Did Fender Just RUIN the Mike Kerr Signature Bass?
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- This is a follow up to my unboxing of the Mike Kerr Signature bass. I am not affiliated with Fender and is NOT a PAID review. You would think Fender would learn from the recent incident of there Fender Gold Foil Jazz Bass but here we are...
I want to extend a massive thank you to @patrickhunter for the shoutout! I am truly grateful that this bass is reaching a broader audience and addressing CRITICAL information that should not be swept under the rug by a paid or Music Store review!
Also would like to extend my gratitude to @LowEndLobster for consent of using his clips for this review!
No links provided of where to buy this bass cause DON'T!
The signal chain is plugged direct from an Ampeg RB112 onto a Scarlett Focusrite 2i2 in Logic Pro X. Using no plug-ins and a teeny bit of compression in play-throughs.
For strings I used on this review: Whatever they came with stock.
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It looks like the perfect 2020s job.
1- Rely on the company's past achievements
2- Put a product based on hype
3- Release the product with seemingly NO ONE who tested said product
4- Look clients in the eyes and tell them "You are the problem" when product is subpar.
5- Company counts its money until scheme does not work anymore
2023.
Rinse and repeat 🔁
@@sonojon0I wanted to like it, it looks gorgeous and I have much respect for Mike Kerr as an innovator, but this bass needs to just fail and go away...the irony is that it will probably be a sought-after collectable someday based on price/rarity regardless of quality
@@jasondorsey7110if by innovator you mean run your bass an octave up and pretend it’s a guitar yes he’s an innovator
@@ShadamAran Yes that's exactly what I mean. And what are your qualifications as an arbitor of what constitutes innovation?
@@jasondorsey7110
Lol probably
When I saw the bass for the first time I was like "No way" and thought It would sound amazing because of its unique pickups and placement. I was very dissapointed to say the less. I hope Fender starts making instruments whose quality matches the price!
That poor thing is gonna get whipped by the Rascal 🪦
Yes. The only thing I really don't care about it is the size of it. One of the upsides of having a short scale is that its smaller. And the rascal is basically the size of a 34" jazz bass. I really wish they'd bring back the Squier Vintage Modified short scale Jaguars.
I’m looking forward to the results!
The Rascal is not the most comfortable bass to play, whereas this is a blast. But then again, mine doesn’t have the bridge pick up problems
I think Fender did learn after the Gold Foil travesty. Why ensure a good bridge placement when you can have a bridge to adjust the string alignment lol. Essentially a way to skip QC and minimize warranty claims.
A great way to cut corners too 😂
If you want a Mike Kerr bass, you might be better off with a stock Gretsch G2220.
Plays like a dream, looks slick and cool, and sounds awesome!
The two single coil PU's are very hot and give it a versatile range of sounds.
A bit like a warmer, fuller Jazz bass, unsurprisingly.
And it costs like a quarter of what this thing retails.
its a sh1t bass too i had one so low output people need to understand the mojo of his bass tone is the pedalboard
I've got the G2220. Fell in love with the fender signature as soon as I saw it, but after seeing these reviews im definitely avoiding. Will stick to the gretsch, I use it for gigs completely clean and it does a great job.
I had the same problem with the bridge pickup not taking up the G-string properly. I simply flipped the pickup 180 degrees. COMPLETELY solved the issue! Other than that, the bass plays and sounds excellent, with the nicest neck I've ever come across!
Good thinking! However by doing that, you're now reversing the issue that was initially the G string to now the E string. I went ahead and did it myself with good results on the G string but am now dealing with low volume issues on the E string.
@@sonojon0 Yeah, you're right. I ended up sending the bass back. Too bad! :(
@@rejvdavid Yeah, sent mine back too after I finished up the comparison video with the Squier Rascal bass. Would love to find a Mike Kerr used though for around $800 and mod the crap out of it lol
@@sonojon0 Me too! Changing out the pups and the awful selector switch, as well as the awful orange colour for something more tasteful would make it a really great bass, but not for the asking price! :D
I hope they do a redoo on this bass and fix the major problems, and add a classic jazz bass volume/volume/tone knob layout to balance these goofy pickups. I am a Gibson EB3 fangirl which notoriously has an unbalanced pickup layout but at least you can adjust the volume and tone level to your needs, because that is crucial for a pickup layout like this. I do love the vibe of the instrument and if they redoo these basses id consider getting one but for now, they are selling some serious trash
Squier has better QC than fender🤣! At this price point I'd rather commission a custom build instead.
Who would’ve thought this be the case in 2023 when Squier is outclassing Fender 😂
@@sonojon0 it's almost like they're offering you adjustable string spacing because they know put the bridge in the right place anymore!
That bridge pickup sounds like a 60’s Japanese Tiasco run through a big muff pedal. What you don’t like the tone?
