The New Tobias Renegade Cracks the Price Barrier

Tobias is rightfully respected for building basses that are exceptionally playable, beautiful and well-crafted with expressive, professional sounds. With the release of the Renegade, Tobias has created a basic instrument with all the essential features and sound that have won them that respect. Yet the suggested retail price of the Tobias Renegade is under $1,500--competitive with other standard instruments of the bass world.

How `Bout That Bass

The Renegade is simple-a solid alder body and with a three-piece, bolt-on maple neck with a heelless neck joint and flatsawn, 24-fret maple fingerboard. The neck shape is Tobias' now classic, asymmetrical contour, standard on the company's most expensive models. The neck joint is heelless with dual truss rods for very accurate shaping.

The custom Bartolini humbucker pickup in the bridge position and Jazz bar humbucker on top are connected to a master volume, blend and passive tone control with a push-pull control. They are wired through an active preamp and TC-7 pickup circuit. A toggle switch will allow the humbuckers to run in series or parallel. In the electronics is an adjustable mid-contour control (Set this first with all guitar and amp controls flat).

The Tobias Renegade, like all Tobias instruments, have a modern design with a well sculpted back and dramatic horn wings. The Renegade features five, satin hand-rubbed oil finishes-blue, amber green, black and red, as well as black hardware and a solid Tobias bridge. The instrument looks and feels almost warm to the touch. The Tobias luthiers chose very close-grained wood well matched for continuity of texture and appearance.

How Does It Play?

Tobias sacrificed nothing affecting the Renegade's playability. Like all Tobias basses, the asymmetrical neck profile lays easily in the hand in all neck positions and the transition from low to high on the neck is virtually seamless for wrist and hand. The bass had low action (3/32" at the 24th fret). Tobias also shaves a 1/32" form the center of the fingerboard to compensate for vibrating strings. Consequently, the neck is very, very fast with no buzzing. The sculpted back fits the body (human, that is) well. The extended horns allow easy reach to the ultimate fret. Finally, the bass is light-the real virtue of an alder body.

I Say, How Does It Sound?

The satin amber test bass was played through an Alembic preamp and Yamaha power amp-a very "neutral" head. With all controls flat, the Renegade has a legitimate "vintage" sound-solid and woody. In part, because of the soft alder wood body and hardwood maple neck, the Renegade run flat has sweet, smooth highs and warm lows.

As the bridge pickup is emphasized with the blend control and series switch, the sound becomes "meaty", with more dominant and modern mid-lows. Switch to parallel and reverse the blend and the tone becomes brighter and more electric, if you will, good for slapping and popping.

Most impressive is the balance of tone and volume string-to-string and fret-to-fret. No dead spots or variations in tone and volume up and down the neck.

You want comparisons. With a distinctive Tobias sound the Renegade's range of tones can reasonably mimic a Fender, Music Man or Yamaha-all standard basses in the same price range.

The Renegade doesn't have all the wood options and neck-through-body design of Tobias' more expensive models. However, it's versatility, exceptional playability and consistent quality are unique for the money and it's a Tobias.

The Renegade is available in 4 and 5 string models as well as lined and unlined fretless.

For more information visit Tobias or call 1-800-4GIBSON.