Played a Caprice today....

[Chuck M]

Stopped at Guitar Center today and they had a Caprice on the wall. Played that rascal and loved it. It does everything a Fender 4 string wishes it could do. The only Fender that came close to the Caprice was the very short lived Roscoe Beck IV.

Both PU's on the Caprice sound perfect. Together they are fantastic. The boys have put together a bass that will appeal to just about anyone who plays 4 string electric bass.

There are two things it needs to push me over the edge.....a B string and a bit wider neck.

Yes, I know, egg in my beer.

 

[armybass]

Agreed. It is a tonal monster and a player too. It’s so EBMM but in a passive Classic offering!

 

[five7]

I agree, great tone but There are two things it needs to push me over the edge.....a B string and a bit wider neck.

 

[soulbass]

Looks like the prices on these just went up quite a bit today

 

[kinopah]

By like 30%... wat!

 

[bovinehost]

Chuck, as you probably know, Mr Tee Fitch (not his real name, it's a coWpilot thing) loves old clunky Fenders. I've offered many times to get him a real guitar but he's just set in his ways. He plays bass sometimes with another band and he uses his nasty old Jazz bass (I loaned him a few and he was drooling but they were just "too nice".)

But I think I got him now. He used my Caprice last weekend and is reticent to give it back. I got a text from him early that evening and it said this: "This. Effin. Thing."

I said, "I KNOW."

We're going to get him this time, I think.

 

[GregP]

As far as the price increase goes I suspect it may have something to do with costs going up generally. The first instance of a price increase this year was with the 2018 Stingray. At that time, I suspected the cause of the increase was all the upgrades made to the instrument. However, I haven't noticed any changes to the 2018 Cutlass/Caprice and we still see a price increase. This leads me to believe EBMM is experiencing greater costs somewhere in their supply chain. EBMM has always done us right and prices don't go up "just because".

Oh and Bovinehost, I totally consider the Caprice the "gateway drug" for passive players to get into an EBMM .
I was a total passive player all my life and now that I've had my Caprice for about a year I'm looking into a Sterling HS.


-Greg P

P.S. I hope their are plans to offer a fretless Caprice. I've been bit by that bug too!

 

[Fro]

I would suspect that regulations costs are the biggest factor causing a price increase.

 

[Psychicpet]

i currently have a Caprice on loan at home.......giddy as a giddy thing I am. as for a B, I've recently switched to 4's or 6's, i've lost my taste for 5's. both of my current 4's I have strung B-E-A-D. and they kill!!! no regret for lack of a G.

as amazing as this Caprice is right now, I'm wondering what it'll sound like with that tuning.... (I already know, it'll be stoopid good)

 

[JayDawg]

As far as the price increase goes I suspect it may have something to do with costs going up generally. The first instance of a price increase this year was with the 2018 Stingray. At that time, I suspected the cause of the increase was all the upgrades made to the instrument. However, I haven't noticed any changes to the 2018 Cutlass/Caprice and we still see a price increase. This leads me to believe EBMM is experiencing greater costs somewhere in their supply chain. EBMM has always done us right and prices don't go up "just because".

Oh and Bovinehost, I totally consider the Caprice the "gateway drug" for passive players to get into an EBMM .
I was a total passive player all my life and now that I've had my Caprice for about a year I'm looking into a Sterling HS.


-Greg P

P.S. I hope their are plans to offer a fretless Caprice. I've been bit by that bug too!

I believe every EBMM instrument across the board saw an increase for 2018. Every instrument now has a minimum MAP price of $1,999.99 or more. I was really wanting to add at least 2 new Caprice and 2 new Cutlass basses to my collection this year and next, as well as a few other EBMM guitars and basses but with the price increases across the board, it looks like I will be buying used if I still decide to get the guitars and basses that I was wanting.

 

[five7]

Mine took months to sell and finally let it go for a thousand. Couldn't get use to 4 strings. What a tone though!

 

[GregP]

My only criticism of the Caprice/Cutlass when it was introduced was the inability to select fretboard material independent of body color. It seemed a little odd for an instrument in the $1700 price range. Now that the price has gone up to $2199 I sincerely feel this needs to be addressed.

 

[cybersnyder]

I picked up a Caprice a few weeks ago and it's a monster. The P pickup gives a P sound with a little more high end, but that can be easily dialed back with the nicely voiced tone control. Roll it down more and you're in Motown territory. Bring up both pickups and it's a nice modern tone that slaps nicely or gives you a more modern finger style tone. Solo the J pickup and it sounds more like a J bass than a burpy J bass pickup, to my ears. The neck is stellar - very sturdy and, I believe, that assists with the bass' tone. I added a d-tuner and the bit of extra mass at the headstock seems to bring out even more tone. Drop D sounds rich and full. This thing is amazing.

It was my impression that this was a shot back at F--der when they tried to come out with a Stingray bass, the Dimension, that failed to gain any traction. Ok, you want to go Stingray, we'll go P bass. Except Musicman's attempt actually worked. I don't know if that was the reason behind the bass or just the timing, but either way, it's a phenomenal instrument.

I only wish two things - 1) I could get a maple neck with black body and 2) A five string version would be to die for.