This year sees Status Graphite celebrating
its 20th anniversary. For two decades the Essex-based company
has been at the forefront of hi-tech bass guitar design and manufacture,
incorporating headless necks, one-piece graphite moulds, proprietary
active electronics and more into a range that is as distinctive
as any. But it's not all 21st Century materials and complex building
techniques. Status mainman Rob Green also knows a good piece
of wood when he sees one and the company has always offered a
stunning range of graphite/wood combination instruments. Which
is exactly what we have here. Given that Status has a range of
retro-fitable graphite necks suitable for Precision. Jazz and
Musicman-type basses, it seems sensible of the company to take
the step of designing an entire instrument based around these
individual components. The result is the Retro-Active P and J
basses here - heavy on the updated classic with a good pinch
of funky modern cool about them...
BODY AND NECK
We've started with the necks, so we might as well continue with
them.
Each neck might feature the same woven graphite construction,
but
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their dimensions dictate that
they feel completely distinct from one another. The neck on the
red Retro-Active J is, as you'd expect, far skinnier at the nut
than that on the P - around 4mm skinner in fact. The Retro-Active
P neck is 43mm wide at this paint while the J is just 39mm and
this difference has a big impact on how each feels. Both neck
profiles are similar though, displaying a slightly flattened
rear section and anything but baseball bat proportions - by the
time we're at the 12th fret the neck widths are the same too,
contributing to a shared family feel as you move up to the octave
and beyond.
The 20 frets on both P and J are all beautifully finished. Nicely
polished and with ends enshrouded by the graphite of the neck
itself, the frets are big enough to provide plenty of feel, but
the standard of their final preparation ensures that they're
completely unobtrusive when you start laying into the strings.
The frets are very much in keeping with the rest of the metalwork
on the basses - the rear of the headstock displays the gorgeous
open backs of Status's large Gotoh 'elephant ear' machine heads.
The necks are mated to the alder bodies of the P and J with four
bolts through ferrules, rather than a standard neck plate. Suitable
to their retro flavour, neither bass has any material sculpted
away from the heel
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