Meazzi Hollywood (referenced) project

[JIO]

So much awesomeness! Love the Italian Fender case - do you ever see them for sale in Europe? And the partial clear/partial under-painted pg is great! Really inspiring. Here's a clear over full-frontal pg!

Here's some other Meazzi examples -

 

[Dynacord]

Great stuff! Meazzi made drums, too - and most of the 60's celluloid pearloid materials came from Italy so they had some crazy cool finishes - and really cool aesthetic sense.

I actually saw one of those cases for sale (though without the "for Fender" plate) but it was on the expensive side plus shipping from Italy and no real space to keep it and too many cases already (which just get used for storage) and I use gigbags for gigs - so it didn't make sense for just a novelty conversation piece even if I thought it was really cool...

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Jeez, I'm getting all kids of smart following this. So good.

 

[Haroldo]

Marvelously goofy! I look forward to what comes of this.

 

[Indiedog]

I was first made aware of the Meazzi Hollywood 34" scale '60s vintage Italian bass by @Dynacord 's tb post covering his recent acquisition of one. NBD! vintage Italian retro-futurist content So cool - it shot right to the top of my list of awesome vintage designs. They are pretty rare also. A guitar version was also made. (2nd pic)

Soooo.., my next project is going to be creating my own version of one. Not an authentic clone but a lovingly referenced version with the aim of maintaining the basses unique vibe/character with some contemporary improvements. The original bass is on the heavy side, so making a light-weight version is top priority. The original is semi-hollow-body in which the joint is hidden with a binding strip. (as seen in pic below) It has sophisticated electronics for being early '60s - reminiscent of Burns of London from the same period both introducing/pioneering active electronics. Read all about it on David's thread. To what extent I reference in this area is to-be-determined. I'm thinking of a twin P-bass pu set-up as I've always wondered how that would sound and David said it sounds more-or-less like a P-bass. Also thinking about mahogany and splitting the 1-1/4" thick (thinner than original) body in two for internal chambering/lightening. I did this on my Glam-P/J (alder/maple mix) and it gave the bass a unique subtly acoustic tone. The original has the jack on the rear but I will instead locate it on the front or side. I've tried a rear mounted jack once and it kept interfacing my body/leg in an uncomfortable manor. Sometimes what seems like a good idea never caught-on for a good reason.

David was nice enough to do tracings of the body, pg, control plates and body/hs badges - just got them yesterday. So now I need to start hunting/gathering what I'll need to start - starting with a nice 1 piece slab of wood for the body.

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Looks like a great project, JIO! (And thread)

As Bruce says, “crazy 60s custom metalwork.”

And I now have a new favorite phrase (“lovingly referenced”) and a new word (“JIOness”), thanks to Matt L.

 

[Reedt2000]

Reminds me of a Picasso portrait

Cool jumping off point, I'm in to see where it goes

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[JIO]

Reminds me of a Picasso portrait

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Cool jumping off point, I'm in to see where it goes

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Really spot-on observation! I find myself doing this all the time. An across-the-board design sense can be very related to what country it originates from. A major Italian influence/reference that completely crosses genre's is Wandre.

 

[JIO]

Great stuff! Meazzi made drums, too - and most of the 60's celluloid pearloid materials came from Italy so they had some crazy cool finishes - and really cool aesthetic sense.

I actually saw one of those cases for sale (though without the "for Fender" plate) but it was on the expensive side plus shipping from Italy and no real space to keep it and too many cases already (which just get used for storage) and I use gigbags for gigs - so it didn't make sense for just a novelty conversation piece even if I thought it was really cool...

Yah, I use a gig-bag also but at the moment don't have a HSC for every bass. Also would not want to pay what they are selling for - but they are cool.

 

[Dynacord]

Here's another Meazzi green - which I like better personally - though I've not seen it on a Jupiter:

This one knocks me out - "Aristocrat" - celluloid top - and that binding!

And drums!

 

[Dynacord]

Just have to show some of the drum finishes:

Jack DeJohnette with Miles:

 

[daveman50]

Love the Zodiac. It would make a great bass.

 

[JIO]

Just have to show some of the drum finishes:

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Jack DeJohnette with Miles:

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Lots of knobs on that Aristocrat! Seems like they'd get bumped a lot strumming though...
The Jupiter looks like a reverse "flying banana". (Yamaha)

Pretty outrageous drum skins! The crinkled-foil looking kit skin is crazy cool! The Hollywood badges are cool too. "Hollywood" was seen as such a magical name/place. Then there was the Hudson Hollywood Hornet. Would be cool to pull up to a gig driving this and unloading your Meazzi!

