A prodigal son returns (Updated family photos - Ritter, Sadowksy, MTD, Kennedy)

[Marlat]

Well, after three and half years of living in the UK with my 6 string custom stuck back in Australia I finally managed to rescue it when I went home for Christmas and so have taken the opportunity to take some updated family pics of my four basses in the UK. I have another left in Australia, a Hotwire 4 string, but couldn't bring that back. My four main basses are:

Sadowsky PJ4 NYC
MTD 535-21 "Marilyn"
Ritter Roya 5 Royal "Casa Fronto"
Kennedy 6 string

More details on each bass are below in seperate posts. But here are the family pics:

[Marlat]

Sadowsky PJ4 NYC
Alder Body
Brazillian Rosewood Board
Daphne Blue Finish
Hipshot D Tuner
Routed for JJ pickups

[Marlat]

MTD 535-21 "Marilyn"
Chambered Alder body
Wenge Neck
Walnut Top
Birdseye maple fingerboard

[Marlat]

Ritter Roya 5 Royal "The Casa Fronto"
Swamp Ash Body
Hard limba neck
Maple (dyed) fingerboard
38 Frets
Passive
"Casa Fronto" antique plaster finish

[Marlat]

Kennedy 6
Built by Neil Kennedy (an Australian luthier)
Tasmanian blackwood core
Jarrah accents
Figured camphor-laurel top and back
13 piece neck Flamed Maple/wenge/bubinga/ebony
Gaboon Ebony fingerboard
Alembic Signature Electronics
Alembic pickups

[OriginalKeyster]

That Kennedy is sickeningly gorgeous! Does Neil have a website?

[Marlat]

Originally Posted by OriginalKeyster

That Kennedy is sickeningly gorgeous! Does Neil have a website?

Unfortunately not. His basses are sold through Billy Hyde music in Melbourne aus. But there is basically no advertising other than word of mouth. They are amazing basses. As well made as anything I've played from any other luthier. They are roughly modelled on a ken smith in terms of wood sandwich and pickup placement. But neil prefers the clarity of the alembic pickups and preamplifier rather than the smith "ping" in the mids.

[J. Crawford]

Wow Mark.. Wow. I never knew you had basses like that, I honestly had no idea what you even played! Im just in total awe of your collection man, honestly.

Phew.. I need to quit drooling everywhere.

[Gastón]

Originally Posted by OriginalKeyster

That Kennedy is sickeningly gorgeous! Does Neil have a website?

+1


Really interested in Kennedy´s basses!

[Marlat]

Originally Posted by Gastón

+1


Really interested in Kennedy´s basses!

Unfortunately there just isn't much info out there on them. Neil works at Box Hill TAFE in Melbourne and I believe you could try and contact him through there. He doesn't build that many basses and they are at the pricey end (all the components are top notch as is his wood selection). He tends to use Australian timbers in his basses. I tried to search for them on the music junction blackburn website but even that doesn't have any info. However, Im happy to answer questions about them!

[Marlat]

Originally Posted by J. Crawford

Wow Mark.. Wow. I never knew you had basses like that, I honestly had no idea what you even played!

You'd be surprised how often I hear that!

Here's some sort of proof, me playing my old (and sorely missed) Sadowsky:



and here's me back when I was a young-un (that's me with the long hair and the Warwick:



Haha, I need to find a way to post MP3's up online so I can prove it. I use photobucket, will that work or do I need some other sort of service?

[cheezewiz]

The Ritter is not really to my taste, but the other three are incredible. Wonderful collection Mark.

[J. Crawford]

I think we believe you Mark, no need to prove it. But sound clips are always welcome!

Bump this thread for some killer basses that Im still in total awe of.

[Marlat]

Originally Posted by cheezewiz

The Ritter is not really to my taste, but the other three are incredible. Wonderful collection Mark.

Thanks. The Ritter's arn't too everyone's tastes generally, and this one is a little "unusual", but the bass is so easy to play and its super light weight (7.3lbs) even with a plaster finish. Its strung E-C and is great for solo / chords, but can hold its own in the first five frets too provided you role back the tone a little bit. With the tone on full its a little bit trebly for groove playing with the pickup jammed up against the bridge. That said, with the treble roled back a smidge and a tube preamp (I used a DHA-VT1-EQ-Bass drive) its got a great fatness to it too!

[J. Crawford]

What a way to wake up, checking out this thread yet again. I'm still in total awe factor. The elegance of the Ritter, yet being passive, is insane to think about. And the way the 6 string flows.

Bravo Mark.

[burk48237]

Very cool Mark. The Ritter looks like it could use a re-finnish though. Or maybe you could just stick NIN and Blink 182 stickers on it to cover up all those flaws.



I love that Sadowsky by the way. Matching headstocks always hurt me. I do have another question. You're a Lawyer (Bannister)and you already have a large Bass Collection. Are you trying for the Tom Bowlus UK designation?

[Marlat]

Originally Posted by burk48237

Very cool Mark. The Ritter looks like it could use a re-finnish though. Or maybe you could just stick NIN and Blink 182 stickers on it to cover up all those flaws.

One of the things I love about this bass is its the ultimate "relic" bass. It just goes to prove the point that relicing is really just a finish option because you can relic a bass beyond its possible natural relicing ability. I think Jens would have a heart attach if I wanted him to refinish it. He told me how much the finish cost him!

I love that Sadowsky by the way. Matching headstocks always hurt me. I do have another question. You're a Lawyer (Bannister)and you already have a large Bass Collection. Are you trying for the Tom Bowlus UK designation?

I am not sure I could ever achieve Bowlus status. For starters, I don't have nearly enough basses. I only have one of each brand! Secondly, I am not really into amps, whereas I understand Tom has a basement full of them. Thirdly, he started a magazine! and, finally, my carpets are far more tasteful than his!

[KJung]

Wow, beautiful collection of instruments. That Kennedy 6 has a LOT of Drozd in the look, but I actually like it better. That really is a beautiful instrument!

[JazzyJames]

That is quite the collection. Wouldnt mind getting my hands on those.

[ehque]

Nice basses! The Kennedy reminds me of a Drozd, though.