For sale, or possible trade, because I no longer play bass guitar: my prized possession, a very clean 1972 Ernie Ball Earthwood Bass.
Long story short: I heard the Femmes for the first time when I was 18 and started looking for an Earthwood Bass the following year when I found out what Brian was playing to get that sound. I checked out several basses that had issues, and passed on them. It took me until I was 29 to find one that was good enough to buy. Barring two minor issues, which are fixable, it is the cleanest Earthwood I've ever seen. It is a spectacular instrument.
I am the second owner. It was made in 1972, the first year of production. Sterling Ball, Ernie's son, told me that maybe 1,000 Earthwood Basses were made and perhaps half of those survive today. The bass came to me from Oregon a number of years ago and was my acoustic instrument until I picked up the double bass last year.
Spruce top, walnut back and sides, maple neck with flame maple fingerboard. Original frets and tuners. Original vinyl gig bag. No cracks or breaks, and the bracing is solid. The bass plays beautifully, and the neck adjuster and truss rod work smoothly. The top is very slightly warped in front of the bridge (a common Earthwood issue), but has not moved in the years I have owned the bass. There are light fingernail marks in the finish near the soundhole. The bass has always lived in its' case since I bought it, and Dampits have been used during the heating season to prevent cracks. I would call it mint except for two issues, both of which happened before I got the bass:
-- One of the tuners was loose and rattling. I had a bead of solder dripped onto it where the cloverleaf meets the shaft. It's not pretty but it's solid.
-- The piezo pickup in the bridge went bad and the previous owner removed the endpin jack.
These
never hit the market, and are only rarely seen in collector condition. Warp Drive Music in Wisconsin sold a later Earthwood on eBay recently for $3,000 and have another up for auction with a $5,000 asking price. Kebo's Bass Works in New Jersey has an Earthwood that looks just like mine for sale at almost $4500.
I'm asking $3,000 firm. I don't need to sell it but haven't played it in over a year, and it kills me to see it sitting in the corner collecting dust. The only trades I would be interested in would be a healthy, solid wood or solid top upright bass, but I would prefer cash. I played a bass last weekend that I can't get off my mind. For peace of mind, I would prefer to deal in person in the Northeast, but I will ship if necessary. More photos and audio samples are available.
