Certainbass "Svelte Bass" Kickstarter

[Dradder]

Interesting:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[J Posega]

Were it an actual ergonomic design like *strandberg, Toone, etc., I'd understand a radical body shape but that one is too much Teisco/ other funny looking 60's cheap-o's. His scroll wheel idea for the controls is the only thing about the design I like.

 

[BurningSkies]

11 bucks raised. He's almost there.

At what pledge rate does he put a finish on the bass.

 

[Dradder]

Were it an actual ergonomic design like *strandberg, Toone, etc., I'd understand a radical body shape but that one is too much Teisco/ other funny looking 60's cheap-o's. His scroll wheel idea for the controls is the only thing about the design I like.

Yeah, as a general rule, I don't like pointy-horned shapes, but I might be able to warm up to this one.

 

[Iridescentone]

Oy. It's almost offensive.

Not sure what's worse;

> The snake oil ad copy, which is contradictory at points, and is chock full of unbefitting buzz words like "vintage", "Hendrix".

> That he doesn't even bother to install strings correctly for a photo shoot. (which is actually kinda comical)

Prediction; The Svelte bass is destined to become a very rare instrument.

 

[Dradder]

> The snake oil ad copy, which is contradictory at points, and is chock full of unbefitting buzz words like "vintage", "Hendrix".

What was contradictory? IIRC, the only reference to "Hendrix" was the bit about him flipping a guitar so that the controls were on the top -- which I believe is factual.

> That he doesn't even bother to install strings correctly for a photo shoot. (which is actually kinda comical)

Yeah, he should've clipped the strings at the headstock before taking the photo. They're clipped in the video, when he displays the headstock.

 

[cdef]

Well, I don't see much practicality in that control layout. Do many bassists even need to tweak their passive vol/tone in mid-song? Maybe you could use your thumb to do on-the-fly volume swells or mild wah-wah effects if you worked on it, but that's marginal. The sharp upper corner of the pg jutting out like that would worry me. And why not put the output jack out of sight on the side?

 

[Dradder]

The sharp upper corner of the pg jutting out like that would worry me

I had the same thought about the pickguard; I would've rounded off that corner, if not all of them.

And why not put the output jack out of sight on the side?

On the Certainbass website, he talks about how he just doesn't like side-mounted outputs, but will do them as an option if the customer wants one. I imagine he'd probably do the same for this Svelte bass.

 

[scourgeofgod]

I kinda like it, but I don't $2500 like it.

 

[BTL]

He's very ambitious.

 

[Chef]

11 bucks raised. He's almost there.

At what pledge rate does he put a finish on the bass.

Meh. Finish is for sissies

Frankly, I think the ergonomics of controls on top is a fail. Reaching down to where the controls normally are is quick and easy-ish on the fly. Seems to me, he's created a longer reach. And it doesn't look like the controls would be as quick to adjust...Not for me.

Some of other basses, at the bottom of the page look nice enough.

 

[BurningSkies]

Meh. Finish is for sissies

Frankly, I think the ergonomics of controls on top is a fail. Reaching down to where the controls normally are is quick and easy-ish on the fly. He's created a longer reach, that you have to cross strings to get to. Not for me.

Some of other basses, at the bottom of the page look nice enough.

It looks like an eastern bloc bass from the 60's or 70's to me.

 

[BIG97BEN]

It's funny, I read through the thread before looking at the picture, and that is totally not what I expected.

 

[scourgeofgod]

Meh. Finish is for sissies

Frankly, I think the ergonomics of controls on top is a fail. Reaching down to where the controls normally are is quick and easy-ish on the fly. Seems to me, he's created a longer reach. And it doesn't look like the controls would be as quick to adjust...Not for me.

Some of other basses, at the bottom of the page look nice enough.

I don't see how it's a further reach, but I do agree that the control placement is not really practical

 

[Dradder]

I don't see how it's a further reach

Agreed. If your hand and wrist come down from the top of the bass, and the controls are above the strings, how would you be crossing strings to get to them?

but I do agree that the control placement is not really practical

I don't see the placement as being any less practical, but the placement wouldn't be the selling point for me. I'd have to fall in love with the look of the bass, which I'm not sure I have.

