New Eastwood Magnum Bass

[pjmuck]

I spoke to Mike at Eastwood Guitars at NAMM last year, and he told me that an Ovation Magnum bass copy was in the works. Well true to his word, here it is!:

http://www.myrareguitars.com/new-eastwo ... ass-guitar

Original Ovation Magnum for comparison:

http://www.rocknrollvintage.com/proddet ... s-Fretless

Not a dead on copy, obviously, but still manages to capture the basic essence. Certain components of the originals would be nearly impossible to reproduce cost effectively today (i.e. the on board graphic EQ, bridge, mute, and that strange metal PUP surround that runs from neck PUP to bridge), but I suppose you could mod it to get closer.

No word yet on when lefties will be available, but I shot him an e-mail and will advise. You guys going to NAMM this year should stop by his booth (Hall D, booth 3394) and check it out. Maybe he can be talked into re-releasing the Hi-Flyer Mosrite knockoff again too.

[Basshappi]

Interesting.
I wonder if it will weigh as much as the original or if he will be able to lighten it up a bit, that would be nice.

[pjmuck]

Update: Lefties will be here in February and he's taking orders in 3 weeks. Yeah! These are also being produced at their new Indonesian plant. I can't vouch for the quality, but based on my experience I will say that their Korean made instruments are excellent (Map Bass), while their Chinese instruments...not so much (Hi Flyer). Eastwood may have since ceased operations in China in favor of Indonesia for a (hopefully) higher quality instrument, but it's too soon to tell.

[LefThanDed]

Eastwood Magnum Lefty Electric Bass Guitar New

http://cgi.ebay.com/Eastwood-Magnum-Lef ... 588ce9c97d

Item condition: New other (see details)
Price: US $599.00 Buy It Now

[PunkRockBassist]

i hope they re-make the hi flyer so bad

[Carmine]

Hey just curious- did anybody here ever pick one of these up? I recall there was a bit of pre-release anticipation here, but not much said since it hit the streets. I haven't actually had a hands -on with one, but just looking at the close up pics I was disappointed in how the final product turned out- I didn't expect a reproduction, but I was hoping for something at least comparable to the Ampeg bass copy. It seems Mike just cut a magnum shaped body, then went with the cheapest choices on this vs. trying to make the bass a reasonably nice magnum copy...wonder if he's sold any lefties at all?

[pjmuck]

Hey just curious- did anybody here ever pick one of these up? I recall there was a bit of pre-release anticipation here, but not much said since it hit the streets. I haven't actually had a hands -on with one, but just looking at the close up pics I was disappointed in how the final product turned out- I didn't expect a reproduction, but I was hoping for something at least comparable to the Ampeg bass copy. It seems Mike just cut a magnum shaped body, then went with the cheapest choices on this vs. trying to make the bass a reasonably nice magnum copy...wonder if he's sold any lefties at all?

My sentiments exactly. I was really looking forward to this back when I met Mike at NAMM and he told me it was forthcoming. Understandably, he'd have to simplify his version, since the Ovation had so many oddball proprietary appointments (on board graphic EQ, string mute lever, whatever that metal frame is around the pickups, etc), but the end result really does look like just any another bass but with a Magnum body.

I still may consider picking one up and doing some heavy mods on it to get it closer to the real deal (Magnum parts occasionally show up on ebay), but it's low on my priorities.

[Carmine]

Mike has demonstrated that they are capable of doing much better work than this. My expectation was that the execution of the Magnum bass would be at least equal to the job they did on the Ovation GP and Breadwinner guitars that preceeded it. You scroll down the 3 pics below and its's like "GP? ooooh---Breadwinner? oooh---Magnum? ehhhh..."

It's frustrating because it kinda gives off that "bass players as second class citizens" vibe, as if there's a perception that we don't care as much about attention to detail as guitarists do. I find that particularly disappointing coming from a company like Eastwood, who you would think would understand the "price vs. desirability" balance on something like this better than anyone. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think by trying to keep the cost down they screwed themselves. Granted, the bass is $579 retail compared to $699 for the GP or Breadwinner- but what good is that if it ends up low on everyone's priorities? Looking at it doesn't even say $579 to me. And wouldn't you have gladly payed an addtional $129 for something more desirable, that wasn't just totally an Indonesian "parts bin" job? I'd be willing to bet that it hasn't sold nearly as well as it would have at a higher price point with the same level of attention to detail that the guitars got.