The Bass Centre Wyman BassThe Bass Centre Wyman BassThe Bass Centre Wyman BassThe Bass Centre Wyman Bass

The Bass Centre Wyman Bass

UK Price:  £645.00 Inc. 20% VAT
Worldwide Price: £537.50
+ Lined Fretless Fingerboard

Availability  

Currently Sold Out  

Currently Sold Out

  (11 Reviews)

RIP THIS JOINT

The Bass Centre’s Barry Moorhouse originally approached bass legend Bill Wyman in 2010 with a view to the possibility of producing a signature instrument as part of the ongoing British Bass Masters series.

In 1961 Bill custom built his own radically unique fretless bass and the brief was to produce a bass ‘similar in spirit’ to the original instrument, used to such great effect during hundreds of live shows and recordings throughout his tenure in the Rolling Stones, including the legendary recording sessions for "Sticky Fingers", "Exile On Main Street", "Goats Head Soup" and "It's Only Rock n' Roll".

With this in mind, Barry and long-serving Bass Centre guitar technician Chris Ward duly descended on Bill’s Sticky Fingers eatery in Kensington, London to faithfully record the specifications and dimensions of the original, which then resided in suitable splendor in a glass case on the restaurant’s wall. After several prototypes and months of intense R&D, the final production instrument  was launched in the spring of 2011.

Bill Wyman with Keith Richards at London's O2 Arena, November 2012

The instrument has a comfortable, compact feel with a fast, low action and a lightweight, custom shaped alder body finished in solid black with a one-piece crimson pickguard. Tone is supplied by a vintage ‘Baldwin’ style neck pickup with a modern style soapbar in the bridge position, hooked up to a classic, no-frills, passive circuit with individual pickup volume and master treble roll-off controls.

The Wyman Bass has a short-scale 30" neck topped with a rosewood fingerboard and features Bill’s own unique headstock design. Tuners are two-a-side Hipshot UltraLites, the bridge is a custom hi-mass unit with through-body option, and the bass is strung with Bass Centre Elites nickel wound, medium scale Hamburg Players strings.

“It really is the perfect bass for me — that’s why I put it on the album sleeve”
Bill Wyman • Back To Basics • 2015

Body Alder
Finish Black gloss polyurethane
PICKGUARD One-piece crimson perspex
Neck Maple
Fingerboard Rosewood with pearloid dot markers
Frets 20 medium nickel frets
NEck Pickup Passive, custom, vintage "Baldwin" style single coil
BRIDGE PICKUP Passive, contemporary custom soapbar
Controls Volume / Volume / Master tone
Tuning Machines Black Hipshot Ultralite "Y-Key" tuners
Bridge Chrome custom hi-mass bridge, fully adjustable, with "through-body" option
HARDWARE Chromed brass dome top control knobs
Scale Length 30" (762mm)
Neck Width at Nut 41mm (1.61")
Neck Width at 12th Fret 55mm (2.17")
Neck Depth at 1st Fret 19mm (0.75")
Neck Depth at 12th Fret 22mm (0.87")
String Spacing at Nut 10mm (0.39")
String Spacing at Bridge 19mm (0.75")
Body Depth 40mm (1.57")
Approximate Weight 3.14kg (6.9lb)
Strings Bass Centre Elites Hamburg Player Series nickel roundwound .045 - .065 - .085 - .105
INCLUDED Extras Premium quality Bass Centre padded gig bag with dual handles, cushioned shoulder strap and zip-up accessory pocket
Warranty All Bass Centre instruments come with a 1 year warranty
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN World Musical Instruments Co.Ltd., South Korea

"MAYBE THE LAST TIME"

Bill Wyman steps out with the Bass Centre Wyman Bass for a final live reunion with the Rolling Stones at London's O2 Arena, November 25th, 2012, on the band's 50th Anniversary Tour.

BASS COLLECTION

Jive Bass / Power Bass

Jazzwise Magazine • March 2011

"These brilliant instruments are a steal at this price point... in fact it's hard to think of any bass range that offers so much quality for so little money."

 

Jive Bass / Power Bass

Gareth Morgan • Guitar & Bass Magazine • July 2010

"Classy and impressively accurate takes on two classic templates (with) authentic sounds & an excellent level of build quality"

In G&B's annual round-up of the year's most impressive gear, Bass Collection swept the board in the "BEST BASS GUITAR UNDER £1,000" category, with the Jive Bass crowned the winner and the single pickup Power Bass in second place.

 

Jive Bass

Dan Veall • Guitar Interactive • December 2013

"The attention to detail is welcome, not only in the feel of the neck profile but also in that this instrument is nicely balanced and surprisingly lightweight. A very good bass for not a lot of money."

 

Speakeasy Pro 4

Gareth Morgan • Guitar & Bass Magazine • February 2014

"A well put-together & handsome-looking bass... it’s fair to say that its modern good looks and fine playability make it an instrument that many will be happy to pay a little extra for."

 

Speakeasy

Ian Glasper • Bass Guitar Magazine • October 2014

"Exceptionally well built and finished for the price tag – a joy to play... small and perfectly formed, these guitars are easy on both the eye and the ear"

 

Bespoke Jive Bass

Joe Hubbard Bass Videos • April 2017

"Lightweight, resonant and extremely versatile... I really love this instrument and I’d recommend it to anybody looking for that classic J-Bass design at a super-affordable price point."

