Purchased from: Manufacturer
Street Price: $3,900.00 USD with case + shipping
About:
M.V. Pedulla Guitars is a Manufacturer of handcrafted, custom boutique, American-built electric bass guitars by master luthier Michael Pedulla, in Rockland, MA..
This Nuances five string model has a 34" scale length, a maple bolt-on neck with a Single, double acting adjustable truss rod with two stiffening bars dressed in an ebony fingerboard featuring 22 frets with a bone nut ending in a soft maple body with an arbutis burl top and weighing just under 9 lbs.
Hardware:
M. V. Pedulla/Gotoh machine heads, machined brass bridge, with Gotoh strap pins
Electronics:
MV Pedulla by Bartolini matching custom soapbar set featuring active, Bartolini electronics with (1) volume (1) pan (1) treble (1) bass boost/cut controls and (1) mid boost/cut toggle
Sound
Amp used:
AMPEG SVT 350T 2x10
Action, Fit & Finish:
The finish is a beautiful natural wood grain with a Satin Oil/Urethane finish; the action was low without any fret buzz and the intonation was dead on.
Reliability & Durability:
The guitar seems to be well made. It is solid through and through. There was no hum or crackles from the electronics, all knobs and hardware were installed snug and proper.
Impression:
I had stoped by the NJ guitar and bass center to play another bass for a review and this was calling my name. She is beautiful, her satin oiled arbutis burled finish was like nothing I had seen before -- and I felt her staring at me from the wall.
Her body was was thin and curvy with a fat bottom that just fits the player. Her low profile thin neck gave me full access to every note without any hesitation -- in fact her neck felt more like a 4 sting than a 5.
Besides her gorgeous looks, she can sing.
The Bartolini soapbar pickups give her a rich warm tone with full
frequency range. She is very touch sensitive and responds well to anything from
a soft finger to a hard slap. With her onboard controls a player can achieve
what seems like an endless array of tonality from silky smooth jazz to punch
you in the face metal.
What I would change:
I would use a Tusq nut as opposed to bone, but that is just my preference.
My advice:
If you are a studio or an active touring musician that needs a bass you can play all night, you should play a Pedulla before your next purchase.