I found this pic of a solitary black TB at NAMM 2011. Are my eyes deceiving me or has the front jack returned, but the pickguard and the center block gone? Or has the Shavo Signature model seen a release after all, now that System of Down are reconvening for some summer gigs? This certainly looks like some metalist had a say in the look. And has the front pup edged forward a little?
None of us noticed. We all should be ashamed of ourselves.
It only dawned on me now
after reading that the new
TB Shortscale won't have a pg and is
satin black. Look
how comparatively short that bass is hanging there beside those toy instruments they call guitars.
Take a look at how deep the neck is set into the body:
Not as deep as on a longscale, they have put it a fret or two farther out. And finally: I only noticed now how
overall stubby that neck looks and how the
bridge has edged forward into the body just a little.
So now we know:
This is the shortscale TB. It's obviously aimed at the beginners and budget market (cheap fin, doesn't come with a case). Supposedly only a limited run of 400, but frankly I can't see this bass make commercial inroads with a lot of people.