Just received mine from Sweetwater an hour ago. I have no signal from the wide range pickup, no signal in middle position & only the bridge works with a misaligned G string as everyone else has experienced and weak bridge pickup volume on the G.
Yikes! Not even Sweetwaters 55 point inspection can save this bass 😭
Oh, I'm really looking forward to your comparison, this will be fun! 🍿
Can't wait myself!
Instead of the G string, the E string on my bass has low output and the bridge pickup has a "tinny" sound. I feel "ripped off" by Fender. Any suggestions on modifications?
There is discussion about swapping out the stock bridge with a Hipshot FM2 Bridge. As for the bridge pickup, I'd look into a Thunderbird pickup from Curtis Novak. Hope this helps!
Thanks! 👍@@sonojon0
Thoughts on the Epiphone Newport? On paper it sounds like a win (short-scale w t-bird bucker) and a possible alternative to...this
Even comes in orange
I’ve heard those pickups on the Newport are out of phase as well lol 🤦🏻♀️ I’ll check em out at my local store and see what’s up.
@@sonojon0Yeah, I just checked out some reviews... what a shame.
@@Dr.Garlic.That's reasonable considering it's a fraction of the price.
Hey Sono! Damon in Alabama here. I've horse traded with you a bit on TB over the years. Anyway, great video. I've been curious about this bass. It looks great. But I agree, overall the Mike Kerr leaves a lot to be desired. Keep up the great work! Oh, and love the metal vinyl on the wall. Darkthrone, King Diamond, Dio, Ozzy, Priest, Maiden, Autopsy, Mercyful Fate. All classics!
Hey Damon! Nice to see you here 🤘🏽
looking forward to the squire vs the Kerr video. if I had to choose, I'd pick up the squire. I want to hear them next to each other for sure.
Can't wait for it's release!
So you like this better that the gold foil jazz though?
Neither 😅
Very late April Fool’s joke. 😂. Awesome. Thanks for the review. This thing looks so good I was thinking about buying it. BUT after this review no thanks. $1600 indeed.
The pickup being high would cause the warbling. I’d actually try lowering it, even if it doesn’t match in volume with the neck pickup
Will do in the next upcoming video. Thanks for stopping by!
I also adjusted lowered the pole pieces a bit on the neck pickup it tamed some of the woofy ness and volume of that pick up. But I am with you in general I am not sure if setup was intentional for RB or accidental
Do you think a short scale stingray would be a better purchase to achieve the sound? A little bit more $, but stingrays quality are on another level
I’d recommend getting a distortion and octave effect pedals to achieve his sound
@@sonojon0 right but do you think a stingray could pull that off? Or go with a Squier?
@@joshlawless1022 I’d go with a Squier
@@sonojon0 you’re the man and you’ve earned a new subscriber outta me. Love your content!
Sterling makes a short-scale ray. Half the price and much better quality than the fender.
the upstroke is in phase for some reason. should be the other way round of course. that’s really odd
Right!? Such a head scratcher
Would you ever swap out the bridge pickup? Or in your opinion is this something Fender needs to redress for all the folks who are less than impressed with the bass’ ability to stand on its own merits.
I’d definitely swap out the bridge if the bass wasn’t expensive. I wouldn’t do it on a $1600 bass that Fender needs to address
This reminds me of when i bought a new 2017 American Professional Jazzmaster...
After i received it from Sweetwater , i realized the pickups were in fact not correct Jazzmaster pickups , but instead Tim Shaw Strat pickups under the covers.
I was pissed.
Fender needs to do better.
Especailly when shelling out $1750 for an American made instrument.😆
Mike Kerr fan? I got you fam! Just buy Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale! For money you have left buy pedals. EZ.
This is the way!
Note to the "demo Guys," Try Different Finger Placement!
the $hi††i€st bass tones ever...
King Diamond and Mercyful Fate! Cool!
Just buy the Gretsch for about 300 bucks.For the price it's a hell of a bass playing Royal Blood or Roy Rogers songs.
Absolutely!
I heard somone say thay thought the neck pickup was too wooly but I feel like that is like complaining that your p bass doesn't sound like Jaco
The price is insanity!
Good lord, the amount of cope in those comments is insane. People stop fkn defending companies! They exist to make money and make products. And that product is not worth that amount of money.
Oh hey, it's Sonojono from TB.
Yo! 👋🏽
So if I use pedals on my bass, what do I need a Fender “signature model” for? 😡 Fender needs to shut down these exotic overpriced models nobody wants.
I get making a handful for people that really want them, but I feel you. Like, is there honestly an actual market for it? 🤷
The gigbag has a leopard print, not tiger stripes!?! Another oversight
its because it's a Jaguar bass no? tiger stripes would look ugly imo
@@Aarondani ... well, with the tiger neck plate and tiger blood orange paint being the theme, I think tiger stripes would've been a better choice
Also same body as the bass VI... basically a baritone...not sure of the Jag exactly... taking your word for it
1600.00?? Wtf.."Forrest Gump" Ish, LOL!!