 

[scourgeofgod]

Agreed. If your hand and wrist come down from the top of the bass, and the controls are above the strings, how would you be crossing strings to get to them?



I don't see the placement as being any less practical, but the placement wouldn't be the selling point for me. I'd have to fall in love with the look of the bass, which I'm not sure I have.

A lot of the time I play with my thumb anchored some where between the neck pick up and the neck itself, aka right where the controls are. I actually don't mind the look of it at all, shape doesn't bother me, neither does the pick guard or the headstock. I just don't understand what would make it so expensive, looks like a $500 or less bass.

 

[Dradder]

I just don't understand what would make it so expensive, looks like a $500 or less bass.

Toward the bottom of the Kickstarter page, he says he's got some customers for an over-the-top, limited edition piece -- so those deep-pocket customers would be financing the CNC programming and other design work. Maybe afterwards, he'd do a regular edition without the fancy exotic woods. Basically, though, I agree with you; at anywhere under $1000, I might be interested, but $2500 is too rich for my blood.

 

[Iridescentone]

What was contradictory?

This...

"Conventional controls that are below, you go down, adjust something, then you have to bring your hand back up above the strings to catch the down stroke. It's more movement, less efficient."

More efficient? So, instead of moving down to the controls, then back up.....you now move up and over to the controls, then back over and down to playing position. If this was any sort of actual benefit the bass market would have been flooded with controls on top decades ago. Design aesthetic, nothing more.

This....

"I had to make it function and feel like a vintage Fender or Fender styled bass....I started with a Jazz bass body and trimmed it down in order to retain those traditional contact points, points at which the human makes contact with the instrument.... it's just like playing an old Fender Jazz Bass except much better balanced and lighter weight!"

If the contact points are the same on both basses, why will one have "much better balance" than the other? Clearly, neither the 2+2 headstock, nor the headless one, are traditional Jazz bass contact points. Doubtful any one will think the Svelte is going to "function and feel" like a Fender bass, vintage or otherwise.

Beyond that, what Hendrix did with a Strat has nothing to do with how anyone plays bass. Irrelevant name dropping.

My fave features? The sharp-edged body (saves on router bits), and the "lifted" pickguard to make room for the control knobs. Classic stuff.

 

[scourgeofgod]

This...

"Conventional controls that are below, you go down, adjust something, then you have to bring your hand back up above the strings to catch the down stroke. It's more movement, less efficient."

More efficient? So, instead of moving down to the controls, then back up.....you now move up and over to the controls, then back over and down to playing position. If this was any sort of actual benefit the bass market would have been flooded with controls on top decades ago. Design aesthetic, nothing more.

This....

"I had to make it function and feel like a vintage Fender or Fender styled bass....I started with a Jazz bass body and trimmed it down in order to retain those traditional contact points, points at which the human makes contact with the instrument.... it's just like playing an old Fender Jazz Bass except much better balanced and lighter weight!"

If the contact points are the same on both basses, why will one have "much better balance" than the other? Clearly, neither the 2+2 headstock, nor the headless one, are not traditional Jazz bass contact points. Doubtful any one will think the Svelte is going to "function and feel" like a Fender bass, vintage or otherwise.

Beyond that, what Hendrix did with a Strat has nothing to do with how anyone plays bass. Irrelevant name dropping.

My fave feature? The sharp-edged body (saves on router bits), and the "lifted" pickguard to make room for the control knobs. Classic stuff.

Well by "contact points" I think he means where your body actually makes contact with the bass. The shape is much slimmer than a traditional jazz but the outside lines of the body are still very similar to a jazz, and it does appear to have belly and forearm cuts. I have no idea how well it balances compared to a traditional jazz though.

 

[Dradder]

This...

"Conventional controls that are below, you go down, adjust something, then you have to bring your hand back up above the strings to catch the down stroke. It's more movement, less efficient."

More efficient? So, instead of moving down to the controls, then back up.....you now move up and over to the controls, then back over and down to playing position.

No, you wouldn't. Your hand is already above the strings, with your thumb in line with the roller controls. Yes, you would reach over to roll one of them, but you wouldn't need to reach "up and over;" you're already "up."