FS: Custom Made Destroyer Bass

Hi, looking to sell a Destroyer style bass that I had custom made in 1982 back when I was into a lot harder music - as you can tell from the photos... It’s a Gibson Explorer style body with a Flying V style headstock.

It’s a four string with a very comfortable neck. There are the usual marks and chips that you’d expect on a bass that’s 20+ years old – BUT, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the neck that would affect how smooth it feels and plays.

Let me know if anyone has any questions or wants more photos because I've got tons of them that I could send - I'm only looking for $400.00 for it because the original pickups were taken out and replaced with EMGs by someone I'd sold it to years ago... Yes, I bought it back because it brought back so many memories! BUT, it doesn't suit what I'm playing now and I've got my eyes on a 5-string Nordstrand...

 

Sorry for taking so long... Here are a couple of posts with additional shots...

 

More photos...

 

And the inserts...

Let me know if you'd like to see anything else...

 

I'll get the measurements and details for you later today and either post it tonight or first thing tomorrow morning...

The action is good but slightly high for my tastes. No buzzing or anything like that although it probably needs a set-up because it hasn't been done for years since I haven't been playing it.

FYI, I don't have a case for it - that's one of the reasons that I'm not asking a lot for it. It used to be in a flight case but that case was converted for some keyboards so I've just been using the gig bag for my Washburn AB-2 acoustic when I've taken it out. And since I've still got the acoustic I'm not including the gig bag - sorry! But, I can guarantee that it will be packed VERY well and will be double-boxed!!!

 

For those who don't mind reading a novel... Here's the description I had written for eBay (but it's not there, it's only listed here):

Have you ever wanted to own a bass or a guitar just like the one used by your favourite rock star? Have you ever wanted it so bad that you had to have it custom made? Well folks, these questions are at the root of my auction today...

This was one of my very first custom-made bass orders! It was hand made and built by Bill Hutnik, an amazing luthier from Canada in either 1981 or 1982. The quality that Bill put into his instruments was fantastic. Unfortunately I haven’t seen anything from him in the last 10 years so I don’t know if he’s still designing and building today.

I had Bill design and build me a Destroyer bass guitar with a Flying V headstock. It has an awesome rosewood fingerboard with great grain on a 3 piece laminated neck with insert fret markets in the shape of diamonds. Please don’t tell the folks I work with but I was so completely into Def Leppard and I wanted a Destroyer style body like those played Rick Savage, Steve Clark and Paul Willis. I almost hate to admit it but I still love that body style.

The day we painted the bass sticks in my memory… Two guys throwing paint at the semi-finished body after far too many barley pops at the back of the shop!

As you can see from the photos this is a 4-string bass with 2 humbucking pickups and, what I thought at the time was one of the coolest paint jobs I could imagine. OK, try and picture this... Me in my muscle shirt and my skin tight, Joe Elliott style ripped jeans with the fraying rips all the way down across the front of my legs – or maybe even in my spandex tights playing this baby! What a sight! I thought I was so cool!! Back then I might have almost had the frame to carry it off too! And, I know everyone has their own dirty little secret or two and this is sure one of mine... One of the others is that I never really managed to meet any cool women when I was playing this bass...

It wasn’t until years later that I was told that the striped lime-green tank top didn’t really go well with the red splotchy, splattered bass... I guess I was just too close to it to see it for myself!

I think that the last band that I played this in was called Plastered in Paris – my wonderfully supportive and understanding wife (she’d say exasperated) says that this looks like the floor on the morning after being plastered in Paris… Well, yeah (he says sheepishly)!

I sort of grew up... I got married, I have two wonderful daughters. I stopped playing metal and hair-rock. The ‘80s ended and for some reason this bass didn’t really seem to fit the other bands I was playing in so it got left behind at home and stored in various closets. Although, I’d take it out every once in a while, stand in front of the mirror, thrash around reliving my imagined coolness and pretend I was either Cliff Burton (I know, he played a Rickenbacker 4001) or Jason Newstead of Metallica (one can’t help but dream) since my tastes had moved on from Joe & the boys (I preferred the Pete Willis years)!

Finally, I just couldn’t rationalize keeping it, I needed the coin and I sold it away to pay for something else that was also sold long ago... I mourned its passing, after all it was my first custom project...

