Gear Reviews
Xotic Guitars and Effects: One Craftsman’s Pursuit of Perfection
Xotic Guitars and Effects: One Craftsman’s Pursuit of Perfection…
What distinguishes a mass-produced instrument from a boutique bass?
The builder.
And what’s the difference between a builder who assembles parts and one who is an artisan on a never-ending quest to master his craft?
Shokunin.
A simplistic translation of shokunin is, “artisan or craftsman.” The spirit of the word lies deeper. Shokunin is the marriage of art and craftsmanship where form and function are in perfect harmony. The shokunin seeks to continually improve and only competes with himself. His craft defines who he is.
Over the past five decades, a small group of Japanese luthiers have brought this tradition to America and blended it with California’s spirit of innovation. Hiro Miura, founder and builder of Xotic Guitars, is one such shokunin. His work has captured the attention of top bassists like Chuck Rainey, John Pena, Travis Carlton, Carmine Rojas, and Steve Millhouse.
Humble beginnings
Hiro Miura started in the music business in Japan when he was 19 when he dropped out of college to work for a custom guitar company. Jumping on the Japanese craze for vintage American guitars, Miura started traveling to the U.S. to buy classic guitars to sell in Japan. After a few years of hopping back and forth across the Pacific, he decided to make Los Angeles his home in 1986.
While buying, selling, and studying vintage guitars, he befriended custom guitar builder Taku Sakashita. The friendship and experience of watching a master luthier at work inspired Miura to build and later launch his own brand, Xotic Guitars, in 1996.
Miura focused his talents on designing and building bass guitars at first because he felt bassists were more open to new designs and technologies than guitarists. In the spirit of shokunin, Miura’s seeks to create an instrument that allows the musician to play without concentrating on the physical act of playing.
His passion lies in perfecting the smallest details of each instrument. Specifically, making a durable neck that could withstand the tremendous pressure exerted by the strings. While most 5- and 6-string bass builders used two parallel graphite truss rods to reinforce the neck, Miura felt graphite was too light and flexible. The material had a detrimental affect on the instrument’s sound quality. He used heavier iron reinforcements angled toward each other to eliminate the sonic dead point in the neck.
Continuing to find ways to improve bass tone, he went with a slightly larger body and higher quality woods. In fact, each piece of wood must be below a specific moisture content before it can be used to build a bass.
One of the signature features of Xotic basses is the 3-band preamp, branded as Trilogic, which allows bassists to control lows, mids, and highs. Miura added a trimmer pot in the back which controlled output gain and a switch that allowed more mid-frequency options between the four frequency ranges.
“What I often hear from musicians is that they are attracted to our basses for their build consistency, feel, and tone,” says Ben Leck, Xotic’s artist relations representative. “We strive to be in the 9.6-9.7-lb. range for our basses so our weights and set-ups are consistent across the board. We also take that over to the feel of our necks. We treat them with a special oil that is not used by anyone else in the music industry. We use the best wood for our bodies and necks and we outfit them with world-class pickups and preamp system.”
The Xotic XB-2
XB-2
The flagship bass for Xotic is the XB-2. Handcrafted by Miura in his Los Angeles workshop, the XB-2 features a 34-inch neck, Kent Armstrong pick-ups and is available in 5-, 6-, and 7-string models.
Perhaps the most visible bassist relying on the XB-2 is Carmine Rojas who puts his Xotic basses through a grueling touring schedule with Joe Bonamassa. Rojas has relied on his musicianship, and his bass guitars, to carve out a position as one of the world’s most in-demand bassists. He previously recorded and toured with David Bowie and Julian Lennon in the 80s, and later spent 15 years with Rod Stewart as his bassist and music director.
“I grew up playing Fenders and they were reliable and had a great sound,” says Rojas. “I still love the vintage Fenders, but I needed something different. Something wider. A bit more in-depth with a bass that gave me more control over the power and sound.”
“For me, music today requires a different sound from the bass. With many songs being mixed with a focus on the top end, the bass can easily lose its pitch and become a percussive instrument. I needed something bigger that could cut through the mix.”
Carmine Rojas and his Xotic XB-2 with Joe Bonamassa during the band’s European tour.
