Bassic Review – Overwater Progress Series IV Standard 5-String Bass

Yet another company I have been itching to reach out to after joining the Bass Gear Magazine team, Overwater, is based in Carlisle, Cumbria, in the UK. Overwater Basses were founded in 1979 in the rolling hills of the Pennines, Cumbria, but before then, Chris and his then-business partner Andy were part of the bustling and vibrant London music scene in the ‘70s based in a cellar in Denmark Street, London’s equivalent of the famous “Tin Pan Alley.”

Over Time

Fast forward four decades, Overwater builds custom-specification basses around a company ethos in that, foremost a bass guitar is an acoustic instrument, and that design decisions are based around producing an instrument that has a natural resonant response and is balanced tonally across the frequency range.

Whereas, the Custom Series Progress bass offers ultimate build flexibility – your choice of exact requirements – the Standard range offers a more simplified configuration. Do not be fooled though, The Overwater Progress Standard comes with options that Chris and his team have selected to present you with a premium instrument whose configuration is complimentary to its overall tone and aesthetic, only making production more cost-effective.

Initial Impressions

Immediately as I opened the included Overwater (Hiscox made) Lite-flite case, I was greeted with the wonderful scent of a bass that has recently been finished. Indeed, the signed certificate enclosed with this bass states it was born “18th April 2022.” This could be the youngest bass I have ever played!

First, the Progress Standard bass rested in my usual seated playing position with no neck dive. The 3/2 headstock featuring five enclosed tuners is a weight savings over, say, larger ‘70s style elephant-ear tuning keys. If you are a theatre or studio player where you may spend most of your time sat down, that’s going to offer comfort whilst performing multiple shows a day! In the standing position, the longer upper horn of the Progress Standard meant that getting out of my seat, the bass remained in the same position. Why practice all those scales and positions sat down, get up, and the bass is at a different angle?

Construction:

This 35” scale model has a three-piece maple bolt-on neck with a natural satin finish. Should your heart desire, the Progress Standard is also available as a neck-through. Speaking of that, the carve of the medium-weight swamp ash bass body helps with weight distribution and playability. Take, for example, the neck heel that is sculpted to a shallow angle, removing unnecessary mass which could impede the journey up “the dusty end” of the neck. Further cutaways around the lower horn mean that I had unhindered access right to the very highest fretted note. This example weighs in at just 4.3 Kg! (That’s ~9.5 lbs.).

The neck profile of this Standard 5 is shallow and slim, but I wouldn’t call it skinny. Finding a balance between stability and playability is one for the experts, but I would describe this profile as “just right.” After playing the bass for most of the day, I felt no fatigue and just wanted to continue moving effortlessly around the naked Indian rosewood fingerboard. Every one of the 24 medium-sized frets meticulously installed and perfectly dressed.

Hardware:

The bridge is an Overwater design and surely one of the best-looking bridges on the market today; functional and stylish as it follows the curve of the bass body. You already know that I am a fan of quick-release bridges and, in this case, the key shape for the string ball to slide in to is elegant and tidy. 18mm spacing here, but if you go custom, there are different spacing options available. The enclosed tuning keys are Overwater branded, too. Tuning operation is smooth and stable, as expected.

Electronics:

Chris May has collaborated with the very finest in instrument manufacture, and for electronics, the original pickups were designed with none other than Kent Armstrong. The SB5 models, I commented to Chris, had a tone similar to that of my usual pickup choices. There is good reason for noticing this, as the SB5 humbucker is also a ceramic magnet and steel bar humbucker, but with the coils wired in parallel. The raspy, but punchy and controlled, tone from this style of pickup is my go-to, and I am pleased that the Progress Standard features such. A rich tone as notes almost popped out of my reference bass rig; I could feel my heart warming to this bass.

The pair of Overwater SB5 pickups are beautifully open in sound. The bridge pickup has an extra set of magnets to increase output slightly, and thus, in combination, deliver a bold, but clear sound. They are (faraday cage) shielded from electrical noise and potted to protect the delicate windings from contamination and vibration.