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Pawn Shop version...

JN

PS: price rumoured to be around the $1,000 US mark...

There are several new modified guitars to be announced, but what about this Pawn Shop Strat?



JN

Not perfect, maybe, but still the answer to a few prayers...

I notice that it's now not even called the BASS VI on the headstock..

With the inevitable roundwound strings, and what looks like a standard 5 position switch, it's probably going to sound basically like a low pitched Strat...looks odd with the bridge P90.

What does the 'pawnshop' designation mean, by the way?....apart from just a marketing gimmick to sell another variation on a theme?

(I still think that there should be more models available where the humbucker is in the neck position with a single coil bridge pickup! Which would give some usable tones for jazz, country, rock blues etc... The other way round makes limited sense to me- a thinner sounding neck single coil pickup with a muddy sounding bridge h/b...OK, ignore me please! )

That's a Jazzmaster pickup at the bridge... maybe one of the Pawnshop humbucking Jazzmaster pups?

According to the blurb, it's a humbucker in a Jazzmaster cover (since the adjustable polepieces are in the middle, it must be a side-by-side arrangement, like a Gibson bass pickup). The strings are neither here nor there; a player preferring flats can use La Bellas or similar. The five way selector loses BN and BMN combinations but is likely to be more attractive to a wider market.

At the mooted price (around £700 / $1000), it looks an unmissable bargain.

If some us were seriously contemplating buying one, would having a Backing Track CD like
e.g. UB Jet and Other Heroes be a viable proposition? and to add to sales potential of this instrument?
Apart from the early Jet tracks , others that come to mind are Mind Reader(Johnny Howard Band) Polaris
and Jumping (The Boys) Tovarich (The Gladiators) Thunderbirds (Shadows) anyone care to add more?
I would expect suitable amplification would be another consideration.

Mike

Suitable backing tracks which I know are already available:

Thunderbirds (Ian McCutcheon)

Stingray (ditto)

Main Title Theme (Phil McGarrick*)

My Way (instrumental version from "Finders Keepers") (The Secrets via Ray Liffen - not a slavish copy!)

Besame Mucho (Ian McCutcheon)

Because They're Young (originally played in E on a Danelectro) (U B Hank).

[* I know that Phil won't mind me saying that there was a very slight problem with that track. I have a corrected version available.]

JN

Hi all
What about some Deep Purple on the VI.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51nA8g_t84c
Regards Geoff.

The Deep Purple Clown demonstrating the Bass V1 is just the sort of guy who would make me
bolt to the nearest exit of his emporium of evil guitar usage!!!

Mike