Reviewer Toon Kraayvanger
Experience 20
Review date December 13 2002
Manufacturer Samick
Model HFB590 Fretless
Price 250 EURO
Item owned for 1-6 months

Bass type 4 string ABG
Neck join Set Neck
Neck construction unknown
Fingerboard Fretless, 21 positions, 34 Inch
Body Maple
Finish Tobacco sunburst
Pickups Piezo
Hardware Gotoh tuners
Electronics preamp/3band eq

This is a very nice looking bass. It has f-holes in stead of a round one so it looks like an oversized jazz-guitar rather than a bass. The finish is quite nice, they call it "tobacco sunburst". This is the first bass I can put on display in the living room and my girl-friend also likes it.

I bought it second hand including an original case. Very nice for 250 EURO. It looks still new actually.

It was equipped with 3 year old completely "dead" roundwound strings, but still had a kind of Jaco sound. I replaced them with GHS Brite Flats and now it sounds more like an upright acoustic. I don't like the flatwounds so much.

Playability is allright except for the 3 highest positions. There are fretlines on the neck and position markers.

The acoustic sound is not too loud but you can jam along with a TV or CD without amplification.

The preamp gives a very high signal, volume between 1-3 is enough. The eq has to be used moderately it's a bit too much, you can get a nice woody sound though.

P.S. I'm considering to go back to roundwounds again. Haven't tried it in a band yet. Connected to a big amp at high volume you get a kind of low frequncy feedback.


Construction 90%
Appearance 98%
Playability 85%
Sound 85%
Value 90%
(second hand)
Overall 85%

This page is part of the BGRA
The BGRA is generously underwritten by David King.
All rights reserved.