Hey Y'all!

Scott French here, back from the dead and ready to sell you something. I'm not really/officially/technically a pro builder (anymore? ever?) as I have a normal 8-6 kind of job (and in the long run probably lost money building/selling instruments) BUT, I have a nice web site and a good amount of customers so I'm sure that's enough to require the $40 I just paid for the privilege to post here. Speaking of 40 bucks, for that much I think I will post a guitar too. Please pass this info a long if you have a guitarist pal you think might be interested in a special instrument. Prices below are pretty firm for credit card/PayPal buyers and don't include shipping. If you are local and have cash in-hand maybe the prices aren't SO firm. ;)

Instruments coming up!

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/f6.jpg

Not many people have seen this thing as it only been posted on a few luthiery sites. I haven't even put it up on my website yet. I started it a long time ago and recently finished it up as a surprise for a friend that I owe a favor to. He ended up not wanting a fretless or short scale so I was faced with the decision of keeping it, lending it out, or selling. Between my main job, side work, instruments and somewhat serious hobbies I don't have a lot of free time so keeping it is kind of a silly option as it will just sit here. Lending instruments out is nice because they often come back with albums on which they've been used. Just as often they sit around in someone's studio getting beat up and ignored. Selling might not be easy in this economy but at least I know it would end up in the hands of someone that really wanted it. So I'm posting here. If nobody wants it I might lend it out or just put it in the closet. My hope is someone is looking for an instrument that no one else has (and no one else CAN HAVE as I haven't taken a custom order in over a year and have no immediate plans to start again).

Specs:
One-piece Carved Top Claro Walnut Body
Oil Finish + Orange Oil/wax
Wenge Neck w/Maple Veneer w/2-Way Truss Rod
31 3/16" Bloodwood Fingerboard w/30 Maple Lines
Zero fret with Stainless Steel String Guides
Chrome Gotoh Tuners
Claro Walnut Headstock Veneer
Schaller Bridge
Seymour Duncan P/J Pickups in Bloodwood Cover
Eucalyptus Truss Rod and Electronics Covers
Tips the scales @ 7.98lbs

The controls are Master Volume, Master Tone, 3-Way pickup selector, Series/Parallel switch for the P pickup and a special switch that either runs the P and J in parallel when the pickup selector is in the middle position (normal setup for every 3-way ever) or runs the J and the P in series for and extra output boost.

Price:
$2500 with gig bag. Insured shipping starts at $60 for ground to the continental US and goes up from there. Contact me for a quote.

Photos:

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/f1.jpg

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/f2.jpg

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/f3.jpg

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/f4.jpg

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/f5.jpg

This is Michael Kimmes from California Walnut Designs in Grass Valley, CA. I've been buying my claro walnut and eucalyptus from him since I started building. I love finishing a new instrument with wood from Michael because it means I get to visit him and hear stories about the piece I used.

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newBass/Michael.jpg

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/20both

It kills me a bit to sell this thing but it kills me even more to have it sit around. I haven't really pushed this one very hard kind of thinking I would just keep it as my personal guitar if no one picked it up. Well, as I noted in the previous post I just don't have a lot of time to play anymore. I would really love to see this in the hands of a capable person making interesting music with it. Style wise is the retro/60s Fender vibe mixed with my SF3 guitar treatment. Sound/Playability wise it's a straight up shredding machine, thin neck, plays fast and the Seymour Duncan pickups SCREAM. I'll admit I'm not much of a metal head but in my limited experience I haven't heard anything that can even come close to the output of these Livewire Metal pickups. The aggressiveness can be toned down quite a bit but it's sort of like toning down the sound of a drag motor. It might be smoother but you know there is a monster under there.

In a weird way this one was a tribute to Leo Fender. I love the original Fenders and his whole vibe. I'm just not a fan of the vintage reproduction market so I wanted to take the Strat clone thing and turn it on it's head. That's being said I am willing (at your expense) to swap out these electronics for a more standard Hum/Single/Hum setup from Nordstrand. That would make for a nice mix of modern/throwback looks with a more vintage sound. The neck is still going to be pretty fast though so if you like baseball bats this isn't for you.

Specs:
SF3 Body Style
Solid Walnut Body w/Comfort Carve Top and Back
Chrome Silver Polyester Finish
7 3/4lbs Total Weight

25.59" Scale Length
Maple Neck w/Wenge Laminates
East Indian Rosewood Fingerboard and Headcap
Small Metal Side Dots
22 Stainless Steel Medium Frets
Thin 'C' Neck Profile
2 Way Adjustable Truss Rod
1 11/16" Throat Width
Individual Nut Elements w/Zero Fret
Clear Gloss Polyester Finish

Chrome Hardware Finish
Seymour Duncan 18-volt Livewire Metal Humbuckers and Classic Singlecoil
Pink and Green Paisley Pickguard w/Silver Foil Background
Sperzel Locking Tuners
Schaller Locking Strap Buttons
Hipshot Hard Tail Bridge
Master Volume/Tone
6-Way Rotary N / N-M / M / M-B / B / N-B Pickup Selector
White Chickenhead Pointer Knobs
Elixer 10s

Price:
$2000 with gig bag. I have this up on my site @ $2450 with a hard shell case. I don't have a case in stock right now and I just noticed a spot with the finish separating from the edge of the fingerboard where the frets are pushing out slightly so I will drop the price a bit. Insured shipping starts at $60 for ground to the continental US and goes up from there. Contact me for a quote.

