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

Marlat

Marlat

Sep 17, 2002
13,780
51
London UK
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#1
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:

IMG_9090.jpg


IMG_9082.jpg


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IMG_9073.jpg


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#7
OriginalKeyster said:
That Kennedy is sickeningly gorgeous! Does Neil have a website?
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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.
 
#10
Gastón;8589466 said:
+1


Really interested in Kennedy´s basses!:bassist:
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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!
 
#11
J. Crawford said:
Wow Mark.. Wow. I never knew you had basses like that, I honestly had no idea what you even played! :D
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You'd be surprised how often I hear that! :D

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

Photo34.jpg


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

sc000d8ef2.jpg


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?
 
#14
cheezewiz said:
The Ritter is not really to my taste, but the other three are incredible. Wonderful collection Mark.
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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!
 
#16
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.:D

:hiding::D

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?:cool:
 
#17
burk48237 said:
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.:D
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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! :D

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?:cool:
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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! :D 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! :D
 

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