Picking up my new Carl Thompson bass

[Shifttheparadigm]

I was fondling the youtubes one day last April and came across Carl Thompson's youtube Channel and loved everything he stood for. I wanted to learn how to build instruments from him. Eventually I got his number, worked up the nerve, gave him a call and he told me he would have no problem for me to shadow him in the shop for a day. That day I learn a lot from the jazz cat Carl Thompson. 1 The best gift is the ability to share yours. 2 If you can get up, do it. 3 He regrets not putting more effort in music, instead of bass making.

Hearing that he regrets bass making, made me want to forget the idea of making basses myself. Focusing my energy on making music and doing what he regrets not doing. In my opinion I truly don't believe he regrets making basses but is frustrated that he is constantly living pay-check to pay-check.

After half a year of sporadically visiting Carl at his jazz shows @ Pane e Vino in Brooklyn on Sundays and listening to his music, stories and wisdom, I saved up the cash and gave Carl "the call". A little over a month later I received the bass with my birth date on the back.

Carl and I hanging

Parting ways to our gigs

Bass Pics

Performing later that night with my new CT...



I'd like to here others experiences picking up a Carl Thompson bass?

 

[Basshappi]

What fantastic story to go along with a fantastic bass, congratulations!

 

[SirMjac28]

That's a gorgeous bass congrats and with the prices of those basses I don't know if I believe the "paycheck to paycheck" part of the story he told you from what I understand he has a well deserved long waiting list. I love his work his basses are just stunning thanks for sharing the pictures and stories they are very cool.

 

[groooooove]

that's awesome.

his basses aren't my thing now that i'm in a position that i could buy one if i wanted to.. but when i was a kid.. all i wanted was a CT bass, just like claypool.

i will say that i admire his individualism in the bass world. his construction, visual apeal, tonal characteristics, are all his own. and thats wonderful. i don't know how old carl is, but do know that you're lucky to be getting some wisdom from one of the true masters. the electric bass is a young instrument, really the youngest i know of aside from completely electronically generated sounds. in hundreds of years, who's to say that carl won't be viewed the way we now talk about amati, del gesu, stradivari, and all the others in the violin world? maybe its a stretch- but maybe its not.

enjoy that bass, and put to use everything you learned in the CT workshop- there are a lot of bass makers out there who diddn't get to hang with carl.

 

[Spent]

Very cool. I know how you feel, I recently got to spend a few hours with Stuart Spector. I have four Spectors so it was an amazing experience meeting the man behind the instrument, I equated it to visiting Santa's workshop. I've had a couple of great conversations with Marin Keith as well. There is something about bass instrument/equipment builders, they are among the nicest people in the world, surprisingly humble and approachable. Stuart was genuinely grateful for my business.

Congrats on a beautiful bass! And a great story to go with it.

 

[neptoon]

very cool! i always have been a fan of carl, and i really enjoy watching all of his youtube vids...sustain....tooooooonewoods...bullsh*t! SO funny! cool story! i dig your band's sound...super unique with bass, flute and drums...

 

[Gorn]

Nice bass.

Does the guy in the blue jacket have some kind of beef with you?

 

[ReneB]

Nice bass.

Does the guy in the blue jacket have some kind of beef with you?

I think it's a gorgeous bass, too. Congrats.

Now, on the guy in the blue jacket .... maybe he's just wondering what do you have to do to get to shake Carl's hand ... so, I'm thinking maybe he's a little jealous is all.

 

[Lo-E]

I've known Carl for years and he's truly a great guy. Eccentric, at times flaky and generous to a fault.

I met him in '89 when his business wasn't really happening and he was mostly doing repair work and teaching swing guitar out of his small apartment. He had fashioned a little workshop in his galley kitchen and it was there that he declined doing some repairs for me - instead having me stop by his apartment after work for a week or so to do the repairs myself, under his guidance, in order to save me some money. It was also in that kitchen workshop that he got the order from Les Claypool to build the first "rainbow" bass. It was that high-profile build that put Carl back on the map and got him up and running in a shop again. Prior to that, he was starting to sell off his prototypes to a collector in Japan just to make ends meet. I go back to visit or to buy strings from him from time to time and he's always gracious and kind.

....with the prices of those basses I don't know if I believe the "paycheck to paycheck" part of the story he told you from what I understand he has a well deserved long waiting list.

I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure Carl's not getting rich. For one thing, he doesn't have the business sense God gave a duck. He's an artist; a musician and luthier and sculptor; business is just not his strong suit. For another, he's got a lot of health issues. He charges a lot for his basses, but he doesn't turn out a lot of them and I think that's more what the long waiting list is about.

