I did a search; but couldn't find a sustained thread for posting the Mutt basses.
For the purposes of this thread, let's define beater to mean that you play at least 20% of your gigs (or willingness to do so) with the instrument; AND you are perfectly comfortable taking it in an UNPADDED gig bag on the plane; where they just might toss it down the chute into stowage or someone might jam their roller board against it in the overhead. That should cover it.
Mine is a true mutt.
The body is a Warmoth J, that I bought in 1988. The paint job was a nitro shot done by Bryan Galloup at the Guitar Hospital. I've had at least four other necks on it through the years. I carved out the body near the truss screw; so, I don't have to take the neck off for adjustment. The lower edge of the neck pocket got knocked off and glued back on after one neck swap. I've used a Sharpie liberally to coat the damaged areas. The guard is a beat up Fender I got off eBay for cheap.
The neck is an MIM 60's; hardware is vintage RI parts, sharked off the bay. Plus a HipShot.
I recently installed a Sadowsky preamp and Delano JMVC4 pickups, a package I favor in a J. I had Pat Wilkins install the preamp to get it right. He informed me that, since this was clearly, ahem a "player" bass, he wouldn't put any effort into the cosmetics.
The patina is the funk. Wish I could capture it in the pictures. COMPLETELY checked and NEVER cleaned. "Dirt keeps the Funk." The bass has been on airplanes by carry on in a cheap non-padded gig bag multiple times. Hasn't had to go in stowage; but, that would be ok too.
BTW; it sounds MONSTER. You definitely do not have to have an arm and a leg into a bass to have a killer player. Mutt's are great! BTW, this one is called the Bass of Clubs. For obvious reasons.
For the purposes of this thread, let's define beater to mean that you play at least 20% of your gigs (or willingness to do so) with the instrument; AND you are perfectly comfortable taking it in an UNPADDED gig bag on the plane; where they just might toss it down the chute into stowage or someone might jam their roller board against it in the overhead. That should cover it.
Mine is a true mutt.
The body is a Warmoth J, that I bought in 1988. The paint job was a nitro shot done by Bryan Galloup at the Guitar Hospital. I've had at least four other necks on it through the years. I carved out the body near the truss screw; so, I don't have to take the neck off for adjustment. The lower edge of the neck pocket got knocked off and glued back on after one neck swap. I've used a Sharpie liberally to coat the damaged areas. The guard is a beat up Fender I got off eBay for cheap.
The neck is an MIM 60's; hardware is vintage RI parts, sharked off the bay. Plus a HipShot.
I recently installed a Sadowsky preamp and Delano JMVC4 pickups, a package I favor in a J. I had Pat Wilkins install the preamp to get it right. He informed me that, since this was clearly, ahem a "player" bass, he wouldn't put any effort into the cosmetics.
The patina is the funk. Wish I could capture it in the pictures. COMPLETELY checked and NEVER cleaned. "Dirt keeps the Funk." The bass has been on airplanes by carry on in a cheap non-padded gig bag multiple times. Hasn't had to go in stowage; but, that would be ok too.
BTW; it sounds MONSTER. You definitely do not have to have an arm and a leg into a bass to have a killer player. Mutt's are great! BTW, this one is called the Bass of Clubs. For obvious reasons.
