News: Sad-Good-Bad-Good

pointbass · #1 07-01-2009, 01:09 PM

Well, it'll be a sad weekend at the PointBass household as we say good-bye to beautiful Barker B1 fretless 5 #0076

. She is going to her new home in Altoona PA on Sunday ......

But, there is good news, too. Filling the vacancy during the "no Barker in house" void while Lee works on my 6 string is this little unit:

Alas and woe is me, more bad news, though .... I have an upright-only jazz date coming up on July 26th, and while my soon to be departed B1 has faithfully performed flawlessly on these type of dates, the DB will be used in her place. All my other jazz gigs can be covered with my fretless 6 FBB in the interim, but this gig on the 26th is a "no EB zone". Bad news? ... I have three + weeks to get my "it's been 6 years since I played upright on a live gig" rusty DB chops together before I turn my mitts into a bloody mess

However, being positive, the Barker Bass family will have a new member after this Sunday! I'll let him do the introductions himself once he gets #0076 in hand

. And after my 6 string is completed, I'll have the luxury of trying to choose between old-school (DB) and modern (BVB)

Overall, I am one fortunate old bass player ....

Tom7 · #2 07-01-2009, 03:22 PM

That's a looker! BTW, for us acronym impaired, what is a fretless 7 "FBB?"

pointbass · #3 07-01-2009, 07:48 PM

Sorry, forgot what forum I was in .....

This is my fretless 6 string slab bass built by FBB Custom Bass Works

My favorite EB ever, this bass is as close to an instrument soul mate as I'll ever get. Beautiful construction, beautiful tone, truely a work as art worthy of posting in a Barker Forum!!

I'd love to get Matt Schmill (the luthier at FBB) and Lee Barker in the same room and just listen to them "talk bass" ...

pointbass · #4 07-07-2009, 07:16 AM

Here's the photo-documentation of the exchange, the BVB #0076 for a 1948 West German C. Meisel double bass. While I'll miss the B1 dearly, this DB is quite a find! After a string changeout and various adjustments to the soundpost & bridge, the bass just exploded with tone and power

It will be absolutely perfect when the Barker fretless 6 is finished, choices will abound when it's time for a jazz gig!!!

BTW, the chap I exchanged basses with has already posted a trade request for the B1 in the TB For Sale section, looking for a fretted 5 string (sadowsky, etc). You won't regret having #0076 if you have something that interests the current owner ....

Tom7 · #5 07-08-2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointbass

... After a string changeout and various adjustments to the soundpost & bridge, the bass just exploded with tone and power

Careful using that word "exploded."

If memory serves, Jaco came back to his Florida room and found his upright had exploded with the heat and humidity...

So he proceeded to get drunk and pull the frets out of his jazz bass guitar with needle nosed pliers...

And the rest is history!

Tom7 · #6 07-08-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointbass

... BTW, the chap I exchanged basses with has already posted a trade request for the B1 in the TB For Sale section, looking for a fretted 5 string (sadowsky, etc). You won't regret having #0076 if you have something that interests the current owner ....

I actually have been checking it out. I LOVE how it looks, I prefer the look of wood, but I'm not really a fan of fret lines and so I'm trying to decide.

I'll probably just stick with my black beauty though.

pointbass · #7 07-27-2009, 08:27 AM

Did a fairly high end jazz date on Sunday with some pretty serious players using the DB instead of my dearly departed BVB .... worked out better than I had expected, my hands aren't too damaged .....

Can't wait for the BVB 6 to be finished, but this new-to-me DB did a beautiful job ...

Tom7 · #8 07-27-2009, 10:46 AM

I'm still thinking about your old B1, believe it or not. I'm considering getting it and swapping necks so that it will have my fretless ebony boarded neck, then I'll sell the black one with the lined neck.

pointbass · #9 07-27-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom7

I'm still thinking about your old B1, believe it or not. I'm considering getting it and swapping necks so that it will have my fretless ebony boarded neck, then I'll sell the black one with the lined neck.

You wouldn't be disappointed if you do, that's a wonderful instrument! I don't know if you've seen the FS ad recently, but he has an insanely low price on that bass (especially considering what he traded away for it

).

I'm almost considering buying it back myself ......

Tom7 · #10 07-28-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pointbass

You wouldn't be disappointed if you do, that's a wonderful instrument! I don't know if you've seen the FS ad recently, but he has an insanely low price on that bass (especially considering what he traded away for it

).

I'm almost considering buying it back myself ......

That's what has been tempting me. I probably would have done it already if I could have convinced my wife!

I have a tendency to buy basses, saying I'm going to sell another bass, and then not sell the bass after all, so I brought this on myself.