For me, it would be Roscoe. I've never played a Stambaugh or Overwater though, so I cannot comment there. Of the remaining, there is one you couldn't pay to take.
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Your Thoughts on Stambaughs...
- Thread starter T. B. Player
- Start date
Roscoe makes a killer bass. Chris has an advantage of being a tad more flexible with scale lengths, string spacings, neck profiles, body shapes, various electronics, etc. When you want a Roscoe, get a Roscoe. If you want a Roscoe but tweak this, that, and the other thing, someone like Chris specializes in the fine tweaks that a lot of companies don't do.
Don't get me wrong, the Stamboughs look like absolute great instruments. If I had the opportunity to play them, I'm sure they'd be added to my GAS list.
Reading through the linked threads might give you a feel for the forum's collective opinions on Mr. Stambaugh and his work. 
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216074
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293353
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=472970&highlight
M. M.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216074
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=293353
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=472970&highlight
M. M.
Although that could just be the detuners you're hearing
...but my 6 string doesn't have any detuners.
Just to clear something up: we do offer 34" on our 5 and 6 string basses (there is a charge for it). Oh, and cmewhinney, we offer satin finishes at no cost on almost any top for the LG/SKB/Century Signature lines, it is standard on the Century Standard.
I've played several of Chris' basses, and they're first-rate, so are the other basses listed.
The OP cannot go "wrong" with any of the basses on the list, none is "better" just "different".
Oh, and yeah, wenge as a fretless, no can do here. I don't know if Chris or any of the others will do it, but that's a can of worms we aren't going to open. Makes a great neck wood, or fretted fingerboard, but fretless, I just see far too many opportunities for "bad things happening" with it. I'd suggest diamondwood for a replacement, because once you stablize (i.e. put enough epoxy on the wenge to make it functional as a fretless board ) the wenge, it will essentially be diamondwood, but will have cost you a considerable amount more than the diamondwood.
I've played several of Chris' basses, and they're first-rate, so are the other basses listed.
The OP cannot go "wrong" with any of the basses on the list, none is "better" just "different".
Oh, and yeah, wenge as a fretless, no can do here. I don't know if Chris or any of the others will do it, but that's a can of worms we aren't going to open. Makes a great neck wood, or fretted fingerboard, but fretless, I just see far too many opportunities for "bad things happening" with it. I'd suggest diamondwood for a replacement, because once you stablize (i.e. put enough epoxy on the wenge to make it functional as a fretless board
) the wenge, it will essentially be diamondwood, but will have cost you a considerable amount more than the diamondwood.
Hey Gard, I wasn't trying to pick a fight. Those are just the things I would change about the SKB I own- I didn't really know what I was looking for when I got it, and or the record, it's a great bass, just not or me.
The OP cannot go "wrong" with any of the basses on the list, none is "better" just "different".
Oh, and yeah, wenge as a fretless, no can do here. I don't know if Chris or any of the others will do it, but that's a can of worms we aren't going to open. Makes a great neck wood, or fretted fingerboard, but fretless, I just see far too many opportunities for "bad things happening" with it. I'd suggest diamondwood for a replacement, because once you stablize (i.e. put enough epoxy on the wenge to make it functional as a fretless board
But what would TB talk about if X bass wasn't better than Y bass?
Fortunately the boutiquers are good about that, for the most part. I definitely agree with your thoughts on wenge as a fretless FB, which is probably why most companies don't do it. I'd imagine the coarse nature could cause intonation issues and very uneven glissando.
I didn't take your post that way at all man! I just wanted to make sure that you and everyone else knew that we do offer a satin finish.
spade2you said:
Yeah, I know, who do I think I am, saying positive things about more than one builder or manufacturer?!?!?!?
(...funny thing, I really do believe they're all great, in their own unique way...always have....)
Oh, I believe that you can get a wenge fretless to work, I've seen and played it! However, there needs to be so much epoxy buildup on it that it's not really doing ANYTHING other than giving the epoxy a place to hang out!
Any fretless wenge board that you would get a tonal effect from would be dangerous to your health - the stuff splinters like CRAZY unless it is finished well! I won't handle the stuff "raw" unless I'm wearing gloves.
