| Barker Bass in Redmond, OR
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Hey All,
I had the pleasure of visiting Lee Barker in his Redmond OR shop in early September. I was glad to have been able to meet and talk with an actual luthier, not to mention one who creates such revolutionary basses.
I first heard of Barker Basses in the guitar/bass craft book "Hand Made, Hand Played," which I found at Barnes and Noble one evening. When I saw that it was located in Redmond, 15 miles north of Bend, OR where my family was going to visit in Sep., I knew we had to try making an effort to see these wonderful works of art. By the grace of God, we did!
Lee Barker is a warm, welcoming luthier who takes his craft seriously. My dad and I were able to tour his workshop in a warehouse, seeing 'trial-and-error' basses hanging on the wall as well as hear about the different methods he uses to create his unique basses.
A highlight was being able to play two of his creations. The first was a fretted 4-string that had a nice, clear punch to it, played through a Glockenklang amplifier.
The second bass I played was a fretless 5-string, which was something altogether new for me. Not only was it a stand-up electric, it was fretless and until then, the only fretless I had played was a used Rickenbacker 4-string in Guitar Center. I would have to say I truly enjoyed playing a revolutionary bass like the 5-strinr fretless upright electric.
Overall, I was very satisfied with the tour and meeting a luthier who has a passion for creating innovative basses for those who have an open mind to experience.
If you ever get the chance to go to Redmond, OR and experience Barker Basses, I guarantee you will be pleased by what your find.
Cheers,
David Hunter | 
