Review: Steve Harris Signature Precision Bass

Longtime readers of the blog know that I am a huge fan of the Fender Precision bass.  Fender, G&L, Lull, Music Man, you name it-- if it's a P-bass, you already have my attention! 

However, I've never been a big fan of signature basses; I can appreciate them for what they are, but none appeal enough to me to spend the money one one-- until this one.  

There are two bassists that really grabbed me from early on: Geddy Lee, and Steve Harris.  Seeing Geddy playing his Rickenbacker on, "Exit... Stage Left" was what inspired me to play guitar.  Steve Harris was the stand out sound to me when I first listened to Iron Maiden after buying "Maiden Japan" at our local MusicPlus record store.  Rush and Maiden were huge influences in my musical life.  

When evaluating my collection recently and deciding which basses to sell, which to keep, the less expensive Steve Harris Precision survived where other, much more expensive basses did not.  How did that happen?  While some of the reasons are personal preferences, there are some objective points as well:
Overview:
Fender released this new version of Steve's signature in early 2015.  What makes this version different than the others is the white color (vs. blue), the pinstriping with West Ham football club sticker, Seymour Duncan pickup, and Fender's BadAssII bridge.  Detailed spec's are available on Fender's website, so no need to repeat those here.  What appealed most to me was the nod to it's 70's roots with the big headstock, bold lettering, and the fatter neck.  The other details are nice too-- especially for the price.  

Fit & Finish:

Neck pocket: Left, Steve Harris/ Right, American Standard

Compared to my Fender American Standard Precision, the made in Mexico Harris model actually has some advantages.  The Harris neck pocket is nearly air-tight compared to the significant gap on the US version.  Weight on the Harris model is quite a bit heavier, which is attributable to the different body woods: maple body on the Harris, and alder on the US.  Action was fantastic on the Harris, while I had to spend a few hours dialing in the US model.  Fretwoork was great on the Harris, but slightly better on the US with the fret ends being more rounded on the US.  This November will mark 1-year living with the bass, and I haven't had to adjust a thing on it-- just plug & play!

Feel & Sound:
Even though I'm a huge fan of Steve Harris and Iron Maiden, I'm not interested in replicating Steve's sound.  The bass is supposed to come strung with rounds, with a set of flats in the case.  Mine was missing the flats, but I didn't pursue the issue with the seller-- why make a fuss about something I will never use?  As you might guess, the bass sounds like what it is; a big, aggressive Fender P.  However, roll off the volume just a bit and you can get all the classic tones your heart desires.  Comparing the Duncan pickup with the MFD in my G&L SB-1, I discovered the two sound very similar.  That just made my SB-1 redundant!

A lot of press and advertisement call the neck a "U" shape.  How Fender comes up with that stuff is beyond me.  It is not a large neck on it's own; compared to the typical Fender bass, this neck is better thought of as a chunky "C" shape.  There is a little more depth front to back, hence calling it chunky.  Make no mistake, this is not a large neck-- it's simply larger than the modern Fender necks.  Should someone only have experience with a skinny-necked Ibanez, then pick up this bass... perhaps that person would be surprised by the size difference.  Otherwise, the neck is nicely rounded and feels really comfortable.  

The weight is about 11 pounds, but using a wide padded strap really zeros out the  feel of having such a large instrument.  Again, part of the appeal of this bass is it's nod to the 1970s, a time when the P-bass was considered a "man's bass."  Fender nails it with this one.  

Keeper?
When evaluating my collection and deciding which basses to keep/sell, one of the reasons the Steve Harris model survived the purge is that big, bold, beautiful headstock!  That was the style I grew up with and when someone mentions "Fender Bass" the 70s style is the image that comes to mind; it's what it should look like.  Then consider the Harris fit & finish, bridge, pickup, neck feel, sound... it represents the quintessential Fender Precision bass.  

Richly colored decal & stripes are under the clearcoat

Ultimately, I chose it over the G&L LB-100, SB-1, Fender American Standard, AND the new Music Man Cutlass Bass.  The fact this one is a Steve Harris signature model is just a bonus; the pinstriping & castle/hammers sticker simply make it more fun to look at than the typical bass.  It should be mentioned that those finish details are actually part of the bass-- under the clearcoat so there is no option to remove them.  At the same time, for those who like the unique finish details, being under the clearcoat makes it even more resistant to wear.  For those who don't follow football and have no idea who or what Wes Ham United is, the decal looks great on its own-- again, a fun detail.

If the Steve Harris P-bass looks like your kind of instrument, either as a collector item for Maiden fans, or simply as a fun solid bass guitar, you might want to consider buying one sooner than later.  Many of the signature basses have specific production time frames as did the previous Harris models, and considering that this version has been on the market for several years, it's likely nearing the end of its production.  These are great instruments and are a great value within the Fender catalog.

If you aren't a fan of Fender basses, perhaps you would like Music Man's take on the Precision and P/J platform; I've got a review of both coming soon-- till then...

...Stay tuned & in tune!