And now, for something completely different...
As the title says, this is not a Über-Jay. It is a new model expanding the Über label.
I have had this design sitting in the drawer, waiting for the right build to come along. I thank the future owner for giving me such a great opportunity.
Much like the Ü-Jay is a very personal take on bass design overall and specifically on the Fender J, this one kicks off from the iconic M in bass history
The overall design is true to the underlining Über concept - hybrid headless, light and ergonomic basses.
The future owner is a London based bassist with southern Mediterranean roots. He provided the top wood, which has been in his family for the longest time.
It's a spectacular, gorgeous, jaw dropping stunning Mediterranean Olivewood
We have worked on specs and various ideas over the last few months. The key point is to let the Olivewood run the show and everything else to complement it.
Here's the shortlist.
34" scale; 4 strings; unlined fretless; 1 p-up in MM position; 2 band eq; slightly chambered body; 2 octave FB;
12" radius; 19mm string spacing.
Health warning. The section below contains serious wood porn and is not recommended for the faint hearted.
Top set.
The billet was originally cut to a manageable size - that is, for me to travel with it
I managed to harvest three sets. That's too bad, as we need to choose only one.
Which one would you pick?
#1
#2
#3
Yeah... I know... I should make a triplet
Next up, the body.
What looks like Swamp Ash is instead an Asian wood called - among the many names - Semangkok, Blooming Seed. The small piece sitting onto it is a Swamp Ash scrap.
It's slightly more dense and heavier than SA. The overall texture has a subtle silky sheen. It machines nicely and it's often used for high end furniture, paneling and interior design. And it's beautiful
Neck and FB.
Zericote on Wenge. Nuff said
Clear lacquer finish. Oil finish on the FB.
These are the basics. As usual, I'm counting on serendipitous moments.
The name the owner has chosen for his bass is Aphrodite. Sexay
Thank you for reading this far.