 

[Shifttheparadigm]

That's a gorgeous bass congrats and with the prices of those basses I don't know if I believe the "paycheck to paycheck" part of the story he told you from what I understand he has a well deserved long waiting list. I love his work his basses are just stunning thanks for sharing the pictures and stories they are very cool.

I think the problem is he lives in NYC and one bass is two months rent.

 

[Shifttheparadigm]

that's awesome.

his basses aren't my thing now that i'm in a position that i could buy one if i wanted to.. but when i was a kid.. all i wanted was a CT bass, just like claypool.

i will say that i admire his individualism in the bass world. his construction, visual apeal, tonal characteristics, are all his own. and thats wonderful. i don't know how old carl is, but do know that you're lucky to be getting some wisdom from one of the true masters. the electric bass is a young instrument, really the youngest i know of aside from completely electronically generated sounds. in hundreds of years, who's to say that carl won't be viewed the way we now talk about amati, del gesu, stradivari, and all the others in the violin world? maybe its a stretch- but maybe its not.

enjoy that bass, and put to use everything you learned in the CT workshop- there are a lot of bass makers out there who diddn't get to hang with carl.

I hold close to my heart the moments spent with Carl and reflect on them every time I pick up my bass.

 

[Shifttheparadigm]

Very cool. I know how you feel, I recently got to spend a few hours with Stuart Spector. I have four Spectors so it was an amazing experience meeting the man behind the instrument, I equated it to visiting Santa's workshop. I've had a couple of great conversations with Marin Keith as well. There is something about bass instrument/equipment builders, they are among the nicest people in the world, surprisingly humble and approachable. Stuart was genuinely grateful for my business.

Congrats on a beautiful bass! And a great story to go with it.

Yes, I agree Christmas came a month earlier for me especially going to "Santa's workshp". That's cool you got to meet Stuart Spector & Marin Keith.

 

[David Jayne]

I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure Carl's not getting rich. .

Probably not. Divide the price of the bass by the number of months it takes to make one to get a rough idea. Nobody gets rich doing what he does.

 

[Shifttheparadigm]

very cool! i always have been a fan of carl, and i really enjoy watching all of his youtube vids...sustain....tooooooonewoods...bullsh*t! SO funny! cool story! i dig your band's sound...super unique with bass, flute and drums...

Total ********, "Put things in the right place". Thanks, we are planning a coast to coast tour maybe we can hit up Albuquerque, Keep progressing Shift the Paradigm.

 

[Shifttheparadigm]

Nice bass.

Does the guy in the blue jacket have some kind of beef with you?

That's our drummer, he is from San Diego and not use to temperatures below 50 degrees.

 

[Gorn]

That's our drummer, he is from San Diego and not use to temperatures below 50 degrees.

That makes sense. Either he's really cold or planning your murder.

 

[ReneB]

ahh, now that makes perfect sense! he doesn't have a beef with you, he's just wondering why the hell you guys are taking so long making 'small talk' in the "freezing cold" ... poor thing!

 

[Shifttheparadigm]

I've known Carl for years and he's truly a great guy. Eccentric, at times flaky and generous to a fault.

I met him in '89 when his business wasn't really happening and he was mostly doing repair work and teaching swing guitar out of his small apartment. He had fashioned a little workshop in his galley kitchen and it was there that he declined doing some repairs for me - instead having me stop by his apartment after work for a week or so to do the repairs myself, under his guidance, in order to save me some money. It was also in that kitchen workshop that he got the order from Les Claypool to build the first "rainbow" bass. It was that high-profile build that put Carl back on the map and got him up and running in a shop again. Prior to that, he was starting to sell off his prototypes to a collector in Japan just to make ends meet. I go back to visit or to buy strings from him from time to time and he's always gracious and kind.

I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure Carl's not getting rich. For one thing, he doesn't have the business sense God gave a duck. He's an artist; a musician and luthier and sculptor; business is just not his strong suit. For another, he's got a lot of health issues. He charges a lot for his basses, but he doesn't turn out a lot of them and I think that's more what the long waiting list is about.

Really cool story, that sounds like Carl to a T.

 

[phillybass101]

Many moons ago I was on a Bus heading home for Thanksgiving Break from College in Upstate NY. On the Bus I met Tom Barney Jr. I got on the Bus with my Bass a Fretless P and Tom comes up to me and introduces himself. Of course I already knew who he was as he was a Badd Cat even back then. I proudly showed him my Fretless and then he goes let me show you mine. He had a Carl Thompson. Blew me away. This was back in the mid to late 70's. Your story and Bass are Way Cool!!!!

 

[hsech]

He da man! That bass is beautiful. Congrats. Is he sleeping in the first picture or just grooving to the music?