Identify this bass... (yes, another one of these)

[Hopper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzlYq5B8llE

I suppose it could be a modded bass - lovely fretless growl.
I like Chris Gartner's playing but there's zero google info on him.

[lowendblues]

Carvin?

[Papazita]

Looks like Carvin to me!

[drpepper]

There's the headstock

[Dark Horse]

The headstock almost looks like a Lado, but the body doesn't.





EDIT: I take that back - here's the body on a Lado that looks similar -





PS - Lado is in Canada as well.

It probably isn't a Lado, but....

[ashbory]

Just a guess, but I'd say its a TCM. This is based on the TCM logo on the headstock.

TCM was the house brand for a store named Continental Music in Ottawa, Canada. The story I heard was TCM stood for Tom's Continental Music. I never bought anything there, the place gave me the creeps, can't remember why.

The headstock does have a Lado vibe to it, not quite the same as the Condor headstock pictured above but pretty close. Maybe they had a batch of guitars made for them by Lado.

Sounds nice in the video. Cool playing too.

[emjazz]

Wow...thanks man...I didn't know about this group...

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by ashbory

Just a guess, but I'd say its a TCM. This is based on the TCM logo on the headstock.

TCM was the house brand for a store named Continental Music in Ottawa, Canada. The story I heard was TCM stood for Tom's Continental Music. I never bought anything there, the place gave me the creeps, can't remember why.

The headstock does have a Lado vibe to it, not quite the same as the Condor headstock pictured above but pretty close. Maybe they had a batch of guitars made for them by Lado.

Sounds nice in the video. Cool playing too.

Good detective work, sir!

[drpepper]

Originally Posted by Hopper

Good detective work, sir!

I don't want to be out of line with this, but without an example of a "TCM" bass or headstock to look at, I took that more as speculation than "detective work."

Personally, I can't really make out the letters "TCM," "TCN," "YTN," "YCM," "YCN," "GTN," or possibly even three non-letter symbols?

And while there is some resemblance, in outline, to the headstock pictured above, it has rounded edges and softer lines.

Is there a picture of a TCM bass somewhere?

[ashbory]

Heres a headstock with the logo I found on the google:

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by ashbory

Heres a headstock with the logo I found on the google:

Hmm... different shaped headstock. The mystery deepens.

[drpepper]

Originally Posted by ashbory

Heres a headstock with the logo I found on the google:

It seems possible, but I can't make out anything definitive in any picture of the other headstock.

[your idol]

i can make em out just fine..theyre both the EXACT same logo. probably a tcm knockoff of a lado

[drpepper]

Originally Posted by Hopper

Hmm... different shaped headstock. The mystery deepens.

I figured best to just go to the source to find out what kind of bass it is.

The answer:

"This bass has the initials TCM on the headstock... It's mostly mahogany, neck-thru. I replaced the pickups with an EMG in the neck position, and an MEC in the bridge position. It's got a heavy brass bridge, and it's tuned BEAD!"

So, there it is.

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by drpepper

I figured best to just go to the source to find out what kind of bass it is.

The answer:

"This bass has the initials TCM on the headstock... It's mostly mahogany, neck-thru. I replaced the pickups with an EMG in the neck position, and an MEC in the bridge position. It's got a heavy brass bridge, and it's tuned BEAD!"

So, there it is.

Great...but what was your source? I couldn't find a website for him...

[drpepper]

Originally Posted by Hopper

Great...but what was your source? I couldn't find a website for him...

I emailed Chris Gartner and asked what kind of bass it is.

He seems like a very nice person. While I wouldn't bug him again, I take the construction of his answer to mean that he doesn't necessarily care much about the origins or brand of the bass. It's simply a bass he acquired and customized to his purposes.

I could be wrong, but that's the way I read it.

I guess the bottom line is that it might as well be a one-of-a-kind bass, because information about TCM basses seems to be almost completely non-existent.

[JonathanF]

Could it be an A Bass like Derryl Jones used to own?

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by drpepper

I guess the bottom line is that it might as well be a one-of-a-kind bass, because information about TCM basses seems to be almost completely non-existent.

Well, yes, that's the impression I got too.