Stambaugh Fossil
 

Who here has played one? I've been on the hunt for a solid P for a while now and have been eyeing Stambaugh basses as well. Last night I saw Imagine Dragons play in Indy and Ben McKee (poisonoakie on the forums) was playing a Fossil. I checked their specs and they seem pretty great, has anyone here played one? I've only ever played 34" scales, so I was wondering how big of a difference 33" feels. I'd also like to know how fat it feels as compared to, say, a Fender P or J. My Ric has been sitting in the case for far too long now, so I'm considering selling it for a Stambaugh but would like to know a bit more about how they play before I pull the trigger. Thanks in advance!

If you're willing to wait a couple weeks I can give you a rundown. My almost finished Stambaugh is using a different shape, but the scale (33") and electronics (same 3 Aero single coils wired passively and with a Tonestyler) are the same as the Fossil design.







As far as 33" scale goes, I can answer that having owned a few - for me it's not really even noticeable other than my left arm/hand being a little less tired after a long gig. The tone is a bit deeper and warmer but it isn't a huge change. What I like about it is that it thickens up upper register playing. Of course if you've got a Ric it's a 33.25" scale so that should give you an idea.

Of course the thing to keep in mind with Chris is that he'll build pretty much whatever you want. Neck profile, radius, scale etc can all be to your spec. And if you'd prefer 34" scale you can do that too. I know Chris even built a 32" scale fossil with a Mike Pope preamp and obviously mine is a 5 string with a different body shape and a solid color poly finish.

If you're really considering taking the plunge I'd say just give Chris a call and talk to him.

FWIW, I was sold on the concept after trading PMs with Ben about his Fossil.

I have a 33" scale Stambaugh, not a Fossil. My left hand honestly can't tell a difference. The strings might be a little more supple.

You know, I didn't even think about the Ric's 33.25" scale. Like I said, it hasn't come out in a long time. Very cool. I've never met an unhappy Stambaugh owner, so I probably will be giving him a call. That's a sweet looking bass you have coming in, Jared! I understand he is all about customization and everything will differ based on design but if you don't mind me asking, how much did the extra body shape cost you? I don't want to bother Chris if I'm nowhere near ready financially (which I'm not ATM), so I'm thinking I should probably get an idea of what I want/a ballpark of what to expect to pay for it before I get in contact.

I don't believe that there was any upcharge on the body shape. Chris list a $50 upcharge for a custom shape but since I was using a slight variation on one of his standard shapes I don't believe he even charged me that.

Now, my bass has other upcharges from the standard Fossil - 5 strings, poly finish (which Chris outsources), and fingerboard blocks & binding but you can see the prices for all of those on Chris' website and I think they are more than reasonable.

Hope that helps.

That's very helpful indeed. Thank you!

I liked it so much, I bought a second one. ;)