“The Xotic XB-2 is like that old Fender, but reborn with new muscle,” notes Rojas. “There are other basses with similar features, and I’ve played almost every one. But somehow, Xotic just got it right. They achieved a very organic sound. It’s as if they’ve married analog to digital.”
Rojas explains he is not a fan of too many controls on basses. He prefers to have good tone without an over-reliance on electronic coloring. To that end, he sets the EQ flat on his amps and alternates between XB-2’s active and passive switch throughout a show to achieve the tone he wants for each song.
“The first time I picked up the XB-2 in 2009, it felt right. It just played like me and had my name written all over it. I first used the red XB-2 during the Live at the Royal Albert Hall show and later at the Beacon Theater Live concert. That bass just did everything right and I’ve been using Xotic ever since.”
VIDEO: Carmine Rojas covered the sonic spectrum with his Xotic XB-2 during the Joe Bonamassa Beacon Theater Live From New York concert.
Rojas owns seven Xotics, including four- and five-string models of the XB-2 and XJ-1T. He put the XJ series through its paces during Bonamassa’s 2013 Tour de Force which featured the band playing four venues in four cities over four different nights with each night featuring a different musical theme: blues, rock ‘n roll, power trio, and acoustic/electric. “The XJs held their own through that wide range of musical configurations.”
You can catch Rojas with his XB-2s on the current Joe Bonamassa tour.
Rojas suggests listening to the following three songs to best hear the XB-2:
- “Dirt in My Pocket” from Sloe Gin (5-string)
- “Someday After Awhile (You’ll Be Sorry)” from Live in Amsterdam (4-string)
- “You Better Watch Yourself” from Beacon Theatre: Live in New York (5-string)
The Xotic XJ-1T5
XJ and XP Series
In 2010, Miura put his creativity to work to create a Fender Jazz-style bass that blended a vintage flavor with modern capabilities. The Jazz-inspired XJ-1 uses custom pickups to create a better defined, yet bottom-heavy sound and utilizes the cutting edge Tri-Logic preamp that helps shape Xotic’s signature sound.
Miura decided to alter the Badass back-string-through bridge by sanding the bottom down for a closer marriage between bridge and body which results in a tighter sound.
Miura opted for the Hipshot Ultra-Light tuners to address the common issue of head tilting on basses. An additional benefit of using the lightweight aluminum tuners is stronger sustain since the metal doesn’t absorb as much string vibration.
Steve Millhouse playing his XJ-1T 5 during the Broadway show “Pippin.
Broadway bassist Steve Millhouse, who currently doubles on electric and upright for “Pippin,” has been a fan of the XJ-1T since the basses were first introduced.
“The day I received the Xotic XJ-1T 5-string I used it subbing on a Broadway show,” Millhouse says. “Afterward, the conductor told me it was the best sounding bass he’d heard. Since then I’ve played my Xotics on my other Broadway shows, TV appearances, commercials, broadcasts, studio sessions, and major concert halls around the world. It consistently delivers what I need for every gig.”
In 2012, Miura unveiled the Precision-influenced XP-1T model which features the new Xotic PV-1 pick-up. The C-shape neck is hand carved with a 10-inch radius. The alder body allows for an enhanced low and low-mid range tone. The rounded heel of the neck joint and deep cutaway makes the bass easier to play in higher neck positions.
Millhouse, who now owns nine Xotics, added that the basses are also well-loved outside of the pit. “The sound designers on my current show ‘Pippin’ actually asked me what kind of bass I was using. They were curious because they didn’t have to do any kind of EQ on my signal, which they remarked is almost never the case. I was happy to hear that since they are very highly regarded and work on many Broadway productions, national Broadway tours, as well as Las Vegas shows. To me, that speaks volumes on Xotic’s tone.”
“Since I’ve been using the Xotics, how a bass feels or sounds never enters my mind. The only decision I have to make is ‘should I take an XJ or XP, 4- or 5-string, and what wood combination would sound best?’ All of that is really just a luxury. I could honestly do any gig on any Xotic and be totally covered.”
