And that’s one of the reasons I stopped playing roundwounds—the screeching, and also chopping your fingers up a bit. My initial comparisons (and all of my gigs) were done with the Fender NPS strings installed, and I felt that they worked very well on this bass. One of the best bass players of rock and roll history, the found and leader of Iron Maiden, Steve Harris already a legend. Designed to replace the somewhat unwieldy, hard to amplify double bass it quickly became a mainstay across the genres. Thus began a life-long love of all things bass… After writing reviews in 18 issues of Guitar World’s Bass Guitar Magazine, Tom founded Bass Gear Magazine in 2007. The bass of a metal legend. Obviously, Maiden can’t do that [play clubs]. The Gloss White finish is entrancingly beautiful. Precision bass' come in many different forms but with a Steve Harris Custom Pickup and flatwound strings this bass is in a different world. If you don’t already love Steve’s work, then drop this magazine and go listen to some Iron Maiden, pronto! Steve Percy Harris was born on the 16th March 1956 in Leytonstone. When I toured in Canada in November with Coney Hatch, Andy Curran’s Ampeg rig is as far removed from my sound as possible, and I played the Tech 21 through it and it came out so close to my sound, I was amazed. Think about competing not only with three – three! 6 (Lauren, Kerry, Stanley, George, Maisie, Faye)Harris; About Stephen Percy Harris. I think it works well in the end result. History has it that when Steve’s original Precision was made, Fender had run low on its stock of ash bodies, and substituted maple. Maiden’s stuff, particularly over the last few years, has been more prog-based, sothere wasn’t much point in going that direction with British Lion. Stephen Percy Harris is a multi-talented and versatile musician who goes by the name “Steve Harris.” He is of British nationality. Some of you may know that there have been several iterations of the “Steve Harris Signature Precision” over the years. And if the melody is that strong, the vocal delivery needs to be to that melody. Harris has had his bass modified to include a mirrored scratchplate, Badass bridges and Seymour Duncan custom SPB1 pickups and uses his own signature set of RotoSound strings. His signature gallop and tone is recognized by practically everyone as soon as they hear it. Records like The Number of the Beast [1982], Piece of Mind [1983] and Powerslave [1984, all on Capitol] forged a powerful template that continues to influence metal bands to this day. Fender Steve Harris Signature Precision deals. The next functional feature of note is the Seymour Duncan® Steve Harris SPB-4 pickup. Sometimes he’ll say, “Oh, these are difficult words to sing.” I suppose I’m not a singer, but I go by the melody more, anyway. If there is one thing Tom loves more than playing all kinds of cool bass gear, it’s telling people about cool bass gear! I was like, “This can’t be real” [laughs]. It reproduced my E-V [Electro-Voice] speaker sound. The remainder of the differences are mostly esthetic, namely, the unique finish and pickguard. It’s just down to the songs. The fun continued when I got home and was able to review this Steve Harris Precision Bass. Click here to read the Technical Reviews article. The first unique feature of note is the maple body. In fact, it seemed much more balanced from top to bottom with the Steve Harris Signature flats strung up. But it has to be driven by those guys, because if I start writing a song, I’d probably end up wanting to do it in Maiden, so it’s best to start with their ideas. We recorded live as a band. However, if you are up to the task of trying to cop Steve’s licks and tones, this bass will certainly hold up its end of the bargain. The Precision bass was the first of its' kind. Purchasing any player’s signature bass is no guarantee of being able to sound like said signature artist, and the Steve Harris Precision Bass is no exception. In 2009, Fender issued a signature Steve Harris Precision bass, featuring a blue-sparkle finish, mirrored scratchplate, Seymour Duncan SPB1 pickups and a Badass II bridge. This latest Made-in-Mexico iteration of the Steve Harris Precision Bass® was introduced at the 2015 Winter NAMM Show, and I was immediately drawn to its striking looks. But the record was a bit disjointed, musically speaking and production-wise. Among other things, this made the body (and bass) heavier than the ash or alder-bodied P-basses, but Steve loved the tone. And the only way to really make that happen was to take it by the scruff of the neck and be in the band. He is also the main song writer of the formation, and plays keyboard too. Advertisement And to honor him and to really hear his technique, you must watch the video […] I just prefer to go naturally with what’s going on at the time, and I don’t like things set in stone. The West Ham United crest is the icing on the cake. Along with Dave Murray, they are the only members of the band that have appeared on all of the band's albums. Rounding out the feature set, we have a Fender High-Mass bridge, ‘70’s style Schaller tuning machines, and flat-top, knurled chrome control knobs. These two basses were surprisingly similar in tone from top to bottom, but they each had a rather different feel/vibe, with the Steve Harris Precision being bigger, louder and more open. In 2012, Harris released British Lion [UME], his first-ever solo album, which was really more of a side-project than solo endeavor. Technical Evaluation – Sonic Nuance Tuner + DI (TDI) Mk2 Pedal. The overall feel, balance and neck shape are remarkably similar to my (ash/maple) ’74 Precision (my “go-to” P-bass). Steve Harris (Stephen Percy Harris, born 12 March 1956 in Leytonstone, London, England) is the bassist and founder of the legendary Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden since 1975. I’ve always approached songs, whether Maiden or British Lion — it’s whatever the song needs, or doesn’t need, in some cases. He has a little bit of a moment sometimes, or we’ll have a little bit of a laugh about it. In January 