Fender Rascal bass : the new Fender IV?
When Fender announced the Fender Classic Player Rascal Bass in 2014, it was a total surprise : the body of a Fender Bass VI, 4 strings, a Coronado headstock, 3 lipstick pickups, what the hell?
Who remember the Charvel Surfcasters from the 90's, a kind of Rickenbacker meets Danelectro mix? They unfortenately weren't produced for a long period but remained as an interesting experience.
The Fender Classic Player Rascal Bass produced in Fender mexican plant, didn't last as well, but it may be one of the most retro-innovative design for a long time. Aside from the active modern basses and new body shapes, Fender decided to give players a sum up of the 60's : the Fender Bass VI offset body, a medium 32" scal, 3 pickups and a 5-way selector to dig new sounds inspired by the Fender stratocaster and the Danelectro baritone, a Coronado headstock with matching daphnee blue paint.
Does the bridge of this Guild Starfire Bass ring a bell? It is the same as the Fender Rascal Bass!
The sound is one-of-a-kind, snappy, close to the tic-tac basses you can hear in Western movies, with a lot of twang. Sounds like a 4 string baritone bass. Forget about the typical bassy muddy sound from the famous 60's bass like Hofner, Guild or Gretsch, the Fender Rascal Bass is made for trebbly sounds and should perform well with a fuzz or distorsion.
The Fender Rascal bass used to be an original bass that may not have found its audience. Nowadays it's a rare bird that should be highly collectable!
| Inspired by the 60's and surf music, the Fender Rascal is the sum of many influences |
Who remember the Charvel Surfcasters from the 90's, a kind of Rickenbacker meets Danelectro mix? They unfortenately weren't produced for a long period but remained as an interesting experience.
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| When Charvel was trying something different from SuperStrats |
The Fender Classic Player Rascal Bass produced in Fender mexican plant, didn't last as well, but it may be one of the most retro-innovative design for a long time. Aside from the active modern basses and new body shapes, Fender decided to give players a sum up of the 60's : the Fender Bass VI offset body, a medium 32" scal, 3 pickups and a 5-way selector to dig new sounds inspired by the Fender stratocaster and the Danelectro baritone, a Coronado headstock with matching daphnee blue paint.
Does the bridge of this Guild Starfire Bass ring a bell? It is the same as the Fender Rascal Bass!
The sound is one-of-a-kind, snappy, close to the tic-tac basses you can hear in Western movies, with a lot of twang. Sounds like a 4 string baritone bass. Forget about the typical bassy muddy sound from the famous 60's bass like Hofner, Guild or Gretsch, the Fender Rascal Bass is made for trebbly sounds and should perform well with a fuzz or distorsion.
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| Difficult to find one on Ebay nowadays, you should give it a try if you're into Fender Bass VI kind of instruments |
The Fender Rascal bass used to be an original bass that may not have found its audience. Nowadays it's a rare bird that should be highly collectable!
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