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6 String Barker Build!!!

#63
Alright, alright .... I know it's Wednesday, not Monday, but after 4 gigs in a row Thurs -Sun, I immediately got called out of town for Monday & Tuesday, just got back this morning .... craziness ....

I don't have the bass in hand yet, according to our friends at FedEx it's due to arrive this Friday. I am very excited and anxious to get this beauty and put her to work, but the first gig she'll see will be on Friday 11/6 (next week). I won't even get to open the box until Saturday, but I have the Lee Barker seal-of-approval on her, so no worries :D

A few people have asked me what I'm expecting when I get the bass, and it's pretty easy to answer that question. If she sounds nearly as good, or equal, to the 5 string fretless #76 I'll be thrilled. If she sounds better than that I'll probably need a defribulator :eek:

I'm definitely looking forward to the unlined neck and 6th string, I've gotten so adjusted to the additional range that anything less than a 6 seems limiting to me. There is a ToneStyler in the bass and I expect it'll be fun hunting for tonal variation. Based on the pics, and coming to understand Lee's own standards for construction, I already know that she is beautiful and the workmanship will be superb.

It has taken a bit longer than originally expected to get this together, but all of that is directly related to my failings in getting parts and other things to Lee in a timely fashion. Even with my own inept actions slowing things down, Lee managed to get the bass done within 30 days of the anticipated completion date.

I can not speak highly enough about Lee's fantastic communication through this whole process .... it's an experience that has no equal to any other custom work I've had done for me. I am absolutely blown away by the treatment I have received and I'm firmly convinced that any other builder would have passed me off as some nut job from Jersey making impossible demands ....

A few more days and I'll be able to give you 1st hand info, about another week or so for some clips/pics ... :bassist:
 
#65
pointbass said:
... I'm definitely looking forward to the unlined neck and 6th string, I've gotten so adjusted to the additional range that anything less than a 6 seems limiting to me.
Click to expand...
That's me too, consequently, whenever I can I use my 6-string Fbass AC6 (Alain Caron signature). It has chambers, piezo pickups and Thomastik Infeld Jazz flats, and has a WONDERFUL tone for acoustic jazz...

But it doesn't have the upright look. There is no beating a Barker's look on stage in certain situations, so I "put up with" the lack of a sixth string sometimes.

pointbass said:
There is a ToneStyler in the bass and I expect it'll be fun hunting for tonal variation.
Click to expand...
Not familiar with this at all; I'll have to research them.

pointbass said:
I can not speak highly enough about Lee's fantastic communication through this whole process .... it's an experience that has no equal to any other custom work I've had done for me. I am absolutely blown away by the treatment I have received and I'm firmly convinced that any other builder would have passed me off as some nut job from Jersey making impossible demands ....
Click to expand...
That doesn't surprise me at all. Lee is a class act, and I am definitely pulling for him to do well with his basses. He's the kind of guy you just want to see do well.
 
#66
:D - I see a big box sitting in my dining room .....




:bassist: - I open the big box sitting in my dining room .....




:cool: - I play three notes, unamplified .......



Well, it's here and it's beautiful!!! Actually, more than beautiful, stunning is a better word!!!!

This doesn't qualify as a review, because until I get the chance to gig this beauty I can't really comment on the important stuff. But here are some initial impressions .....

Build Quality and Appearance:

The quality of construction is perfect, but those of us that play Barker Basses have come to expect the highest quality. This bass does not disappoint in any way! Flawless, and I truely mean that in it's most literal sense .... not a blemish to be found on her.

The figuring on the wood is intense, it's so deep that when my wife first looked at the bass she asked if the surface was "rough" (and she is a gifted artist with an artist's eye). Answer: No, it's smooth as a baby's skin.

The headstock stripping and re-staining project came out beautifully! Excellent color matching with both the back of the neck and body. I love the fact that the "donor" bass headstock is sooooo close to the stock Warmoth necks that Lee uses, it really makes it look like a BVB.

