helped

[Diodiofly]

Good video man !

please, someone can tell me what is the first music of this video ?

[eddy1154]

i wish it was white O_o

[Apemopo]

tendonitis city brah

[eekleefeld]

Great thing about a signature bass from Fender or any other quality brand:  If the artist's genre of music isn't really your thing, you can still show off with the bass for any other music you normally play.

That should be the standard for judging a signature guitar or bass. Even if you've never bought any albums by the artist, is it a good instrument with solid features?

[Ikillpeopleforfree]

Mr. Ed, you are so rock-god-like! \../ I love your stuff and had just one question related the American PJ bass that is similar to this but you have no reviews of that bass. So my question is adding the EMG PJX pu's to my Fender US PJ bass to go active. You did a Jazz PJX video before I watched and I loved it, and noticed you seem impressed too. Will these pu's kill the Fender P tone or just make it more boosted in db? What's your opinion on the EMG tone in a Fender bass currently? Thanks.

[BassGuitarMag]

@Ikillpeopleforfree - Have not tried the EMG P pickup, but in general, they make the bass more hifi sounding. Extended top end, clear bottom, more output. Not a traditional Fender tone, but certainly not bad. You just have to want a more modern sound.

[DLuznyyy]

@Ikillpeopleforfree LMAO no fucking doubt.

[ivanbarbot4]

hi ed, you are a better bass player than steve

[nexarulhunexarulhu]

Very nice work ed, as always ofc:))

You should do a review of the fretted tony franklin signature model too, cause there is very little things about it on the internet.

I wish you luck and health !!!

[Metalistopheles]

Hello Ed

i would like to buy this bass , but i can't test it ( the shop has i only on command )

Could you tell me if there is "dead spots" ( usually on 7th fret on G string ) on the neck ?

Thanks for answer



[BassGuitarMag]

@Metalistopheles - I don't remember, it was a while ago. Generally, all Fender type instruments have some degree of dead spot in that area - it's a naturally occurring thing. Some are worse than others, and I only tend to notice it if it's really bad. And, each bass individually is different, this one I played will not be the same as any other one... so if you want it... buy it. It will probably have some dead area, but no more than any other Fender bass that has ever been built.

[mydog2134]

You should do the Roger Waters signature bass.

[NorsemanUSA]

Great review! I have been considering this bass for about a year now and was a little disappointed to find out it is made in Japan. At 1300 dollars I would have expected it to be 100% USA made.

However I love the over-all set up and still want to buy one.

Thanks for this informative review,you are a great bass player.

[BassGuitarMag]

@NorsemanUSA - Don't knock the Japan stuff... they make excellent instruments.

[Metalistopheles]

Hello Ed,

with this biggest neck , is there still a problem of " dead note " on the 7th fret on G string ?

thanks for answer.

[ROONTANG]

Ed, is there a bit of palm muting going on with your 'clicky pick style'? Sounds good.

[BassGuitarMag]

@ROONTANG - Yes, at times. Thanks.

[rakspayne]

5:00 ... Wrathchild Fail !

[vehliks939393]

I LIKE BIG NECKS, AND I CAN NOT LIE.. :D:D:D

.. you other brothers can't deny..

[432ps1]

Gotta have the Rotosound flatwounds to really nail the Harris tone.

[FCValle]

"my apologies"

hahahahahahaha, don't worry! =)

[zamg0d1]

Well, you played The Trooper right like I do and I think it's the right way. Sounds right btw :D

[RageicaNiels]

when i play iron maiden i play it with 3 fingers. makes it sound much more fluent and less lacking

[1135Roman]

this bass is so expensive ( 

[ThatKrookedVulture]

FUCK YEAH

[bassist12345]

"my apologies" after attempting the trooper literally made me lol.

[dggz9510]

do you like playing with a pick?

[hiephoi058]

p bass > j bass 

[MaxPayneIzRudog]

Ed, I will trade my The Trooper skill to you for the Wratchild skill.

[MCGMT]

Damn! Great review dude. Any chance for a Music Man Sterling Classic review?

[ManiacLobster97]

then if maiden is not your thing then what is? nice review by the way :)

[chardbass]

Great review- great dry wit too. Nice to laugh at an instrument review :-)

[Haroldandbob]

Man this is the best review of any bass I've seen! What astounds me is that you're so humble even tho you've got some of the best chops I've seen.

[123andrelevy]

about the pick ups:

dou you think seymour duncan does better bass pickups than fender

(jazz bass type especificaly??????

