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chris larkin club

#121
Here's my Larkin Reacter S Fretless 4B built for me in 1989.

Two piece mahogany body, quarter-sawn (I believe. I still have the spec sheet somewhere. I must look it out!) glued in mahogany neck, black Shaller hardware, custom wound Kent Armstrong humbuckers, 3 band EQ (can't remember who made the preamp back then but I know he uses Aguilar preamps nowadays) push pull active/passive vol control, lined ebony board with practically no radius.
I love this bass!
 

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#128
Thought I would revive the thread. No idea if Chris is still actively using this, but I've had the pleasure of owning a Chris Larkin Syra Pro lefty for about a month and a half now. Nicest feeling bass I've played and is a great partner to my Warwick Jazzman (the Warwick has hotter pickups, but the Syra has so many voices and the extra options makes it a more versatile instrument, plus I love the neck through). Chris warned me of the heavy weight, as it is an all maple bass with an ebony fingerboard, but it weighs only slightly more than my swamp ash warwick(it seems only slightly anyway, I can comfortably wear it for ages, though I'm not a small guy) and it weighs considerable less than my monster bubinga 6 string corvette fretless!! I have to say, it was 100 percent the right choice going with Chris. I could have gone and bought a Rickenbacker for the same price or a Warwick stage 1 etc, but I honestly think the bass is better than those models. Happy customer and new member to the club. :D

Quick sample(on a ten watt amp, it still sounds amazing, imagine through a proper rig how it will sound).

 

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#130
I'm due a significant pay raise at work in another month or so, so Chris and his wonderful basses are back on my radar. I can't wait.
I wonder how his Armstrong pickups & 5-way switch would sound paired with an acg filter preamp or the new Dingwall-designed Darkglass pre? Hmm...
 
#131
Ian the bassist said:
Thought I would revive the thread. No idea if Chris is still actively using this, but I've had the pleasure of owning a Chris Larkin Syra Pro lefty for about a month and a half now. Nicest feeling bass I've played and is a great partner to my Warwick Jazzman (the Warwick has hotter pickups, but the Syra has so many voices and the extra options makes it a more versatile instrument, plus I love the neck through). Chris warned me of the heavy weight, as it is an all maple bass with an ebony fingerboard, but it weighs only slightly more than my swamp ash warwick(it seems only slightly anyway, I can comfortably wear it for ages, though I'm not a small guy) and it weighs considerable less than my monster bubinga 6 string corvette fretless!! I have to say, it was 100 percent the right choice going with Chris. I could have gone and bought a Rickenbacker for the same price or a Warwick stage 1 etc, but I honestly think the bass is better than those models. Happy customer and new member to the club. :D

Quick sample(on a ten watt amp, it still sounds amazing, imagine through a proper rig how it will sound).

Click to expand...


Any chance of you doing a longer demo? I'm curious to know the range of the 3 pickup Syra. As Chris puts it, jazz at the bridge, p bass in the middle, and p90 at the neck.
 
#132
Papazita said:
Any chance of you doing a longer demo? I'm curious to know the range of the 3 pickup Syra. As Chris puts it, jazz at the bridge, p bass in the middle, and p90 at the neck.
Click to expand...

Apologies for only replying to you now. I just seen this post. Yeah sure man. I'll put up a video and send you a pm. It may take a few days though, as I'm busy with some recording over the weekend. I should notify, my pickup config is slightly different(at least I think it is) My bridge an overwound humbucker, with the p and a jazz, as I wanted something that could act like a pj, but have some nice ooommmph(real word) when soloed on the bridge. Will a video like the one I have recorded suffice? I still have sort the PC before I can run through my saffire pro 40 and sansamp for proper recording.
 
#133
jdthebassman said:
I own a 6er that chris made in 1992 for the Frankfurt namm show. I bought it at waltons music in Dublin in 1996. awesome bass.
Click to expand...

I was half tempted to go 6, but I have a 6 string fretless and the neck is slightly chunky to my taste, so I went 5 instead. Chris did an amazing job with the neck, it feels like some four string necks I've played(not as thin as my jazzman neck, but still easy to play and you just glide on it) Is your one the reactor bass? :)
 
#137
I found out today via Syra Larkin's (Chris's wife) Facebook page that Chris passed away today. Am truly shocked and saddened at her news and my thoughts are with Syra and her family at this time.



I was lucky enough to meet Chris in 87/88 at a music fair in London. Such a warm and genuinely friendly guy, was a pleasure to meet him. I'm also lucky enough to own one of his amazing and truly magnificent instruments - a fretless Reacter 4B built for me in 1986/87.

Rest easy, Chris. You'll be sadly missed.
:(
 
#140
Hello out there,

Here's what I got over a span of 26 years from the late Chris Larkin.

18-09-07_all_01.jpg


If you'd like to know anything about these basses, just go ahaead and ask.

Anyway, a friend and myself are collecting information on Chris's instruments to get a Chris Larkin owners / instruments database. In the end there should be a website and maybe a book.

So if anyone out there wants to share his pics, stories, videos, releases and information, please get in touch with me.

My basses and Geert's guitars (he has a couple, too) are quite a good start, but I'd be happy to hear your story.

Cheers,
Christoph
 
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