This is a heavy girl, much heavier than my old 5 string. Of course, using a stand it doesn't matter one bit. I'm really curious as to how the density of the wood will impact the tone ....

The fingerboard does look very sweet with the fir body, and I'm really pleased with the intonation. Side markers are spot on, which was a bit of a concern since the neck is from a Korean mass-production line. But it is a Brice Z6, which is Brice's highest line axe, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised (I'm a big fan of the higher end Brice stuff ....)

Tone and Electronics:

Really, it's too soon to tell for me .... until she is used in a gigging situation I can't really form a true opinion. BUT, in the several hours I have played it at home it lives up to exactly what you'd expect from a Barker. Great sustain, deep lower end and a clear, well-defined tone on the C string.

The ToneStyler is a cool thing, such slight variations between clicks it almost doesn't seem to be doing anything until you rotate it back and hear the difference. I'm really curious about how this will work on a gig, but so far I like it a whole lot better than a typical tone pot.

The pickups are from the "donor" bass, and sound great installed in the BVB. I've always liked the Brice pickups, actually prefer them to the standard Duncans, so this was no surprise. BTW, it is passive only, no preamps. Vol/Vol/ToneStyler .... Hardware is all HipShot (IIRC), individual string bridges, black, and in perfect working order.

Things I Messed Up:

There are two things wrong so far, both my fault! I hate the strings that I supplied to Lee ... they are Rondo "Indie" flatwounds that I shipped out to Lee when I couldn't get my preferred LaBella flats. I had played a few basses with the Indie's on them, and they felt decent, but I really don't like these strings. The tension is too light, the B string broke at the nut when Lee was installing them (not his fault, they are extra long scale for a 35" and the neck is a 34" so Lee had to wind past the wrap on the B) .... they are #1 on the agenda for a change out.

Issue #2 is the nut (also not Lee's fault since I supplied the neck with the nut installed) .... it's sitting just a tad too high for a fretless neck so there is a minor string buzz at the first position. Barely noticible when amplified, but I know it will bug me until I change it. I've already ordered a new ebony nut, about a week or so before it comes in ..... I'll do the string change out and nut install at the same time.

The only regret I have right now is that I didn't order this sweetie with a 7 string neck. I have the distinct feeling that this bass will quickly become my go-to axe for MOST playing situations, and if it was a 7 it might well become the axe for ALL playing situations.

Things I Love:

I love the 6th string, I love the 19mm spacing, I love the unlined fingerboard, I love the body woods, I love the fact that Lee lengthened the end pin for me by several inches (I'm 6'5" and the standard BVB pin was at it's maximum length and still just a tad short), and of course I love the tone!!!! I forgot how great that tone was during the few months I was Barker-less :help:

Overall, my initial impressions are that this is a life-time keeper, simply beautiful work by an expert luthier!! Pics and clips to come, I promise, once I get her gigging and properly re-strung!

Oh, BTW, I love Lee Barker (in the most non-threatening, non-stalker way possible) :D
 
#68
Ed, I'm getting over the initial blushing having read your first impression. You are very kind and I appreciate your enthusiasm over the bass. It was a joyful project from day one, though there was a short time when I realized I had caved to your initial begging and pleading and I alone had placed myself in new territory. I knew I could do it, but I wasn't sure it was the smartest yes I had ever delivered.

Rolling back to 2003: there is a certain joy in imagining something new, prototyping through several iterations, and finally finishing, plugging in and playing one and saying, "Ok, that's it for now. Start the serial numbers and let's get the advertising going."

Since then, every aesthetic detail on B1 Serial Number One has evolved. Sonically, however, nothing has changed. In spite of cloying naivete, I had a strange certainty that I had got that part right. (That bass is right behind me in the Barker office as I write this.)

Other Barker Bass iterations have come along--the B1 Five, then the Brio--and each has brought challenges and triumphs.

(Shhhh about this: I am working on yet another Barker; different from the others. It's not a gum chewing gate crasher by any means, but it will be fun. You've taken the Barker Family Oath of Secrecy, so no leaks, ok?)

