TomRichards

Oh, and if you were to see the bass in my avatar closeups, you will notice flaws that are there merely because it is the first one ever built and it saw some trial and trade shows. I agree though, Labella should have taken some better shots and touched them up professionally.

Guys, I will give you the pics ain't HD world, but to me they don't really make it look bad. I'll give ya the neck pocket chip, but the rest are reflections of the surroundings on the finish. The headstock shape is Pensa-Suhr with the Labella logo. Not a work of art, but not poor either. Yes, I am sure there are basses in this quality range that are cheaper, but again, this is not far from Sadowsky price and clearly lower then Mas's builder bro Jimmy C. And I can assure you the bass is definitely in that build quality. Not everyone's cup of tea and to each his own, but still a good bass.

Update: Final US5 were at Bass Player Live in October. Some sweet tweaks from the January NAMM basses. Aesthetics and some playability. By all accounts they were amazing! Look for more to come from NS Design, Ned and Jonathan soon!

The bass is definitely worth it. It is by the exceptional luthier in NYC Mas Hino. Mas was a protege of John Suhr, along with Jimmy Coppolo. Mas was the luthier who built most of the Pensa Suhr basses. The Olinta was meant to be designed around the 760M string, also known as the Jamerson set. It is yes, primarily a '62 P bass copy, but the neck is specifically built for the higher tension thick string and to optomize the playability. Mas's work is immaculate. It really is. $2950 US is about the same as you would pay for a Sadowsky, maybe a touch more, but this I am sure is a limited run. Its definitely worth a look.

Look no further then a Peavey G Bass. 35" scale 4 string with carbon fiber/graphite neck. They can be had for as little as $400 USD. There are a few for sale on Talkbass

That price may be high. I bought a newer Tune bass off of eBay this year for $375 USD. Depends on model and year. eBay has a fret less for sale for $575. Not a huge demand for them. The Lightwave Systems Space Bass was designed in conjunction with Tune, and you can see it here: Lightwave-systems.com

I represent two of the COOLEST bass companies on the planet, and I own two very fancy basses, The J. Backlund Design JBD-800B in my avator, and the Brubkaker KXB-5, as seen on my Facebook page. I, however, am so NOT FANCY, the basses really don't get to sing their entire range and capability in my hands. tom

Hey all, I just changed out the DR Dragon Skins on the JBD-800B with DR Legend Flats 45-105. I'll post some clips as soon as I can. I'm wondering how it will sound recorded. So far, its really cool. And, my Retronix R-800B is on order/pledge, so by the time it arrives in sprting, I"ll have figured out what strings will be on both permanently. tom

[quote name='basslowdown' timestamp='1350051178' post='1834066'] I've not tried one, it looks like right hand damping may be tricky as the strings seem to sit quite low? Have I got that wrong? [/quote] Strings actually can be set as high as you want. It looks low because instead of set screws to adjust string height the bridge uses a cam shaft. So the housing obviously will sit higher then the actual saddle. I hope that explains it correctly. All of my basses with the Babicz bridges are set to Fender factory specs, which to most is "high" action. I play with a pick so all my basses are set high. I hand mute a lot with no problems at all.

Bridge is a Babicz Full Contact Hardware bridge. It is an amazing bridge design. Check it out at Babicz Guitars. Jeff BBicz and Jeff Carano worked at Steinberger with Ned in Newburgh, NY and Carano stayed on when it was bought by Gibson. Jeff had the first production prototype and I got a chance to play it. Actually a very good playing and sounding bass. I use Babicz Full Contact Bridges on a few of my basses and really like the.

Last time I was out at the Ric plant, they weren't CNCing anything. Still making them the old fashioned way, which is why it takes them so darn long. Also, they have so many back orders that they are good financially for a while. Of course, add the (lack) of supply and the (excess) of demand, and you get the price for a nearly handbuilt, made in the USA iconic bass. The truth is that nothing sounds like a Ric, and while you can come close to emulating it, you just can't do it exactly. My 1969 4001 rarely sees anything out of the studio anymore. Because I can't replace it.

They are cool looking basses, but are total crap construction-wise. This one on evilBay is maybe the best I have ever seen. I have to admit, the plate on the back that says "cccp" for me is worth the purchase. I had one in the 1990s. Body was sort of plywood. Neck was a ski jump. The pickups are weak. Very weak. Converting the pin is easy, but then you lose some of its kitsch. If you have the cash it really is a neat piece of Cold War history. Hmmmmmm, maybe I will have to buy it.

