How do I combat the anticipation!!

mcnaire2004 · #1 07-25-2006, 09:25 PM

WOW!! Today I went to pay my Luthier for repairing my Juzek and I took him the Helicore Arco light strings. My bass looks hot as hell. I was drooling all over it. I never thought there was anything wrong with my finger board, nut, and end pin but apparently there was and he fixed those free. I didn't think it was possible to get that huge dent and the huge gashes back to original shape but WOW he did it great. I'll pick it up some time between now and Saturday. I'll bring the bass back to him in about a week so the long fingerboard that he ordered should be in and he'll put that and a C extension on. I put it in the "shop" in June and now it's only a week away. Now that I have seen it I can't stop thinking of it. It went from "old busted" to "new hotness". AHHAHAHAHHAHA can't wait.

Paul Warburton · #2 07-26-2006, 03:08 AM

Wow! A happy customer for a change...Who is this angel?

Will Yager · #3 07-26-2006, 10:28 PM

Where do you take your bass? It may be close enough for me to look into...

mcnaire2004 · #4 07-26-2006, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will Yager

Where do you take your bass? It may be close enough for me to look into...

I take my bass to a luthier named Jim Ransom in Hixson TN (basicaly chattanooga). I'll pm you his number if you want.

Barry Ogle · #5 07-27-2006, 04:47 AM

Please give me his number also, Hixson is very close to home. I may need his services in the future.

mcnaire2004 · #6 07-27-2006, 01:14 PM

PMs with his number sent

Jake · #7 07-27-2006, 02:29 PM

Hey Ken, I am sure you have some pictures of the Gilkes bass somewhere around here, but could you post them again? Today I have actually been dreaming about having a bass made for me that's a 7/8 sized copy of a Quenoil (spelling) Rabbath bass. Like the Rabbath bass, just bigger. I think it would be cool to have 7/8 one with extra deep lower bouts also with a latched C-extension and an "Edgar Meyer" style fingerboard. This the bass I am dreaming about finishing school on. Do you think that would sound good, Ken???

mcnaire2004 · #8 07-27-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

Hey Ken, I am sure you have some pictures of the Gilkes bass somewhere around here, but could you post them again? Today I have actually been dreaming about having a bass made for me that's a 7/8 sized copy of a Quenoil (spelling) Rabbath bass. Like the Rabbath bass, just bigger. I think it would be cool to have 7/8 one with extra deep lower bouts also with a latched C-extension and an "Edgar Meyer" style fingerboard. This the bass I am dreaming about finishing school on. Do you think that would sound good, Ken???

Exactly my bass but mine is a Juzek.

AHAHAHA now I'm thinking about it moore.

Jake · #9 07-27-2006, 02:43 PM

McNaire, is that the $300 extension with all the latches you mentioned a while back?

Jake · #10 07-27-2006, 03:03 PM

Wow, that Gilkes looks so sweet. I bet it doesn't sound too bad either. I actually love basses with round cello like dimentions. I almost bought one, but it was a little to small for me. However, it sounded like a much bigger bass. This was also right after it was finished and he had set it up roughly and very quickly just so I could play it.
Hey Ken, do you have the dimentions of the Guadagnini bass in case I might want to have it copied? Jeff Bradetich, who I studied with for almost 4 years, has a Guadagnini bass with really slender shoulders. That bass though has a really big bottom register and is very even. Of course it's got a great tone, especially when Jeff plays it.
I know that Jordan Anderson, the Principal of the Seattle Symphony plays a Gilkes bass. I am not sure if it's Gilkes Sr. or Jr. I have a friend out there and some friends who might be there I would like to visit at some point. Maybe I could play for Jordan and check out that bass. I hear he is a nice guy and of course a good player. Paul Cannon knows him and studied with him. Hey Paul do you know which Gilkes made Jordan's bass?

mcnaire2004 · #11 07-27-2006, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

McNaire, is that the $300 extension with all the latches you mentioned a while back?

How did you know it was $300? And I'm not sure about the latches. I metioned the latches to him but I don't think we agreed on it. I doubt I'll have the latches but I'd pay extra for them. I would call him back but I don't want to bug him about it.

And Ken those are some hot basses. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on some of those.

Jake · #12 07-27-2006, 03:33 PM

McNaire, you mentioned $300 extensions in the thread I started called "C-Extentions." I don't expect to win a spelling bee any time soon. Anyway, that's a good deal, man. I hope you can post us some pictures when it's done so we can check it out.

mcnaire2004 · #13 07-27-2006, 03:41 PM

Ken, how will find time to play all these great basses? I would have to flip coins every day.

mcnaire2004 · #14 07-27-2006, 03:44 PM

In a month or so I'll try to post some pics. I don't have a digital camera or a web cam to do it. (even though I was supposed to get a free one from comcast a year ago). And don't worry about spelling I have had it worse than any one. Some one even started a thread that lasted for like a month about how bad I spell LOL. Ir jurst wrish ir cood srpeel dem wurds. lol

mcnaire2004 · #15 07-27-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

Ken, I wasn't talking about some wimpy, girly cello sized bass. The bass I mentioned was a smallish 3/4 bass. I do like the sound of big cello shouldered and bottomed basses. I heard David Moore of the LA Phil play his and that's the way a bass is supposed to sound. I think I could get used to the big shoulders. Most of the Bottesini that requires playing way off the FB is pretty gay anyway.

Bottesini's real melody off the FB comes in his first concerto. I hate the whole off fingerboard thing. But, thats why I'm getting a super long FB myself.Imagine if High C strings (In bottesini's case high E since he tuned in 5ths) were the standard back then? then imagine how hard it would be for us to play Bottesini now?

mcnaire2004 · #16 07-27-2006, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

I have never had more than a few playable at one time in one location. About 4-5 years ago I started shopping for my replacement Bass of the old Italian I sold to buy my House. I was already retired from playing and had 2 young boys. I didn't think at that time I would ever play again. It was my boys that got me to play again as they started Bass each in the 4th grade. My eldest now going into his 2nd year of college. A Bass major of course.

Anyway, prices seemed to sky rocket after the 1990-'91 recession and the Bass I once owned was about tripple in cost retail to what I sold it for. I got that Bass doing the same thing I am doing now. Moving up the ladder as I find them and selling them as the get replaced by something better.

Today for instance I have my Loveri less than 10 feet from me at home in our finished basement and at the office I have the Prescott and 7/8 Shen. I wanted to bring the Loveri for some work over to Jeff's when I pick up the Bisiach but he's too busy at the moment. Next week I will have 4 Basses between home and office but in September when I get the Gilkes back and hopefully with a C-ext, I will drop off the Prescott to sell and use the Gilkes as my Orchestra Bass when I need the Lows or in general. The Bisiach is light to carry as well and will use it for rehearsals and some concerts. One Bass, not sure which will stay at home to practice on in the evenings and weekends. the Loveri and Bisiach do similar things as a 4-stringer and no Ext. and not a Cannon like the Prescott or Dodd was so I hope the Gilkes has some added bottom as the power was there before. I also need a Jazz type Bass and an outdoor Bass. The Shen has worked well outdpprs in Orchestra and Jazz. It's the only Bass that costs less than my Buick, lol. The Loveri works well as a jazz Bass and the Gilkes too but as an older type of vibe. I guess i will set-up the Bisiach for Jazz too and see how well it comes thru the amp on all the strings and registers. My Martini was just too deep with a pick-up and I was worried the speaker was going to explode so I used it only once amplified when I had to do the 1812 and some Pops stuff combined.

So, I don't play them all at any one time but I do have a few to juggle and a few to sell and a few getting fixed up the either play, sell or play and then sell. Depends on my mood and what comes my way as well.

Hey, it's not business, it's personal!"

I hope one day I'll be in a position like you with all the basses and such.

mcnaire2004 · #17 07-27-2006, 05:51 PM

Yo my luthier just called and said that I can take the bass home for the weekend. In his words "the bass just needs to be played right now". It only has 3 strings on it since monday he's going to start on the C extention and finger board. What do ya think? this will ease some anticipation... or make it grow when I take the bass back.

mcnaire2004 · #18 07-27-2006, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

If the Bass needs to be played, put a regular Nut and play it like that. If the Bridge gets pulled over, the G might just yank it off the Bass. If not, just wait. A few days on the Bass b4 the Ext. is not worth much especially if the Bass gets damaged. If it needs to be played, it needs all the strings over the Bar and Post.

I believe the regular nut is still on it. I think he is going to put a E on it since he wont start on the C untill monday. The set of strings I bout is on there exept the E didn't fit but I think he's going to throw on a E. He called me and told me that it needs to be played right now (I've heard basses open up more when played even though its old).

Peter Ferretti · #19 01-03-2007, 02:42 PM

So, Mcnaire?

How is your bargain extension with a fingerboard extension working out for you?