Anyway, before that other voice distracted me from the keyboard, consider the genuine rewards of this late-in-life endeavor: Hearing and seeing Hussain Jiffry play a B1 Five in the Yanni orchestra; inviting Will Witt to come to Oregon to film our initial YouTube forays; hearing Brian Ritchie play a Barker at a Violent Femmes concert, Building a second Barker for Leo Goff in Memphis, My weekly email conversations with Doug Mancini in Santa Cruz, and Steve, and Vince, and Dwayne, Leonard, Tom, Cayford, Eric and on and on. Notice that these scenarios always involve people--that's where the light glows brightest. Getting to know the players, and seeking to place in their hands the best instrument that I can so their art can be expressed in its purest, unfettered way--that's where I prove that building a Barker Bass, owning a business, putting the key in the lock in the morning, paying the bills on the ninth, those are all rubrics of a much larger and older ritual.

The toolmaker gathers the materials, transforms them in some way, ideally in a state of connection with those who have gone before and opened to a larger Presence which lifts the level and makes the yokes easy, and then humbly hands over the result of his labors.

It's this cycle which Ed and I have acted out.

Thank you, Ed. She's all yours.
 
#69
Quickie update ....

Used her last night at rehearsal and it was amazing how well she played AND sounded! What a tone :eek:, kinda wondering if the douglas fir, being a more dense wood than my previous BVB, is adding that much flavor to the tone? Guys smarter than me probably know a lot more about this kind of stuff .....

She gets her first public appearances this weekend :bassist:

ps: ToneStyler? Cool as can be .... :cool:
 
#70
pointbass said:
... The only regret I have right now is that I didn't order this sweetie with a 7 string neck. I have the distinct feeling that this bass will quickly become my go-to axe for MOST playing situations, and if it was a 7 it might well become the axe for ALL playing situations....

Overall, my initial impressions are that this is a life-time keeper, simply beautiful work by an expert luthier!! Pics and clips to come, I promise, once I get her gigging and properly re-strung!
Click to expand...
If you do think about getting a 7 string Barker made, keep me in mind as a possible buyer for your 6! :D:bassist:
 
#71
Tom7 said:
If you do think about getting a 7 string Barker made, keep me in mind as a possible buyer for your 6! :D:bassist:
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that Lee has eradicated all my details from his data base already, put a phone call block on any number with a 732 area code, and emails from any of my accounts are being directly delivered to his "infected e-mail" folder.

It's time for someone else to harass the Barker Vertical Bass Company with almost impossible demands .... :ninja:



:D
 
#73
pointbass said:
I'm pretty sure that Lee has eradicated all my details from his data base already, put a phone call block on any number with a 732 area code, and emails from any of my accounts are being directly delivered to his "infected e-mail" folder.

It's time for someone else to harass the Barker Vertical Bass Company with almost impossible demands .... :ninja:

:D
Click to expand...
Passing the torch? Or throwing down the gauntlet?
 
#74
This is cool beyond belief! It's always a great thing when people you like, like each other. I take a wee, minor bit of credit for this in that I got Ed into the Barker family to begin with and my admiration for Lee Barker is already well known.

I am so pleased that this has worked out so well and the new sixer looks awesome! Please keep us all posted!

For what it's worth, I am on the hunt for another Barker but it might be an oddity. Right now, I have a 4-string B2 fretless prototype and while it's a great bass, it gets no play-time because I'm only playing in church and that's exclusively 5-string action. Trouble is, my church gig is a bit of a specialized animal and I'm wondering how specialized a Barker I'll need to make it work there.

Take a look at this link to understand what I mean. Although this isn't me, this is what I do on Sunday -- as a matter of fact, I'm playing this very song in our annual concert
later this month:

:eyebrow: Pondering the possiblities ...
 
#75
I'm double dog daring Ed, Tom, Cayford, Leo and Eric (and anyone else) to listen to these two recordings and tell me how they'd spec a Barker for Mr. Iotanet, over there pondering the possibilities.
 
