I was doing a search on you-know-who and in the images, this fella came up. Anyone familiar with them/got on?
Carrigan Basses
Carrigan Basses
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Carrigan Scroll Basses
- Thread starter Gunga Din
- Start date
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- scroll basses
I'm not on it, either, but it shows me his pix and updates.
One of the biggest problems with a bass like that is you'd have to wear something like this while playing it.
EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
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- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
I like his work, but you have to look around for the scroll-body ones. They're nice, if that's your thing... I like scrollwork for its uniqueness. No two are identical, and yet, they are often similar enough to be synonymous with a maker's signature. Think, 15th-16th century violin-makers. Maggini put extra turns in his scrolls.
Anyway, the only bass I have with a scroll is a rather obscure build from an Alembic employee who started his own shop in the 70's.
Anyway, the only bass I have with a scroll is a rather obscure build from an Alembic employee who started his own shop in the 70's.
Link to website
Standard Prices
Double Cut Four String - Starting Price $1,275.00
Double Cut Five String - Starting Price $1,375.00
Single Cut Four String -Starting Price $1,275.00
Single Cut Five String -Starting Price $1,375.00
Modern and Classic Scroll Four String- Starting Price $1,275.00
Modern and Classic Scroll Five String- Starting Price $1,375.00
Standard pricing includes: Hipshot Kick-Ass 3D bridge, Gotoh tuners, and passive Kent Armstrong pickups.
Scale lengths offered are: 30", 32", 34", and 35"
Standard Prices
Double Cut Four String - Starting Price $1,275.00
Double Cut Five String - Starting Price $1,375.00
Single Cut Four String -Starting Price $1,275.00
Single Cut Five String -Starting Price $1,375.00
Modern and Classic Scroll Four String- Starting Price $1,275.00
Modern and Classic Scroll Five String- Starting Price $1,375.00
Standard pricing includes: Hipshot Kick-Ass 3D bridge, Gotoh tuners, and passive Kent Armstrong pickups.
Scale lengths offered are: 30", 32", 34", and 35"
Can’t say that I know who “you know who” is, but I suppose I can assume he or she is bass guitar related.
The low price seems a little suspect but they do look nice in the pictures. I think I've seen a few of them sold here on the forum.
And why is this a problem? More like an opportunity!
I'm not sure that I know who who is, but in the context of "scroll bass", one particular name comes to mind. He's probably most famous to the masses for Les Claypool's fretless 6 string, but was also a key contributor to the early development of the 6-string bass guitar we all know and love (well, some of us, anyway), even if his original execution didn't quite hit the mark...
Of course, I could be wrong on the who.
Carl Thompson is the name most associated with "Scroll Basses", along with Les Claypool, who has played Carl's basses for years and now has his own, sort of Scroll inspired design, his Pachyderm bass.
There are quite a few luthiers building basses which might be described as being inspired by Carl's designs, though people have been incorporating scrolls into guitar/bass designs for decades.
1. Carl Thompson, 2. Carrigan, 3. Xylem, 4, Pachyderm, 5. Mr. Claypool. (While he does like to dress up, I don't think he's ever gone full Elizabethan courtier.
)
There are quite a few luthiers building basses which might be described as being inspired by Carl's designs, though people have been incorporating scrolls into guitar/bass designs for decades.
1. Carl Thompson, 2. Carrigan, 3. Xylem, 4, Pachyderm, 5. Mr. Claypool. (While he does like to dress up, I don't think he's ever gone full Elizabethan courtier.
)
There was also Pete Hilton, who I believe apprenticed with Mr. Thompson (if I remember correctly) and had his own take on the scroll concept:
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I had a Carrigan. 36” scale 5 string. It was a decent bass, in terms of playability and sound. IIRC, it had Nordstrand pickups.
I was trying to see if there was a picture of it on that Facebook page, but no dice. In terms of quality, there was some crudeness in the finish - areas that weren’t sanded out well enough. However, the rest of the finish was even, and it was a nice-looking bass. Frets were fine. People called it my “hippie bass”.
It was big and flat, and not too heavy. Body was wide and comparatively thin. Kind of a flat-backed D-shaped neck.
I was trying to see if there was a picture of it on that Facebook page, but no dice. In terms of quality, there was some crudeness in the finish - areas that weren’t sanded out well enough. However, the rest of the finish was even, and it was a nice-looking bass. Frets were fine. People called it my “hippie bass”.
It was big and flat, and not too heavy. Body was wide and comparatively thin. Kind of a flat-backed D-shaped neck.
