Review by Joe Hoskin of the Bare Knuckle Blues Band on the basschat.co.uk forum published on 2nd July 2014.

You will need to register with the forum to see the original posting….

Build Specification as follows :

3 piece Solid Ash Body finished in High Gloss Tobacco Sunburst,
Black Scratchplate,
Canadian Maple Neck with Honey Gloss finish,
Indian Rosewood Fretboard with Cream Binding,
Pearl Block Fretboard Inlays,
Abalone logo Inlay to Headstock,
Gotoh 201B Bridge,
Gotoh GB528S Tuners,
Fully shielded cavities and Scratchplate,
Custom Neck Bolts and Inserts,
Custom Engraved Neckplate,

The following components were supplied by myself and hence differ from the standard spec found here:

Bare Knuckle J Bass Series ­ ’60 PE J Bass Pickups,
Bare Knuckle CTS Pots and Jensen BKP 0.022μfd capacitor all assembled using Vintage style Cloth
Vintage style Chrome Pickup Covers.

Firstly, I make it no secret on this forum that I am an endorsee of the Cassidy Music Company – in fact it is something which I take great pride in, given the quality of the instruments which the company produce. Let me make it clear though that I was not given this bass free of charge, and that this is review is my true opinion of the bass.

Build – One thing that I have to remark about this bass is its sheer beauty. The high-gloss finish on the body, coupled with the honey gloss neck finish and block neck inlays make this look like a “new-vintage” jazz bass. I couldn’t help but source some ash tray covers to complete the vintage look! The Cassidy logo inlay on the headstock also gives you some idea of the craftsmanship, pride and dedication which has gone into the making of this instrument. Don’t be put off by the fact that the neck and body are made in China, the construction of this instrument from top to bottom is pure quality. The one adjustment that I had to make though, is that the body contour is not quite as generous as some, myself included, may be used to. However this doesn’t affect the overall playability once you get used to it.

Playability – In a word, YES! As you would expect for a custom build, it arrived having been completely set up. Low action, buzz-free, ready to rock and roll! Again here though, the beauty is in the attention to detail, as the frets have been meticulously polished and levelled prior to shipping so the playing action is consistently fast and smooth throughout the entire length of the neck. There are no dead spots to report either, just unadulterated great tone all the way!

Tone – This is where my particular specimen differs slightly from the standard-spec of the UKCB JB1 as I am using Bare Knuckle ’60 PE Jazz Bass Pickups, rather than the ‘stock’ Fender CS ‘60s pickups. For better or worse is down to the individual, but the Bare Knuckles do the job perfectly here for me. This bass has all the sonic versatility that you would expect from a jazz bass, and more. There are far too many tones to even begin to list them here, but from the sharpest Rock sounds to the smoothest Reggae vibe, this is the perfect bass for any job.

To wrap up, this bass for me will be a friend for life. I could not recommend the Cassidy UKCB range highly enough in terms of build quality and value for money. These basses currently retail for £895, which is much less than the American Standard, never mind their Custom Shop big-name custom builders. If you are looking for an affordable custom build, great quality without spending thousands or even just something nice and a bit different to add to the collection, this could be the bass for you.

You can find more photos of this bass here

Thanks for reading

Joe Hoskin