TomRichards

Very popular question on all the forums I posted my link to. What you are interested in is the new Fano bass, the GF4.

http://www.fanoguitars.com/altdefactoGF4.html

It was cool. I tried it and liked it, however I am partial to other cool retro basses, like the J. Backlund Design and Retronix basses as well as the new D'Angelico 4 string semi hollowbodies.

Enjoy!

Hey all, here is a link to all my gear porn and some other pics from NAMM 2013. Check these out for some new gear and cool basses. And be careful, you might find a picture or two of some of your mates from your side of the pond....

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4850903823264.178745.1017046005&type=3

Just released, update and photos of some of the new J. Backlund Design Retronix R-800B basses and guitars.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/430854338/retronix-guitar-project-by-j-backlund-design-guita/posts

Enjoy.

Here is the Bass Builder Guide, published here in the US. High quality, super glossy, high end mag.

Highlights just about all of the boutique and high end builders in the US:

http://www.bassbuilderguide.com/2012-bass-builder-guide-e-zine/

Free e-Zine version for you to peruse.

Tom

Helloooooo!

Need to know who of you will be joining us in Anaheim, CA for NAMM 2013 next week!

I'd love to see and meet all of you!

Hall C, Booth #4860!

Tom Richards

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1356451140' post='1910297']
sorry but there is lots of skill involved in and rare materials used in lots of high end bass makers... alot of instrument manufacturers rely on there brand name and what famous players use there instruments.. fodera are the most obvious example... they seem to think they can charge twice as much as luthiers like Martin Peterson, Nordstrand, sadowsky... imo its a bit of a piss take.. A Sei or Nordstrand bass is easily as well made as an alembic, alleva, or fodera.. but strangely they seem to inflate there prices...

lets face it the market for electric basses is so over engineered its silly, what with zero frets, through body stringing etc...... its nothing to with how the audience will appreciate the sound, its more to do with the bassist that plays it.. dont get me wrong i love playing a well made instrument, but there is a limit (imo) to what you can pay, to get very well made instrument that will give you optimum performance.. when you get to prices like 4/5000 its just over priced.. but i guess you pays your money you take your choice

i would still love an Alembic Rouge 5 though.. incredible instrument
[/quote]

Since I have a relationship with one of those super high end builders, I can tell you that yes, to a degree, price is subject to the market, which is driven by the endorsing players. Fodera was probably the second boutique builder in, AFTER Alembic, who was clearly first. Fodera slogged until the day Anthony Jackson walked in the door, and then literally blew up after Vic Wooten came along. I know Jason, Joey and Vinnie and they really do build boutique basses with amazing amounts of attention to detail. Does it justify the price? To some maybe no, to me, yes. if they truly weren't worth the dough no one would buy them.

Alembics actually are cheaper, and in my humble opinion are as good (if not better) then the Foderas. Why? Because the same building and ethic that you see now at other boutique builders started with Alembic and continues to this day. Ron Wickersham and Rick Turner really did it right from the start.

I think the best tribute to Alembic is the Aria Pro II SB series of basses and the Ibanez Musician series, that clearly emulated the Alembic style and quality. Brass bridges and nuts, through neck, advanced active electronics (for the day). The ONLY one doing it back then was Alembic. Everyone else was trying to make a better mass production bass.

Roger Sadowsky is and incredible builder. But his basses were designed and are built to be much, much better versions of classic basses. And he does hand build them, and they are great.

Check out Brubakerguitars.com to see the type of stuff my boy Kevin does. Is it worth the $3000 or so? I'll let you be the judge.

Not every bass is made for every player. While I own boutique basses (J. Backlund Design JBD-800B, Brubaker KXB-5 Custom, Alembic Excel and an old Carl Thompson) the ones I play in public most really are the ones that match my style. Since that's pick playing punk/pop/alternative/new country, it means the Backlund, my Gamma Custom Tuxedo P Bass and my Vaccaro Generator X spend more time in my hands.


My Alembic is a little more, "classic" in that it has just one Alembic FatBoy pickup in the sweetspot. It gives me more of the P bass like tones then some of the Alembics, but I can really dial in most of the killer Alembic tones we all know and love. I tend to describe it as the "P bass for slappy tappity players.

[quote name='bassman344' timestamp='1357231608' post='1919507']
This reads quite impressive.

I don't mean to be controversial and start a whole sequence of this and that, but why did it tarnish in the first place in only 9 years to a degree where they (Alembic) were unhappy with it ?
Would someone who lives in the European area be fit to get the same level of attention under warranty I wonder.....


[/quote]

Yes you would, however you would have to send the bass to the US. Ron, Mica and family are extremely attentive to their instruments and customers. I blame it on Ron being too nice....LOL!

Alembics are built to stay with you a lifetime. And last more then your lifetime. I have an Alembic Excel from 2000 that is mint, and it really is a great instrument.

Never heard of 5 string stigma as it is very common now.

A 6, 7 or 11 string though, different story.

Orange Isobaric 2x10 or 2x12. You need look no further.

I am incredibly impressed with the size and the incredible amount of sound.

I know, wrong forum.

Happy Christmas to all my fellow bassists on your side of the pond. May Father Christmas leave you something with at least 4 strings under your tree tonight, and may your stockings be full of straps, picks and strings!

[quote name='yoseph900' timestamp='1353160989' post='1872238']
Hi everyone,

In the new year [b][color=#ff0000]GAK[/color][/b] are expanding their bass department. We're looking to get on board with a handful more high-end brands.

I would be very grateful for your opinions on what high-end brands you would like to see hanging on our walls.

Thanks very much team.

Joe.
[/quote]

Joe, if you need anything, email me at [email protected]. I'd love to talk to you.

