Is it worth a Million Bucks?

[ModuMan]

Link, please...

Certainly. It's an hour (worth the watch) but Neil's stuff is mostly in the latter part.

EDIT: Just wanted to add: I really miss hearing Neil talk about... well, anything. But hearing him discuss drums is always a pleasure.

 

[bassbully]

I smell crack smoke....

 

[sludgetail]

But does it come with the 55-point inspection at no charge???

 

[Fender_Bender]

A while back someone was having a bass built out of some prehistoric wood that was unearthed from deep in a bog.
I can't seem to find the thread now.

That’s probably the stuff coming from New Zealand called kauri I believe. That might be enough for you to find it on the web.

 

[BurningSkies]

A while back someone was having a bass built out of some prehistoric wood that was unearthed from deep in a bog.
I can't seem to find the thread now.

Jens Ritter does these.

 

[rejb87]

Why an EMG? Thought there would be some crazy expensive pearl and jewel encrusted pickup out there.... Nope just an EMG TBCS lol

 

[BurningSkies]

Why an EMG? Thought there would be some crazy expensive pearl and jewel encrusted pickup out there.... Nope just an EMG TBCS lol

Mid-range mass produced says 'Rolls Royce' of ABG.

 

[jbrew73]

Meh.....probably not good for metal.

 

[Durham52]

A while back someone was having a bass built out of some prehistoric wood that was unearthed from deep in a bog.
I can't seem to find the thread now.

Yes, there's quite a bit of that sort of stuff around. Ancient New Zealand Kauri Pine (Agathis australis) has been popular for guitar building for some time, it's found in peat bogs. In Tasmania Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii, not a true pine) and Tasmanian Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii) logs are pulled from lakes and rivers and milled. Huon Pine is most often used for acoustic sound boards and can have between 50-100 growth rings per inch. Myrtle from rivers becomes denser and harder, due to minerals in the waters. (similar to the effect immersion in bogs has on Kauri)

I've used these and other native Australian/Tasmanian timbers for decades, as have many other luthiers down here, they can make excellent instruments and avoid shipping wood half way around the globe into the bargain.

Whether the immersion in water and the changes brought about actually means the wood from any of these "drowned" logs become better for making instruments is open to debate, but it certainly makes it more expensive....

 

[Joeynone]

Atleast it has an EMG so it djents

 

[Amalgam]

Other than looks, is there anything that can't be done in 5 or 10k?

 

[McTred]

Just a guess...View attachment 3922848

As someone who loves being a smartass, I appreciate your post; however, because this is part of an elemental power series... Earth means dirt/soil.

 

[McTred]

The earth looks mostly blue from space...

Quality smartassery notwithstanding, Earth as an elemental power ought to be symbolized with Brown...

 

[BurningSkies]

Quality smartassery notwithstanding, Earth as an elemental power ought to be symbolized with Brown...

And carved out of solid rock. I mean, it would be hell to play and sound like a million bucks of awful, but right is right.

 

[B-Mac]

In air, fire, earth and water
World on the scales
Air, fire, earth and water
Balance of change
World on the scales
On the scales

 

[Roger W]

I tried reading the description 3 times and just gave up. I'm all for artistic expressions but that crossed the line into pretentiousness REAL fast - but then again maybe that's how you convince the super rich to buy even more stuff.

I mean, that would be a bargain for a good-condition Stradivarius (Napoleon's own Strad was sold at auction for 'only' $3.6 million in 2010) but this is not a Stradivarius for the likes of Josha Bell or Leonidas Kavakos to play the works of Mozart and Vivaldi on the world's greatest stages with the world's best classical musicians, where it's a prestige thing and the predominant reason for the value is the age and corresponding rarity (whether or not they actually sound or play better than a modern instrument built by the best luthiers around today remains a topic of heated debate).

For sure that is some beautifully figured mahogany, and I'm sure it sounds great and all, and I'm sure the dude who built it knows his stuff but yeah the kinda wonky string alignment reminds you that this is not an instrument to be played. This was created much in the same way as one of the great painters would create their artwork.

I saw a video with Ove from his gear check channel on YouTube where he was reviewing a $20k Alembic and discussing its value, and discussed what 'value' meant. He drew the comparison with a Manet or a Renoir painting. The cost of the painting doesn't come down to the value of the paint, or the canvas, or the hours that the painter put in. Those come in to a lot less. No, when we go into 'art' territory, it has to bring an entirely new aspect. In this case, the rare materials and the artistic approach are what give the value to it (and again, nobody has actually paid that sum for it - so the value is still very much 'theoretical').

Rich people buy expensive paintings by famous long-dead artists because 1) they might care about art and want to look at the paintings but mostly 2) it's a safe, solid investment that will never depreciate in value. I'm not sure this instrument will fall into this category.

Truth is, a well-made acoustic bass made of high-quality wood will probably sound just as good and probably play better. Might be a bit less cosmetically-appealing, but whatever.

I would love to own a post 1600 Caravaggio. Particularly “Death of the Virgin”. But I don’t have the money or space.

 

[BurningSkies]

I would love to own a post 1600 Caravaggio. Particularly “Death of the Virgin”. But I don’t have the money or space.

I agree. I don't have the wall space.

 

[Sin Nis]

I don’t care if I have that in my couch cushion I will never pay 1mill for a bass hell I would not pay over 5 g for one. I would be to damn paranoid to play it outside of my room with no one but me in it

 

[retslock]

TL;DR

I think this is brilliant marketing, by setting the price that high, they create buzz. These are being talked about on several forums that I belong to (there are 4 listed close to a million and 1 around 300K). Very smart to create buzz, though I will say they're beautiful.

But really...everyone is talking about the guitars they’re NOT going to buy.

 

[Durham52]

Ummm, indeed WE are....

Perhaps it's just because, well because the prices listed are so ***! They certainly make the gold inlayed and diamond encrusted "Royal Floral" bass, seem bargain priced at a mere a quarter of a million bucks.