The Reverend Basses

If you are thinking about selling your Rumblefish, or any other USA Reverend Guitar, Bass, or Amp, please send me an E-MAIL as I am always interested in buying USA Reverends (if the wife will allow!) But if not, I might be able to steer you in the directions of someone who does, or expand your guitar's exposure by listing it here on the RevFan.com site (for Free!)

RUM - RPJ - RXL - R5L - BH5

If you made it to the page from an outside link, I want to welcome you to the Reverend Fanatic Website. I encourage you to take a look around at the rest of the website as there is plenty of information on the Reverend Musical Instruments manufactured in the USA between 1997 and 2006.

The family of Reverend Basses come in several different varieties of 4 and 5 String instruments. Reverend discontinued Bass Production along with all of their USA instrument production in 2006.

The first Reverend Bass was a Jet Black JJ serial numbered 00347. On April 4, 2006 Reverend made their last Bass, a Red Rockhide 5 String with serial number 4865.

All Reverend Basses have the same sequential serial numbers that the guitars have. The first 100 basses, however, are marked with a bass number as well. So the first bass has overall Reverend serial number 00347 and "Bass #1". Along with the Serial Numbers, there are the initials of the person who set up the Guitar or Bass. Early models may have Joe Naylor's Initials (JFN) while the later ones tend to have Zack Green's Initials (ZSG). If an instrument has been returned to Reverend for repair, modification, or "conversion" to another type, there normally seems to be the addition of Joe Naylor's Signature.

Bass Models Produced

• Rumblefish (RUM) 418 units
  4 string, Two Reverend J-style pickups Two volumes and master tone control (V/V/T)
  Available from June 1998
  
  
• Rumblefish XL (RXL) 141 units
  4 String JJ pickup with one volume and tone control, and a 3-position voicing switch (parallel, single coil, series). Series position creates one big humbucker for those craving Extra Large bass response
  Available from June 1999
  
  
• Rumblefish PJ (RPJ) 106 units
  4 string, P-style neck pickup and J-style bridge pickup with two volumes and a tone control. Solo the neck pickup for thick, deep low end but with piano-like clarity and focus, or blend in the bridge pickup for the perfect amount of percussive spank.
  Available from November 2002
  
  
• Rumblefish 5L (R5L) 289 units
  5-string with 35 inch scale, two Reverend J-style pickups, 3-position voicing switch (parallel, single coil, series), volume and tone controls. Simple yet versatile, with ultra-deep piano-like clarity and resonance. The comfortable neck profile and tight B string make for a modern classic
  Available from Jan 1999
  
  
• Brad Houser (BH5) 79 units
  5 String, 35 inch scale, two black Reverend humbucker pickups, 3-position voicing switch (parallel, single coil, series) for each pickup, volume for each pickup, master tone control, Hipshot bridge with adjustable spacing, Hipshot Ultralite tuning keys, and wide neck (3 inch at 22nd fret)
  Available April 2001
  
  

Reverend basses make up just about 20% of the total USA production and is estimated to be at about 1035 instruments. The Basses shared color and finishes options with their Guitar brethren, so check out the Guitar Page for more info on those options.

USA BASS NECKS

This information comes from the Reverend Archives Page. It is interesting to note that some of the last Basses made were built with the early style skunk striped necks. That being said, here is a general guide to Reverend Bass Necks.

Earlier 4-String Bass Necks
• - Dark walnut "skunk stripe" on back of neck.
• - Headstock decal says "Reverend" with no "USA". Note: factory repaired or factory refinished headstocks might say "Reverend USA".

Later 4-String Bass Necks
• - NO dark walnut "skunk stripe" on back of neck. NO stripe indicates the neck has a 1/2 inch square aluminum reinforcement channel.
• - Headstock decal says "Reverend" with no "USA". Note: factory repaired, factory refinished, or very late headstocks might say "Reverend USA".

5-String Bass Necks
• - 5-String necks NEVER had the dark walnut "skunk stripe" on back of neck. All 5-Strings had the 1/2 inch square aluminum reinforcement channel.
• - Headstock decal says "Reverend" with no "USA". Note: factory repaired, factory refinished, or very late headstocks might say "Reverend USA".