Hey everyone! You have all seen my US custom J. Backlund Design JBD-800B bass. Well, you can now get a chance to the Retronix version at below dealer cost. Yes, the guys at Backlund have relaunched their Kickstarter project with a different and more attainable goal: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/430854338/retronix-guitar-project-by-j-backlund-design-guita So, for a pledge of $500 USD, you can get this great Korean version. I played the prototype at Summer NAMM ans was killer impressed, it was very close in feel, sound and tone to my US! (Which cost me a princely sum.) I pledged for the Retronix so I have a backup bass and I can take it to those clubs where the crowd is, well, not as trustworthy and caring. Give it a shot if you like.

Having owned and been close to Spector since the Kramer days, the necks can feel "clubby" or for you guys "cricket bat handle-y". ;-) they are very comfortable, fast playing necks but definitely not low profile. The neck is part of what gives a Spector its sound. The Tone Pump I'm 50/50 with. They definitely work as advertised, and you definitely get the Spector tone. I modded mine with Aguilar OBP-3 and it works better for my style, which is a little old school. Most of the US come standard with the OBP.

Some of us always took care of our instruments. While my 50 year old Danelectros have some wear, not all that much and i played them every night for almost a decade in some of the crappiest clubs the world over. My two newest babies are the Backlund and a Spector Shorty, $7100 of pure fun, but i take them anywhere, as at some point they will get a ding, scratch or some other player induced "mojo." i already have a small finish ding in the Backlund from letting a LEGENDARY bass player use it for half a gig, but if it picks up just a molecule of his magic I win! My Spector Shorty is actually the Garry Tallent signature model, and when Garry is back home in two weeks he will take it out, possibly play it at a Springsteen gig. Dont think i will care a lick if it gets scratched up by him in the least. Get a bass, like my Brubaker Brute Series, if you are that worried, as it is that good but you wont care if it gets some mojo. Otherwise, just play what you love.

Even with technology the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" holds true. Honestly, in the 12 string mode harmonics just confuse the circuit because that is what the circuit itself triesn to do. I had an original variax and what i found was that it was a good bass for a wide ranging gig. The Steinberger tone for Rush, Ric tone for he Jam, Hofner for early Beatles and i found the Hamer 12 pretty good live when trying to be Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick. With all the choices, its like the "coverband" of basses. If you have a sound that is your own, "fuggetaboutit!" Coll piece to have around though.

Here is a quick link to the new J. Backlund Design JBD-800B bass. You can find info on my actual bass at jbacklund.com Here is a quick video that my engineer and I just did while I was waiting to record some demos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16BMjxrmPts When the company that owns the demos gives me clearance, I'll give links to those as well.

Very nice! Everyone has always lauded the Aria Pro II SB-600/700/900/1000 as incredible, but these often forgotten and neglected P and J copies by Aria were better build quality then Fender at the time, and had more innovative and advanced pickups and electroincs, which gave the the ability to do just what you did here. Throw the T Bird away (okay, sell it) and use the money to buy three or four of these. You'll be happy you did. tom

First, @StingrayPete - I got your point, but then again, in 1977 there were really only a handful of bass choices you could actually get readily. Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker and the then recent Aria Pro II series. It was rare to find many other bass brands available. As for Sid's causing sales, yes, he probably did. But then again, there are Brubaker players on major tours, like Craig Carter who is with Dennis DeYoung of Styx, who purchased their own basses from a local shop and whose use of them has triggered a few sales. I'm pretty sure though, you wouldn't want to have Sid Vicious working your brand live, great in print, "pretty in pictures", but not live. I know. I knew Sid for a short time before he died. I found it hard to even want to be within a few hundred meters of him. Shame, as he really was a sweet soul before he decided to live the "punk" image Malcolm told him he was. As for endorsements for players, yes, there are different deals available at different levels. Bass players are often a lot less known and rarely do you come by many who front a band. It becomes a careful, intelligent guess when it comes to who you give them too. Most companies today do not seek out players to endorse. I get at least a dozen requests every day. I get them from some well known players. I have been endorsed by Hartke for many years. My deal is not exclusive, however I never use anything but his stuff live because of how well they treat me and the loyalty they have shown me. I'm not all that famous either, but I will make store appearances, loan my amps, as needed if asked by them. I have no problem being a Hartke billboard. They were nice enough to see the good in me, and in return I try hard to help them make some do-re-mi. Some smaller brands or rebuilding brands, say Burns or Hagstrom on your side of the pond, might be willing to let some product go at cost or even free, even to a local guy, if they see it being a beneficial relationship. Putting a Burns Bison bass in the hands of the local bass teacher who has 50 students will always lead to a sale or two and gives it great exposure. Not a bad deal for either the teacher or the brand. Anyway, everyone go out and buy the bass they love. Ultimately, that is the most important thing. tom

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1343753999' post='1754691'] This is the sort of thing that would put me right off any kind of deal, Sid Vicious was not exactly a good citizen but I would imagine there are a few Fender fans on this site that felt the urge to at least try a P bass after seeing him? I'd rather buy my own gear and behave how I want ta [/quote] Sid Vicious never actually played bass. Lots of documentation on that. And his bass was purchased, not endorsed or sponsored. I'll be glad to sell you a ton of basses so you can play them any way you want. ;-)