2020, he answered such questions with The Burning [Parlophone], the incendiary debut of Harris's four-piece band British Lion. I think it’s just down to the song. Steve is famously known for playing Rotosound® flatwound strings, and in fact, has his own signature set. I am privileged to be able to gig out with a number of amazing-looking basses, and I can honestly say that this Steve Harris Precision has received more unsolicited comments of admiration than anything else I have gigged with recently. I have to admit, these are some great-sounding flatwounds! They’re such a heavy gauge that they tend to bow the neck unless you have a really solid neck, like I have. We had a great time at the show, and I thought. Hear Him On: The Burning, British Lion [2020, Explorer1 Music], Bass 1971 Fender Precision (white w/West Ham crest, Badass bridge, Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder pickups), Rig Alectron preamp, C-Audio SR707 power amps, Marshall 4x12" speaker cabinets with Electro-Voice EVM12L speakers, Strings Rotosound SH77 Steve Harris Signature set (.050, .075, .095, .110), Accessories Tech21 Steve Harris Signature SH1 preamp/DI, Steve Harris Takes British Lion By The Scruff Of The Neck and Into 'The Burning'. I have played many Made-in-Mexico Fenders, and find them to be very competitive in their respective price range. I’d love to be able to write and record the way Maiden do, but we don’t have time to do that. Sometimes we go, “Wow, that word is really difficult to sing.” What can you do [laughs]? Canonical Iron Maiden songs like “Run to the Hills,” “The Trooper,” and “Aces High” feature his fleet, two-fingered right-hand technique and unconventional trebly tone, a combination that immediately identifies Harris and helped elevate him to the upper echelon of rock bass. I work it all out. Back at Fender headquarters in the United States, the early ’80s was a busy time. However, I do feel like the fit and finish on this particular bass is a bit higher than I have come to expect from a MIM Fender. Tony is very familiar with the British Lion sound, because he’s mixing it live. Overall clarity is excellent – in a P-bass kinda way, of course – and the fingerstyle articulation is appropriately superb. I have been wanting to check out the Seymour Duncan SPB-4 pickup for some time. The Burning bursts out of the gate with opening cut “City of Fallen Angels,” a tune driven by Harris’ unrelenting eighth-note clank. Another bass which I felt would be a good comparison is my Lakland Skyline 44-64 Custom (which is an ash-bodied P-bass with a rosewood board on a maple, J-style, neck and a Lakland pickup). At least this is kind of halfway there, with the recording techniques. It’s not for everyone, I suppose. My preference is for a medium-height action, but this bass will take a much lower setup, if that’s your piece of cake. I play bass chords as well, but I’ll usually whistle or hum the melody for the vocal, write the words out, and then I’ll show Bruce [Dickinson] what it’s to be sung like. The songs in British Lion are shorter, which isn’t a bad thing. During his early teens, he learned to play bass guitar, he had a stint with Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler. We take a look at the new Tech 21 Steve Harris SH1 Signature pedal. On The Burning, the production is much tighter and the material more defined than on your British Lion debut. You use flatwound strings, and yet you’re known for a bright, trebly sound. Stay up-to-date with all our recent articles, podcasts and more. This bass differs from your average P-bass in several regards. This bass definitely has an authoritative tone, but the maple body undoubtedly has something to do with that. Ibanez SRMD200 Mezzo & AFR4FMP Affirma Bass Guitar... Jam Origin MIDI Guitar 2 and MIDI Bass Real-Time Audio-... Fender Mustang® Bass – “The Little Horse That Kic... Bass Lab – Fender® American Ultra Jazz Bass® V, Wayne Jones Audio WJ 2×10 and WJ 1×10 Bass Cabs, BASS LAB – DNA Guitar Company Accelerator Bass, Sadowsky Masterbuilt 24-Fret Single Cut Models. Harris performing with British Lion, 2019. Swapping out the Fender NPS rounds for the Rotosound flats, the first thing I noticed was that the increased tension from the .050 to .110 gauge Rotos (compared to .045 to .105 on the Fenders) definitely has an impact on the action (which is easily adjusted for). The maple fingerboard lends to a tone that is closer to the latter wood combination, but the maple body does seem to add some depth and heft, beyond what an ash body has to offer, but still offering the tight response. After all, Maiden was his band, wasn’t it? Millions of albums sold with the band and thousands of concerts made in many decades. No price information. The fact this one is a Steve Harris signature model is just a bonus; the pinstriping & castle/hammers sticker simply make it more fun to look at than the typical bass. I don’t mind putting my name on something that I use, and I knew I was definitely going to be using this. It’s a natural thing to go in and do that with him. We caught up with Harris, who was candid, affable, and as usual, a bit self-deprecating. … I actually love it [laughs]. Harris, though unmistakable in tone and attack, is not the songwriting engine in British Lion: He leaves the bulk of those duties to singer Richard Taylor and guitarist David Hawkins (British Lion also includes guitarist Grahame Leslie and drummer Simon Dawson), which results in songs that are more classic rock than phantom of the opera. The finish on the ‘74’s neck is not particularly worn, but it does feel thinner than the gloss finish on the Steve Harris Precision Bass. Tonally, the Steve Harris Precision sounds a bit bigger than the ’74, and has an open, almost “chorusy” vibe (with the stock Fender roundwounds). Are you writing a lot of the songs for British Lion, or is it collaborative? Status: Founder member and creator of Britain’s most loved heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. How do convey those ideas to others? Amazon. 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