Rumblefish - 418 Instruments

The first bass produced by Reverend is known as the "Rumblefish". It is of the Fender style with two jazz pickups. The controls are the standard two volume, and a master tone control.

The tone has been described as "very tight, and punches through with clarity and warmth, much like a true vintage J-bass". The tone control allows you to dial out the bridge pick-up to emulate the ballsy tone of a P-bass or dial in the bridge, cut the neck a bit to give the bass a very Jaco-esque honk.

Another reviewer at Bass Gear Review sums it up by saying, "In all, a ballsy, multi-faceted tone monster. Very light weight with a fast, playable vintage-feel neck."

The great thing about all of the Reverend Basses is that the construction materials and methods lead to a very light and playable bass.

As stated above, the first Rumblefish was 00347, but the last one was sn 04495, and left the factory with an Aged White phenolic finish with a maple neck.

Collecting Notes
The most common finish to find on a Rumblefish is Aged White, in which there are 105 instruments. Black follows closely with 94 instruments made. Other phenolic colors in significant numbers are; Turquoise (49), Hunter Green (45), Sky Blue (16), and Navy and Blood Red, both with 15 instruments.

Metal Finish
Bug Eye Black Chrome leads the pack of metal finishes with 12. Following are Ridged Aluminum and Lava Swirl (Both with 6), Engine Turned Aluminum (4) and a Diamond Plate. In Brushed Aluminum, there are 3 in Moroccan Gold and one in Dragonfly Green.

Faux Wood Finish
Not many Rumblefish are found in the Faux Wood finishes. The most common is Quilted Mahogany with 5. Following that are Birdseye Maple (4), Flamed Maple (3), Red Mahogany (2), and one in Black Wood

One of a Kind finishes
There are just a few "one of" finishes that have not already been mentioned. These are 69 Lime Green, 57 Yellow, and Fire Engine Red.

NOTES
There are two Rumblefish that have "BLANK" in the color code area. These are sn's 01494 and 04466, if you have them, or know what they are, please send me an e-mail so we can get the archives updated.

Maple necks were ordered on 20% of the Rumblefish (85).

There are 3 Rumblefish noted as being custom, but only one, sn 00666 has any indication of what is "custom"; in this case, its a mahogany neck. Two instruments are noted as being returned for string-through upgrade, and two are listed as having their Pick-ups changed.

Rumblefish XL - 141 Instruments

The Rumblefish XL is similar to the regular Rumblefish, except that the "XL" version has a volume pot, a tone pot and a 3-way mini-toggle switch that allows the 2 passive Jazz Bass style pickups to run in parallel/single-coil/series. It is capable of a variety of different sounds thanks to the parallel/single coil/series mini-toggle switch. It sounds rich and warm in all settings.

Reviewers describe the XL as, "like a Jazz Bass with a little more tonal flexibility and a much lighter body. The neck is as good as any out there and better than 90% of them; it feels like a "broken in" 60's Jazz Bass neck." To my ear, it has a little more of the low end punch than the VVT Rumblefish.

The first RXL out of the shop was sn 00709, with a black phenolic body and gold pick guard. The last made was sn 04864 made in April 2006, and was in phenolic Indigo. I should note that, for all intents and purposes, RXL production ended in October of 2003.

Collecting Notes
Maple Necks were ordered on 33 of the 141 RXLs (23%).

The most common finishes RXLs are Aged White and Jet Black, both with 23 instruments. No other phenolic finish makes it into double digits.

Metal Finish
Bug Eye Black Chrome is way out in front with 20 instruments made. The other Specialty Finishes made were Lava Swirl (6) an Ridged Aluminum (5) and one Engine Turned Aluminum. Interestingly, there is one RXL made from the same "Hammered Gold" finish as the NAMM guitars were made in, sn 03030-2 (Note the -2 was used by Reverend to denote a "factory second", usually some blemish to the finish/neck).

Brushed Aluminum
Lake Superior Blue has the most with 11 Basses. Moroccan Gold follows with 7 and right behind is Dragonfly Green with 6. Space Race Silver joins the RXL group with 4 instruments made.