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1343737350' post='1754345'] When I played for Kosher 12yrs ago both myself and the guitar player were sponsored by guitar and amp manufacturers. The deal I had with Warwick was very simple. It was a basic artist sponsorship deal whereby I had a discount on their basses and all I had to do in return was to give to mention them in credit in any PR literature, wear their merch clothing and be seen using their basses. It was not an endorsement deal and I still had to buy their basses at trade price. But, it was a great help back then as my puny advance didn't stretch very far. I was disappointed when Warwick pulled he plug on me after a distribution restructure in the UK and I was then deemed not to be a big enough name to carry the brand. The deal I had with Carlsbro was very different. Our guitar player helped to design and develop the NuTone guitar amps and was their main endorsee. The guys at Carlsbro really liked what we were doing and asked me to become an endorsee too. Both Mike and I agreed to an exclusive endorsee deal which is very different to a sponsorship deal. Our amps were provided to us FOC, but in return our responsibilities were a bit more intensive. We had to perform demos and workshops and trade shows, take part in PR duties for the brand, help out with R&D and of course use the brand at any given opportunity. I gues you could say that we were static sales reps for Carlsbro. We developed a very good relationship with both the management team and the guys at the factory and it all worked out very well. I will always be great full for the support that Andy Bishop and his team gave us. The legalities between what are sponsorship or endorsee deals are very different. With a sponsorship deal the artist is treated as a customer and retail law is applied. An endorsee deal is different if the artist has their gear provided FOC or actually receiving an income from the company along with any contractual obligations agreed. If so, then corporate law is applied. If a product is sold to the artist as a part of a sponsorship deal, no matter how much of a discount has been given to that person they are still a customer and they have no legal commitment to that brand as a consumer. No matter what has been agreed in black and white it is still very much a gentlemans agreement. It's very much a case of scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. The level of where that takes the company and artist is completely down to them. In any situation the deal should still be treated with respect between both parties purely on moral grounds. Endorsement deals are very different as they are often a bigger financial commitment by the company and you have more responsibilities as an artist to uphold your contractual agreement. As I said before during my experience with Carlsbro, Mike and I were very much like static sales reps and we had to uphold commitments in our contracts to keep the deal. If we didn't, Carlsbro were legally entitled to return the kit they provided to us as it was their form of payment to us. It wasn't our intention to take the mick with them as we would have been left high and dry without any backline. Musician endorsements don't really work the same way as a sports person endorsement as they usually get payments to use their brand. That is a completely different realm as far as corporate law is concerned. I know of not one musician who recieves a monetary income from a manufacturer, unless they are actually an employee of that company. So, court action rarely happens between an artist and brand. But, in any instance of a grievience the company has more clout than the artist. I fully understand and appreciate where Tom is coming from. Even though Brubaker is a highly respected brand in the bass playing world they are a small company and brand recognition is a very important. Artist sponsorships are a huge part of that when it comes to exposure. A lot of trust is given to the artist to ensure that they adhere to the terms that has been agreed. Remember, it costs the company to sponsor you...they are not doing it just for fun. These guys are as every bit as passionate about what they do as what you do and they only want the best for their customers and artists. They support you as they feel that you equally represent their passions and help the profile of the brand. Respect the priviliidge that they have given to you and don't abuse their trust. If you want sponsorships to boost your ego or feel that because you think are so awesome the world owes you a living then you don't deserve the support. Don't let it get you down Tom. There are plenty of other players out there that would be proud to be a part of your brand and wear the badge with pride. [/quote] Thank you. I'm not letting it get me down at all. As a bass player who was on a major label and did several small world tours, I think I'm just more amazed at the attitude of many of the "new elite" bassists or wanna be's. Like I said earlier, I'm seeing a trend with a few of them where they approach you for an endorsement (or sponsorship) specifically to build their personal collections. Because some of these guys are not of the super elites, its often harder to track what they do or if they are living up to their agreements. Yes, we are all building brand image. I'm one of the few actual bass guys who work for/with actual builders from a business side, so I know who many of these players are and what they are up to. I'm protective of the brand and also want to ensure that the bass players using them are a good citizen and face for the brand. As you said, a great relationship with a company can return on your investment many times over. As for Warwick, I do not know all the current specifics on all the deals, but they are very rigorous in getting their bang for the buck out of their high profile stable. They do benefit quite well, but they do work a lot harder then they had to in the past with same deals. Now I'm done, for sure. On to bigger and better things, like getting some Brubaker basses in the UK! Oh, and even though he didn't quite pull it off in the Championships, Go Andy Murray, bring home the gold for the Queen!

