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It's a beautiful top for sure. I wish I could justify building more basses with Cliff just for the love of beautiful tops.
We played a new outdoor amphitheater in Massachusetts last night and I brought my two CB five strings. I did the entire gig on @scottm's flamed maple bass and it did a great job in the 50 degree weather. @D to the C sold me the SC5 two years ago and I've used that one on several gigs.
We had a decent crowd of about 200, park holds 300. It was a little cold and it's the first concert of the 2024 season.
We had a decent crowd of about 200, park holds 300. It was a little cold and it's the first concert of the 2024 season.
I was just in Marblehead last night, up from Houston with my CB !
2nd time I've had the full Mesa out this year. Usually I just use a Markbass 210 cab with the WD-800...and with the Pedullas. The Bordwells sound very solid and I should use them more often.
This picture was last month at an old courthouse converted to live music venue, also in MA. Same band.
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They sound so good, look so cool, but even sound better opened up with volume.
Put a Cliff Borwelll bass in front of one and it's one of the best bass sounds IMO.
The Barts in that bass really sound nice through a Mesa TT or WD.
I still have the 2x12 and 1x12 Mesa's with a D800 +. I got an Aguilar stack as well, but since I've switched to low volumes of playing, I switched to the new pluggable wireless Bose system.
-ScottM
Argh. I was apparently carried away by excitement. I'm not in the current batch. I'll be in the next one. Oh well…
Sorry man, I've been there.
Your next build will be here before you know it.
I think I still got a year.
-ScottM
Yeah, I have 2 more next year too. And 4 bordwells in the room where I'm sitting. I will wait it out. I'm really excited about this next build. I guess I'll have to make do with the current stable a little longer.
I need to get my name on the roster. I'm LOVING my McNeelys but I'd really like to add a pair of D basses with a traditional Jazz and P sound and feel. I'm definitely used to the waiting game though. I'm quickly approaching 4 years on my CT order and still haven't heard from Carl that he's even started haha.
You guys crack me up. Here I am wondering if I can justify buying a $200 neck to put on this jazz body I have so at least I've got a fretted to practice on while I wait for my build.
But I def feel your pain! He posted those 4 tops the other day of the current builds and that def got the excitement up. But then realized it might be like August until he posts our tops.
I thought I'd share this with the group. I just recently bought a few production made instruments and I was really shocked at the prices. I bought a regular Gibson bass that cost almost as much as a few of the simple CB basses I have bought in the past.
I also bought a Warwick bass that was just a simple production model, but yet it cost more than the last two CB basses I had bought.
I only justified these prices because I was feeling nostalgic for ordering basses that I use to have when I was younger.
Today I went to go order a new Musicman from what they call their custom shop and wow it cost a ton too! And their custom shop is just paint and hardware mods.
I did not place the order.
Things sure have change over the last 5 or so years. I remember having to save up to get a CB bass if I decided to go with a custom bass order over a run of the mil production bass from another brand.
I can still do that, but most other brands that are made in a factory are just completely out of my price range.
— Not knocking the brands I mentioned, just shocked at sticker prices for things that are not one of a kind.
-ScottM
I also bought a Warwick bass that was just a simple production model, but yet it cost more than the last two CB basses I had bought.
I only justified these prices because I was feeling nostalgic for ordering basses that I use to have when I was younger.
Today I went to go order a new Musicman from what they call their custom shop and wow it cost a ton too! And their custom shop is just paint and hardware mods.
I did not place the order.
Things sure have change over the last 5 or so years. I remember having to save up to get a CB bass if I decided to go with a custom bass order over a run of the mil production bass from another brand.
I can still do that, but most other brands that are made in a factory are just completely out of my price range.
— Not knocking the brands I mentioned, just shocked at sticker prices for things that are not one of a kind.
-ScottM
I remember balking even a couple years ago when Modulus was having trouble, finally got revamped, and had to raise prices as a function of it all. I recently went back and looked again, they haven't budged much on their prices since that high, but my god have other builders shot up! It seems like each company's price hike was inevitable, it just depended on the speed, timing, and way they implemented the hike to make it more digestible to people.
I recall not too long ago people losing their minds about boutique builders like Alembic charging five figures for a bass. Now you look at Fodera and pretty much anything in the custom range, five figures is the norm. Not just the norm, but people defending the price. Not to say a Fodera isn't worth five figures, I'm of the camp that anything is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
Similar story with Warwick as you mention, they were just a few years ahead on the price hikes likely due to distributor changes due to Dana B Goods retiring. Over the last few years when everyone else implemented major price hikes, theirs haven't gone up a ton in the same timeframe comparatively.
The last few years have had insane changes in the market, world economy, and world outlook, to the point that IMO we're finally getting to more widespread acceptance of, "The New Normal."
Then you've got Cliff over here still building world class basses at rock bottom prices. Often being more flexible with custom requests than most well known, high price, boutique builders.
I recall not too long ago people losing their minds about boutique builders like Alembic charging five figures for a bass. Now you look at Fodera and pretty much anything in the custom range, five figures is the norm. Not just the norm, but people defending the price. Not to say a Fodera isn't worth five figures, I'm of the camp that anything is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
Similar story with Warwick as you mention, they were just a few years ahead on the price hikes likely due to distributor changes due to Dana B Goods retiring. Over the last few years when everyone else implemented major price hikes, theirs haven't gone up a ton in the same timeframe comparatively.
The last few years have had insane changes in the market, world economy, and world outlook, to the point that IMO we're finally getting to more widespread acceptance of, "The New Normal."
Then you've got Cliff over here still building world class basses at rock bottom prices. Often being more flexible with custom requests than most well known, high price, boutique builders.