Faux Wood
Only one Faux Wood finish, sn 01585 in Quilted Mahogany.

One of a Kind Finishes
RXL "one-ofs" not already mentioned are; Hunter Green, Indigo, and Coalmine Black Rockhide.

Rumblefish PJ - 106 Instruments

In August of 2003, Reverend announced the USA-made Rumblefish PJ bass guitar featuring Reverend J-style bridge pickup/P-style neck pickup, volume for each pickup and master tone control. The official release stated that: The chambered body is available in Classic Solid, Wood Look, and Brushed Aluminum finishes. Options include maple fingerboard, and two-tone teardrop case.

One reviewer at TalkBass describes his experience with the Rumblefish PJ: "I tried one that had one of my personal favorite pickup configurations: the ol' PJ. I plugged it in and was absolutely blown away by it's tone. For a passive-electronic bass, it has a surprising amount of bass in its tone, but that's counteracted by the shimmering clarity of the upper registers. There are some really handy tonal options, too: Roll the J pickup off and you've got yourself the balls and booty of a P bass, or, if you need to bust out some Rush, roll off the P bass pickup and you'll get... well, it's not a J bass sound, but it's definitely half of it! The best part about the Rumblefish, though, is the tone when both pickups are at full volume. The tone seems to combine the best of both worlds, with the P pickup's balls and the J's bite".

The Prototype RPJ was a custom, and it came in white with a plexiglas pickguard that allowed you to see into the electronics. This bass was built in August of 2001, almost 2 years before significant RPJ production began. The last to leave the factory was an Indigo RPJ, sn04468, which left the factory on the 28th of October, 2005.

Collecting Notes
About 20% of RPJs were ordered with a Maple Neck.
Jet Black and Moroccan Gold are tied for the most numerous RPJs at 18 each. No other colors make it into double digits, but Safety Orange comes close with 9, followed by 8 in Aged Yellow.

Metal Finish
In the Specialty Metal Finish, there are 6 in Lava Swirl, Bug Eye Black Chrome follows with 3, and there is there is a lone Engine Turned Aluminum.

Brushed Aluminum
Moroccan Gold has the top spot (18), and Lake Superior Blue has 10, but 4 of those have a Sand Blasted Racing Stripe. Four Dragonfly Greens are present, and there is one Space Race Silver and one Smoked Chrome, both have Sand Blasted Racing Stripe. The Smoked Chrome w/Stripe is noted as being the first Sand Blasted Bass instrument (See photo above).

Faux Wood
There are not a lot of faux wood finished RPJs. Red Mahogany has the most with 9, followed by four in Flamed Maple, and only one in "Blackwood".

One of a Kind
"One-ofs" not already mentioned include: Deep Sea Teal, Fireball Red, and Indigo.

Rumblefish R5L (289)

5-string with 35 inch scale, two Reverend J-style pickups, 3-position voicing switch (parallel, single coil, series), volume and tone controls. Simple yet versatile, with ultra-deep piano-like clarity and resonance. The comfortable neck profile and tight B string make for a modern classic. Approx. 9 lbs.

A reviewer relates his impression of the 5L that he first saw at NAMM in 2000: "The neck is a touch slimmer that I would like, but very well finished and comfortable. The semi hollow construction makes it nice and light on the shoulder. It was the full humbucking function of the 2 Jazz bass style pickups that I liked the most, as it provided a really fat low end, especially on the low B string".

Collecting Notes
The R5Ls were made from January of 1999 through April of 2006. The first being a black phenolic sn 00581, and the last being a Western Red Rockhide, sn 04865. As with the rest of the Reverend guitar and bass line, about 20% were made with a Maple Necks.

Jet Black is by far the most numerous R5L, with 74 instruments in that color. The next on the list is kind of surprising, "Navy" with 43. Aged White is close behind at 40 instruments, with Turquoise and Sky blue both having 18.

Metal Finish
The most common of the Special Metal Finishes is Engine Turned Aluminum (8). Right behind is Bug Eye Black Chrome (7), Lava Swirl (6) and Ridged Aluminum (3).

