Cellphone shots, until I find my SLR's proprietary cable. I just moved OK.
This light blue is very difficult to photograph. The shot on the case, is pretty close. But the fretboard is too "red" and the abalone got no joy in that shot.
Non obvious specs:
Alder body wings.
1 piece Walnut neck
Mahogany top
EVO Gold small frets
Radium Single coils
Standard 14 inch radius
Stream of consciousness...
Ok, so this bass is very light. Lighter than I was expecting. It is not chambered. The body really isn't meaningful smaller than my Icon 5. Must be some feather alder. I'm gonna try to get it on the postal scale at work, tomorrow. I bet its under 8 pounds.
It vibrates very well. The accoustic tone is very even and uncolored. Clear, even, great sustain with long note integrity. A bit airy in the mids. No big pushes in either direction. Near perfect balance in the high mid, the right pickups could be really cool, with this high mid being so well controlled.
Overall, it hangs well. And the short upper horn doesn't hurt the reach too much. But changing how loose or tight your strap is, drastically affects the hang. With no headstock, after a certain point of slackness in your strap, it will become body heavy. Which pulls the lower frets toward you. Tighter straps will notice the reach, more. However, the second, lower button pretty much fixes that. Its not just for a kickstand.
I am definitely experiencing an adjustment to the headless aspect. With less mass out there, it is a lot easier to wiggle and waggle the neck around, when you are navigating hand techniques. I don't have issues with my hand falling off the end. My technique/hand position isnt like that.
The Zebrawood is fantastic. It is very smooth and slick feeling. Kind of a waxed board feel. Smoother than rosewood, for sure.
The abalone looks good on it. And the greens and blues in the abalone pull some of the blue feel from the body, out onto the fretboard.
The body is pretty comfortable. Fret access is totally uninhibited. The bevel doesn't go back far enough, to accommodate my wrist position. But its not bad. My Icon's rounded sides are notably more comfortable, however. The bevel on the Aries or Vanquish are probably better for wrist comfort, than the Vader.
Not sure what's up with the strings. They left my fingers very dirty, after 10 minutes of play. And they feel pretty grabby on my finger tips. I have a lot O experience with Dunlop Superbrights, on two different basses. These dont seem like the strings I know and love.
I am pretty sure the Radium single coils are indeed different from the second Gen RAD-JVA which have been in my Icon for a couple years. However, something is up with the strings and the pickup locations are different.
But, as is, I do not like the tone. A very modern, "active" sound, even though it is all passive. Pretty sterile and cold. It reminds me a bit of the Delano tone. Modern. Deep. Clear. Sterile.
The pickups are lower output, too. Probably because the RAD-JVA have a ton more midrange presence and character, than these Radium singles.
And there is some sort of warble in the tone. Not sure if strings or pickups. I don't seem to hear it unplugged.
The gold small frets feel good. Maybe a touch taller than the stainless small frets. Overall feel is similar. Definitely less ping from the golds. But not as much fantastic breathy sweetness in the high notes, as the steel frets on my Icon. I've never owned a bass with high notes which sing as well as my Icon. But these EVO golds sound more balanced. I would choose them again, over stainless. My style isn't light and delicate. I LOVE my Icon. But the stainless ping can be a tough beast on some songs.
New blend pot fixes an old problem but has a new one. No volume drop-----but I can't call this a blend. It may as well be a three way switch. My Icon has the volume drop, but the old blend makes a difference with every little bit of turn. Hmm.
They also wired it backward. Forward is bridge, backward is neck
I do not like the tone of the tone pot, at all. I mean when it I rolled off. But I also dont like the plugged in tone here, in general. So, maybe different pickups or strings, will fare better.
The bridge is cool. The saddle channels are a little less rounded in the back, compared to the "A" style bridge on my Icon. You can probably push them back a little further. Good news for the 5 string Vader.
The paint line isn't perfect. I've seen worse on here, with no complaints. Not sure if this is typical or if what I hoped for isn't really possible. Some slight roughness around the neck pocket. And around the tip of the upper horn. Overall looks good. But not prefect, on a second, closer look.
The setup is near perfect. The nut height is perfect, for me. I like my nut slots a touch higher than what I typically find and this bass has what I like. I have always kinda wanted to get a new nut on my Icon, even though there is nothing technically wrong with it.
I ordered this bass with black dots. Super annoying that my third order, second bass, also has spec mistakes. After reviewing some cellphone pics, I decided to receive it. I think it still looks good and really wanted to at least try a Vader. something will be worked out, depending on if I keep this or send it back and try another model.
I think that just about wraps my first impressions, after 3 hours with the bass. Not instantly sure if its a keeper. The Icon 5 felt like home, the minute I strapped it on.
**I'm gonna completely loosen the strings over night, ket the neck relax. Maybe that will help the warble.