 

BRITISH BASS MASTERS

The Guy Pratt Betsy Bass

Mike Brooks • Bass Guitar Magazine • February 2020

"An absolute joy to play... a cool finish, playability and comfort by the bucketload, and a tonal performance that out-boxes many a bass at double the price. The Bass Centre have a winner on their hands."

 

The Bruce Thomas Profile Bass

 Joel McIver • Bass Guitar Magazine • January 2016

GEAR OF THE YEAR 2016 — BEST FRETTED BASS UNDER £500
"Bravo, chaps... a wonderful bass that you will not want to stop playing. And all for £495? A great F*nder alternative... Snap one up if you can."

 

The Bass Centre Wyman Bass

Gareth Morgan • Guitar & Bass Magazine • September 2011

"An excellent mix of passive tones... if you're looking for a bass that's a little different, the Wyman is a welcome new contender."

 

The Bass Centre Wyman Bass

Roger Newell • Guitarist Magazine • December 2012

"Pros: Compact & lightweight, super fat.
 Cons: Provided you like the small proportions, there's nothing to dislike!"

 

The Bass Centre Wyman Bass

 Ken Sanders Bass • Guitar Magazine • July 2015

"A great Fender-ish vintage rock 'n' roll tone which will sit perfectly in any blues trio... it continues the company’s tradition for quality basses at affordable prices."

 

The Brian May Bass

Roger Newell • Guitarist Magazine • September 2012

"Well styled and nicely built... If you want something off the beaten track this has a great deal to offer... delightful to play, with its own character and sounds - recommended."

 

The Brian May Bass

Gareth Morgan • Guitar & Bass Magazine • August 2014

"A fine-looking beast with a heap of '60s flavour which harks back to wilder times. The basic sound is excellent; nice & fat with growling lows & an overall feeling of controlled aggression."

Average Rating (11 Reviews):  
Write a Review and share your opinions!

Rating:  
Superb
21 September 2023  | 

Thank you for everything. Stangely your web page continued to state that the order was '`In Progress' right up to the minute it was delivered by DHL to my local UPS store in Arlington, Massachusetts USA.

Amazing set up! Perfect intonation; with capo on 1st fret: 008" relief at @ 5-6 fret, 5/64" string height at the 12th fret of the E.

It is so tiny, shorter scale than my 1974 Gibson EB3. Great tone, and can sound almost like a string bass. Great string-to-string balance and a fairly similar tone in passing from the D to the G as well. Terrific fun.

Super fit and finish. The 3 pots must be audio taper because the 2 volumes really only function from about an imagined 8 to full on. I have re-fit several basses' volume pots with linear, to improved effect.

I am very pleased!

Cheers to all your staff and to your design associates! Superb work.


Rating:  
Very pleased
11 June 2018  | 

Thanks for the great service. Wyman Bass arrived in excellent condition.

Very pleased with it and you. Very fast shipping. I will be ordering again soon.

Thanks again.


Rating:  
Unique & intriguing
07 June 2018  | 

What a great & fun little bass this is. Fretwork is immaculate. Fit & finish top drawer. The balance & position on your body when playing with it strapped on is not the norm. More like an SG, but you soon adapt & get used to it. Lots of versatile sounds to be found. Great pickups & hardware. A unique & intriguing bass.


Rating:  
Well pleased
31 May 2017  | 

Well pleased with the Wyman Bass. Would recommend the Bass Centre to anyone... Thanks.


Rating:  
Wyman Bass
24 March 2014  | 

Great Sound, nice to handle. Thank you for your excellent customer service.


Rating:  
Good for me...
09 December 2013  | 

Nice wee bass, short and easy to play (if you have short fingers like I have). The neck is great, the sound is nice. Easy to carry around too. I had to wait a while due to its success before I got it, but contact with the Bass Centre was good.


Rating:  
Buy into the Wyman legend - You will not be disappointed!
26 June 2013  | 

As a lifelong Stones and Bill Wyman fan, I had high expectations for the quality of the bass and an eagerness to own a bass associated with the man who drove me to pick up the instrument.

When I tried the bass out, it absolutely exceeded my expectations. The compact design along with a mixture of clear and vintage sounds makes this a pleasure to play. I have yet to play a bass with a nicer neck than this. You really feel like you've got the 'moves like Wyman' with it. I strongly recommend this bass.

In terms of service, Barry could not have been more helpful and attentative. He took time to explain both the features of the bass and to chat generally about music. It was apparent that he is the foremost bass expert.

Overall the instrument and service was superb!!

Many Thanks Barry!


Rating:  
British Bass Masters 'Wyman' Bass
10 May 2013  | 

Hello ! Im very pleased with my new Wyman bass. It sounds great and the neck is a dream. Thank you! I will be in London this summer then I will drop by!

Best Regards Frank Granstrom! (Sweden)


Rating:  
Wyman bass
21 February 2013  | 

Received my Wyman bass... nice instrument, good action. Thank you for your excellent customer service, I really appreciated it.


Rating:  
Bill Wyman Bass
19 October 2012  | 

The support and the time of delivery where excellent.


Read all 11 customer reviews...