Identify THIS bass...

[brndn123]

Rael Wesley Grant w/ Sam Rivers in '89

YouTube - Sam Rivers Quartet 1989 - Beatrice

 

[elgecko]

Usually, the answer to these threads is "rebadged 60s/70s Japanese bass"...this one's a stumper!

 

[bolophonic]

The bass player's name is in the credits on the video. Someone should track him down and ask him.

 

[danomite64]

Maybe an early Conklin?

 

[GM60466]

My guess exactly very early Conklin

 

[brndn123]

Stumped me too

 

[brndn123]

It does have similar qualities to the early conklins, but nothing I've seen resembles them enough to consider it a conklin. Definitely built by a legit luthier though...

 

[TRichardsbass]

Neck looks like a Carvin neck, and so body may be custom by luthier.

 

[danomite64]

According to his Myspace page, Rael Wesley Grant calls that bass "my chestnut burl/ebony creation", and sells them.

 

[cdef]

He's got another page with pics of three similar basses: Link Removed

Yes, it appears he builds these subcontrabasses himself.

 

[brndn123]

Nice. I knew you guys couldn't let me down

 

[Brad Johnson]

Apparently it's a 1984 Fodera...

1984 Fodera Rael Wesly Grant Electric Bass Super Rare Only1 Vintage w/HC | eBay

 

[UNICORN BASS]

How does all this stuff end up in Japan?

 

[superdick2112]

Apparently it's a 1984 Fodera...

1984 Fodera Rael Wesly Grant Electric Bass Super Rare Only1 Vintage w/HC | eBay

Dang!
What do you suppose the original customer asked for?
"Can you build me a bass that looks like a giant mutated potato?"

 

[Brad Johnson]

Looks like the basses he uses now are reminiscent of this so it may be his hand in the design. It's definitely different... but you have to remember, this was the early 1980's. I have an Innerwood 6 from that time period that's definitely off the beaten path but it plays and sounds great.

This bass is almost a singlecut. Kind of like what I did with my Brubaker JXB-6 jazz bass twenty years later. I wasn't familiar with this bass of RWG. He's definitely a player.