Phil Maneri’s
BASS
LAB
I love Steve Harris. Iron Maiden is an iconic band, and he is the sonic and spiritual epicenter of it. I love that it’s a maple-body Fender Precision. That’s very unusual. And it’s resonant and great-sounding because of it. I’m a Precision guy, and an Iron Maiden guy. What’s not to love, right? Well, it is a good bit heavier than your typical P-bass. It is amazing that he has logged all those gigs playing such a heavy bass.
In addition to this maple body, there is a traditional maple neck, and the usual Precision appointments. My current favorite Precision pickup is in this bass, too: the Seymour Duncan® Steve Harris SPB-4 signature model. The electronics are as straightforward and vintage as it gets. No shielding, either (and it really doesn’t’ need it).
So, it’s a Precision and it’s well-built for the price point. Looking at the bass with a critical eye – which is my job, after all – the finish is a bit heavy handed, and the nut was not groomed well, and looked scratched-up, straight from the factory.
It sounds great, plays great, and looks like Steve Harris’s bass. It’s under a grand but feels more expensive in your hands. If you’re after the ‘Maiden look and you’ve got the shoulder (and the attitude) for a little added weight, there’s no other bass on the planet like it – except Steve’s personal bass.
Fender Steve Harris Precision
CONFIGURATION
| Strings: | 4 |
| Style: | Double cutaway |
| Overall Length: | 45 ½” |
| Body Dimension: | 20" long x 13" wide at lower bout |
| Body Contouring: | Moderate |
| Weight: | 11.7 lbs |
NECK
| Scale length: | 34” |
| Neck width at nut: | 1.583” |
| Neck width at 12th fret: | 2.245” |
| Neck width at joint: | 2.368” |
| Neck thickness at nut: | .973” |
| Neck thickness at 1st fret: | .854” |
| Neck thickness at 12th fret: | 1.0” |
| Neck thickness at joint: | 1.015” |
| String spacing at nut: | .407” |
| String spacing at saddle: | .760” |
| Fingerboard radius: | 7 ¼“ |
| Descriptor for neck shape: | D |
| Peghead break angle: | 6 degrees |
| Bridge break angle: | 16 degrees |
| Afterlength at nut: | 7 ¼” to 1 ½” |
| Afterlength at saddle: | 1.86” |
| Attachment: | Bolt-on |
| Pocket gap: | .005” |
| Truss rod type/access: | Compression rod / neck end |
| Fret count: | 20 |
| Fretwire: | 107x52 |
ELECTRONICS
| Pickups: | Seymour Duncan Steve Harris SPB-4 |
| Pickup location(s): | from 12th fret, 11 5/8” |
| Electronics: | Fender 3-band EQ |
| Controls: | Volume, Tone |
| Shielding: | none |
| Preamp circuit voltage: | Passive |
CONSTRUCTION
| Body Woods: | Maple |
| Neck Woods | Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Maple |
| Body Finish: | Gloss polyester (White) |
| Neck Finish: | Gloss urethane |
HARDWARE
| Strings: | Fender USA NPS (nickel plated steel) roundwounds [Rotosound® Steve Harris ;Signature flatwound strings included] |
| Gauge: | .045, .065, .085, .105 |
| Attachment: | At bridge (through-body or top-load) |
| Bridge/color: | Fender HiMass / Chrome |
| Nut: | Synthetic bone |
| Tuners/color: | Schaller® / Chrome |
| Knobs/color: | Flat-top knurled chrome |
| Pickguard: | 1-ply chrome |
| Control cavity cover: | n/a |
GENERAL
| Company: | Fender Musical Instrument 17600 N. Perimeter Drive, Suite 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Phone: 480.596.9690 Fax: 480.596.1384 Emails: consumerrelations@fender.com http://www.fender.com/ |
| County of origin: | Mexico |
| Warranty: | Limited lifetime, non-transferrable |
| Price: | $999.99 (MSRP) |
| Options: | None |
| Accessories: | Gig bag |
| Available colors: | Gloss White, with maroon-blue-maroon pinstriping |
| Acquired from: | Fender USA |
| Dates: | Spring-Fall 2016 |
| Locals: | Ohio |
| Test gear: | Genzler MG-800 and BA12-3's, '74 Ampeg SVT and SVT-810e, Ampeg Micro-VR and SVT-210AV, '74 Fender Precision Bass, Lakland Skylilne 44-64 Custom |
TEST RESULTS
1-5 (unacceptable to impeccable)
In-hand
| Features: | 3 |
| Tonal Flexibility: | 3 |
| Ease of Use: | 5 |
| Aesthetics: | 5 |
| Ergonomics: | 4 |
| Tone: | 5 |
| Value: | 4 |
In-hand Score
4.14average
On-bench Score
3.93average
On-bench
| Overall construction | 3 |
| Wood choice | 4 |
| Materials choice | 4 |
| Joinery | 4 |
| Fretwork | 4 |
| Fit and Finish of adornments | 4 |
| Quality of finish work | 3 |
| Ease of repair | 4 |
| Potential range of setup | 4 |
| Balance on knee | 3 |
| Balance on strap | 3 |
| Overall electronic quality | 5 |
| Solder joints, wire runs | 4 |
| Clarity | 5 |
| Noise | 5 |
| Shielding | N/A |
| Quality for Price Range | 4 |
SONIC PROFILE:
Low: Big, full and barky
Mids: Aggressive and articulate; more focused with the flats
Highs: Articulate and meaty; fairly open with nps strings
TONE-O-METER
A great-sounding P-bass, with a stronger presence in the low mids, aggressive midrange, great dynamics, and the ability to snarl at will. Bigger and more open with the NPS roundwounds; more focused and balanced with the Rotosound flatwoods.
