Profile Bass: review

The upcoming issue of Bass Guitar magazine has a review of the Profile bass… here are a few excerpts…

Bruce Thomas was known in the middle years of his career for playing a salmon-pink Fender Precision, but this splendid instrument – responsible for many of his best bass parts – was pinched by some callous swine in the 1980s. In that instrument’s continued absence, Thomas has got together with Barry Moorhouse of the Bass Centre to create a bass that mirrors the many modifications that Thomas made to the original.

As Thomas himself puts it, “Anyone who’s watched the development of the Profile bass over the past couple of years will know that it’s not a stock bass I’ve simply added my name to, but a genuine, personally developed signature guitar. Our intention was not to produce a replica model or a phoney vintage guitar, but to create a new instrument true to the spirit of the original – a bass that’s a joy to play. I’m happy to say that’s now been achieved.”

So let’s give the Profile a spin, just to let you know what you’re getting…

Build Quality
The Profile has been constructed with attention to detail at the top of the agenda, from the slotted-saddle bridge – specified by Thomas in preference to a more modern, sustain-heavy design, because he prefers this older design’s easier adjustability – to the frets, which are dressed with all the smoothness you’d wish for.

Sounds and Playability
This bass has earned its name thanks to the changes made to it from the original design – notably the slimmer neck. The slender, almost Jazz-like neck profile lends itself immediately to fast, melodic playing: pick the Profile up and you won’t be putting it back in its box any time soon. It’s just too much fun to play … just that touch of reshaping to the neck makes a whole lot of difference.

Plug the Profile in and … there’s solidity and power here, with a high mids-heavy tone achievable with a tweak to the left of the tone control, but glassy highs are not what this bass is about, and nor should they be. It’s a modern replica of a vintage instrument, with all that entails.

Conclusion
Bravo, chaps – the goal of replicating that long-lost Precision has been achieved. The Profile takes the tangible design, as well as the intangible but still detectable ethos of his modifications, and combines them into a wonderful bass that you will not want to stop playing.

Plus | Super-playable profi le, hence the name
Minus | At this price, nothing comes to mind
Overall | A great Fender alternative: snap one
up if you can