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Meazzi Hollywood (referenced) project
- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Sure looks cool
The artwork must be custom, right?
Looks like the action is pretty high, hopefully just a neck angle adjustment
Yes - it looks really cool. Original artwork on a Czech bass by a Czech artist done with metallic pens. (which are permanent paints in a pen-based vehicle) As long as the bass itself is generally solid/etc - if I need to do some rudimentery set-up etc - that's ok. A cracked body or totally warped neck and I'll need to report it, but I'm open to stay positive of it being acceptable and 'close enough for jazz'.
I've seen many examples of 'artistic' treatments on basses on eBay and as much as they look to be competently done... I'm pretty critical being a discerning artist myself. (or at least critical in the respect that I'm not drawn to/wouldn't be interested in that particular artistic treatment) But as soon as as I saw this bass, I was expressly drawn to the way it was artistically treated. The artist has a real feel for shapes/forms/patterns/materials and also how those shapes/forms/patterns/materials play over a non-linear/sculptural surface. It's a little like excelling at 3D chess - and she nailed it. The quirkiness of it being a '70s Czech bass was a secondary consideration - I've seen examples of this brand of bass but only in passing have I ever been drawn to them to consider purchasing one. No, I consider this purchase a celebration/support of the artist first and foremost, and if it's a playable bass that sounds 'interesting'... bonus. If it's just ok as a playable instrument, so be it - I will then take great pleasure in it visually over many years honoring the artist. To me that is how art works at the grass-roots. It is created by a gifted artist that then has the potential to enrich ones life regardless of its reason/intent to come into being. "Hey Elena.., could you do something (artistic) with this guitar?" ... "ok"
Looks like the action is pretty high, hopefully just a neck angle adjustment
These East Bloc basses are really crude - most have no truss rods, baseball bat profiles, frets that were just pressed in and not dressed at all, etc. - with some work they can be made reasonably playable and can actually sometimes sound pretty good/characteristic. I used a Bulgarian Orfeus bass of similar vintage on this track (from a film soundtrack - film was set in the 60's so it sort of fits)
My favorite low-tech detail on that bass is that the bridge saddles are just slot head screws where the slots were filed to the string size. It works - even if anathema to hi-mass fans...
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
It's got that Turtles happy poppy feel - love it! I owned a '60s white National Reso-Glas (fiberglass) bodied short-scale bass for a few years and it had a very 'unique' tone/sound.., like being played in a plastic shower stall. 
One of those basses I wish I still had as a "collectable" (now selling for way more than I paid for mine in the mid-'80s and sold through Real Guitars in the early '90s for 1/2 of what I originally paid for it ~) The bridge was a piezo-type pu so it was a two pu bass. I flew with it once and it fit in the overhead compartment! not mine - one like it
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
For reference, here's another Jolana hollow-body in a nice blue finish -
not mine - one like it
View attachment 4375920
Turtles was exactly what we were going for on that one so I'm very happy you picked up on that
Singer on there is Spencer Gibb (son of Maurice of the Bee Gees). That Reso-Glas sure is cool. You might remember in Real a bit later there was an Ampeg Devil bass (with the mystery pickup). That was one I consigned there. Wouldn't mind still having it....
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Turtles was exactly what we were going for on that one so I'm very happy you picked up on that
That Reso-Glas sure is cool. You might remember in Real a bit later there was an Ampeg Devil bass (with the mystery pickup). That was one I consigned there. Wouldn't mind still having it....
I remember that Ampeg Devil bass - I think that was the 1st awareness of one for me. Oh, also a big Bee Gees fan. (still am!)
My recent Devil Magnum ...
Some serious art there! It's so cool to see a Jolana here, I love them (and other eastern bloc stuff) but hardly ever see them stateside. IMHO they made some of the best instruments from that area, some of their designs were really interesting. (You should check out their "Galaxis" bass, that name seems kind of familiar!
) I don't know if the Kolor Bass came with it, but some Jolanas had a strap button that unscrewed to become a slot-head screwdriver for working on them. I have two Jolanas and they both have pretty beefy maple necks so hopefully that one will have held up as well. It looks fairly original too except for the tuners and pickup selector switch (and the fantastic paint job!). Looking forward to seeing this one!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Thanks! Here's the thread for it - Devil MagnumI'm sure - there was some serious talent genes in that family! I personally rank The Bee Gees right up there with the Beatles and (Brian Wilson's) Beach Boys in the late '60s. Most people think disco when they hear their name (and FTR they did some of the best disco) but that was just one phase of their development. All the solid #1 hits they did up to that point were my soundtrack as a young teen.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Some serious art there! It's so cool to see a Jolana here, I love them (and other eastern bloc stuff) but hardly ever see them stateside. IMHO they made some of the best instruments from that area, some of their designs were really interesting. (You should check out their "Galaxis" bass, that name seems kind of familiar!
Should have figured that name was out there!
And that will be something I'll investigate (possible strap-button/screwdriver) - take that Leo! If you have pics of your Jolana basses, please post the here - I'd love to see them.Sure thing! Here's my '86 "Disco Bass"(totally not an Gibson RDShould have figured that name was out there!
). I think this one spent time in a Czech or Russian punk band, as it's very road-worn and you can see a bunch of sticker "shadows" on it under blacklight. It's a full 34'' scale and very long, but surprisingly light for it's size. There are two volumes, one for each p/u, and each pot has a small capacitor wired in as a preset "tone". You just mix to taste.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Sure thing! Here's my '86 "Disco Bass"(totally not an Gibson RD
Sure thing! Here's my '86 "Disco Bass"(totally not an Gibson RD
Nice! And the color, too. I do think the 80's ones tend to be a good deal better built than much of the 60's and 70's stuff. The Jolanas and Musimas (DDR) tend to be the better ones. Some of the Polish Defils are decent in a kitschy way - they even did a knock off Gibson Moderne - the Defil factory was about 15 miles from where I am.
And my '70 Basso IX. This bass is probably my favorite "retro-cool" design ever. These were introduced in '67 and I think the Space Race had a bit of an effect on their design! This one was my "white whale", it spent time in an recording studio collection and is in fantastic condition. Someone lacquered the fingerboard black and added a sticker, but I think that just enhanced the overall look. It has 2 single-coils, with a 3-way selector, master volume, and a 3-way "tone switch". One position is darker, one is neutral/brighter, and the other one is a total bass-cut. (surf guitar!) It balances shockingly well, holds tune with very comfortable playing action, and only weighs 5lbs!
Excellent!
On the black lacquered fingerboard, some of the East Bloc ones did that stock in place of rosewood/ebony (not sure if Jolana ever did).
Defil's Lotos bass (Hagstrom copy) was really cool too.
Yep. The Mambo is pretty nice as well - though a fairly conventional design.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
