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Fancy one of Mick Karn's basses?
- Thread starter WG Plum
- Start date
Now I have to hear some MK, where is my copy of Invalid Link Removed...
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,233
- 45,133
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Because of course if I bought that bass I'd have Mick's sound and skills! 
Didn’t he play a 5 string fretless Wal on the RTC album? I did an interview with Mick Karn, not long before he died, in which he said he didn’t like 5 string basses so much. He played them for a very short time in his Career.
Fascinating! That’s an obscure bass. It’s a Revellation made by an independent builder from South Wales called Tony Revell. He was better known for building acoustic guitars and mandolins but in 1992 I commissioned him to make me a lovely acoustic bass. A few years later he developed a range of boutique electric basses - of which this is a rare example. Never knew that Mick Karn had one. Not many people did. He was a darned good luthier, though.
Given that the date is post 1992 it’s unlikely that it was used on the RTC album.
So there are a couple of possibilities that they don’t give any details on the bass itself… a) it’s a 1990/91 custom order but more likely since it’s clearly one of the Revellation basses, then b) his wife can’t recall what it is and when it was bought - and memory simply got that particular detail wrong. Still a cool bass for a collector of basses and/or Karn, though!
And a couple of shots of my acoustic bass…
Given that the date is post 1992 it’s unlikely that it was used on the RTC album.
So there are a couple of possibilities that they don’t give any details on the bass itself… a) it’s a 1990/91 custom order but more likely since it’s clearly one of the Revellation basses, then b) his wife can’t recall what it is and when it was bought - and memory simply got that particular detail wrong. Still a cool bass for a collector of basses and/or Karn, though!
And a couple of shots of my acoustic bass…
Not much of a 5-string player, Karn, but for sure on Pocket Full of Change. One of the loveliest noises ever produced by man or beast.
And if you shave your eyebrows you’ll have his look too!Because of course if I bought that bass I'd have Mick's sound and skills!
I like Mick Karn. And Japan, David Sylvian is one of my all time favorite musicians. Really loved that group growing up.
K?
But $8,800 USD starting bid is roughly $8,000 more than a non-brand bass like that is realistically worth and add to that whatever you’d care to spend to refinish it because an autograph otherwise renders it useless.
As a lifer fan of Mick Karn and Japan my opening offer is $350 USD.
K?
But $8,800 USD starting bid is roughly $8,000 more than a non-brand bass like that is realistically worth and add to that whatever you’d care to spend to refinish it because an autograph otherwise renders it useless.
As a lifer fan of Mick Karn and Japan my opening offer is $350 USD.
If this will help his surviving family, I hope someone with deep pockets can step up.
I reckon if you could afford it, you'd never play it...
It is a custom made bass by a less known maker. I have no idea what they were/are going for. But this is purely for Mick Karn fans. We will never know for sure if it was actually used by Mick on a recording.
But if his tulip wood Wal came up for sale I would be the first to bid.....
I was unfamiliar with Mick Karn / Japan. If you're like me, here's a two minute overview:
Sounds like a lot of Percy Jones influence there. Loved seeing Brand X with Phil Collins in the day. Never saw Mick.
only instrument he isn't playing (or programming/sambling, ocarenna and sax is live) here is some congas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7zncivPnxM