Photos:

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/14top

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/13back

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/12electronics

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/11headstock

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/10tuners

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/09fb

http://www.scottfrench.com/i/Available%20Instruments/Pink%20Paisley%20SF3-CLF/08body

http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/paisley03.jpg

http://www.stenchcroft.com/public/20070903/sf3_robby_IMG_0599.jpg

I've always loved your work and wondered where you went! I had only seen your basses, but love this guitar as well. Great looking instruments, hopefully one day I'll be able to play one.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the interest, baba! I went the way of many builders that hung around the Luthier's Corner... just tired of trying to keep up with and ride the line of the commercial user's policy. For whatever reason basses never really picked up for me where guitars were selling left and right so I didn't have too much time to spend posting on the internet anyway.

Keep those offers coming people! So far the best has been a very generous offer of nothing from nobody. 150 views in 4 days?! This really is the world's largest bass guitar site! :smug:

Ooh, I always REALLY loved your work Scott, especially your singlecut bass designs. You were actually one of my TB faves! Both these axes are gorgeous and if I still played bass or had some cash lying around (and could justify dropping it on ANOTHER guitar) I'd pick either one of those up in a heartbeat. I know this doesn't help, but good luck!

Really gorgeous instruments. I wish I played guitar or 4 string. They certainly offer a fresh design; VERY nice.

Thanks for the props sargebaker and LowRanger! Four strings are relics apparently!

Stunning ! Man, you're seriously talented. Very fresh looking designs. Sincere kudos.

Love the large toggle on the bass. Always wondered why no one used those.

That guitar is one of the coolest-looking instruments ever posted on this site, IMO, and I'm prone to really disliking gaudy pickguards including pearloid, but this one really fits visually.

I'm curious - by what means are the necks attached to the bodies? Can they be adjusted? Love the logo, but what is it ... braille?

Best of luck with your building.

Thanks a lot, SMASH! The necks are glued on. Adjustable with a trussrod but nothing at the joint. The logo is braille for SF.

Scott, good to see you here~ I have played some of Scott's instruments and they play as good as they look. Well worth the money.

Check out the shaker guitar he built for the guy from (Hella?). It has some seriously creative stuff going on that I have NEVER seen another builder do.

Kudos!
Tim

Hey Tim! It's funny to see another "Location: Auburn, CA" line around these parts. Thanks for the vote of confidence. Both guitars I made Spencer from Hella had some interesting stuff. These new ones are pretty tame but overall much nicer, cleaner, tighter, etc. I have some ideas coming up in 2009 that are going to be super different but also really tight/intricate on the design side. Looking forward to getting that far!

very cool guitar im to poor to own one but still very cool

WOW, beautiful instruments. Kudos for such interesting designs and great taste and craftsmanship !
May I ask what is the bass scale length, nut width, and string spacing at the bridge?

Just wanted to report in here, I just had a chance to play the fretles short scale and WOW. Really cool insturment. It has great tone and tons of mwah. Very well balanced and really beautiful woodwork.

If anyone is interested I would be happy to work with Scott and record some sound clips, if it is ok with Scott. Plus, I would get another chance to play this sweetie!

If anyone is interested I would be happy to work with Scott and record some sound clips, if it is ok with Scott. Plus, I would get another chance to play this sweetie!

I AM INTERESTED :hyper:
PM coming your way...

Here are the sound clips of the short scale fretless.
I will say this is a sweet bass, that goes double if you have small hands like myself as this is short scale and has a small neck.

The names of the files should be self explanitary. I like to roll off the tone, but I do have some clips with full treble.

Usual disclaimer on playing sloppy.

I run thru most of the sounds on the "freely messing around" clip including the series parallel stuff.

The switches Scott uses are super heavy duty, I have never played a bass with electronics that felt this solid. Kudos Scott.

One last note, these strings have a lot of high end (EB slinkys). Flats might be a better bet.

Anyway download the zip here:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/614731537/c310d54e72ab64dc6a6fb523e843f586

that share expired; Scott is hosting the files on his site here:
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_both_freely%20messing%20around.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_both_toneoff.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_both_toneon.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_bridge_toneoff.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_bridge_toneon_harmonics.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_bridge_toneon_switch.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_neck_toneoff.mp3
http://www.scottfrench.com/images/linked/newbass/SF_neck_toneoff_flashlight.mp3