Langcaster Basses - wild wood

[Thunderitter]

Check out the wood on these chaps (and the headstocks)!

Currently on eBay a four and five stringer. BINs of $3300 and $3400 respectively!

The Five Stringer:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Langcaster-5-St...oryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The Four Stringer:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Langcaster-4-St...oryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[crkempton]

those headstocks are atrocious.

 

[capnsandwich]

Although I do like the body design I don't find the wood choice very attractive, IMO.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

It seems odd to have a plain looking, one piece maple neck on a body like that.........at prices like that I don't mind the headstocks. They don't look like hamburger flippers or billboards.

 

[Jjango]

Beautiful wood ≠ beautiful bass.

 

[tbrannon]

The basses are made in NZ- the headstocks are meant to reflect Maori traditional carvings....I think the builder is a Dutch fellow living in Auckland. He's made a few basses using the Lightwave optical pickups and will pretty much build the bass around whatever pickups/electronics you provide. I actually contacted him at one point when I was living there for a quote (and asked if a different headstock could be used).

The wood is Swamp Kauri-

I agree- the headstocks are *not* my favorite.

 

[Earwigger]

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EDIT: I guess they changed them. Anyway, the wood is some 30,000 year old swamp root.

 

[bongomania]

The name just immediately reminds me of the infamous "wangcaster" that is forbidden on TB.

 

[mongo2]

Now THAT'S some vintage wood.

 

[Mr_Dave]

the bridge pickup on the 2nd one looks awful close to the bridge...

 

[peterbright]

I like the "wild" wood. The headstock is not my cup of tea.

 

[vindy500]

its swamp kauri, ridiculously expensive over here, and non existent else where

 

[Barkless Dog]

Once explained I like it better, before I thought it was not a clear design. Weird wood & headstock with a somewhat normal shaped body. Kind of a miss match to me, design wise.

 

[Fuzzbass]

It's so ugly I actually think it's cool!

 

[Tom Howland]

I believe Tom Hamilton has a Langcaster Bass.

It was on cover of Bassplayer a few years back.

 

[Angus]

Anyway, the wood is some 30,000 y.... Those are huge, ugly inclusions/voids/rot.

 

[Thunderitter]

As brannon says the headstock reflect Maori carvings. In particular it reminds me of a Wahaika, which is a hand club very akin to a Tomahawk.

Here's a picture of one:

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[Fuzzbass]

As brannon says the headstock reflect Maori carvings. In particular it reminds me of a Wahaika, which is a hand club very akin to a Tomahawk.

Here's a picture of one:

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The headstock shape is very cool, but the way the tuners are arranged is... unusual.

 

[synaesthesia]

I believe Tom Hamilton has a Langcaster Bass.

It was on cover of Bassplayer a few years back.

That wasn't a Langcaster which is made in NZ with Kauri, a wood revered in NZ for its strength and beauty, it was a Tomkins, which is made in Australia, a diferent country, and the instruments Tomkins make are made with quite different woods.

http://www.tomkinsguitars.com/news.html

 

[vindy500]

Yeah, swamp root and a LOT of glue and filler.

Those are huge, ugly inclusions/voids/rot.

its sap buddy