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Can anyone identify this Bass?

#161
elkkid2 said:
BINGO on the Kent Armstrongs!
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Bingo on the Gotoh bridge too.

Gotoh B510:

s-l500.jpg


Funny, I have a custom 6 string neck-through body bass from the '90s with Kent Armstrong soapbar pickups/SD 3 band pre amp and gotoch 510B-6 bridge and it sounds pretty amazing too!
here it is:
IMG_20160720_134405.jpg


IMG_20160720_134504.jpg
 
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#162
elkkid2 said:
maybe the mystery Bass has a Cocobolo Fretboard? --Do they make Fret Boards out of Cocobolo?
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I think your bass has a Macassar Ebony board. I've used it a number of times for fingerboards and that's what it looks like to me. I've also made cocobolo fingerboards. Cocobolo is a true rosewood sometimes compared to Brazilian Rosewood as it's one of the harder rosewoods. I don't think it is as fashionable as most people don't know it as a rosewood (which is odd since that word is very marketable and applied to many woods that aren't rosewood) and it's range includes Mexico and that bias seems to extend even to trees. The dust also causes reactions in many people so not everyone will work with it.

Macassar is still A list stuff though it is the "cheap" ebony.
 
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#165
TrustRod said:
I think your bass has a Macassar Ebony board. I've used it a number of times for fingerboards and that's what it looks like to me. I've also made cocobolo fingerboards. Cocobolo is a true rosewood sometimes compared to Brazilian Rosewood as it's one of the harder rosewoods. I don't think it is as fashionable as most people don't know it as a rosewood (which is odd since that word is very marketable and applied to many woods that aren't rosewood) and it's range includes Mexico and that bias seems to extend even to trees. The dust also causes reactions in many people so not everyone will work with it.

Macassar is still A list stuff though it is the "cheap" ebony.
Click to expand...
TrustRod said:
I think your bass has a Macassar Ebony board. I've used it a number of times for fingerboards and that's what it looks like to me. I've also made cocobolo fingerboards. Cocobolo is a true rosewood sometimes compared to Brazilian Rosewood as it's one of the harder rosewoods. I don't think it is as fashionable as most people don't know it as a rosewood (which is odd since that word is very marketable and applied to many woods that aren't rosewood) and it's range includes Mexico and that bias seems to extend even to trees. The dust also causes reactions in many people so not everyone will work with it.

Macassar is still A list stuff though it is the "cheap" ebony.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that info!
 
#166
RHA III said:
I was just checking out Little Guitar Works website and I noticed some cut-outs that reminded me of your mystery bass. Maybe someone who's a little more computer savy can post one here?
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Their logo is completely different though. Thanks for the mention, I looked them up, that Torzal fanned fret 5 looks like an amazing bass! :)
 
#168
Folks, We've been looking for problems...(Jim Harryman and I), and we found one. During the set up, Jim had to push a couple of Frets down. And then. we noticed what may be glue on the ends of the frets, (on 2 or 3..) Jim says he worked around this problem, and doesn't think much of it...but I wanted to make sure I pointed this out. The action is super low, and this Bass rips! (Do you realize that I've never really gotten to play this --set up right--until just yesterday? I was easily playing stuff I've never played before, and feel like I could play ANYTHING I want to on it! --Great Bass!
What do you folks think? should I spend $275 getting it plekked? I mean, I'm only going to get a few 1000 percents lower...but it would bring piece of Mind to whom ever buys it.
Here's a photo of the area I'm talking about.
DSC00390.JPG
 
#170
Kirk Bryant said:
Looks to me like you guys have got it pretty well dialed in already. The real conundrum is how has this thread gone 9 pages and no one here can identify your beautiful bass. Most "mystery" basses here are identified in the first page. I think this might be a record!
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Right?! --I would so love to know who made this. It plays so well! There's some other ideas suggested above that I'll try to get to.
 
#172
cdef said:
Since it seems to be a unique piece that you care about, and you a 5-string player, why not keep it, make a new nut, PLEK it, string it BEAD, and intonate? Do you ever need a G string on the job?
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I use all 5 strings all night long. It's a nice thought though...but I wouldn't want to change this piece of wonder for anything! :) --After playing it yesterday...I just may keep it!
 
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#176
elkkid2 said:
What a nice Bass!
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Thanks! It's a unique (weird) looking early '90s 6 string bass from some some unknown italian luthier (says ronton on the headstock) and this bass plays and sounds awesome!
2 piece bookmatched walnut neck/ solid flamed maple body wings/ some kind of rosewood (or pau ferro, i'm not sure but it's not a "regular" indian rosewood)) fingerboard/ gotoh japan tuners and bridge/ usa kent armstrong double coil pickups and S. Duncan 3 band pre amp (push-pull slap switch on the volume pot.). Paid only $1K for it.

Pics:

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#177
Flaked Beans said:
Thanks! It's a unique (weird) looking early '90s 6 string bass from some some unknown italian luthier (says ronton on the headstock) and this bass plays and sounds awesome!
2 piece bookmatched walnut neck/ solid flamed maple body wings/ some kind of rosewood (or pau ferro, i'm not sure but it's not a "regular" indian rosewood)) fingerboard/ gotoh japan tuners and bridge/ usa kent armstrong double coil pickups and S. Duncan 3 band pre amp (push-pull slap switch on the volume pot.). Paid only $1K for it.

Pics:

View attachment 912819

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Click to expand...
oooohdrool
 
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#178
Flaked Beans said:
Thanks! It's a unique (weird) looking early '90s 6 string bass from some some unknown italian luthier (says ronton on the headstock) and this bass plays and sounds awesome!
2 piece bookmatched walnut neck/ solid flamed maple body wings/ some kind of rosewood (or pau ferro, i'm not sure but it's not a "regular" indian rosewood)) fingerboard/ gotoh japan tuners and bridge/ usa kent armstrong double coil pickups and S. Duncan 3 band pre amp (push-pull slap switch on the volume pot.). Paid only $1K for it.

Pics:

View attachment 912819

View attachment 912820

View attachment 912821

View attachment 912822

View attachment 912823

View attachment 912824

View attachment 912826

View attachment 912831

View attachment 912834
Click to expand...

Also, 19mm string spacing at the bridge! It's an excellent 6 string bass for slap!
 
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