FF bass @ DGMC

Some very cool - and definitely affordable - fanned fret basses are now available at Davis GMC. If you're that adventurous type who benefits from dropped tunings, a fanned fret option would definitely help proceedings when it comes to string tension. This here is the Bacchus WJB-1MS which lists for $699 (bag included). A sunburst finish is also available. When it comes to value-for-money, the Bacchus name is hard to beat. 

Pic: Deviser

Tactics

Finally, we get to feel the Bacchus Japan quality here at Davis GMC. This Tactics24 ($1,350) model is from the Tune-up Series. Good appointments here but the pickups are in-house. Please take time to hear them in action before being dismissive. In my opinion, they are above expectations. Also, there's something about Japanese craftsmanship, regardless of the brand name, that makes them feel exclusive.

Pic: Deviser

Price watch (85): Close

If you have to decide between the Fender Player II Strat & an Edwards:

• Fender - a typical Strat, nothing special. Maybe those Alnico V pickups might appease to the contemporary players who are more at home with driven tones.
• Edwards - a typical Strat as well, one less fret + truss rod access at the neck heel. tradition 6-screws bridge. Made in Japan. 
• Something with Fender on the headstock vs Japanese QC... tough call.

If you have to decide between the Squier (Affinity) J-bass & a Bacchus WJB

• Squier - ceramic pickups, laurel fretboard. Good features for something in at this price point.
• Bacchus - roasted maple neck + steel frets, both for a sub-$500 asking price.
• $60 price difference between a good beginner bass & something that offers more in terms of value-for-money. What would hold you back - that Bacchus brand name, yes?

If you have to decide between a Jackson (RR24) & Edwards (Alexi Ripped) V-type outlines

• Jackson - Ebony 'board + JB/Jazz pickups, potent combo
• LTD - Ebony 'board + EMG HZ pickups, equally potent (EDIT: Pic shows the ESP version... oops)
• It's always a little difficult putting money into something with an endorser association but the Alexi Laiho models are popular (till today) with a good re-sale value. But in this outline domain, the RR will always be the standard reference / to beat. A single coil in the neck for the Laiho might be deal breaker for many of us. Then again, it already sounds very good just with the bridge humbucker.

Pics: Davis, Swee Lee

Aged

Bacchus has relic'd models in their lineups. This one here is the TACTICS24 AGED/RSM, available now at Davis GMC ($1,100). The price is a little steep for something equipped with in-house locking tuners & pickups but it's definitely a winner with that roasted maple neck / fretboard + steel frets. Yes, that's a Wilkinson bridge. 

 

Pic: Deviser

Squier Anniversary - slashed prices

The Squier 40th Anniversary models are going for a discount. Again. I believe this is the third round of slashed prices. I have no intentions to impede sales but these guitars are not moving due to the price, more than anything else. I've mentioned this to a friend who asked for a frank opinion on this deal.

Pic: Deviser Co.

A Squier above the $500 mark is a difficult enticement. Why would I spend that much money when I can get a Bacchus BTE-1RSM/M (above) for slightly more than $320? The Bacchus comes with a roasted maple neck which is more enticing than the Anniversary Squier's normal, nothing special, neck. We can see why the 40th Anniversary guitar is virtually screaming do not buy one at the original $700+ price tag. The 40th Anniversary slant is merely commemorative, nothing extra in terms of features, were factored into the design. If these do not clear the shelves by the year end, that 40th Anniversary thing means nothing in 2024. If you have ever owned a Squier, you'd agree that the Standard, non-commemorative models are good enough to see you through so paying more for an anniversary model is definitely not the way to go. 

B-Ash

Absolutely nice ash-bodied Bacchus models are now available @ Davis GMC.

It's actually roasted ash, so you get a double roasted deal with the neck being roasted maple as well. Do note - these models sport a 25" scale length so it's nearer to the PRS vibe as opposed to Fender.

Pics: Bacchus HG

BJB @ DGMC

More Bacchus goodness at Davis GMC, this time it's the awesome J-type bass, the BJB-2R (List: $365) to be exact. That's right, this one features a roasted maple neck for an immaculate feel. Unlike standard J-basses, the pickups here are humbucking. This is absolutely value-for-money considering the QC on offer & comfort. Sunburts, red, blond, surf green & pink are the other available colours. 

