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SOLVED! Can anyone identify this bass?

40Hz

40Hz

May 24, 2006
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#1
I'm flat out fascinated by the sound of this thing.

Apologies for the lousy image. It's a screenshot off a fairly low resolution video. But can anybody identify the make of this particular bass? The bridge is very unique looking.
So that might be a giveaway.
full.png



The video is here. Bass shows up around the 2:50 mark:

 
Last edited:
#6
40Hz said:
I'm flat out fascinated by the sound of this thing.

Apologies for the lousy image. It's a screenshot off a fairly low resolution video. But can anybody identify the make of this particular bass? The bridge is very unique looking.
So that might be a giveaway.
full.png



The video is here. Bass shows up around the 2:50 mark:

Click to expand...


After some 'net searching I found Loreena McKennitt's bassist is Tim Landers. On his website he lists a "lightwave/tbc 5 string fretless" in his current gear list including a photo which shows the bass in question.

Link to his "About Tim" page on his website:

about tim

TBC is The Bass Company which, from what I can find, may no longer be doing business.
 
#7
mongo2 said:
After some 'net searching I found Loreena McKennitt's bassist is Tim Landers. On his website he lists a "lightwave/tbc 5 string fretless" in his current gear list including a photo which shows the bass in question.

Link to his "About Tim" page on his website:

about tim

TBC is The Bass Company which, from what I can find, may no longer be doing business.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for your most excellent google skills! :)

I'm less concerned about the actual bass once you confirmed it is a Lightwave system. I checked out several YT demos and found someone else getting a near same sound out of a Willcox, and a second one doing much the same thing with a Sabre.

Now I know what I want to get. GAS attack! :laugh:
 
#8
mongo2 said:
After some 'net searching I found Loreena McKennitt's bassist is Tim Landers. On his website he lists a "lightwave/tbc 5 string fretless" in his current gear list including a photo which shows the bass in question.

Link to his "About Tim" page on his website:

about tim

TBC is The Bass Company which, from what I can find, may no longer be doing business.
Click to expand...
I knew I recognized it! FWIW, yeah, TBC is gone, though the owner was recently selling off some new old stock and partially completed basses on ebay. I was tempted, have one and like it - was my choice for "best budget bass under $1K" for a few years back when. He had the right ideas and a good sense of style, but tough business.
 
#9
40Hz said:
I'm flat out fascinated by the sound of this thing.

Apologies for the lousy image. It's a screenshot off a fairly low resolution video. But can anybody identify the make of this particular bass? The bridge is very unique looking.
So that might be a giveaway.
full.png



The video is here. Bass shows up around the 2:50 mark:

Click to expand...

Again, I apologize for being late on this, I obviously need to check in on TB more often. This bass was a prototype fretless made by Jack Wilson (who I worked with on the TL5 and TL6s) and his short-lived The Bass Company (TBC Basses). It is a maple neck with an Ash or Maple body and a 1st generation Lightwave optical pickup. I strung it with black tapewounds and ran it through an MXR m80 preamp. Loreena loved the organic sound of this bass and I used it on a few recordings for her. It's also featured heavily on the Crimson Jazz Trio records. I still use it occasionally, it's truly a uniquely cool axe.
 
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#10
timlanders said:
Again, I apologize for being late on this, I obviously need to check in on TB more often. This bass was a prototype fretless made by Jack Wilson (who I worked with on the TL5 and TL6s) and his short-lived The Bass Company (TBC Basses). It is a maple neck with an Ash or Maple body and a 1st generation Lightwave optical pickup. I strung it with black tapewounds and ran it through an MXR m80 preamp. Loreena loved the organic sound of this bass and I used it on a few recordings for her. It's also featured heavily on the Crimson Jazz Trio records. I still use it occasionally, it's truly a uniquely cool axe.
Click to expand...

Hi!

Welcome and well met! And thank you for the detailed reply. And black nylon tapewounds too? That detail caught me by surprise.

I've added a Lightwave equipped Willcox Sabre VL to my "to buy" list. I had wondered about it since most of the demos I've heard using that pickup always seemed a bit wanting. Especially since most of the players were pulling rather harsh tones out of the ones they had. But I did get a chance to try one myself recently and fell in love with it. Lush, complex, and capable of some real subtleties based on your attack and technique. So once again it's all how you play it, right? As you said, it's a very organic sound. Which is something I'm not getting as much of as I want out of my existing rig. I can see why both of you chose it.

While you're here please allow me to compliment and thank both you and Ms. McKennitt for the many long and pleasurable listening hours you've given me over the years. It's not that often I run into music that speaks to both the heart and the head like hers does. Or such tasteful bass playing. So many thanks once again!
 
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