And, if you are gonna be here in the US for NAMM in January, I'd love to have you come by the booth and say hello!

tom

Both basses should have a Bartolini 4.6 Active/Passive electronics system (customized for Kevin's specs) and Bart pickups. The wood choices will definitely have different character in the Brubakers. Kevin's basses are some of the few where you can really tell the subtle differences in some wood choices.

Glad you like 'em!

tom

Kala U bass. The uke bass really, really, really can fool anyone.

@Risingsun, I agree, and didn't want anyone to do anything they didn't feel they wanted to do. Those who are inclined did so. And yes, Joe and Matthew won! Good start for the 14 year old.

@Bremen, YES! Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller here as well. The judges here now include Demi Lovato, who, though I love her voice has no real qualifications to judge anyone, and the voting public here often gets it wrong. I watched the first three seasons then haven't watched it since.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1354518198' post='1886802']
I liked/voted the other day - No big deal,
Some folk on this forum over the past year or so have come and asked for similar 'Like/vote'
promoting their band or services, or on behalf of friends..

Although it might have been a better deal all round if Joe had signed into Basschat himself and asked,
and possibly chatted a little [The man is a Bass player legend after all]
I am sure more people might have helped out that way.

Anyway good luck to the kid.


Garry
[/quote]

Thank you Garry.

Joe isn't really an internet guy, and doesn't pop into any forums, at least he hasn't to my knowledge.

I know Joe, and figured that I would put it here. I thought any help he could get would be nice.

I think that this is different then most "vote/like" my bands because this is a 14 year old kid who a legend has taken under his wing because he sees some true potential and its not the kid just hawking himself.

Either way, thanks for the vote.

And for those who I offended with my X-Factor and Idol quote. Sorry. Wasn't my intention. Bothers me that people here ate it up too.

I respectfully disagree, especially with the dishonest comment.

You are free to do whatever you feel best. I do know several votes came in from the UK, so to those of you who voted, thank you.

This is a very local contest and the kid is very young and doesn't have the exposure a few in the contest do. Because it is a Social media based contest, it's no different then those two pieces of rubbish, X Factor and UK Idol, that you exported here. Talent is required, but its really about the votes and who you can get to vote.

Personally, I know Joe doesn't just work or play with anybody. He thinks the kid is a talent, and given his track record as a player and producer, it is hard to argue that he doesn't know what he is talking about.

So, if you are inclined to vote, thank you. If not, then fine as well.

Last day! Come on UK, help a legendary bass ex-pat! Need you to vote now!

Hello all my friends on the other side of the pond!

Joe Osborn, bass legend, reached out to me to ask for some help in getting his student and young musician Matthew Davidson an amazing opportunity. Here is his email to me:

Hello, Tom,

Thank you very much for offering to forward information about the contest to bass players you know. We wouldn't bother everyone if it wasn't a good opportunity for Matthew, and I'm doing all that I can to open doors for him. Please forward today to as many people as you can. The following newsletter gives complete details, but here's the short version for posting on Forums and Facebook:



Would you please help out teen musician Matthew Davidson, produced by bassist Joe Osborn, in a contest? It’s very easy. Please click on this Facebook event link, scroll down to Matthew Davidson’s and Joe Osborn’s video, and click "Like" under their video. [url="https://www.facebook.com/events/489251197774492/"]https://www.facebook.com/events/489251197774492/[/url].

For your second vote: First, please click on the following link, and then click on “Vote” in the upper right corner of the screen that the link takes you to. (You will have to “Like” the Louisiana Travel Facebook page and approve an app to be able to vote) Look for the video named “Matthew Davidson and Joe Osborn would appreciate your vote!”, and then click on “Vote” (the small box on the bottom right corner of their video). That's it! Thanks! [url="http://woobox.com/kwk3um"]http://woobox.com/kwk3um[/url]


So, come on all you guys who grew up listening to his killer bass and basslines, like Aquarius, anything by the Monkees, Mama's and the Papa's, you name it.

Lets put this kid over the top and get him a great opportunity. And lets help out Joe in the process as well.

He rarely asks for anything, and this one only takes a few minutes of your time and a quick stop on Facebook!

Thanks, Tom!

So, gotta ask.

With Christmas just around the corner, which bass are you hoping winds up under your tree?

For me, I'll hope that my Vaccaro X-Ray bass in sparkle orange grows a neck and is wrapped in a white bow.

Hey all, here is a YouTube video of a single cut Brubaker Brute MJXSC-5 that a customer made the coil tap mod to.

What do you guys think? Can you hear the different voicings?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=p88iTYihKeA

tom

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1353008504' post='1870517']
Is there enough strength in that little maple?
[/quote]

Yes. has a laminate as part of the headstock that increases strength to boot.

I already have a bass with the neck and headstock, different style body, one of a kind. I also have the Vaccaro Gen X. Never in my life did I think I'd get a signature model, but.... whoopeee!

In the thinking process, hopefully I can help the company make it a reality. Very limited run though, at least to start.

tom

Signature color choices would be black with white pearloid pickguard, and antique white with black pearloid pickguard.

to

Thanks. It would basically be the bass in the picture, but with a maple neck with "tuning fork" style headstock. Sort of like this Generator but without the soapbars.

Hello everyone! I'd like your opinion. I have been approached about a possible signature model that is based n this bass, the old Vaccaro Generator X. This one will have a maple neck, and slightly different pickguard style, Probably going to go with Seymour Duncan Hot or quarterpounder for single coil pickups though. Also, toying with 2 TEK bridge and Sperzel Locking Tuners.

Do you think, in a limited run, there might be interest in Europe?

I am maybe the most known player of the original Generator X basses, owning the only seafoam green one ever made.


Let me know.