Even SX Makes "BETTER" Fenders.,LOL!! (The Cheap Ones..)
yeah but...its orange and looks boss. that's gotta be enough right?......right????
Yeah a pickup isn't supposed to sound like ass no matter what "you're supposed to" run it through. It's not supposed to have that weird chorus-like out of phase warble sound even if it's intended to be used as a baseball bat.
Truer words can not be any truer
how is the neck dive in this bass? you can hold it on your lap, without diving?
Oh this bass neck dives and it’s what I forgot to include in this video that I will go over in the comparison video of the Squier Rascal Bass this week
@@sonojon0 than my jaguar bass h is better xD
fender himass and gotoh ultralites, greatly reduced the dive
After mods still cheaper than this uglo
flip the neck pickup 180
This bass has little to no definition. at all. the gold foil series sounded exactly like this. and what was odd is that the tone being completely rolled off had a little more definiton then the tone being half way???? almost like this is purely the pickup placements fault
You say the bass knows an up vs down pick?
I can put 1.7k in a brothel and get many one trick ponies who don't need wheelchairs to get by.
That price for a sig that can do one thing only with accessories can't be justified even with excessive amounts of copium.
Man all y’all are rippin fender apart lately 😂 💪 but for perfect reason it’s so beautiful what a shame
“How many times do we have to teach you this listen old man” is what comes to mind when Fender screwed this one up 😂
Good review…hard pass on that slab
Paying for the name, I guess.
They fired 800 people and complete R&D team couple of years back. Forget about Fender. It's over.
Fender can obviously make good guitars so it makes zero sense to make a bad one on purpose.. doesn't it?
Has anyone asked Mike Kerr if these 'quirks' are actually intentional?
That’d be a nice question to ask
Hey Mike, why does your bass sound like ass?
Who the hell is Mike Kerr?
Royal Blood
Don't buy it unless you want to sound like Royal Blood. You need to add some dirt (distortion) on that thing.
Won't sound anything like Royal Blood without an octave up pedal.
Eh, you don’t need the G string anyway 😂
Yeh, the real meat is in the first 3 strings 😅
+ $1600 Fender Mexico Bass
+ One Color Option
+ No Hardshell Case (despite unusual shape and high cost)
Yeah, uhm…NO WAY I'd pay more than $800 for that thing. Idk what Fender's thinking/doing, and I'm a fanboy.
Forgot to mention 2:13 - that is ROUGH!!! 😬Yikes.
I listened to your clean recording in the "tone demo" section using my Beyerdynamic 770 Pro headphones, and can confirm that the neck pickup sounds very hot - but I like it and it'd work great for certain things. Definitely has that dub reggae tone going on ( _King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown_ -type stuff). Conversely, the bridge pickup sounds _horrible!_ Shamefully bad on that G. Hard to believe Fender let so many of these through QC as yours isn't the only one. Loved the video though! 👍
This bass explains why the new album sucks
Maybe like 2 or 3 decent songs from that album. For me, it's ok. Took me like over 10 play throughs to finally form an opinion on it lol
I dunno but this take kinda feels like all hating. You have to consider how Mike Kerr plays even consider how his pedal chain work. He don’t play this bass straight to a bass amp or even do it like what you did on the video. I tried this bass when I was in Japan and of course I didn’t expect it to sound like a “bass” but more of a guitar. It felt great to play. All you did is went to point out how the pickups are made or whatever and say it sucks. You gotta treat this as a unique instrument.
Who’s buying other people signatures bases in the year 2024 anyway? That is so 1999 to 2004.. if you are a bass player and you have a sound, you are better off building your own bass to your specs and demoing it to the world. Who cares what Mike Kerr likes. I’m not playing anything that’s proprietary to anyone else’s meaning of a good bass player
ok. so its a crappy bass. lets say ot straith and from the start, so every one will know.
Ok. It’s a crappy bass 😅
Never heard of the guy. It's an offset body and thus totally unappealing anyway, and in awful road cone orange. Who would want it to begin with?
yah maybe for you, that's your opinion, but Mike Kerr has plenty of fans and people love that he sings and plays both guitar and bass parts with just a bass. offset bodies are appealing to some and not to some. and the finish looks beautiful and in my eyes more striking than Fender's Capri orange. but that's just my opinion. I'm glad I watched reviews before buying tho. it's way too much money for too many imperfections. i got a used Squier short scale instead 😎
@@xeagleandhawkx To each their own. I will stick to my Schecter Stilleto Stealth 5
Not great and sounds pretty meh
Yeah, definitely not the greatest in the group.
And the most important thing: If you really dig this sound you can actually get a Squier Jaguar for 300$ and sound the same without having the problems. Is like they are charging you with 1300$ extra dollars for gold hardware.
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