You can watch Millhouse on his XJ-1T 5-string fretless and fretted basses during a performance of Godspell.
Bass legend Chuck Rainey with his new Xotic signature model, the XPJ-1T
You can also hear the XJ-1T 5 on the following recordings:
- “Magic To Do” and “Morning Glow,” Pippin New Cast Album (2013)
- “All Good Gifts,” (fretless) Godspell New Cast Album (2011)
Chuck Rainey Signature Model XPJ-1T
The newest bass in the Xotic line-up is the result of a collaboration with bass icon Chuck Rainey. Available starting in 2014, the Chuck Rainey Signature Model (XPJ-1T) is a blend of Xotic’s XP and XJ models modified to Rainey’s specifications.
The XPJ-1T features a 21-fret bolt-on maple neck with a Hipshot X-Tender Key on the E-string. The ash body is home to stock Xotic pickups matched with a Trilogic Bass Preamp 2. Like its XJ and XP predecessors, the XPJ has a 3-band EQ with preamp controls that include an active/passive switch, a mid-boost switch, and a bright switch. Also standard is the Hipshot Ultralite tuners and a brass Hipshot A Style bridge.
“I’m an old-fashioned player because I like to have the same sound all of the time. If you have good hands, you can change the sound. The Xotic basses allow me to do that,” Rainey says. “I love the passive sound and Precision-style neck. The new bass has those features I want…but with more muscle.”
VIDEO: Chicago Music Exchange demos the Chuck Rainey Signature Model from Xotic.
You can hear Rainey play the XPJ-1T on his latest release, Interpretations of a Groove and follow him on Facebook for his latest news.
To learn more Xotic Guitars and Basses, you can visit their web site at www.xotic.us.
Gear Reviews
Review Transcript: BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass
This is a written transcript of our video review of the BITE Custom Bass Black Knight PP Bass originally published on March 4, 2024
BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass Review…
Bass Musician Magazine did a review on a Steampunk bass from BITE Guitars about three years ago, it was an amazing instrument, and we were very impressed. Now we’re happy to bring you another BITE bass, the Black Knight PP.
Everybody needs a P-type bass, it’s the standard of bass. If you’re recording, they want you to have a P bass. So why not have something that gives you a little more by having two instead of one P pickup. That’s the idea of this bass, it’s the first thing that leaps out: the double P pickup configuration.
Installing two of their 1000 millivolt split-coil pickups, BITE then went one step further and wired them up in a 4-way parallel/series circuit, a look at the controls reveal a 4-way rotary selector:
The first position, marked “B”, gives you the bridge pickup by itself.
The second position, marked “P”, gives you the bridge and neck pickups in parallel mode, that’s the traditional J-type circuit, it reduces output due to the physical law of parallel circuits.
Position number 3 is marked “N”, it gives you the neck pickup by itself.
And finally, number 4, marked “S”, gives your bridge and neck in a series (humbucking) mode which adds up resistances and thus boosts output. The other two controls are master volume and master tone.
What’s more, like every BITE bass, this one also has a reinforced headstock heel designed to give it extra output and sustain. The BITE website features a graph and explanation of what they have done to the heel, as compared to traditional headstocks.
A look at the body reveals a beautiful Black Blast body finish and underneath that we have alder wood. The bass has a matching headstock with a 4-in-line tuner setup and the traditional bite out of it, so everybody will know what kind of bass you’re playing. The pickguard is 3-ply black, the neck is vintage tinted hard maple and it has a satin speed finish at the back which keeps your thumb from sticking.
On top of that, there’s a clear-coated roasted black locust fretboard with black blocks marking the frets. The nut is a black Graph Tec nut, we’ve got diamond dome control knobs, and the tuners are lightweight compacts with cloverleaf buttons and a 1:17 ratio precision gear. The bridge is a Gotoh brass bridge with 19-millimeter string spacing.
Overall measurements: we’ve got a standard 34″ scale, a 1.65″ width nut and a C neck profile. This bass weighs 8.2 pounds, or 3,7 kilograms for our metric friends, and it uses standard 18% nickel silver frets.
