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Photos too small? Click on photos, screenshots and diagrams in articles to open a Larger View gallery. January 2010
Other recent issues: | Gear4Music Black Knight CB-42Bass guitarPublished in PM November 2008  Printer-friendly versionReviews : Guitar: Bass Rather than taking the 'safe' option of reworking classic designs, Gear4Music have commissioned their own Black Knight range, including this modern-looking active bass at an affordable price.  Manufactured in China specifically for Gear4Music, this brand new range of bass guitars arrived in Britain this June, and is available in both four- and five-string versions. Construction  The scalloped-top, arrow-shaped headstock on the CB-42 carries four black nickel die-cast tuners, two along each edge. The front is matt black to match the body, while the sides and rear are left as natural maple. There is a composite nut, under which sits the truss rod adjuster, with the access hole covered by a black plastic plate bearing the model number. A scarf joint at the first fret connects the headstock to the standard 864mm Canadian maple neck, which is topped by a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard. This sports position markers along both the front face and top edge. The medium-sized frets are very well fitted, with the ends nicely chamfered, while around the back the wood has been left natural to give a warm, comfortable feel to the whole neck. The nut width is 42mm and the neck widens out to 62mm at the 24th fret. All pretty standard stuff. Four bolts with recessed washers hold the neck firmly to the body in an accurately cut joint. Access to the upper frets is achieved by scalloping away the neck under the last frets and extending the heel joint, with both these features helping to achieve the look of the neck sitting right on the edge of the black matt body. The concentric basswood body has upper and lower rounded horns, extending to the 13th and 19th frets respectively. These also have substantial contour on the front. The rest of the front and rear edges having a 40mm chamfer, eliminating the need for forearm and rib contours. On the rear is a plastic plate to allow access to the wiring cavity and 9V battery, and situated on the edge of the lower bout is a nifty recessed jack socket. The CB-42 employs a substantial L-shaped bridge, with the strings passing through a 6mm backplate before crossing over the four individual saddles, each with their own intonation and height adjustment. The latter's screws sit in eight slots, alleviating sideways movement. All the hardware is finished in a shiny black nickel. Plastic covers hide the pole pieces of the two humbuckers, giving the whole body a menacing appearance. Control of these two units is via a master volume, high and low for the active EQ, and a pickup balance, the last three having well-notched centre detents. There is also a five-string version available with all the same features at £159. Performance  Sound-wise, this CB-42 has a number of really good tones. The treble adds and cuts at an upper mid-frequency, really handy to roll off for that bit of 'slappin', but adds a nice punch that you don't get from a tone that has more presence. The bass control is slightly muddy and I generally notched it just below the centre detent to achieve the better sounds. The neck pickup has a great rocky sound, and the bridge unit an almost piezo tone, while running them both together achieves the best of both worlds. My favourite tone has the pan slightly towards the neck pickup, a little boost on the treble and the same amount of cut to the bass. This produces an all-round great tone, usable in most circumstances, which can easily be tweaked for a variety of songs. For the more progressive, turn down the volume, select the bridge unit, dial in full bass and add a little more treble, and there is a great jazz-funk percussive tone. The all-out rockers are catered for with the neck unit: back up to full volume, treble halfway between notch and full, cut the bass a little and there is your sound. Conclusion I have been constantly surprised this year by the sheer quality of 'cheap' bass guitars offered for review. Not too many years ago, anything under £250 — £300 would be considered second-rate, with problems to suit. Now there are instruments like the Black Knight at just over the £100 mark that are well-made, comfortable to play and have a range of good sounds to boot. This CB-42 is an excellent buy for either a beginner or the player with that bit more experience, and I can see no reason, with the build quality, that they shouldn't last for many years, retaining a good price on the second-hand market. 0  Published in PM November 2008  | Black Knight CB-42 £149 An excellent bass at an affordable price, the CB-42 boasts quality construction, good sounds and comfortable playing, and is a good choice for both the beginner and the more experienced muso.
Tech Spec CB-42 Basswood body. Bolt-on Canadian maple neck. 24-fret rosewood fingerboard. 34-inch (864mm) scale. Black nickel die-cast machine heads. Fixed bridge. Two closed humbucking pickups. One volume, one high EQ, one low EQ, one pickup balance. Weight: 4.7kg. |
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