SEI Waiter

[Paddy]

I've done the deed - I am now officially a SEI waiter.

I've always liked SEI's and I've toyed with the idea of getting one in the past. The clincher for me was Matthew Foote's thread on his SEI 7 string fretted - beautiful, beautiful bass - check his thread out. Matthew also kindly replied to a PM with positive noises.

Martin, Johnny & Alex at the Gallery are great guys to deal with. I've never done the custom thing before and I must admit I was quite apprehensive. The guys all put me at my ease and spent ages making sure everything was just right. You come away with the impression that they really will go the extra mile for you.

Martin and I spent ages looking at woods and Martins patience and knowledge really made the whole thing a great experience. I want a growly sound and it's nice for me that we are using interesting woods to try and achieve that.

Here's the spec so far

Flamboyant Offset 5 String
34" scale
7 Piece Neck - Wenge with Maple Stringers
Full Facing front & back - Bookmatched Madrona Burr
24 fret Fingerboard - Honduras Rosewood
Blue Side LED's
Walnut Wings
Gold Hardware
Brass Nut
ABM Bridge
Battery/Electronic covers cut from facing

I've asked for the Strapbutton to go behind the top horn so as not to spoil the lines.

The only thing left to decide is the pickups and electronics. What I do know is that it's going to be 2 humbuckers and the circuit is going to be a 3 band eq. I'll probably get some custom Kent Armstrongs but hey any ideas/suggestions out there?

Obviously things are going to be very quiet for a few months but I'll post details/photos here as and when I get them. So subscribe to the thread if your interested.

Only 8 months to go...

 

[A9X]

Congrats. Sei's are beautiful basses. I'd love a Flamboyant headless myself, but I've never played one and it's a big leap of faith and $ for me to order something on spec from the opposite end of the world.
Please remember to post pics when it's done.

 

[matthewfoote]

Paddy

Congratulations on taking the plunge now the wait begins

Do keep us informed as to progress with the obligatory photo's

Regards

Matthew

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Paddy,
Congrats! Another one in the Sei club here on TB!
We shall, of course, be demanding regular updates!

My next one may well be the new offset Flamboyant double-cutaway shape too. I love my singlecut 5, but the new doublecut may be the way to go...

 

[Paddy]

Thanks guys - I feel like a kid on Christmas eve again LOL

I should have said it's a headed 5 string. I'm probably going to get a bass clef inlay at the 12th fret - I'll speak to Martin later in the week (don't want to bother him every day!!).

I was toying with getting using my signature as an inlay but maybe that would be OTT.

Will keep you posted...

 

[macmrkt]

I'm a confirmed Anglophile. Had a Flamboyant 5 on order for a couple of months. Just saw that The Bass Gallery shop had an Offset in stock in Lacewood. They said it was finished and put up for sale 3 weeks prior. I guess since and no one grabbed they put it on the web. I happened to be checking their site that same day so I told them I'd take it. Then, I changed my custom order to a Single Cut I headless 5 finished in Wenge as shown in their gallery. It's been easy buying from the UK - especially since shipping from their to the US is fast and inexpensive (I don't know why that is so, especially since it's double the price for US to UK!?!)

 

[Lo end PUNCH]

Go one step better, make it a headless one.

 

[matthewfoote]

I'm a confirmed Anglophile. Had a Flamboyant 5 on order for a couple of months. Just saw that The Bass Gallery shop had an Offset in stock in Lacewood. They said it was finished and put up for sale 3 weeks prior. I guess since and no one grabbed they put it on the web. I happened to be checking their site that same day so I told them I'd take it. Then, I changed my custom order to a Single Cut I headless 5 finished in Wenge as shown in their gallery. It's been easy buying from the UK - especially since shipping from their to the US is fast and inexpensive (I don't know why that is so, especially since it's double the price for US to UK!?!)

Just checked the site, very nice pair of Sei's you have there sir.

Regards

Matthew

 

[macmrkt]

Just checked the site, very nice pair of Sei's you have there sir.
Regards
Matthew

I mentioned you when I last spoke to Martin. I don't know if he realizes the 'international web fame' you and he are creating. I can only hope they ship the headed Flam 5 this week as promised and I'm not thrown too far back on the wait list for changing to the Single Cut. The pair that I have now that I can say are very nice are my Status Graphites. Just got a workout on the S2 last night in a club...if the Sei's sound anywhere as good as these Status do and look as great in person as they do on the site, I may have to change nationality!

 

[Paddy]

Go one step better, make it a headless one.

