Graham Jacobs Posted June 6, 2005 Share Posted June 6, 2005 Can anyone give me a comparison between the Marcus Miller signature J-Bass and the Bromberg Signature B2 bass by Dean Guitars? Living in South Africa (Cape Town) direct access to these instruments is, shall we say, rather limited. I would have to import without being able to do a try-out. Both have received very good reviews. I'm looking for a versatile 5 string instrument able to hold down the bottom end as well as being good for soloing. My other basses include a Fender Precision fretless and an acoustic upright. (The new bass would be a replacement for my ancient Ibanez Roadstar). I play a wide range of styles, ranging from rock to jazz. Any advice/comments welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted June 6, 2005 Share Posted June 6, 2005 First GJ, welcome to the Forum! (I'll let the others clue you in on the idiosyncracies of behavior here.) Next, I never played the Bromberg but, as Fender has a lot of US marketing outlets, I eventually got around to playing the MM Signature Jazz and I had the fortune once to own a real '77 Jazz with a Badass installed. The new model passed my "yank test" where I hold onto the upper (strap) horn and try to shift the neck out of alignment; sounds extreme, but imagine this happening playing in the middle of a set and hearing a couple of strings go out of tune. Big reason I sold my '77. I honestly can't remember what difference the preamp circuit made in the bass but it sounded as good as a passive J-bass without the circuitry with some additional headroom on the tones. I wasn't that impressed with it because there are so many other after-market onboard and outboard tone processors to choose from. Outside of those mods, it's looks and feels like a well-built '70s Jazz bass. Hopefully this'll get you started. I'm sure there are other opinions out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Jacobs Posted June 7, 2005 Author Share Posted June 7, 2005 Thanks Fred At least the Bromberg is a neck-thru bass which would pass your yank test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Are there any local luthiers worth considering? I'd have though you'd get a lot more bang for your rand that way, rather than paying for an imported mass-produced instrument. ALex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I played the Bromberg 5 string a while back in a store in NYC. Nice balance, good tone. Easy to find a nice piezo sound, and easy to mix that with the p/u's. Fretwork was good, no burrs. Overall fit and finish seemed well-attended to. Had a maple-looking top that didn't do much for tone, but looked nice. Good physical balance from the body shape. Not too sure that that body style would fit in every playing situation. Not a big fan of the 12th fret inlay, but it's the only "signature" I could find on the bass, and I do like that. http://www.guitardeals.com/D-BBS4TAM_small.jpg Price was 799us new, IIRC, and seemed right on the money. A bass I would consider. Gotta get back to work now... Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Daddy from Motown Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I was looking for a different sound a while back and brought home a Marcus Miller Jazz for a couple of days. It looked nice but the boost only eq was a drag. When i played it next to my Standard P Bass I had to take it back to GC for the refund. The P just killed it tone wise. I went out and bought a Music Man Sting Ray that got me into a different sound than the P bass. I admit it's a couple of hundred more than the Miller but it's a cool bass worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Jacobs Posted June 8, 2005 Author Share Posted June 8, 2005 I appreciate the comments guys. Alex, we do have some good luthiers in RSA but no one really specializing in basses. (I have a very fine Martin D28-type acoustic dreadnought made by a Cape Town local whose clients include Steve Stills, for example). Because of the Rand exchange rate compared to the 1970's and 80's (yes, I've been gigging for a while)most locally available mass-produced basses are lower-end Ibanezes, Fenders (Mexican),Corts etc. though Warwicks are available. Wraub, your observations bear out what I've heard about the Bromberg. BD, I own a fretless P Bass (an old USA model) so your points are well taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzilla Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 On Saturday afternoon, after a coffee house gig, I strolled into the music store right around the corner. I saw the Dean Brian Bromberg on the wall in a nice bule-green finish, and took it for a quick spin. The fretboard radius was a bit flatter than I like but the overall neck was so comfy. Thinner than I expected, width-wise; but made up for that with just enough depth so that it didn't feel like a toothpick. Tone could easily be bright and modern without getting harsh, but fat low end was no stranger to this creature, either. The piezo's were nice too; wish I had more time to mess with that option. It was closing time so I had to put it back. Nice Genz Benz amp, too. Of course, right as I was walking out the door I realized they had a 5 string version too- I will have to make a return trip! Sometime after I get some expendable cash. "Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion) NEW band Old band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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