Kris Rogers; NYC Session bassist/rent"I first came across dragonfly basses touring in Japan with the musical Hairspray. At the time I was playing a Music Man Stingray, and I loved it but for that particular gig I needed more range of tone. I remember picking up the dragonfly right after playing a Fodera in the same shop and immediately being floored by the playability, evenness of notes throughout the register, and beauty of the craftsmanship. And you can imagine when I saw the price after looking at a Fodera...I was sold. That became my main bass for the next 8 years and I received nothing but compliments on how great it sounded in any situation. When I found out I was heading back to Tokyo with the musical Rent in 2017 I knew I had to reach out about building a new bass. Danny over at Bass Japan Direct couldn’t have been more knowledgeable or helpful. I love this bass. I couldn’t imagine an improvement over the first, but they did not disappoint. I also ended up trading my first dragonfly in on an amazing active P5 Dragonfly. Gigging around NYC having a bass that can go from an amazing passive P sound to a more contemporary active circuit and is lightweight is a game changer. Especially on gigs where I have an upright and an amp, every little bit helps weight wise. Knowing I won’t sacrifice sound leaves me confident and at the chiropractor less. I can’t recommend dragonfly and Harry’s Engineering enough. Their craftsmen are amazing builders and wonderful people. No instrument can make you a good musician, but the right tools don’t just make the job easier, they make it way more fun. Buy their instruments". Kris is an in demand NYC session bassist and also an amazing photographer: Visit his site! | |
Michael Searl: LONDON UK; CS5 345 Alder"I initially came across dragonfly Basses thanks to Danny's video reviews on YouTube. I was especially impressed with the tone of the various CS5 models he reviewed. A while later I was on vacation in Japan and had the chance to try out three or four different CS5 models while in Tokyo. All the Basses had phenomenal build quality, felt great to play, and were not heavy! However, for me the thing that separates these Basses from a lot of the other hi end Japanese Basses is the tone - especially the pre amp. The dragonfly preamp is the first I've encountered where the WHOLE range of the EQ is super, super "musical", and it just works. It feels like a lot of thought went into exactly where the frequencies should be set - warm, yet articulate. (The mid switch is also very, very tasteful!) At home in London I get called to play lots of different styles from traditional Irish music to traditional African music, and from quiet Jazz concerts and theatre gigs, to very loud Pop gigs. dragonfly Basses deliver. I'm already thinking about putting in my order for a second model! Danny was great through the whole build process. He was very patient and helpful with my questions before and during the build process." | |
Victor L; Singapore. FATPJ5 Deep Cutaway
| "I have been enjoying the dragonfly Fat PJ5 - it has been my main practice bass since receiving it last year. The neck has been extremely stable despite humid conditions here and I can get a great range of tones from the PJ setup. One of my favourite features is the very musical preamp - when flat there is no audible difference from passive mode (which already sounds great), but yet it's also flexible enough to dial in any tone from vintage thump to a more modern voice for jazz soloing. Highly recommended!" | |
Huxley Popo: St. Lucia Session Bassist
| Super talented young session player selected the dragonfly SJ5 in kurokaki / ash for his main bass playing in the St. Lucia Police Band. Huxley plays groove music in a variety of styles including Soka, funk, soul, jazz, pop, latin, and fusion. Check his page out here! | |
Michael Wong: Hong Kong CHB5 FM/AlderLondon based bassist, performing with the South London Jazz Orchestra (SLJO), now onto his second dragonfly! Michael chose firstly an SJ5 in mahogany with Jazz Pickups and then having played that and being impressed with the build and engineering decided to go for a more versatile CHB5 in Quilted Chestnut with advanced circuitry. We thank you Michael, for choosing Bass Japan Direct and Dragonfly twice! | |
John Myers. USA FAT J5"I was particularly impressed with the fact these are light weight but still sound big, and how well voiced the preamp is. The fact that you can achieve an action as low as 1.5mm across all strings or lower is also a big bonus. I have already ordered another dragonfly, a CHB5 with dual humbuckers for even more versatile tone" | |
Jens Heisterhagen: EU: Fat J5 70'sJens is Julliard graduate, a German session bassist who plays both Electric and double bass spanning Jazz, groove, fusion and funk and more. Jens selected the Fat J5 for it's classic body shape with modern contouring and for the light weight, great tone and balance. Jens is a killer player, as you would expect coming from Julliard fame! You can find out more about Jens and his music here. | |
Adam Wright: USA Session Bassist | |
Kevin Orsie: USA: Rock | |
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