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Carey Introduces a New Music Man Style Bass and an External Bass Preamp
All week I kept stopping by Carey’s booth but he was always swamped by throngs of drooling bass players. Finally, on Sunday, just hours before the close of the 2012 NAMM show, I was able to meet with him for a few minutes and check out his hot new products. We also set plans for an interview and factory tour that will be posted in the near future.
Nordy vM Bass Available as vM4 or vM5 — Music Man revisited
We have to give the original team credit – without Leo Fender, Forrest White, Sterling Ball and Tom Walker – Carey would not have known where to begin on this one. But boy did he finish it. I was at first taken by the beauty of the wood and overall construction and attention to detail on this fine instrument. Then, to pick it up – bracing for the weight – but surprise, its quite light, unlike it’s vertebrae disk crushing progenitor. Quite comfortable and balanced, this bass is punchier – if thats possible – fatter and quieter than a stock Music Man while retaining the vibe and style that makes this form factor so appealing.
Standard features of Nordy vM basses include:
Ash body/maple fingerboard: In solid color or clear gloss – vM4 from $3600, vM5 from $3700
Alder body/rosewood fingerboard: In solid color or clear gloss – vM4 from $3500, vM5 from $3600
For 4 string version: 34” scale, 9” to 14” compound radius, vintage size frets, Hipshot Ultralite machines and bent plate bridge, 21 frets, 1.625” bone nut, 19mm ctc spacing at bridge, satin finished neck
For 5 string version: 34” scale, 9” to 14” compound radius, vintage size frets, Hipshot Ultralite machines and bent plate bridge, 21 frets, 1.81” bone nut, 19mm ctc spacing at bridge, satin finished neck
Pickups
4 String: MM4.2 or MM4.4 ($20)
5 String: MM5.2 or MM5.4 ($20)
Electronics
Nordstrand 2B-MM (Volume, Treble, Bass) (with front jack and battery box), add series/parallel toggle switch (no charge)
Options
There are many standard and optional colors available. Carey will probably make it any way you want it.
Nordstrand Bass EQ DI
- tuner out
- switchable input impedance 1M / 11M
- DI pad -10dB
- DI can be pre or post EQ
- ground lift
- active DI
- +12V power supply – no batteries
- bass +/- 15dB @ 50Hz
- treble +/- 15dB @ 4.2kHz
- mid +/- 15dB
- semi-parametric mid frequency 400Hz to 2.2kHz
- up to 22dB gain
- true bypass
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