#76
Well Dwayne, first of all I have to admit that I'm envious of the great music you are involved with! It's been a fair amount of time since I've done any gospel/praise work and those two video's certainly ignite some old memory flames ...

IMO, just about any standard BVB would really do the trick, particularly if it was a 5 string and fretted. My only concern would be controlling the sustain on some of the faster passages, but after several "operator errors" with my first BVB I feel like I have the muting techniques under control.

Frets if you intend to slap ... not that you can't slap/pop on a fretless, but I find my limited slapping skills need a fretted bass to have the right effect. Then again, there are about 2 million other bassists that can slap better than me.

In my really short time with the StellarTone, I can see where that would give you great tonal options without losing that Barker "bass" tone. If you absolutely wanted to get more highs, a good roundwound set with a cool pre-amp (I really like the Audere Z's) will get you there easily.

Most of all, the low B is essential, IMO. What the heck, just get Lee to make another 6 with a good pre and you'll be fine .... :cool:
 
#77
I'll discuss this gospel style... in other words, the first shall be last. ;)

In the second video, (Invalid Link Removed), you could hear the bass had an alder body and a rosewood finger board. It was a Jazz style bass, and seemed to have a preamp, and compression applied. They gave the guitar player the fun riff, so the bass player had to be solid and play with plenty of space, and the bass was just right for that style of play.

In the first video (I am God) the bass had an alder body and rosewood fingerboard also, but it had a distinct tone from the Jazz. It sounded like it had a Music Man style humbucker, and sure enough, near the end of the clip you can see that the bass has a p-bass style pickup in the bridge (Music Man) position. That tone, played slap style under those Stevie Wonder-esque chords sounds great to me, and that would be a REALLY fun piece to play I think.

I agree with Ed that a B string for these songs would be essential, but I guess I disagree that most any Barker would do. I take that back, you could use many Barkers, but I tend to get certain tones in my ear for certain things, and like to find a way to get that tone whenever possible for a song.

I'd recommend an alder body and a rosewood fingerboard for its sweeter voicing, and would DEFINITELY want frets. Yes, you can slap a fretless, but the sound of string hitting wood is much different than it hitting fret wire, and I am God definitely calls for that crisper attack if slapped.

As for pickups, and I hesitate to suggest this because now that the idea has occurred to me, *I* would like to have the first Barker with these pickups :eyebrow:, but I would recommend a music man style humbucker at the bridge position, and a jazz style single coil in the neck position.

Some basses with this configuration set the humbucker so that the back single coil is actually in the Jazz bass position, so that the bass can approximate a jazz bass tone, and a music man tone.

I know Barker basses are typically passive, and this would be fine passive as well, but I understand Seymour Duncan has a nice preamp for MM-J style basses. That might be interesting to look into.
 
#78
Hey Lee,Mr.Dixon, Ed, and Tom,

Me being a proud Member of the Barker Family, I can say that you have two options Fretted BVB 5-string stock would more than do the trick. I would also try and woo Lee in to making a B45 five string bass. I own three BVBs 4-5- and a 4string B45 and they all have been used on every king of music from rock to reggae,funk to country, Latin to Hip Hop, and Gospel to Christian rock. These basses are very versatile as is. If I dare mess with an incredible design I would suggest changing some of the wood combination's to bring out a tighter mid-low. This can easily be achived also by changing out to the pick/ups with Aeros, Nordstrands, I put a set of Delanos in my B1 or Active Bartolinis. The EMGs were to much it made the bass to loud and hard to control. the Link I have posted is me playing with The artist GPV and using my B45. It is strait in to the board no fx.

Hit me back with your thoughts.
thanks and God Bless BVB,
Eric
PS. WOW I love that 6string.
 
#79
Eric, if I recall, the B45 has Duncan Quarter Pounders in it--is that right? What's your take on them for the stuff Dwayne is talkin' about?

BTW, there are few out there who own three Barkers. In fact, you might be the only one. I'm thinking 3Club members ought to get a burgundy blazer. Or at least a T shirt.
 
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