TP-12/34 Long Scale 12-String Basses

Waterstone TP-12/34 12-String Basses

The Waterstone TP-12/34 is an updated version of the model TP-2. The primary difference between these two models is that the neck on the TP-12/34 has been streamlined and has a width at the nut of 48 mm, over 10% narrower than the 54 mm nut width on the TP-2. The 59 mm neck width at the 12th fret is also 6 mm slimmer than the TP-2. Synthetic nuts were used for the TP-12/34 whereas brass nuts were incorporated into the TP-2. These basses are all 34” long scale.

Many of the TP-12/34 12-string bass finishes were available in very small quantities; oftentimes only five of any particular finish was built. This model was also available in a left-handed version in the Black finish.

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Waterstone TP 12/34 Review

by Hans Grimm

As Tom Petersson has had a big influence on my bass-playing ever since 1978, I have lusted after a 12-string bass for more than 25 years. In 2005 I could finally afford one, the Hense 12-string, made in Korea. It's a good instrument, but what I wanted was a bass like Tom used, and then especially his signature instrument!

Having read all the reviews on this site and elsewhere, my craving was multiplied a hundredfold. So when I came into some money this summer I did not hesitate, and on 18th August, 2006 placed an order with Bob Singer of Waterstone: One quilted cherry sunburst TP-12 in 34" scale, please!

Bob Singer immediately replied, giving me the bad news: the TP-12's were out of stock and on order with the Korean factory, and expected to arrive in 2-3 weeks. Bummer... Little did I know that I was in for a long wait: The bass would finally arrive on my doorstep on October 20th. We have all heard of the slow boat from China, but a how about a slow boat from Korea? During those two months I must have driven Bob Singer a little crazy as I regularly mailed him asking about ETA's and such, but he was always friendly, understanding and helpful. Thanks Bob!

As I have an aversion to gig bags because of the vulnerability, I also ordered a hard case with it. But shortly before dispatch Bob told me that the cases they received from a new supplier did not fit, so he would have to supply the standard gig bag.

First impressions

When the bass finally arrived on 20th October, I almost kissed the UPS man. Unpacking the bass was a real joy, and when it lay there in all it's splendor, it took my breath away. When I regained my breath, two things struck me: 1) There was no pickguard; and 2) There was no signature sticker within the f-hole. I emailed Bob about this. He told me that Tom Petersson had pulled the pickguards on all the TP-12's except for the black ones, and that Tom was on the road at the time of shipment and was therefore unable to sign the sticker for my TP-12. In order to avoid keeping me waiting longer still, it was shipped without the sticker, which would be sent to me later. When I heard that, I suggested that Tom could maybe personalize my sticker, which he did.

The finish of this bass is perfect. Beautiful quilted top, and the binding job is beyond reproach.

Setup

OK, back to my first impressions. When I started playing the bass, I was in for a bit of a shock. In previous Waterstone reviews people raved about the perfect setup of their bass. But no perfect setup here: The intonation was completely off, but I could adjust that. What really pissed me off was the string height at the nut. This almost gave me vertigo! I am quite used to playing a 12-string so my finger strength is up to it, but to fret the strings on the 1st fret required a set of pliers. There was also a lot of fret buzz on the 2nd and 3rd fret but loosening the truss rod a bit solved that.

I regard filing the nut as leaning out of a window - too much and you fall. Therefore I do not particularly like doing that. I emailed Bob Singer about this and he told me, "Over the past few years we have run the gamut on setups. It has been our experience that setup assessment is extremely subjective and unpredictable. For this reason we shy away from aggressive nut work. Some players prefer to grind the nut down to nothing while others never mention it. There should be no problem in tailoring it to your wishes."

Well OK, but this was a bit much. I really could not play it this way. I took it to a local luthier and he set the bass up perfectly. It set me back about 50 dollars, but hey?

Sound

This is a semi-acoustic bass. Because of that, it is a lot louder unamplified than a solid body. I will not go so far as to say that you can use it in an unplugged session, but when you practice at home without an amp (as I do), the difference is very much apparent. I get a lot of complaints now from my wife and kids when I fool around on it in front of the TV. When I first hooked it up to my Ashdown / Hughes and Kettner rig, the sound struck me as being a lot rounder and warmer than that of my Hense 12-string. So some adjustments were in order, in fact, it needed less adjustment.

This baby really sounds BIG! Not only is it big (I am a big guy, and I can almost hide behind it), but is has a sound to match. It comes at you from all directions. Recently I got a second-hand TC Electronics Triple-C Compressor, so now the TP-12 does not only sounds big, but also THICK.

Conclusion

I really think Waterstone could have done a lot better setting up this bass for me. Maybe all the rave reviews have gone to their heads and they have gone a little soft in that regard. Come on guys, don't let that happen, it will ruin your reputation! The luthier who did my bass did not accept Bob's explanation, and told me that in his experience the more expensive the instrument, the worse the setup. He has done high-end Gibson's that were virtually unplayable. Having said that, I still wholeheartedly recommend this bass, but when you order it, it may be a good idea to require that they set it up right, regardless of their current policy.