I was aware of your avatar bass, just messin with ya. Just noting how the semi-synthetics naturally get that sound, minus the d-tuners and crazy Manring bridge. I didn't expect it when I was designing my Conklin, but was quite pleased when I got it.
There's a used Stammie out there (that I'm not telling anyone about
that is a front-runner since many of these posts are coming back +++++++++++ on them.Thanks for the heads up on the wenge board too. I would think a luthier would take care of that though, rather than just glueing wood together and sticking strings on it....
Gard nailed it! Thanks!!
Z
I believe the bass you're talking about (a pre-Nashville too) was just on ebay going for 2750 (but it had a pau ferro fb. Thought long and hard about that. If not wenge, it'll be ebony.
Z
Just to clear something up: we do offer 34" on our 5 and 6 string basses (there is a charge for it). Oh, and cmewhinney, we offer satin finishes at no cost on almost any top for the LG/SKB/Century Signature lines, it is standard on the Century Standard.
I've played several of Chris' basses, and they're first-rate, so are the other basses listed.
The OP cannot go "wrong" with any of the basses on the list, none is "better" just "different".
Oh, and yeah, wenge as a fretless, no can do here. I don't know if Chris or any of the others will do it, but that's a can of worms we aren't going to open. Makes a great neck wood, or fretted fingerboard, but fretless, I just see far too many opportunities for "bad things happening" with it. I'd suggest diamondwood for a replacement, because once you stablize (i.e. put enough epoxy on the wenge to make it functional as a fretless board
Very cool, Gard! Thanks! You know I'd love to be a Roscoehead (almost was with my fretted...). When I went to Bass Central a couple of years ago, the Roscoe was the one bass I kept coming back to and just couldn't put down. Great advice on the fingerboard, too. Fretted wenge boards have exceptional tone, so I was hoping that would be enhanced by a fretless...but guess not. You put some diamondwood boards out there (with a bit of design in them) that should just hang on a wall and qualify as art.
Jay gave me a nice quote - just seeing where this goes - cheap, midrange or high-end. When I was selling Saturns, I had one customer that came in and said he narrowed his choices down to three - a Geo (remember those), a Saturn, or a Mercedes. I now understand where he was coming from.
Thanks again!
Z
Actually Gibson is making them and I saw one for sale at Musicians Friend for something like $6-7 grand!
They're selling a classic 5 for $3,549, so a Signature 6 would probably be another 2 grand. 
Considering you can get something luthier made for YOU for way less, I'm surprised Gibson actually sells them and doesn't close 'em down. Ebony is a much better choice, although gaboon can expand or contract with drastic changes in humidity. All necks will move a little, but my taste in low action tells me that the gaboon ebony is pretty sensitive. So far my macasser ebony fingerboard has been a lot more stable.
I'm sure luthiers can chime in, but it would be difficult to get the wenge polished smooth enough to sound right on a fretless. Even after the initial sanding, will it stay smooth? As a fretless player, I guess my logistical concern with wenge is the coarse feel will more or less make it sound like a fingerboard with many wear spots/imperfections. That KRING sound when you want to hear mwahhhhh is less than ideal.
Chris WILL do wenge, but it's his least favorite wood. I got lucky and he offered me the second part of a neck glue up from another bass he was doing:
It's a bit dim, but that's a 9 piece neck with wenge in the middle and outside and then two stripes of maple, each flanked by zebrawood.
+1
+1 to all that. I told Chris the tone I wanted for my basses and he nailed it both times. Communication can be tough though. Call for anything important rather than email but otherwise I'd recommend Chris' work without a single reservation.
Oh, and yeah, wenge as a fretless, no can do here. I don't know if Chris or any of the others will do it, but that's a can of worms we aren't going to open. Makes a great neck wood, or fretted fingerboard, but fretless, I just see far too many opportunities for "bad things happening" with it. I'd suggest diamondwood for a replacement, because once you stablize (i.e. put enough epoxy on the wenge to make it functional as a fretless board
Just as a note, Chris doesn't do wenge fretless boards either as far as I know. He likes Mac ebony but will do what you want within reason. He's even done at least one purpleheart fretless that I know of.
I'd really like to try a Roscoe sometime as they look great and get rave reviews.