Pic: Bacchus International

Offsets @ DGMC

This awesome goodness of an offset otherwise known as the Bacchus BJM-1, is now available at Davis GMC for ... $345!

Equally enticing, in a dual humbucking pickup combo is the BJM-3 listing for $345 as well. This is a good time if you are in the market for an affordable offset guitar on a budget. If you have come across a Bacchus before, you'd know the value-for-money these instruments offer, without compromising quality.
 

Pics: Bacchus International

Imperial goodness

I thought this wouldn't make it here but it's now available at Davis GMC. The 24-fretted Bacchus Imperial24-BP-RSM/M features a baked maple neck & fretboard like its BST siblings - all for a sub-$400 consideration.

Pic: Bacchus International

BST LH

Not forgetting the south paws among us...

Bacchus' value-for-money BST Series left-handed versions are available at Davis GMC as well (List: $275). I'm highlighting this here because someone asked me for some lefty recommendations last weekend. We don't see too many of these here across brand names but there are some worthy considerations. Seen above: BST-1R in black & white finishes. 

Pics: Bacchus Guitar

BST-TW

I will begin this entry with an opinionated statement: This is good stuff. This Bacchus BST-TW holds its own in terms of feel & tone. If you are looking for a warm, 60s-sounding, Strat-type tone, this one will get you by easily. This dark wood here is fundamentally processed poplar, stained to make it look like rosewood.  It's not one but the tones are very close. The strength of this guitar is that of unity; it's made from the same material all round so there's uniform resonance all round. It's also chambered for that extra warmth. My only beef with this one is the 5-way selector which is a little stiff but it's typical of an instrument in this price bracket. Available at Davis GMC (List: $495, bag included).

Pic: Bacchus Guitar

Selling: Bacchus WJB-mini (SOLD)

Emotional farewell - letting my Bacchus WJB Mini go. If you've been following my post-discharge activities (or the lack of it), you would know that this bass puts me at ease when it comes to managing numb fingertips & poor blood circulation. It's a short scale bass, please note; 29.5" in scale length. Comes with the bag you see here. Tough times ahead, will only get tougher. Chemo funding continues... 😔

• Bacchus: WJB Mini (bag included)
• Short scale bass (29.5" scale length)
• Condition: 9/10
• No trades / reservations
• Queries / confirmation: subversion.sg@gmail.com
• Self-collect: CCK / Yew Tee mrt station
• Price: $190 (final)

Good roast (2)

These are just re-stocked at Davis GMC, (Tel: 6-337-5-092) the Bacchus BTE-2-RSM/M (List: $325). Yes, no hiding it's a Tele-like guitar but it features a roasted maple neck-fingerboard.

Some of us are simply into the feel of things & a roasted neck material contributes to this rather markedly. There were the Strat-type versions in store last year (CLICK) & those lasted for about a month only before being sold out completely. I would recommend these instruments (Bacchus Universe Series) for their value-for-money considerations. They are simply well-built guitars with above-average feel due to the roasted neck considerations. Lots of goodness for an entry-level price tag. A hidden gem, really.

PICS: Bacchus International

Chilling it low

Have been taking it easy lately so it's just my bass & me on the couch on most days. This is my Bacchus WJB-Mini, a short scale bass which feels like a slightly longer baritone guitar (29.5" scale length) so it's nothing too overwhelming for me. 

 I'm also accompanied by the Blackstar FLY 3 Bass so it's strictly a couch moment. 😎

And it's goodbye February...

BJB @ Davis

Some tasty Bacchus Jazz-type basses are now in stock at Davis GMC. (Above: BJB-2R)

I've only tried the single coil version as seen here, this is the BJB-1R. It's good value for money with above average QC. When I came back to buy it some days later, it was already sold out so I ended up getting an Aria version instead. Bummer. 

Not forgetting the lefties among us. (Above: BJB-1R LH)

Pics: Bacchus-guitar

Good roast

 

This is simply awesome & worth every cent. It's a Bacchus BST-2-RSM & available at Davis GMC. Got to handle one last weekend & the appeal is way beyond its asking price - $325. For many of us, anything Strat-ish has to be, at the very least, Fender associated. This is the reason players gravitate towards Squier. Now remove the Squier association & replace it with awesome feel. Awesome because it sport a roasted maple neck (mind boggling at this price point). It will be an uphill task trying to convince people to embrace this brand name for its sheer goodness. With regards to the price tag, we would be bent on catagorizing it as an entry-level unit but if you handle one in person, it's way beyond that performance.