 

[Dynacord]

Lots of knobs on that Aristocrat! Seems like they'd get bumped a lot strumming though...
The Jupiter looks like a reverse "flying banana". (Yamaha)
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Pretty outrageous drum skins! The crinkled-foil looking kit skin is crazy cool! The Hollywood badges are cool too. "Hollywood" was seen as such a magical name/place. Then there was the Hudson Hollywood Hornet. Would be cool to pull up to a gig driving this and unloading your Meazzi!

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Ha! My step dad still has a Hudson Hornet - not a common car!

Has California plates now.

 

[Dynacord]

And, yes, the Zodiac has a bit of a quasi-reverse banana thing going on (though I think the Zodiac pre-dates the banana).

Then there's always the totally whack Crucianelli Spazial - Devo way before Devo - which also came in a bass version!

Love that color...

I kind of like the forward swept thing with the headstock. On the Jupiter, I think the existing obviously derivative of Fender headstock is a bit of an afterthought given how wild the rest of the bass is.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

And, yes, the Zodiac has a bit of a quasi-reverse banana thing going on (though I think the Zodiac pre-dates the banana).

Then there's always the totally whack Crucianelli Spazial - Devo way before Devo - which also came in a bass version!

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Love that color...

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I kind of like the forward swept thing with the headstock. On the Jupiter, I think the existing obviously derivative of Fender headstock is a bit of an afterthought given how wild the rest of the bass is.

There is a pants version...I like your version better.

 

[JIO]

Ha! My step dad still has a Hudson Hornet - not a common car!

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Has California plates now.

Nice! A friend had a '56 Nash Ambassador that was similar. Like driving around in a luxury liner!

And, yes, the Zodiac has a bit of a quasi-reverse banana thing going on (though I think the Zodiac pre-dates the banana).

Then there's always the totally whack Crucianelli Spazial - Devo way before Devo - which also came in a bass version!

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Love that color...

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I kind of like the forward swept thing with the headstock. On the Jupiter, I think the existing obviously derivative of Fender headstock is a bit of an afterthought given how wild the rest of the bass is.

They should have called it the Crescent or Moon guitar/bass!

 

[JIO]

There is a pants version...I like your version better.View attachment 4348569

Is that a bass in your pocket or are you glad to... never mind...

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Is that a bass in your pocket or are you glad to... never mind...

 

[JIO]

'Entitled' OP derail (...it's my thread and I'll do what I want...) - covering an interesting project I was 'enlisted' to do. Kind-of a long story but it caused me to think about a lot of things in the process which is why I bother to post this. (we all appreciate thinking/reflection here am I right?) So my partner Beth has long-time good friends (and I am friends through her but more recently) who have a young talented son who wanted to build his own bass. He can play piano and guitar and sings. (has a lovely voice) His parents are musicians/songwriters and he's an only child.

His fathers brother (in the form fabrication biz handed down from their father) CNC'd my SuperB years ago so he still has that program. He used (not sure if this was done prior to me being asked...) it to cut out a quilted maple (top)/mahogany (back) version for the bass. "Version" because the SuperB is a 5'r and because of the width of their available wood, the G side was truncated from my original design. O...K... most parts were secured but as they are not versed in such - tuners were not the correct post size and other parts weren't considered. Their original concept was to "assemble it/finish it" in 3 days... I was highly skeptical but thought, I'll see what we can do.

This is my first reflection; I hate stress. I mean, if it were a generic 'kit bass', it would have been possible. The neck is a generic P-style and parts are decent; Duncan pu's, pot/cap/cloth wire/jack packet, decent bent-plate bridge and knobs. (all in gold) As mentioned, provided tuners were not going to fit. He wants Y-style and it's a Fender 11/16" hole hs. Hipshots are coming - one of the few companies that have large post-barrel Y-style tuners... in gold. So it won't be finished in 3 days, which I determined after the end of the day yesterday.

Along with hating (non-paying) deadlines, I realized that even though this bass was re-defined against my will - I wasn't going to simply 'knock-off' a hodge-podge version of one of my designs. My designs are me/represent me and I needed to reclaim it. I further sculpted the G side bout into acceptable harmony with the rest of the body and will shave down the generic neck heal to conform with my cut down (from 5 to 4) neck platform.

The other thing I realized is that creating a bass is a lot of work. Detailed, skilled work with much fussy-work. It's why I sell my basses for the price I ask - this is not assembly-line "factory" - it is artisan. Hours of work with the goal of creating a bass that is 100% in its sound, playability and looks. Nothing to be taken for granted. It's just weird how some people do.

I'll post more pics as it evolves. Back to our regularly scheduled programing...

 

[Dynacord]

Then there was the Hudson Hollywood Hornet. Would be cool to pull up to a gig driving this and unloading your Meazzi!

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As we are well derailed already This was the coolest matched set I've had: