Is it worth a Million Bucks?

[B-Mac]

The Four Elements - The Element Earth Acoustic Bass

It is beautiful of that there is no doubt....but
The Four Elements - The Element Earth Acoustic Bass
I love ABGs, I really do, but there's a limit...

 

[Old Fart]

$1m is a bargain for that bass. But I'll let it go to someone else because I don't need two of them.

 

[B-Mac]

$1m is a bargain for that bass. But I'll let it go to someone else because I don't need two of them.

Thanks for being so gracious! God Bless You!

 

[And I]

wow, this luthier has the right business model!

Healdsburg Guitars

 

[Old Fart]

I'd guess a buyer could negotiate the price somewhat.

 

[Roland GR 88]

There's some progeny in the tops he uses for this series. 'Worth' is a very personal thing.

 

[B-Mac]

I'd guess a buyer could negotiate the price somewhat.

Yeah, there's a little wiggle room.

 

[HG1180]

Could someone explain to me what “The Tree” is?

 

[SubHuman]

Free shipping? Ha!

 

[Fender4Me]

I was all-in until I read this statement:
"When you play this bass you can literally feel the earth vibrate and your stomach rumble."
I just don't need anymore stomach problems.........

 

[mikeoso]

Could someone explain to me what “The Tree” is?

Briefly, it's a nearly legendary log, Honduran mahogany, with an astronomical value to luthiers. Here's the whole story.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[mikeoso]

In a free market economy, anything is worth what someone will pay for it...until nobody will pay that much for it.

 

[songwriter21]

The Four Elements - The Element Earth Acoustic Bass
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View attachment 3921672
It is beautiful of that there is no doubt....but
The Four Elements - The Element Earth Acoustic Bass
I love ABGs, I really do.

Briefly, it's a nearly legendary log, Honduran mahogany, with an astronomical value to luthiers. Here's the whole story.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

While the wood is impressive, and even more, the legend of it, the fact that there's no return policy makes that bass a pretty pricey gamble!

 

[Killing Floor]

No.
But definitely worth $600 o.b.o.

 

[vvvmmm]

Weight?

 

[mikeoso]

So, think about collecting the entire set: the bass, the archtop guitar, and the flattop guitar. Be three million USD. Which one would you take to the campfire? The indecision would be paralyzing!

 

[Old Fart]

Forgive me for the length:

I watched a show once, likely on PBS. A man tried his luck as a treasure hunter. Had SCUBA gear and looked for Caribbean shipwrecks. No joy. He was relaxing in his (IIRC) Northeastern US hometown and enjoying some SCUBA time in a neighborhood lake. He noticed the bottom of this fairly brackish lake was littered with logs. He did some homework and learned this lake had been used as a holding area for timber when the nation was young. He discerned that these logs had simply sunk to the bottom because of their density. The local sawmill had no interest in logs that would not float. Now let's go backward in time....

Antonio Stradivari and other violin makers used to put select wood under water for a time before using them to make instruments. Years, not months, are needed for this. This practice survives today. The airliess environment somehow seasons the wood striations to make the more resonant. There is underwater wood today, waiting.... The airless environment somehow seasons the wood striations to make them more resonant. Now lets move back to modern times....

Treasure Hunter got a permit to mine those logs. In the video I saw, they brought a log to the surface and placed it onto a bandsaw jig. This log was maple. It was about 3 feet in diameter according to my imperfect recollection. It was black. They did some measuring and made a horizontal cut, exposing about an 18" wide straight slab of wood. The wood was a gorgeous honey color. The entire log was packed with birdseyes at least as big as my thumb.

Treasure Hunter found his treasure.

 

[Fender4Me]

When I was building banjos, I had a resonator veneered with wood from that tree. It was remarkable looking. I wish I had a picture of it but I cant find one at the moment.

 

[LeFunk Machine]

Absolutely not.

 

[mikeoso]

Forgive me for the length:

I watched a show once, likely on PBS. A man tried his luck as a treasure hunter. Had SCUBA gear and looked for Caribbean shipwrecks. No joy. He was relaxing in his (IIRC) Northeastern US hometown and enjoying some SCUBA time in a neighborhood lake. He noticed the bottom of this fairly brackish lake was littered with logs. He did some homework and learned this lake had been used as a holding area for timber when the nation was young. He discerned that these logs had simply sunk to the bottom because of their density. The local sawmill had no interest in logs that would not float. Now let's go backward in time....

Antonio Stradivari and other violin makers used to put select wood under water for a time before using them to make instruments. Years, not months, are needed for this. This practice survives today. The airliess environment somehow seasons the wood striations to make the more resonant. There is underwater wood today, waiting.... The airless environment somehow seasons the wood striations to make them more resonant. Now lets move back to modern times....

Treasure Hunter got a permit to mine those logs. In the video I saw, they brought a log to the surface and placed it onto a bandsaw jig. This log was maple. It was about 3 feet in diameter according to my imperfect recollection. It was black. They did some measuring and made a horizontal cut, exposing about an 18" wide straight slab of wood. The wood was a gorgeous honey color. The entire log was packed with birdseyes at least as big as my thumb.

Treasure Hunter found his treasure.

Logs that have been underwater and salvaged are currently a big thing in acoustic instruments. It's called "sinker" wood, and commands a premium. Mahogany, rosewood, cedar....some are a hundred years old.