Steve Harris Precision Bass Review

This new model is a combination of Steve's current specifications and the true spirit of the numerous guitars that he has played throughout his career, with personal features including a wine red mirror pickguard and his signature and Iron Maiden logo on the headstock.

Features:	9.5
Sound:	9
Action:	9.5
Reliability:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	9.6
Users rating:	9.1
Comments:	10

overall: 9.4

Featured review by: ironmaidenrulez, on april 12, 2006

Features: The colours are claret and light blue, the team colours of West Ham United, Steve Harris's and my favourite football (soccer) team. This is a late 2001 oe early 2002 Fender japanese masde bass. It's got a 20 fret maple board with a 7. 5 rdius. It's your typical P-Bass layout, volume and tone and that's it. The Bassline quarter pounds and both loud and very full. The body is Basswood and the neck is maple. Finished in a Lake Placid Blue that has a cool vibe about it. The bridge is a Badass 2 and it's very hefty and gives the basssgreat sustain. Tuners look fine and work well. The neck is not a big as some P's, however I have a new 2000 American made it it come close that as far as feel goes. It's made to be played onstage by someone who can play fast, like Steve Harris and myself. // 10

Sound: Any instrument is a compromise. If you want a heavy sound, or if you have hands the size of a baboon's, choose another Fender. This instrument is designed to be played in Steve Harris's style by someone with smallish hands. I have used instruments where the sound, in my opinion, is better; but they have never been so practical as this instrument. It's a P Bass with lots of bottom and lots of mids. It cuts through nicely in a band situation, but it's not going to wow you with crystal clear clarity. Again, it's a P-Bass. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: Low action. Well set up, well, its has to be for Steve. Very nicely made although not quite up to the American made Precisions. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I always have a backup incase it messes up like my Sting signiture. This is all the bass you will ever need. Totally reliable. Well, Steve only ever uses this one bass in his old concerts. // 10

Impression: Look at it like this. You see a famous bass player on a Fender, then you see them playing another make. A couple of years later you see them again, and they are back on a Fender. Fenders are so well designed and practical. They really are best by test. This bass was inexpensive, plays great, sounds killer, looks killer, and has a bass hero's scrawl on the headstock to go with the Eddie logo to boot. // 10

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: josh999x, on may 28, 2009

Features: This bass is the 2009 Steve Harris signature which is made in japan and for those of you who have been living under a rock for 34 years steve harris is the bassist from Iron Maiden. It has 20 medium jumbo frets. The body is alder and the neck is one piece maple these woods make this bass feel like a tank. It has what Fender refers to as a royal blue metallic finish, I think it would be better described as blue sparkle, it also has a mirror pick guard so it's a very flashy bass and perfect for blinding that heckler in the audience with the reflection of the stage lighting. The bass is a P-Bass so there isn't much need to describe the shape. It has a Leo Quan Badass 2 bridge which is a great hunk of metal along with the Fender Vintage style tuners it holds tune very well. It has passive Seymour Duncan SPB-1 split p pickups and one volume and one tone, this bass came with a Fender gig bag. This was the only thing I was slightly disappointed with you really should get hard case for spending over £1000. // 9

Sound: I play a lot of genres but mostly metal as I'm in a metal band, The two amps I use this bass with are a Ashdown electric blue and a peavy nitro, this bass produces a very good "meat and potatoes" sound just fitting in perfectly behind the guitars and in front of the drums. Also as this is steve signature it is very good at getting his tone. This bass also is very good and voicing chords and virtuosic playing. When using a Boss 0-DB3 distortion pedal it cuts nicely through the mix. This bass comes with steve harris signature flat wounds so it is slightly less bright than the average bass but if you want a brighter sound you can always swap out the strings. Unfortunately I cannot tell you how it sounds when slapping because I can't slap very well. This bass gets the perfect sound I need and is good for most genres. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This bass was set up flawlessly, perfect pickup height nice action and no factory flaws. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This bass is built like a tank, the neck feels like you couldn't snap it even if you started hitting it with a hammer. The finish feels really nice and solid. The hard ware are all hefty chunks of metal and seem they will out last the lifetime of the person playing the bass. The strap buttons are nice and big, the strap isn't going anywhere unless you try and do spins. This bass could be gigged a hundred times without a backup and still keep going. // 10

Impression: This bass is a perfect fit for my style of music, if stolen I would buy this bass again if I had the money I'd buy 2 more of these so I have a backup for gigs and one to keep in pristine condition. I love almost every thing about the bass the only problem is I have to keep cleaning the mirror pick guard to remove finger prints, when buying this bass I tried a Ernie Ball Stingray which I was disappointed with considering it's reputation, I also tried a Fender jazz which I was impressed with but I went with the steve harris as it fitted my style of playing better. Defiantly one to buy if your a steve harris fan or just like a solid sound. // 10

Comments

[Triviumfan54]

Where did you buy it from, cos i really want one in white, new maiden style!

[OttovanZanten]

don't think it comes in wite, but not for sure, i'd want these colours. :P 500 dollars isn't much, where did he get it?

[Triviumfan54]

fol fol maiden mud maiden

[GodSaveUsAll]

how wide is the neck at the nut?

[ironmaidenrulez]

i duno. ive sold it now. went for 400 on ebay. ive sold all my basses apart from my dads Washburn XB800. i now play guitar.

[Jumpy McHop]

traitor

[olithebass]

ironmaidenrulez :
i duno. ive sold it now. went for 400 on ebay. ive sold all my basses apart from my dads Washburn XB800. i now play guitar.

why! why! why! I have 3 basses. Im not selling a single one!

[Jamton!?]

Jumpy McHop :
traitor

What he said ^^

[ironmaidenrulez]

haha!! im not a guitarist anymore! im a drummer! i cant stick to one instrument! lol!!

to be honest, i still will practise on my dads bass and drums and guitar any everything as if i was dedicated to them instruments

[somepieceofmind]

wat kind bass is it??