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X-Ray Bass
Vaccaro :: X-Ray Bass


Number of reviews: 5
Score: 8



Recent Reviews
Score: 7.8 12/10/2013 at 11:12 AM
by Paul Coates
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Durability:  
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Purchased New:   no
Date Acquired:   N/A
Price:   350
Name:   Paul Coates
Email:   N/A
 
  Style of Music: Most popular styles

Comments: I have been looking at this bass for a while at the local pawn shop. Finally decided to pick it up. With the exception of needing a quick set up, this bass is actually pretty sweet. It seems like it could handle quite a few touring seasons if i decided to take it with me.
This thing has a tone all its own, i love it! It has a distinct thump with a bit of grit that you could only get from an aluminum neck passive bass. Plays easy enough, i would compare it to maybe a US made lower end fender, Not the best, but would not bother me to play it as a main bass with a heavy gig load. The neck has a chunky p bass feel, which i love. The craftsmanship is where i think it lacks. The neck is great, the paint is great, but you can tell it was built somewhat hastily, I am not familiar with what the Vaccaro shop was like, but it seems like it was tossed together pretty quickly. You can see glue around the frets (which appear to be the original frets) The inlays are done well, and everything fits quite well. The neck is fastened in with nuts as washers behind the bolts? kinda odd.. the bridge is nice, pots are nice, pickups i think are duncan baselines.

all in all, i really like it, It is different, has an awesome sound, overall a really nice bass. It is probably not something that i would use as my main bass, but im sure it will have its fair share of play time.
Score: 4.8 02/02/2012 at 8:35 PM
by Brent Mingle
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Purchased New:   yes
Date Acquired:   N/A
Price:   N/A
Name:   Brent Mingle
Email:   [ e-mail ]
 
  Style of Music: Funk,Rock,Blues,R & B,Jazz

Comments: Off the rack these basses are overall mediocre . The finish bridge and tuners are good . The tone is very muddy and the action/fretwork is poor.
If you have one and get pro neck and fret work ( to get nice action with no buzzes) and install new pickups and electronics (EMG'S sound great with it) the instrument can be outstanding . I have 2 Vaccaro Basses and after extensive custom work they are my primary live basses. I like them better than my Ken Smith basses , but it takes a lot of custom work to get them to a pro instrument level .
Score: 8 05/06/2011 at 7:12 PM
by Robert J Slaney
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Purchased New:   no
Date Acquired:   5-08
Price:   N/A
Name:   Robert J Slaney
Email:   [ e-mail ]
 
  Style of Music: Rock - Bar Band Classic Covers

Comments: Very playable instrument. Very comfortable - balance & weight, Great sustain. Tone a little unbalanced. mine has non stock pickups - was rewired and pots replaced.
Score: 10 07/14/2009 at 3:10 PM
by Tom Richards
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Purchased New:   no
Date Acquired:   6/29/2009
Price:   $800
Name:   Tom Richards
Email:   [ e-mail ]
 
  Style of Music: Punk/pop

Comments: I am now the proud owner of a red sparkle Vaccaro X-RAY bass. New-old stock, wasn't played by its owner. Included all the case candy.

Sound is amazing, action outstanding. This is a low serial number. In many ways superior to my XL-4, and the craftsmanship rivals my 1977 Kramer 650B. I have Hartke medium strings on it, which sound great. I am switching to La Bella flatwound 760FX, as the lighter guage will be more forgiving on the neck and the string sound will more suit my style.

Every metal necker should have one of these.

Good job Mr. Vaccaro, this one is a winner.
Score: 9.6 01/15/2009 at 09:13 AM
by Tom Richards
[ ] [ Perma Link ]

 
Durability:  
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Purchased New:   no
Date Acquired:   12/2008
Price:   $650.00
Name:   Tom Richards
Email:   [ e-mail ]
 
  Style of Music: Post Punk/Pop, rock.

Comments: I actually have a Hartke XL-4 which is identical in everyway to the X-Ray with the exception of the headstock, which is solid versus the "V". Made in Asbury on the same production line. Necks are the same.

Only thing about craftsmanship is the place where the wood encapsolation meets the aluminum head and neck. Some gapping. Less then on imported V2 and Hartke XK line but still there. I know Henry Jr. and even he said the fit and finish in this spot could have been better.

Has the perfect, updated metalneck tone you expect. Long sustain, definitely a piano like quality, especially on the D and G strings. Sounds as good or better then the 250B I had back in the day...

Wish I could find a real X-Ray myself.
 
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