Taking a closer look at the sound, this bass is a joy to play. The BITE proprietary 1000 millivolt pickups deliver an extraordinary amount of output which is surprising considering this is a passive instrument. You may even want to set your amp to active mode because of all of the juice you’re getting out of this guy.
The tonal possibilities are very versatile, it’s a straight P if you want but also much more with those different arrangements of the circuitry. So why have multiple basses when you’ve got one that can give you your basic P plus a lot more?
To sum it up, the Black Knight PP is an amazing instrument. The attention to detail that BITE puts into their basses is second to none. This bass is also amazingly balanced and gorgeous to hold and feel with the satin neck finish.
For more information, visit online at bite.guitars/product/black-knight-pp
Bass Videos
Reviews: Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17
Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17 Reviews…
In this issue, we take an in-depth look at two new amps from Phil Jones Bass, the Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17.
For more information, visit online at pjbworld.com
Bass Videos
Video Review: BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass
BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass Review…
I am sure many of you saw my review of the Snobby Steampunk Bass from BITE Guitars back in February of 2021 and will remember what a remarkable bass it was. BITE has been building custom basses since 2019 and has a unique custom approach where you can configure your bass to your specs.
I am very excited to have another Bass From BITE Guitars in my hands, The Black Knight PP Bass!
The need for a P-Bass in one’s armamentarium is pretty standard for bass players and I recall chatting about this with Marty O’Brien about a year ago. It turns out that Marty and BITE Guitars got together and came up with this excellent configuration that gives you a P-Bass with a whole lot more. Marty even played his own Black Knight PP bass at the 2024 NAMM show. You can see his review here.
Join me as I take an in-depth look at this very cool instrument and share all the details.
Here is The Black Knight Bass from BITE Guitars!
For more information, visit online at bite.guitars/product/black-knight-pp
Gear Reviews
Gear Review: Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass
Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass Review…
Throughout the evolution of music, bass players have sought tools to sculpt and enhance their sonic landscapes, and one indispensable ally in this pursuit has been compression. Origin Effects, a name synonymous with premium audio craftsmanship, introduces the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, a pedal that pays homage to the legacy of compression and brings forth a new chapter in bass sonic mastery.
As we delve into the world of the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, we’ll explore how Origin Effects seamlessly weaves together the heritage of compression and contemporary bass demands, promising a pedal that not only honors the past but propels your bass playing into the future. Join us on this sonic expedition as we dissect the nuances of the Cali76 Compact and uncover the secrets it holds for bass players seeking the perfect blend of vintage warmth and modern versatility.
For Starters, the Cali76 is a studio-grade FET compressor pedal, based on the classic Urei 1176, but with some features optimized for bass guitar. For those of you who are not familiar with it, a FET (Field Effect Transistor) compressor is essentially a solid-state tube compressor emulation that allows for fast and precise control over the attack and the release parameters; allows for extreme compression ratios; and finally adds the typical 1176 color and character to the sound.
Together with the common controls we see in most compressor pedals – Ratio, Attack/Release, input (just like the original 1176, the threshold in this pedal is fixed), and output (makeup gain). The Cali76 offers two more controls dedicated to us bass players.
A Dry control – This allows us to mix in our dry, uncompressed signal to the pedal output. This is great for when we want to add back some of our playing dynamics to the compressed sound or for when you want some volume back in situations where the compression starts taking away the volume.
A High Pass Filter control – Low frequencies on a bass guitar signal normally overwhelm compressors. This high pass filter allows the compressor to only react to higher frequencies, which helps preserve the natural dynamics of our playing while keeping the low end intact.
Metering on this pedal can be a bit hard to get used to at first. There’s a single LED light on the pedal, that not only serves as an On/Off light, but it’s also our meter. It glows red when no compression is applied and orange for active compression. The brighter the light, the greater the amount of gain reduction. Yellow signifies that the gain reduction reached 27dB and maximum reduction occurs around 38 dB.
In practical terms, it’s all about working with the input and the LED to find the sweet spot (turn the input to zero, start playing and slowly increase the input level until you start seeing the LED glowing orange, which means there’s reduction going on).