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1343659154' post='1753238'] I have one endorsee. He gets special rates and plays a lot of professional gigs with biggish names. I cant say as it has done the brand any good for definate, although it surely hasn't done any harm. The guy has a LOT of basses, jaydee, Pangborn, fender, Alembic etc and I would certainly not expect him to never use these other fine instruments for fear of pissing me off. We are now pretty good mates I hope. He does use mine exclusively as far as I can see, but that's because they are the best not because of any obligatory contract, and he owns around 5 or 6 of my basses, some of which were very early instruments. The way I see it is as long as he is willing to associate himself with my name and keeps coming back for more then I am more than willing to give him the best deal I can. He has had 2 for 1 deals and I knock a couple of hundred quid off every time. I would never give a bass away for free unless it was a world renowned player and even then not many players would expect something for nothing. Lets face it, the good players can afford to pay for them anyway. [/quote] Excellent post and point. Most Brubaker players, especially our custom instruments, are repeat customers, and they pay for their instruments. We are fortunate, in a way, because we have launched a very successful import line to compliment our custom basses, and they have become widely popular. So, we see floods of endorsement requests now. Our best touring bassist right now is Craig Carter, who is touring with Dennis DeYoung of Styx, and Craig purchased his Brubaker Brutes from a local dealer because he liked the build quality and the sounds and the playability. He never asked for an endorsement. However, I understand that there are some artists out their who cannot afford two or three basses required to extensively tour, and building the brand relationship has value. However, unlike in the custom build world, when you have artists looking to use a bass that competes with the everyday MIM Fender or MTD Z series, some requirements for usage come into play. Fortunately most of our "family" is loyal.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1343625973' post='1752750'] No need to back out Tom, this is a very interesting read. I agree completely that if the terms of the endorsement state 'exclusive' then I would be kicking up a fuss (and possibly making an example of one or two offenders, terminate contract and reclaim endorsement). Out of interest is it more common to endorse a band or artist? For example if a bassist plays in two different bands, would they usually be expected to play your gear in both? [/quote] Usually a company, if it has all the components, may endorse a band, but by and large its individual artist. Endorsing bands makes little pocketbook sense, unless you know the band is already famous or they will be together forever. So if a company makes guitars, basses and amps, or like Fender, owns brands for each instrument, then it may make sense to endorse a band, but even so that normally includes individual artists in it. Doesn't make sense to endorse say, Bela and the Flecktones, but then have Vic Wooten spend most of his time as a solo artist with completely different endorsements. If a bassist plays in two bands, and both are good projects, a company would try to lock them up for their gear, so it isi seen in two bands. The one thing that most players who ask for endorsements seem to miss is that we are not endorsing you for your talent, but for your exposure and your ability to generate enough buzz to make some sales. So, if you are the first chair bassist for the London Symphony Orchestra, I'm probably not going to give you an endorsement because you wouldn't be likely to generate electric bass sales, even if you do play electric. If you are the bass player chosen to tour with a major artist, like Madonna for example, I might not give you and endorsement either because you will barely be seen onstage and on top of that few people even have a clue who plays bass for Madonna. Now, if you are in a band, say Artctic Monkeys, I'm more likely to give you an endorsement because I know you are integral to the band and that you will be seen and heard on stage. A company is even likely to give you some level of endorsement (say, artist pricing) if you are in a very popular local band and everyone in the area knows you, Mr. Bass Player. If we can get product in your local shops, and you go to the shops and people like you, you are more likely to generate a bass sale. So fame and fortune is not necessarily the key. I had a local player approach me for an endorsement recently, and after doing my homework found out that several shops had stocked the bass brand he uses because kids were coming in and asking for them because they saw him playing them and he took time to speak to the kids after shows. Think I didn't sign him up?

I don't lump all players in this category, as the majority are good citizens. I have experienced, of late, that there is a rising lot that are starting this trend. There is a difference in endorsement levels, but the statement that we in the industry look the other way for the big guys is actually the opposite. Yes, I did a little rant here, but when I was active as a player in the 70's thru the 90's most of us were very respectful of our endorsers, and endorsements were very hard to come by. This recent crew has just been more blatant then I've ever seen. If your deal is exclusive, and I give you several basses and spend oodles of time working on them to get them to your liking, and I also provide you with tour support, you better be using my stuff. Ok, I'll chime out now. Not a problem. Just a warning, especially if you are seeking out endorsements. And there really is an understanding among all the makers. tom

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1343577005' post='1752241'] What on earth is the point of having an endorsement deal for gear you are not going to use? [/quote] Lately there is this "I am a bass god on a super duper tour, I deserve free stuff" mentality and some players have started using it to build their personal collections so they can say they have all this gear. In the biz we call them gear whores. Most of the bassists who get endorsements are good, trustworthy guys. But there are a few out their who are not.