I went through everything and every bass manufacturer… I tried those by Rickenbacker, several by Fender, a couple by Gibson, one by Raul Reed Smith or PRS, Pedulla and more… I’ve even kept a few of them but this Destroyer has one of the most comfortable necks I’ve ever played and I haven’t found one I like better other than the one on my Sadowsky.

Image my surprise when walking into a used music store here in town to see it hidden away at the back of the used, consignment bass rack. It spoke to me… I ran up and cuddled it like a long lost puppy. I stroked its neck and it remembered me! I couldn’t believe my luck; this token of my youth had been abandoned by some other bass player and was calling for me – the one who loved it first. You gotta understand… I never go into that store… Something compelled me there and look what I found!!!

It was still in great shape! It even had the original Schaller hardware. Well, some twit had taken out the original pickups that I had agonized over when it was built and put in EMGs… The neck was still perfect and flawless and fit my hand like it was made for it – actually it was! It needs a set-up, there are a few scrapes and chips out of the paint, there’s a hole showing that the top strap button had been moved but nothing affects how great it feels when it’s played. All that was OK, with these things I could deal… It was still my baby so I took it… I packed it up in the car and brought it home so it could hang out with the brothers and sisters that had arrived after it left home. It stood out a bit more than the others but I believed that it belonged…

OK, think of nails on a chalkboard… Nah, not strong enough… How about the screams of terror throughout the theatre when Alien is clawing its way out of Harry Dean Stanton’s chest… I don’t think we’re quite there yet… Imagine the look of sheer revulsion on your face the time you caught your parents doing the nasty… That’s closer… But my wife topped that when she saw my baby for the first time!!! She didn’t scream. She really, well squeaked and then laughed at me and asked if I was serious!!! I told her the story about having it built, loving it, playing it for years how it had found it’s way home… She laughed some more... When she finally stopped I tried to explain that our four year old daughter Kierra says that its her favourite out of all of my basses; she’d even used the word “cool” to describe it when she first saw it!!! My lovely, wonderful wife Elena then turned to me with a serious look upon her face and began to speak of “delusions”…

The guys in the band understood my story, the passion of lost youth, fond memories and tokens reclaimed… Then I showed them the bass… They promptly pulled me aside and suggested that it didn’t really fit with the image of The Eradicators… You see we only play instrumentals… Albeit from a rock / twang / thunder perspective. It’s kind of a blend of surf, garage, punk and spaghetti-western styles with a whole whack of reverb thrown in… I hate to admit it but I think they’re right… Please don’t EVER tell my wife that I didn’t believe her whole-heartedly when she gave me her opinion and that I required the wisdom of my bandmates to finally make up my mind!

And I’ve got my eye on another custom project…

Please bid and take care of my baby. It needs a good home, it needs to be played and it needs to be loved. If you refinish it, please don’t tell me… BTW it cost me over a thousand bucks back in the early ‘80s but I’m only going start the bidding at what it cost me to bring it home recently! I don’t have a case for it but it will be double boxed with massive wads of bubble wrap for protection.

Y’know this reminds me of Wayne, the drummer I used to play with back in Windsor… Did I mention that he refinished his entire drum kit exactly the same as this bass?

 

Hey SoComSurfing, to answer your questions:

I was able to lower the action at the bridge so it's actually pretty good right now. The pickups are passive. The neck widths are 1 and five-eights inches at the nut and two and a quarter inches where the fretboard ends.

I'd have to say that it's comfortable as hell for me - but then it was made for me!

Let me know if anyone else would like any additional info!

 

If anyone is interested, feel free to make a REALISTIC offer. If I haven't heard from anyone by the end of this week I'll throw it up on eBay...

 

Saskatoon hey... I was born there! Good place to be from!

Anyway, it would probably be less expensive to ship it direct to you rather than to Sask. She'd probably have to worry about getting it on/off a plane and perhaps even have to pay an additional weight/size surcharge.

FYI, I just shipped a Sadowsky from Toronto to the midwest and it cost all of $35.00 US so I can't imagine it would be much more than that - and it would definitely be easier on your sister (unless she's driving)!

Have a great visit and let me know what you decide.