Brushed Aluminum
There are 8 in Lake Superior Blue (one of thse has the Sand Blasted Racing Stripe), 3 Dragonfly Greens, and 2 in Moroccan Gold. There is one in Smoked Chrome and that has the Racing Stripe as well. Space Race Silver makes the list with just one instrument in that color.

Faux Wood Finish
Birdseye Maple is the most numerous Faux wood with 5 instruments. Quilted Faux Mahogany, Blackwood, and Bluewood are all tied with 4 instruments of each color. Brown Ash comes next with 3 instruments, and there are one each of Red Mahogany and Flame Maple.

One of a Kinds
Besides the ones mentioned above, there is one Lime Green, and one Aged Yellow.

Brad Houser (BH5)

The prototype Brad Houser 5 String (Black Phenolic, sn 01719) was made sometime 2000, but production did not get rolling until April of 2001. The last BH5 to leave the factory did so as Dragonfly Green, sn 04156, in March of 2005.

The Brad Houser represented the high end of Reverend Bass offerings and has been praised by musicians for its retro vibe but sound all of its own.

The Reverend Website listed the features as:

• Designed with Brad Houser (Critter's Buggin, New Bohemians, Bass Player mag's 10 Young Guns To Watch) for the ultimate in versatility and performance!
• 5-string with 35 inch scale, two black Reverend humbucker pickups, 3-position voicing switch (parallel, single coil, series) for each pickup, volume for each pickup, master tone control, Hipshot bridge with adjustable spacing, Hipshot Ultralite tuning keys, and wide neck (3 inch at 22nd fret)
• Comes standard with Black Pearl Pickguard on the following body colors: Sky Blue, '57 Turquoise, Nave Blue, Deep Purple, and Jet Black.

Bass Player Magazine's review by E. E Bradman, the bass is praised as:
"Overall, the bass offered no stunning clarity or bright, modern tone, but thanks to the Reverend circuitry and semi-hollow design, it had a strong sound all its own. We recommend it to low-end lovers looking for a versatile 5 that evokes passive hollow- and semi-hollowbodies of the past. The Houser’s looks will always stand out, but its sound and price will definitely turn heads—and with flats, it’ll move a dance floor, too."

Collecting Notes

There were only 79 BH5's made and the most common color is Black, in which there are 14 instruments. Red Mahogany is the second most common color, but even so there are only 12 instruments in that finish. No other finshes makes it in to double digits, though there were four Sky Blue and two in Aged Yellow.

Metal Finishes
The most common metal finish is Moroccan Gold, with 10 instruments, though one is listed as having a black back. Lava Swirl comes in close behind with 9 instruments. Bug Eye is right behind with 8. Fans of the Engine Turned Aluminum can sleep a little easier as there are 3 of those out there... somewhere. There are three Space Race Silver BH5s and two in Lake Superior Blue burshed aluminum. The last BH5 made, in Dragonfly Green noted above, is the only one in that color.

Faux Wood Finish
Along with the 12 Red Mahoganies, there were four in Flamed Maple. There was one in Blue Wood, and one in Green Wood as well.

One of a Kind
There are a few one-ofs that are not already mentioned. There are single instruments in Blood Red, Safety Orange, Hunter Green, "Houser Purple" and Ultra Marine.

If you would like to add anything, or correct anything, please feel free to send me an e-mail and I will try to get it updated as soon as I can.

Reverend Rumblefish BASS for Sale ?

Please send me an E-MAIL as I am always interested in buying USA Reverends (if the wife will allow!) If not, I might be able to steer you in the directions of someone who does, or expand your USA Reverend's exposure by listing it here on the RevFan.com site (for Free!)

Reverend Rumblefish 00990 - Hunter Green

Reverend Rumblefish 01788 - Ridged Aluminum

Reverend Rumblefish 01823 - 57 Turqouise

Reverend Rumblefish XL 03312 - Black Rockhide

Reverend Rumblefish 03528 - Faux Flamed Maple

Reverend Rumblefish 5L 03445 - Lake Superior Blue/Racing Stripe