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Double Bass Shen Owner's Club

#361
Shen-owners-collective...

I've picked up this Shen bass recently but can't be sure exactly what it is I've got! So I thought I would put it here and see what the experts think. I emailed Steve Swan and he thinks its an SB300. I'm awaiting a response from John Sprague as well. Either way I figure some better photos would help so maybe what they see here will help.

Little bit of the history that I know of. An Australian bassist bought it from Michael Hicks whilst in Shanghai last year. He thinks Michael bought it directly from Sam Shen (no idea when). He also thinks he used it on this album with Esperanza Spalding:

Its had a bit of a tough life, and over the last year has been lugged around Shanghai and the London underground and played at Ronnie Scott's etc. It took a sizeable knock on the lower bout (I think during transit from Shanghai to London) that has been repaired, but doesn't look too pretty. I'll be getting it looked at by Marytn Bailey soon so that it can be brought back into good condition.

I'm very pleased with it overall but curious what exactly it is, especially as it appears to be nicely figured maple sides and back with a spruce top - an early version of the SB200? a custom job request? a limited edition? an SB300?

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#362
Nice bass! The label says SB200 W, which is the standard 3/4 Willow flatback model. But it's not! Definitely looks like my SB200, but with maple roundback. I believe it is far from uncommon, especially if it was made in the mid/late 2000's.
 
#363
Adagio said:
Nice bass! The label says SB200 W, which is the standard 3/4 Willow flatback model. But it's not! Definitely looks like my SB200, but with maple roundback. I believe it is far from uncommon, especially if it was made in the mid/late 2000's.
Click to expand...
Well, admittedly it does look like the W is crossed out to indicate an SB200 but not Willow so that makes sense. I heard back from the original owner and he bought it new in 2007
 
#364
Hi folks. SB 150 here (I think). I have the hybrid. I have a few questions:
1. What's the benefit in TB of being in a club? Not meant to be a sarcastic question, just curious. Just a fun thing?
2. What's the difference between an SB 150 and a 180? Both hybrid?
3. I looked at a Shen Willow Flatback the other day. Don't know the number. Sounded great. Anybody own one? I'm wondering about the "fatback" being more trouble in terms of cracks. My hybrid seems indestructible.
 
#366
Legion said:
Shen-owners-collective...

I've picked up this Shen bass recently but can't be sure exactly what it is I've got! So I thought I would put it here and see what the experts think. I emailed Steve Swan and he thinks its an SB300. I'm awaiting a response from John Sprague as well. Either way I figure some better photos would help so maybe what they see here will help.

Little bit of the history that I know of. An Australian bassist bought it from Michael Hicks whilst in Shanghai last year. He thinks Michael bought it directly from Sam Shen (no idea when). He also thinks he used it on this album with Esperanza Spalding:

Its had a bit of a tough life, and over the last year has been lugged around Shanghai and the London underground and played at Ronnie Scott's etc. It took a sizeable knock on the lower bout (I think during transit from Shanghai to London) that has been repaired, but doesn't look too pretty. I'll be getting it looked at by Marytn Bailey soon so that it can be brought back into good condition.

I'm very pleased with it overall but curious what exactly it is, especially as it appears to be nicely figured maple sides and back with a spruce top - an early version of the SB200? a custom job request? a limited edition? an SB300?

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Hi Jason,
Thanks for getting in touch, the "which Shen is this?" questions can be pretty interesting.
What you have is an SB200 3/4, same outline as the willow 3/4. In our labeling system, 200 means unflamed wood, any species. This bass straddles the line between the 200 and 300 level of figure to the maple, so I'm not too surprised to see it labeled a 200. The maple round back model actually predates the willow, and Sam still makes a few here and there. Most of them are sold in Shanghai, and I would bet that's the case here due to lacking a serial number. Everything we sell in the states is numbered. It has surface mounted Suzhou machines, oil varnish.
There is no telling precisely when it was made, but judging by the look of the insides and the machines the 2007 date is probably accurate.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
John
 
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#367
I wanted a new bass, a hybrid, and decided I wasn't going to be able to have the luxury of playing a bunch of different options. After reading about the SB150 here, I made the plunge and got one sight unseen from Bruce Wallace in Sarasota. It was a 11-hour round trip for me, but I couldn't be happier. It's a beauty, plays like butter and has an amazingly consistent tone up and down and from string to string. After playing heliocore hybrid mediums on my CCB, I decided to take it easier on myself and have it set up with Corelli Fortes, and I'm loving them so far. I just got it two days ago and haven't gigged with it yet, but I think I will also love the Full Circle pickup that I got with it. I only wish I had done this sooner!
 
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#369
I just priced out a couple of Shen plywood basses. The SB 80 and the SB 90. Both new. The SB 90 is more expensive and doesn't come with a gig bag in comparison to the SB 80. I am curious to know if the price difference between the two reflects the finish only or is there more to the SB90 over the SB80.
 
#370

@ 3:20 of the video a Shen SB90 is shown. But I see, what looks like maybe a nick on the E side of the fingerboard. Is it possible that what i am seeing is the underneath of a painted ebony fingerboard? Shen says that the fingerboard on the SB90 is Ebony. I suppose its possible that there is just something on the fingerboard and not a nick showing the underneath.
 
#371
About the mystery Shen. 3 years ago while in Shanghai I visited Mike Hicks in his home there. I'm pretty sure the bass in question was there. He said he wanted to sell it. Mike told me he got the bass from Paul, Shen's business partner in upstate NY. Same shape as the Willow SB-200, but done in Maple with a round back. If it's the same bass and it might well be it's been around! China to USA, back to China with Mike Hicks, then to where ever it's been since. As I recall, it was a nice bass and looks very much like the one you show in the pictures.
 
#372
John Sprague said:
Hi Jason,
Thanks for getting in touch, the "which Shen is this?" questions can be pretty interesting.
What you have is an SB200 3/4, same outline as the willow 3/4. In our labeling system, 200 means unflamed wood, any species. This bass straddles the line between the 200 and 300 level of figure to the maple, so I'm not too surprised to see it labeled a 200. The maple round back model actually predates the willow, and Sam still makes a few here and there. Most of them are sold in Shanghai, and I would bet that's the case here due to lacking a serial number. Everything we sell in the states is numbered. It has surface mounted Suzhou machines, oil varnish.
There is no telling precisely when it was made, but judging by the look of the insides and the machines the 2007 date is probably accurate.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
John
Click to expand...

It almost looks like a Mirecourt. Is it?
 
#374
Mike Carr said:
About the mystery Shen. 3 years ago while in Shanghai I visited Mike Hicks in his home there. I'm pretty sure the bass in question was there. He said he wanted to sell it. Mike told me he got the bass from Paul, Shen's business partner in upstate NY. Same shape as the Willow SB-200, but done in Maple with a round back. If it's the same bass and it might well be it's been around! China to USA, back to China with Mike Hicks, then to where ever it's been since. As I recall, it was a nice bass and looks very much like the one you show in the pictures.
Click to expand...
Very interesting, thanks for the extra bit of history! It sounds like its travelled even more than I originally thought. Theres a better pic below which may help confirm.
Robert Strickland said:
It almost looks like a Mirecourt. Is it?
Click to expand...
As John says, the shape is very much the same as a willow 3/4
DSC01134.jpg
 

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