Epiphone Jack Casady Electric Bass

A culmination of years of experimentation, this Epiphone Jack Casady signature bass features a Casady-designed JCB low-impedance pickup and rotary control.

$799.00

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Epiphone Jack Casady Signature Semi-Hollowbody Electric Bass

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Pairing acoustic bass tone with the responsiveness of a low-impedance pickup, the Jack Casady semi-hollowbody bass offers premium playability and performance.

What's special about this item?

Feature: What it does:
Low-impedance JCB-1 humbucker Jack Casady's signature pickup; thick bass tone
Epiphone VariTone 3-way impedance control Adjust voicing from full & fat to narrow & biting
Semi-hollow body Enhances sustain, more open tone and feel
Maple top/back/sides Warm, smooth tone with crisp highs

From the seminal psychedelic rock of Jefferson Airplane to the virtuosic blues of Hot Tuna, Jack Casady's extensive back catalog proves he's a bassist who cares about tone. With this Jack Casady signature bass, the legendary bassist and Epiphone have teamed up to deliver an instrument to cover virtually any style with vibrant sound and smooth playability. Add one of these semi-hollow beauties to your collection and rock with the same axe wielded by a bassist who played at Woodstock and the Monterey Pop Festival, jammed with the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix, and helped define the sound of rock bass along the way.

Versatile Semi-hollowbody Construction

Inspired by a limited edition Gibson Les Paul bass from the early '70s, the Jack Casady bass features semi-hollowbody construction and a 34-inch scale length. With maple back, sides and top, and a mahogany neck, this bass offers a versatile mix of tonal warmth and definition to cover as many genres as Jack has in his career. Unlike some semi-hollowbody instruments, this bass retains a space between the center-block and the top of the guitar, which expands its acoustic-like tones and response. Paired with a sturdy mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard, this semi-hollowbody is as comfortable as it is musical.

Unique Electronics

Jack and the electronic gurus at Gibson spent almost two years perfecting the electronics of this bass. The low-impedance JCB-1 humbucker is modeled after the pickup from Jack's original '72 Gibson, read more but with more alnico power and heavier-gauge wiring, to achieve a thicker overall sound. For a player known for his melodic bass parts, having a little extra juice to thicken up the tonal landscape goes a long way. Rounding out the versatile electronic features is an three-way VariTone switch, which alters the output for even further tone-shaping options.

Features:

- Designed to the specifications of bass legend Jack Casady
- Specially designed low-impedance JCB-1 humbucker
- Mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and 34-inch scale length
- Maple back, sides, and top for acoustic-like warm tones
- Three-position VariTone switch for additional tonal options

When you've had as long and diverse a career as Jack Casady, you need a bass that can do it all. The Epiphone Jack Casady bass features a versatile semi-hollow design and innovative electronics to bring a huge array of bass tones to your fingertips.
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- Body: Maple
- Top: Maple
- Neck: Mahogany
- Neck Joint: Set
- Truss Rod: Adjustable
- Scale Length: 34"
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Fingerboard Radius: 12"
- Pickup: JCB-1 Low-Impedance Humbucker
- Bridge: 3-Point Adjustable
- Nut: 1.68"
- Hardware: Nickel

Controls:
- Master Volume
- Master Tone
- 3-Position Tone Switch

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-4GIBSON
Web: https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Support/Contact

Epiphone Jack Casady Signature Bass

The Jack Casady Signature Bass was designed by Casady in collaboration with Epiphone and is the culmination of years of experimentation by the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna bassist to find an instrument with superb, balanced electric tone and the response of an acoustic bass.

Casady is one of the rare rock bassists known by both fans and players for his signature tone. And like The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and The Beatles' Paul McCartney, Casady became a bass player after years of study on other instruments. "My first teacher was a big band guitarist named Harry Vorhees. Later on I took from a number of guitarists; one was Bill Harris who was the guitarist for the Clovers," Casady told Epiphone.com. "He had studied with a guy who studied with Andres Segovia."

Looking for the Holy Grail of Bass Tone

"When I first started playing, I ran across a short scale semi-hollow bass," said Casady "Despite lacking some low end, I really enjoyed the semi-hollow nature of that bass and over the years tried to capture that characteristic." Casady did find a rare Les Paul bass that came close to the sound he was seeking. "In 1985, I was living in New York and happened to stop in a music store one day and saw a goldtop, full scale semi-hollow Les Paul bass," Casady recalled. "I loved the bass but found the pickup to be deficient."Casady approached Epiphone with his ideas and with help from the Epiphone luthiers, Casady fulfilled a life-long dream by designing the perfect electric bass.

Classic Styling, Modern Sound

The Limited Edition Jack Casady Signature Bass features a classic semi-hollowbody design with a maple top and maple back and sides that is set off with elegant single ply cream binding on the top and back on a stunning, limited edition Silverburst color finish. The hand-set mahogany neck has a 1960s era rounded profile and features a 34" scale with a rosewood fingerboard, a 12" radius and a 1.50" nut. Casady's trademark signature in gold typeface can be seen clearly on the classic Epiphone clipped dovewing headstock. The 2-ply truss rod cover features the iconic Epiphone "E" silkscreened in white and the black pickguard features the iconic foil Epiphone "E".

Signature Sound For A Signature Artist

Getting the right sound for the Jack Casady Signature Bass was Jack's first priority. "I went to work on the pickup and it took almost two years to develop," says Casady. "I did a lot of homework and bench testing and finally when it clicked in right, it was great." The Jack Casady Bass features a black covered JCB-1TM low impedance, low output pickup and employs a three-position VariGainTM switch to shape the sound and output levels. The "50" position is great for direct studio recording or for an acoustic-like tonal purity. The "500" level is a more ballsy, fatter tone that's great for blues, jazz or rock. The "250" level is in-between. Take your pick!

Road-Ready Epiphone Hardware

The Jack Casady Signature Bass features nickel hardware, die-cast "Clover" bass tuners, and a 3-point adjustable bridge exactly like what the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer uses on-stage. Casady insisted that his own personal bass should be no different than any other Jack Casady Signature Bass. "Every year I get two instruments that I take out on the road," says Casady. "No ringers. I have none that are set up a special way or anything like that and they are great."

Lifetime of Music

Like all Epiphone's, the Limited Edition Jack Casady Signature Bass is covered by the Limited Lifetime Warranty and Gibson 24/7/365 customer service. But don't hesitate.

Limited Edition

Only 500 of the Limited Edition Jack Casady Signature Basses in Silverburst will be produced. Make your own history today.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (5 ratings)
Submitted November 7, 2012 by Bill B in Evanston, IL

"Great bass at a reasonable price"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
You could pay a lot more for an American made semi-hollow bass. And you'd be lucky if it was 34" scale, which was the selling point for me. This isn't made in the USA, or by hand in small runs. But it's a decent-to-good bass that's relatively well made with interesting features. It sounds great, plays well, and looks nice (I've got the silverburst model). My only complaint is the neck dive and some details in the finishing on the neck (there's a minor blemish on the edge of the neck near the 15th fret). The finishing issue doesn't affect playability, and is hardly noticeable. But the neck dive should be addressed. Of course neck dive is an issue for all kinds of basses at all price-points. I like the changes in sound available through the Vari-Gain switch, and the pickup is top notch. And the 34" scale. The case for this bass (available separately), is very nice as well. If my bass was lost, stolen, or destroyed, I'd definitely get another one. If it's good enough for Jack Casady, who plays the production version on tour, it's good enough for me.

Musical Background:

Not a performer.

Musical Style:

Experimental, electronic.
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