Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Tom Bramhall
Experience	30
Email	tom@bramhall.org
Review date	January 27 2003
Manufacturer	Paul Reed Smith
Model	1989 ten top w/ bird inlays
Price	2064
Item owned for	A very, very long time

Bass type	5 string fretted
Neck join	Set Neck
Neck construction	Maple neck
Fingerboard	34 inch scale rosewood with bird inlays
Body	mahogany body with carved maple top
Finish	mahogany and neck black, top is transparent grey
Pickups	4 PRS pickups, 3 sense and 1 hum cancel
Hardware	PRS chrome
Electronics	hybrid active and passive. Active bass and treble

I bought this bass new as gift to myself after getting my degree. The only other option at the time was to go with a personal signature for an additional $1000 or so and I could not see that. I got a ten top and bird inlays on the neck. The thing really is light as basses go, has a huge sound, and has nice chunk and bite which particularly shows up driving an SVT or my Mesa 400 plus. All the sound people and other bass players adore the thing for sound. For me, it is perfect as the tone is great yet sufficiently distinctive that you will know it's my bass as I have not heard anything that sounds quite like it. I am annoyed to find the vintage market has my bass in its condition at about 6 to 7 thousand dollars now. The new PRS bass IMO is ugly and sound wimpy by comparison.

Construction	100%
(This thing just works so well)
Appearance	100%
(All the other guys want to steal it!)
Playability	98%
(Okay, the string spacing is a little tight for slapping, but I have figured o
ut how.)
Sound	100%
(Astounding! Southern Gospel to Heavy metal guys drool over the same bass!)
Value	100%
(It has been faithful and required zero work.)
Overall	100%
(I love it and it is my signature sound bass!)