I'm afraid headless basses have never really done it for me - don't know why. It just feels like somethings missing

I like the look of the Sei headstock and with the matching facing I believe it's going to look great.

macmrkt - I believe Martin may have shown me your Flam 5 to get some ideas (could be wrong). If I'm right it's a real looker - enjoy your Sei's

=== STOP PRESS ===
Just been sent a photo of my Bass. Martin does work fast

 

[catwig1]

Congratulations on your proto-bass! That should be an excellent sounding combination of woods and I envy you.
I don't think anyone who orders a bass from Martin will be disapointed
I'm pretty sure my next fretless will be a Sei. I played the best feeling fretless I have ever tried at the Gallery (a Sei jazz 5) and I think I need to order one of my own. I think Martin does the best set ups in London.
I hope to see lots of progress pics (and in action pics from macmrkt and Matthew)
Matt White
Oh, sort of off topic, did anyone get to see the documentary thing that the BBC did on the making of Yolanda Charles's Sei Flam?

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Oh, sort of off topic, did anyone get to see the documentary thing that the BBC did on the making of Yolanda Charles's Sei Flam?

Yep, saw it a few years back - he gave me a video of it when I was doing the first version of the Sei Bass website. I took the little video clip of the camera flying over the bass and digitised it for the site (most of the current Sei website is still my work from back in about '98). Yolanda's lovely too, met her a few times, and her Sei is quite an instrument.

 

[catwig1]

Cool. That Sei fly-by gif has been running round the back of mind for years thanks to you! Cool site design and the pics are improving lately with the front/back and close ups.
OT
I saw the video years ago (late 90s) and I was what inspired me to get a custom. I spoke to Martin after I had some cash and I decided that I didn't have enough knowledge on what I wanted to order a Sei. Then I waited another 5 years and got my Sei Jazz .
The problem is, once you start, you keep thinking of other options you also have (6st fretless, 5 SC, oldschool jazz) and it can become an addiction.
Hmmm, I wonder if that sounds familiar.....
Matt
OT

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Well, I have the Sei singlecut 5 now and love it, but I've already been through a Flamboyant 4 (on the site, on the LEDs page, the 4-string with the ziricote top, red LEDs and Lane Poor pickups) and a bizarre but lovely pseudo-Sei that Martin and Chris (when he worked there) made for me from a Brandoni through-neck body, a Bartolini MM pickup and a Kahler trem. I miss that bass more than any of the others... it got me through some hard times. I'd love to track it down again.

And next, I suspect, a Flamboyant 6 will be on the agenda!

 

[macmrkt]

Well, I have the Sei singlecut 5 now and love it, but I've already been through a Flamboyant 4...

Would you be able to describe the difference in sound between a Single Cut and Flamboyant Sei...I know there were other differences, but I was wondering how the Single Cut might affect sound. Also...do you know what Sei stands for? Thanks...

 

[Paddy]

Quick update

I've added the following 2 options to the specs

• Pickup Covers cut from the facing wood
• Inlays - Oval inlays at normal intervals (bit like some Alembics) along with a bass clef at the 12th

Still umming at the electronics but now erring towards a OBP-3 and a couple of Bartolinis

Later

 

[Rusty Chainsaw]

Would you be able to describe the difference in sound between a Single Cut and Flamboyant Sei...I know there were other differences, but I was wondering how the Single Cut might affect sound. Also...do you know what Sei stands for? Thanks...

Well, there are a lot of other custom appointments on my singlecut Sei that have an effect on the sound (custom-wound Kent Armstrong pickups, wood selection, etc), but, as for the singlecut vs. Flamboyant, I think the singlecut design tightens up the B string somewhat and enhances the fundamental - the bottom end on my bass is huge. The downside is it makes playing in the higher registers a little less "natural" feeling as obviously you can't wrap your thumb around the back of the neck as much.

I have no idea where Martin got the name Sei from. I guess it just sounds cool.

 

[bassplayer2106]

That's definately something that I want a Sei - I've been thinking about it for ages and need to arrange to go down and talk about it.
I've just put a deposit on a used Roscoe at the bass centre so it'll have to wait a bit now.
They are superb instruments though and everyone at the Gallery is really helpful and friendly, I've had a few things off them and you really can't fault the service that they provide.

 

[matthewfoote]

Quick update

I've added the following 2 options to the specs

• Pickup Covers cut from the facing wood
• Inlays - Oval inlays at normal intervals (bit like some Alembics) along with a bass clef at the 12th

Still umming at the electronics but now erring towards a OBP-3 and a couple of Bartolinis

Later

Paddy

This is sounding really good. I can't wait to see some progress pictures of this beast.

Regards

Matthew

 

[Paddy]

I forgot to add to this thread that Martin is putting the carbon reinforcement rods in for me.

I'm hurting now - nearly 4 months in and no photos as yet. I've asked a few times but Martin doesn't want to send me pics until we are a little further down the line.

Apparently we are at the following stage

• Wings Cut
• Neck cut and glued
• Facings cut and glued
• Fingerboard cut and LEDs in