New (vintage) bass day-

[woodyng2]

-and i’m loving it!
‘81 Veillette-Citron.
I had an 8-string VC back in the early 80s,and regretted selling it.
Always wanted to try a 4 string, but of course they’re rare, and because of that, overpriced.
I traded a nice Rick for it, but very happy with it!

 

[garp]

Nice! How long did it take to track that beauty down? I know next to nothing about V-Cs, but I'm guessing that thumb-rail thing ain't original...right?

 

[woodyng2]

Nice! How long did it take to track that beauty down? I know next to nothing about V-Cs, but I'm guessing that thumb-rail thing ain't original...right?

As a matter of fact, it was a factory(if i can use that word) option.
It’s glued in to a slot in the body,so there’s no removing it.

 

[woodyng2]

As for tracking one down, this one sort of found me.
Sometimes Facebook can be useful!

 

[woodyng2]

Nice! How long did it take to track that beauty down? I know next to nothing about V-Cs, but I'm guessing that thumb-rail thing ain't original...right?

The company was in business for about 6 years in the early ‘80s.
They seemed to have a great reputation, and made super high quality instruments, but only made around 300 instruments total. I’ve seen a few basses on Reverb and other sites very occasionally, and always priced in the stratosphere. They are not too dissimilar to Rickenbackers in construction. (But Better in some ways ). Maple bodies, 3 or more piece laminated neck-through-body construction.
Not sure if the pickups are SC or HB, but they sound great.
I am over the moon to own one again, after a near-40-year absence.
This bass had the original strap knobs removed and replaced with Schaller straplocks,which is fine with me,matches my Rickenbackers.

 

[Eilif]

Lovely bass. Classy and understated but clearly it's own thing.

 

[P. Aaron]

Congrats. Nice looking bass.

Reminds me of Pedulla in a way.

 

[woodyng2]

Congrats. Nice looking bass.

Reminds me of Pedulla in a way.

Thanks!
Yes, both the body shape, and the amoeba-like upper horn.

 

[Abner]

You don't often see neck-through basses with truss rod adjustments at the heel.

And pretty much zero basses (and guitars, for that matter) with pickups mounted by screws from the back of the body. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

 

[woodyng2]

You don't often see neck-through basses with truss rod adjustments at the heel.

And pretty much zero basses (and guitars, for that matter) with pickups mounted by screws from the back of the body. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

I’m not sure, but i think Alembic did both,too.
Veillette Citron was known as the “East Coast Alembic”,for their similarities and quality.

 

[woodyng2]

Lovely bass. Classy and understated but clearly it's own thing.

I love my Rickenbackers, and i always thought the VC basses were similar.(if you got the less fancy models). Those were very much like alembic/ken smiths with many more laminates and fancier woods.

 

[woodyng2]

Congrats. Nice looking bass.
Reminds me of Pedulla in a way.

Looky what i found on the interweb!

 

[Clark W]

I love the thumb rail. Not from an aesthetic point, but from a functional point of view. They aren't very aesthetic and probably why you don't see them on 99.9% of the basses out there. But how hard would it be to make them the same color of the body, especially on solid colored bodies? Luthiers take notice!

Congrats on your find!

 

[Clark W]

The company was in business for about 6 years in the early ‘80s.
They seemed to have a great reputation, and made super high quality instruments, but only made around 300 instruments total. I’ve seen a few basses on Reverb and other sites very occasionally, and always priced in the stratosphere. They are not too dissimilar to Rickenbackers in construction. (But Better in some ways ). Maple bodies, 3 or more piece laminated neck-through-body construction.
Not sure if the pickups are SC or HB, but they sound great.
I am over the moon to own one again, after a near-40-year absence.
This bass had the original strap knobs removed and replaced with Schaller straplocks,which is fine with me,matches my Rickenbackers.

Veillette-Citron closed in 1983, but... Joe Veillette is still churning out guitars, basses, and acoustics out of Woodstock, NY.

Talk about a resume, he worked with Stuart Spector and then Michael Tobias. He's been in bands and been a studio musician as well. And to think he originally started out as an architectural designer in NYC.
About Veillette Guitars

 

[buldog5151bass]

Nice looking bass. But when I hear an '80s instrument being called vintage, I suddenly feel old...

 

[woodyng2]

I love the thumb rail. Not from an aesthetic point, but from a functional point of view. They aren't very aesthetic and probably why you don't see them on 99.9% of the basses out there. But how hard would it be to make them the same color of the body, especially on solid colored bodies? Luthiers take notice!

Congrats on your find!

Personally, I don’t much care for the look of them, but I wasn’t about to quibble when this opportunity came up!
They did make these out of the same wood as the fretboards for some continuity, but matching the body color would have been brilliant. Also,I don’t anchor my thumb when i play fingerstyle, so I don’t really get any benefit from it being there.

 

[woodyng2]

Nice looking bass. But when I hear an '80s instrument being called vintage, I suddenly feel old...

I totally understand the feeling!
I mostly have newer instruments,but i do have a ‘74 Rick 4000, and a ‘79 Yamaha BB 1200.

 

[JRA]

ha! vintage or not: neat looking piece! glad you're liking the vibe of it. congratulations on your new instrument!