Illinois Entertainer January 2017 | Page 46

By David Gedge

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO ?

Merry Mitchell
Mitchell FB700 Series Bass Guitar
Mitchell ' s totally reimagined line of high-performance electric guitars and basses has been turning heads and making waves , and their FB700 Series is a radical new take on bass that will get the attention of serious bassists everywhere . The FB700 features an offset double-cutaway body made of rich carved mahogany , topped with an eye-catching , precision-sculpted AAA quilt maple veneer for a striking but elegant modern look and feel .
The FB700 is fitted with a smooth 5-piece maple / rosewood neck with rosewood fretboard for ultimate playability and comfort . It also features a Graph Tech™ TUSQ XL reduced-friction nut for rock-solid tuning stability . Dual premium MB4 paraffindipped alnico V humbucking pickups deliver smooth , well rounded tone and even output while reducing microphonics and feedback , and the active preamp circuitry gives you three bands of wide-ranging tonal control , with a pickup blend control knob for even deeper sound sculpting options .
High-tensile strength fretwire , die-cast high-ratio tuning machines , a high-mass adjustable bridge , and sleek black nickel hardware add to the FB700 ' s premium look and feel , making it the one go-to bass for versatile players in rock , metal , country , jazz , blues , or whatever music you ' re playing today .
" Today ' s bassist is doing more than just holding down the bottom end ," Mitchell Product Manager Rick Gagliano told IE . " Bass players are stepping forward as a melodic , driving part of the music , and we ' re giving them the tools they need to stand out and be heard . The FB700 is a powerful , versatile instrument in a modern design that will shine on any stage ."
The FB700 is available in Natural or Transparent Black quilted maple finishes , and comes in 4 , 5 , and 6-string models . U . S . street prices range from $ 699.99 to $ 799.99 . Visit www . mitchellelectricguitars . com for more information .
Picking up Jimi
Seymour Duncan Jimi Hendrix Signature Strat Set
In March , 1968 , a young Seymour W . Duncan met Jimi Hendrix at Xavier University in Cincinnati , Ohio , where Jimi was playing two shows . Seymour brought a gift with him that day ; pickups he handwound just for Jimi . Roger Mayer installed the pickups in Jimi ’ s white Stratocaster then and there . He asked Seymour to carry that white Strat up on stage , and that event would set in motion Seymour ’ s future and legacy . Now that same tone is available to users in the Jimi Seymour Duncan Hendrix Signature
Jimi Hendrix Signature Strat Set .
Strat Set
Like Jimi ’ s music , the Jimi Hendrix Signature Strat Set pickups have their roots in the traditional , but with an eye on the future .
Each is custom wound for a richer , melodic tone . Each pickup has a reverse magnet stagger to simulate the effect of playing a right handed guitar upside down and restrung for a lefty , as Hendrix played . The 3-ply white Jimi Hendrix Signature Loaded Pickguard features 250K pots , a 5-way pickup selector switch and . 047 caps . The Voodoo Style was created to fit guitars with either a swimming pool or humbucker route .
The Jimi Hendrix Signature Strat Set is fully authorized by Authentic Hendrix LLC . MSRP starts at $ 279 . For information visit www . seymourduncan . com .
46 illinoisentertainer . com january 2017