Goodbye: Bacchus BST-1

This happened yesterday- let my Bacchus BST-1 go to a deserving owner. An under-played instrument in 9/10 condition. Moving on to other focus 😐

The pretenders

Had some playing time this morning as it's a public holiday 🎉

Let's not kid ourselves in seeing something original here. Bacchus & Aria Pro are clearly riding on Fender's shadows. What's the point of spending good money on such copies? My take:

1. Budget alternatives. There are now countless copies out there, even boutique names are taking pride in doing so. The funny thing is, some of us drown ourselves in snob appeal with our boutique copies but we are quick to judge if our peers strum the budget versions. There are players out there who had the Fender experience (played one in store, borrowed a friend's, etc.) & wouldn't want to spend too much on the brand name. They just want that bolt-on chemistry plus some passable twanging moments & can live with other concessions. As the general audience out there simply can't tell the tonal difference between a Fender & its countless imitators, why the heck not. Ditto recording moments- is the whole world there to witness you record your musical glory with a Fender? They are too busy, too lost in their own moments to care.
2. Back-up. Especially for those of us who are playing a Fender as our No.1, having a reliable back-up will save us from tripping into the pits of hellish embarrassment. It might even prevent us from getting fired. These days, there are above-average Strat/Tele-type models to choose from. You need not tread the Squier path if you think they are not up to it for you. Take some time to browse the stores, disregard the brand name & be objective. I'd personally recommend the LTD models.
3. Inspiration. A little ironic but we sometimes get inspired by the stuff we overlook. I sometimes make it a point to have these imitators on standby when I play my Fenders just to have a moment of difference. We are at times blinded by arrogance in acknowledging the fact that our lesser brand names are the ones that share our intimate moments & perpetuate inspiration rather than that over-priced excess. 

Whatever the case may be, these budget alternatives have their place in the grand scheme of things, we tend to dismiss them prematurely before knowing what's unfolding next. 

Guitars in pic: Bacchus BST-1/ Aria 615 Frontier

Mini rant

It had been an exciting couple of days or so when it comes to bass. I've been laying low (no pun intended) when it comes to it lately for the lack of inspiration. My current line-up of basses are one-dimensional; short scale models which suit my needs more than anything else. The Bacchus WJB mini has everything to do with re-igniting my bass indulgence.

Many of us continue to chase shadows when it comes to gear-hunting & the brand name, above all else, always get the better of us. I've been there, I know the elation of buying that elite name on the headstock only to bring it home & discover it's all about the name, everything else had been compromised. However, it's not wrong for us to tread this path. We always cite some brand names as a standard for quality (it happens for other products as well, not just musical instruments). The issue here is having the courage to say no to something that doesn't work for us, doesn't cater to our needs & does not grow us in terms of our music. If we are only more practical in this sense, it would save us the agony of picking that one dud which we perceived to be a gem at the store. The WJB mini is the most suitable tool for me in this light because it addresses my struggle with bigger, full-sized basses.

What if people go round telling you, hey man, you settled down for a second fiddle. Then it's second fiddle for them, not for you. It's important you asses your needs & intentions before investing in anything for that matter because it's all about you. At the end of it all, you are the one who has to deal with ownership, not other people. They get on with theirs, so you should do like-wise. There is a hint of bigotry here because people out there don't get put down if they drive a Mini Cooper, yes?

So that pretty much wrapped up my later half of the week- bass indulgence. I'd say I picked up much more bass ideas & technicalities with the WJB mini than I did with other basses so that must be a good thing. Time to scout for a deserving bass amp.

Little wonder

I told myself to steer away from guitars for a while to trigger some creativity but that brought me back to my bass time. The Bacchus WJB Mini here was a recent purchase, in fact, it's only 2 days old. I have never gotten on with a full-sized bass so this was the answer to my current non-guitar moments, a 30" scale bass, feels like a baritone more than a bass. Nothing spectacular, here just a substantial poplar body, maple neck & a rosewood 'board. Nothing seems amiss with this little one in terms of QC, just that the set-up could have been better. Right out of the box, the action wasn't set according to the fret board radius so that would be looked into soon.