NBD: custom designed hand made Precision style Bass

[Charlzm]

Occasionally I run across something that just catches my eye and I want it. In this case I saw this on the CL and worked out a trade. It's made from over 40 layers of Canadian hard maple. All Hipshot hardware and Geezer Butler pickups are installed on this bass. It weighs 10 pounds and is definitely a one of a kind.

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That's an... um... interesting? finish.

Certainly unique. People will notice when you show up to a gig with that one. Sounds good/plays well?

 

[bassstrangler]

That's an... um... interesting? finish.

Certainly unique. People will notice when you show up to a gig with that one. Sounds good/plays well?

Well gee...um...thanks.

It plays and sounds great. It's the first bass I've ever owned that my wife has actually commented on.

 

[bassstrangler]

To be fair this could have gone much more awry. There are also multi-laminate wood marital aids.

Gross, I can only think about splinters.

 

[redwingxix]

That might be the first time a wife made a comment about a specific bass rather than just the quantity of basses in the home.

 

[Williethump]

It will shrug off all weather while staying dimensionaly stable, staying in tune and shooting straight. Plus you can count the rings and tell how old it is. It's cool and reminds me very little of my old custom Forest Walsh Telepath clone guitar.

 

[scuzzy]

Where does this picture come from? I think I recognize it as something my uncle used to make. Reinhart Fajen was the world’s premier manufacturer of custom gun stocks for many years and especially known for use of exotic woods and producing unusual stock shapes. Some used zebra wood, which has alternating light and dark grain that would be lined up in the fashion shown in the photo.

Many of the more radical ones were for competition shooters I believe. The operation is essentially still going under the name of Wenig, who was the main guy running the shop for Reinhart.

Otto

I yanked it without permission from Richards microfit .I have bought from them before, they do solid work.

 

[bassstrangler]

Cool. Actually I don’t think Reinhart did much with laminates, mostly just solid wood stocks. I suspect the competition stocks he did like this would have been zebra wood if they had this look. I know one guy actually had over 100 of the same 30/06 rifle and he had Reinhart make the same model of stock for each rifle, each in a different species of wood, but no laminates in that collection.

Otto

Fascinating

 

[JimmyM]

I like everything but the weight. Can't do those heavier basses anymore. But I think it's a great idea and recycles a lot of wood that would get tossed otherwise. Anyone who says laminated bodies can't sound good is listening with their eyes.

 

[petrus61]

I know you have read the thread, but for other members, it is not a Bass made from old skateboards.

Are you sure it’s not made from old skateboards?







J/K

Looks awesome!

 

[bassbenj]

I like everything but the weight. Can't do those heavier basses anymore. But I think it's a great idea and recycles a lot of wood that would get tossed otherwise. Anyone who says laminated bodies can't sound good is listening with their eyes.

Majority of of high end drums are built from maple laminate. There is no doubt that they sound great. Plywood has a bad rap from the cheap nasty plywood used on cheap basses in the 60s. I would expect the weight to be more than 10 pounds though as maple is kind of heavy, Better would be to also have a laminate neck. I've wanted to do that for some time as kind of a poor man's graphite neck. I wonder why that isn't done more given that nearly all drums are laminates as solid wood is actually much more expensive to build with.

 

[Williethump]

This plywood bodied Epiphone Bully guitar sounded great.
My Ovation Balladeer's beautiful neck was laminated and famously stable.
Novice Norcal luthier Forrest Walsh's 8th build was this Telecaster clone he called a Telepath. Yes, it was heavy, but you don't see that every day.