PLEASE ,ANSWER ME!!!!!!!!

[BassGuitarMag]

@123andrelevy - Well, Duncans are nice. They make some that are very close replicas of the vintage Fenders, and some that are deliberately very different than the originals. Fender pickups are great too. Which is better? That's a matter of your preference. I like them both.

[RuroiniStenchin]

Ed Friedland is so awesome, amazing chops and cover just about everything in his review.

[DrEviscerator666]

"I like big necks and i can't don't lie, you better put some big ass strings on it"

[skimam]

Could you tell us more about the sound settings please? i mean is that a clear sound with some reverb or what? thanx

[66chopperguy]

i want this bass

[elpndl94]

How do you call these kind of white bridges? Thanks.

[BassGuitarMag]

@elpndl94 - White bridge?

[elpndl94]

@BassGuitarMag hahah sorry, neck.

[BassGuitarMag]

@elpndl94 - It's called a maple fingerboard.

[elpndl94]

@BassGuitarMag Really sorry, my english sucks :). What is the difference between this types of fingerboards and the darker ones?

[BassGuitarMag]

@elpndl94 - Maple sounds a little brighter.

[elpndl94]

@BassGuitarMag Can you compare and contrast them in some video? thanks

[BassGuitarMag]

@elpndl94 - Sorry. I do video work for hire, not by request. It takes approximately 12 hours to do a video like the one you have just seen. I get hired to produce them by various magazines and instrument companies.... it's a job. It LOOK like fun, but frankly it's a big pain in the butt to get everything right, and I don't particularly enjoy the process. So while it seems reasonable to ask, doing videos on request is simply not possible for me.

[REMLostmyreligion]

What's the difference between these Pickups (Seymour Duncan) and the normal Fender P bass pickups?

[Chriskkboongg]

Harris attacks the strings and gets his signature clanking tone. Ed plays too softly :-)

[SlyzCooper]

@Chriskkboongg Yeah, I noticed that too. Near the end he started to get that nice sound cause his nails hit the strings a bit for like 3 seconds, but he lost it. Hes still a very respectable bass player though

[vorontube]

I like big necks and i cannot lie! =)))

[distortedleslie]

synthetic bone? you mean plastic?

[kingofthestoneage5]

If you're gonna put some thick ass strings like these Rotosounds on here you need a serious chunk of wood to keep it straight... LMAO

[tomtomthebear]

dude could you take a look at the roger water P bass........PLEASE...lol

[Nittvinge]

Great review man.Just one thing - if you'll play Steve, play it HARD!You can hear him plucking the strings into the frets almost all the time.

[mateinegriu]

WOW. I think the best bass player on Youtube!

Clockwork rhythm. All the notes sound extremely clear. So much ease of playing!

And huge feel! When I grow up I want to be just like you!

[BassGuitarMag]

@mateinegriu - Thanks a lot!

[Sapantaa]

@mateinegriu Best bass player ever huh? Cant play wratchchild or the Trooper up to speed? Thats pretty bad.

[TheRedSandwitch]

@Sapantaa Wrathchild was up to speed, so was the trooper dumbass

[mrciaran96]

@Sapantaa he said on youtube

[PooPooOnMyNewShoe]

@mateinegriu lol, I did grow up just like him .............. unfortunately I'm referring to the bald part, not the bass playing hahaa.

[TheDrunkenHer0]

In Asgard... Steve Harris is a myth

[terminator4100]

Hi,I'm thinking about buying this one,so what do you think is 1300$ good price for a new one,is it worth it?

[BassGuitarMag]

@terminator4100 - Seems about right. Is it worth it? Only if you are a big enough Steve Harris fan.

[terminator4100]

@BassGuitarMag I'm a huge fan of Steve and Iron Maiden,but it just seems too much for a bass that is not really versatile at all...

[BassGuitarMag]

@terminator4100 - Not versatile? It's as versatile as any P Bass. With different strings, amps, picks, hands... you can do a lot with one. It's up to you, not the bass.

[eekleefeld]

@BassGuitarMag The Precision Bass has a limited range of available sounds — only the good ones.

[GORFF987]

HI Ed!

We Wait the Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass episode,,,

Have you done it?

Greetings from Brazil!

[ghostyman666]

Iron maiden is not rock or hard rock. It's Heavy Metal.

[NtWarlock]

what do you think about this (expensive) signature? a good bass for that price?

[BassGuitarMag]

@NtWarlock - well, you pay more because it's a signature model, it's essentially just a P bass. But the neck, finish, pickguard, and pickup are unique to this model, so you won't replicate it exactly with a stock bass. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that.

[ejdbk]

@BassGuitarMag

not all signature models are more expensive,the sting sig. model is cheaper than the std. american p bass

[BassGuitarMag]

@ejdbk - True enough. This one is a bit more expensive than some other Fender sigs... maybe the price will drop in a year or so.

[ejdbk]

@BassGuitarMag

maybe,but for some reason i am against sig. models,i think its better to start your own thing,thats why i am getting an olympic white american std.

[BassGuitarMag]

@ejdbk - I get it. It's a real fan boy thing. But there are lots of folks that want it, so...

[ejdbk]

@BassGuitarMag

yeah,what can you do about it

are all sig. models made in japan?

[BassGuitarMag]

@ejdbk - I can't say. Seems that a lot of them are. The Reggie Hamilton is made in Mexico.

[ejdbk]

@BassGuitarMag

well,i can safely say the japanese can make a pretty mean bass,but still,american made basses are the best

sorry,i have a question

what are the types of finishes on a maple neck?,i know the high gloss one,but what is the other one?

[dandemon1989]

i love steve harris, he's a monster bassist, one of the best. that said, i fucking hate that finish. great video and it sounds amazing

[TheNohcim]

what model is that genz benz amp?

[BassGuitarMag]

@TheNohcim - It's a Shuttle Max 12.0 through an Uber 212 cab.

[davidryg]

I gotta say, Ed, I chuckled when you said that Iron Maiden was out of your personal realm of taste. But I have to say, I think it's cool that you listen to some Maiden to get some Harris riff examples. That said, I eagerly await your review of the Alex Webster signature from Spector.

[bezkingAdmins]

ed, can you do a comparison of the SPB 1 and SPB 3 p bass pickups?

[BassGuitarMag]

@bezkingAdmins - Nice idea, but unlikely. The Quarter Pounder is a nice pickup, I've checked them out briefly, but never had the chance to A/B with the SPB1.

[RichardKral89]

@bezkingAdmins hello I think spb-3 is better for punk/hard rock/metal, modern like styles, really great with rosewood fingerboard. spb-1 is also very nice, it delivers more authentic p bass tone( in comparison with spb-3); I love its classic thumpy, warm and woody tone, the best with 1-piece maple neck ( maple fingerboard ) + chromes flats off course ( my actual setup ) ;-)..it might not help you, but thats my personal opinion..peace :) Richard

[jaketheviking]

For somebody not familiar with Steve Harris and Iron Maiden, you sure nail his tone perfectly on that bass! Guess Fender got it right this time.

Awesome review, Ed! (as always!)

[BassGuitarMag]

@jaketheviking - Thanks, I guess I owe it all to Fender! ;)

[Arraylistlist]

Hey ed, what do you say at 6:00? i just don't get it :D

[ashmetalthebest]

mr ed, how much is the tone knob turned up?

[BassGuitarMag]

@ashmetalthebest - It's probably wide open most of the time. I may have rolled it off for the Motown licks.

[TheRedSandwitch]

ed, would you be able to review the Mark Hoppus P bass?

[BassGuitarMag]

@TheRedSandwitch - Most likely not. 

[JACKSONLEWISOFCANADA]

how heavy is it? i like a heay bass so i was wondering.

[BassGuitarMag]

@JACKSONLEWISOFCANADA - About 9.5-10 lbs.

[JACKSONLEWISOFCANADA]

@BassGuitarMag nice



[kkswimmer16]

heylo, this bass is clearly amazing for hard rock/metal, but would u say this is good for punk? thx awesome bass

[BassGuitarMag]

@kkswimmer16 - Why not? It's a P Bass.

[METALWEED420]

@kkswimmer16 why would you use a kick ass bass for making shitty music.

[kkswimmer16]

@METALWEED420 cause i feel like it

[adolfo21]

That whole part about the neck was too funny, too sexual, LOOL

[Oudl3000]

I - LIKE - BIG - NECKS and i cannot lie - you other brothers can´t deny ...

[embassyhotel]

How much does this Steve Harris Fender P Bass go for,does anybody know? I'm Canadian so if someone could give me a rough price range in Canadian dollars that would be great thanks & Up The Irons!

[splashfizz]

Good review. I'm not a bass player (guitar player) but I have a Fender P-bass that's made in Mexico. Do you notice any differences between the MIJ versus MIM?

[vikingchris22]

Hey Ed. Chris here. I'm thinking about investing in an American Vintage 57 p bass. Im just wondering if you would recommend it. Would it be a good bass to play for classic rock?

[FCValle]

Now i know why Steve never slaps his bass.He would melt everyone faces and screw his audience.

[crazyjohnny2]

another great review Ed ! You should do a review of new Fender Mark Hoppus bass, I'm really interested about your opinion about this guitar. Cheers !

[musicfan101ful]

Allotta wood, its big, its round. I like

[sasukeuchihalb]

haha "synthetic bone nut" hehehehe

[ozzyismetal]

Seeing you playing I Was Made to Love Her was awesome! One of my favourite Jamerson tracks for sure.

[toefes]

Hey Ed! I really love this review and love the bass, I'm not a maiden fan either, but I love the sound and look of the bass :)

I've got a question tough: Is this bass as good as any MIA precision standard and 50s? I've got a musicman sterling at the moment, but I want a more smooth bass. Is this any good for that kinda stuff?

[BassGuitarMag]

@toefes - This is a top quality bass. It's MIJ, but their stuff is as good as anything in my opinion.

A smoother bass? That is a pretty subjective term. Some people think a Sterling is a "smooth" bass. The P bass has a fundamentally different tone than a Sterling. The pickup position and composition, active eq vs. passive. Listen to samples of both and decide for yourself what sounds smoother to you.

[toefes]

@BassGuitarMag

Thanks for the fast reply Ed :) Well with smoother I mean for styles like pop-rock (arctic monkeys, the hives), rock (foo fighters) and some blues. My sterling is more for red hot chili peppers and slap stuff :)

[SOUNDBOYMIKE]

Hi Ed what song where you playing around 3:24 its soundid like lakside's fantastic voyage i love that bass too i just put some dadario flat wounds on my warmoth pbass and they rock! jamerson all the way!

[BassGuitarMag]

@SOUNDBOYMIKE - Yeah, that was sort of Fantastic Voyage... maybe not exactly, but as close as I could remember from the 70s....

[SOUNDBOYMIKE]

@BassGuitarMag you da man ed da bass man!!

[xMasterxRazorx]

I thought Steve used a pick?

[SubaUba]

@xMasterxRazorx In that case you havent seen any of their live videos? And actually, you can hear it straight out of his tone. Do some research

[xMasterxRazorx]

@SubaUba I just heard one time that he played with a pick, so that's what I assumed he played with. I don't really watch Iron Maiden videos and I'm not interested in doing any research on it. Was just curious.

[LOL11306]

Hey Ed! i picked up the bass just a few months back, i have a very simple one an ESP B-50 4 string, there is a problem with my tuning no matter how much i try with my Tuner the 3rd string wont get tuned to 'D', can you please let me know of a solution. thanks!

[BassGuitarMag]

@LOL11306 - Have you changed strings yet? If not, change them. If you have... change them again. The main reason a string will slip is it is not properly wrapped around the tuner post.

[LOL11306]

@BassGuitarMag thanks a lot! my bass is around 5-6 months old so i guess this is a good time to change the strings? would u suggest Diaddrio strings?

[BassGuitarMag]

@LOL11306 - They're good.

[BassGuitarMag]

@rawk335 - Ah, that is the new Eastwood Magnum bass, soon to be reviewed!

[BassGuitarMag]

@rawk335 - if you mean the aqua green bass clef, it's made out of concrete by Chris Smartt at Solstice Galleries in Dripping Springs, TX. If you mean the cool flat panel with the bass hanging on it, that's made by Guitarmatz.

[theparisbassist]

5:20 i like big necks and i cannot lie !!!

[joaomuas11]

Hi Ed! I'm finally planning on buying an American Standard P Bass, but I don't know if I should get it with a maple or rosewood fingerboard. I love a bright sound, so I wanted the maple, but my favorite bassist has the exact sound I want, and he uses rosewood fingerboards on a P. How can he get such a bright sound? I'm also afraid that the maple will make it sound like a Jazz, so here's my question: is there a big difference between rosewood and maple, or is it just a minor difference?

[BassGuitarMag]

@joaomuas11 - Sure, it makes some difference. It's subtle but noticeable. You can affect a more drastic change in the sound by choosing your strings though. Rosewood board with stainless steel hex core strings - like DR Lowriders, D'Daddario EPS, LaBella HRS - plenty bright. A maple board with GHS Flats, or DR flats... dark. And no matter what you use, a maple neck P will never sound like a Jazz.