With 6 highly interactive knob controls, this pedal implies some degree of compressor knowledge and also some amount of tweaking and experimentation to find the perfect settings. The good news is that it is very hard to make this pedal sound bad…
It can go from very subtle compression settings to very extreme, and it can do everything in between. Also, the team at Origin has been kind enough to add a couple of sample settings in the manual to get players started and to help us understand better how the pedal works.
Dynamic Control is a setting that provides natural compression, balancing dynamics between various playing techniques. It is a subtle compression that will work almost out of the box almost all the time. Having a medium setting for the High Pass Filter ensures an honest translation of the lower string dynamics.
Parallel compression is a popular studio technique, where both compressed and natural signals are blended. We get the sound and feel of hard compression while retaining the natural playing dynamics.
Percussive, lively & Fat is a setting that uses a slower attack time to accentuate the start of any note. Then using a fast release allows the compressor to recover between notes so that the phrases sound more percussive. Ideal for slapping and other percussive techniques.
Finally, I would like to mention the classic 1176 tonal coloration. It’s not a secret that engineers all around would sometimes use the 1176 compressor, without applying any compression, just to get the tonal coloration into the instrument sound.
And the Cali76 compressor is no different, it has such a rich, warm, and full coloration that’s super pleasing to the ear and makes you want to have it ON all the time. So be aware, that if you want a transparent compressor, this pedal is not for you!
All in all, it is easy to understand why this pedal became a favorite of so many bass players around the world. The Cali76 Compact stands as a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful engineering that Origin Effects is renowned for. It seamlessly navigates through the rich history of compression, offering bass players a gateway to the soulful resonance of the past while empowering them to sculpt a contemporary sonic future.
Whether you’re a seasoned bass maestro or a budding virtuoso, the Cali76 Compact invites you to embark on a sonic journey where every note is held in a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. As we bid farewell to our exploration, we do so with the realization that the Cali76 Compact is more than just a pedal; it’s a sonic companion that elevates the artistry of bass playing
For more information, visit online at origineffects.com
Gear Reviews
Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review
Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review…
Not long ago, I did a review of the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass and I have just been given the honor and privilege of reviewing the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass. I have to say, another great bass from Spector that is hard to put down! While there are some similarities between both basses, there are also some noticeable differences which is why I believe having both is essential to any bass arsenal.
Spector, widely used by many rock and metal bassists like Ian Hill, Alex Webster, Colin Edwin, Doug Wimbish, and many more, just to name a few, has a long-standing in these genres. Well, that’s about to change! The bass I used for the review, didn’t see any of those genres, matter of fact, I used it on a few classic country gigs and at church too! However, when at home in the studio, I let the funk out. The NS Ethos HP 4 Bass is an all-around great bass for any genre and will not disappoint.
Let’s get into the specs about the bass, and here we will find the differences between the HP 5 Bass and the HP 4.
Forget that one is a 5 string, while the other is a 4, while that is a difference, that’s not one that I feel needs to be noted as both models are available as 4 and 5 strings. The Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass has a 34” scale, 24 fret, 3 piece maple neck through construction with solid alder wings, ebony fingerboard along with centered and side dots and the 12th fret Spector logo inlay with a brass nut.
While the pickups are different as the NS Dimension HP 5 Bass uses the EMG 45DC and the NS Ethos HP 4 Bass sports the EMG 35DC pickups, they are the same pickup configurations, the difference being, one for 4 string, the other for 5 string. The electronics are the same, consisting of a Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp which consists of +-12dB @70Hz for Bass, +-12dB @500Hz for Mids, and +-12dB @2.8kHz for Hi Mids. Controls for Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass consist of Master Volume, Blend, Bass, Mid, and Hi Mid controls. The electronics are powered by a 9-volt battery.
The bridge is a Hi-Mass locking bridge with intonation screws and the tuners are sealed die-cast. All hardware is black. Same as the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass, the HP 4 Bass is available in 4 different finishes, White Sparkle Gloss, Gunmetal Gloss, Plum Crazy Gloss & Black Gloss. The bass also comes with a very nice and well-padded gig bag.
Check out the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass at a Spector Music Retailer today near you or visit online at spectorbass.com/product/ns-ethos-hp-4/
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