Kiwi

Yes, and there are some goldtops-refinished-as-bursts out there that have maple caps with an off centre glue line. It wasn't so important back then. They probably just wanted something that looked like a burst from the audience.

Cough.

It's actually a strategy to test interest out. They can monitor the number of watchers and, if they're serious about selling, they'll lower the price for a quick sale. Alternatively they will hang on an outrageous price to hook someone who is desperate and willing to pay above the odds...thereby setting a new precedent for others to use as the basis for yet an even more outrageous price. It worked for Wal basses.

About a million dollars for the best, particularly if it has celebrity provenance. Kirk Hammet paid US$2 million for Peter Green/Gary Moore's 59 sunburst LP. They've started to acquire nicknames now, like stradivarius violins which just adds to the mythical associations. Peter Green/Gary Moore LP = "Greeny" FKA "Collectors Choice No. 1" or "Magic" Jimmy Page's LP = "Number Two" Jimmy Page/Joe Walsh's LP = "Number One" Billy Gibbon's LP = "Pearly Gates" George Harrison/Eric Clapton's LP = "Lucy" Eric Clapton = "Beano Burst" Steve Lukather = "Rosanna Burst" etc. Of course this helps Gibson immensely because they can, like Fender, release limited edition replicas or reissues of legendary models at significant margin over the production line versions with minimal extra production costs. Funnily enough, it's estimated that over a thousand 59 Les Paul sunburst flame tops are left out of a total production volume of about 643 (according to burstserial.com). Mainly because in the late 60's it wasn't unknown for some players started to get 58 goldtops stripped and recapped with a quilted top. Or sometimes just refinished with a sunburst. Ed Roman was infamous for doing this and then flogging the modded instruments as original sunbursts with a refinish.

I think this is closer to the truth than many might admit. Look at the classic car market at the moment for a hint of the near future and the art collectors market for a flash of the future 20-30 years from now. Halo guitars like a 58 Les Paul sunburst flame top will have reached mythical status just like the Ferrari 250 GTO SWB. Relics of a romanticised era of popular music to be worshipped and fetishised due to their nostalgic associations, more than their actual substance. The art world is worse. No final sale price that has ever been achieved through the main auction houses could be justified in terms of the cost of materials and labour, not even Damion Hurst's 'For The Love Of God' diamond encrusted skull which eventually sold for US$100 million. The value is almost entirely intangible and invented. (Ironically, 'For The Love of God' is perhaps an interesting comment itself on the idea of what is it that we actually value in art work.) Furthermore, while the actual number of people capable of paying for such relics will diminish, the values won't. I think the instruments will continue to be perceived as ever more desirable badges of exclusivity and icons of the history of popular culture.

It all depends on how they're made and what form of construction is used. I've had a Moses jazz neck move due to seasonal and ambient temperature changes to a greater degree than a well made wooden neck. The necks made using monocoque construction (hollow) generally tend to be the stiffest if they were made 40 years ago. Vigier, Status and Alembic (c/- Modulus) all made extremely solid necks back then. But Modulus had issues with their necks in the early to mid eighties (and again in the mid 90's) as did Status (a tiny number in the mid nineties) due to the phenolic fingerboards not being stiff enough. I wonder if that might be because the necks also weren't over designed any more as makers got more experience with using the material. Monocoque necks (if they're well made) have about three layers lining the mould. Graphite wrapped necks might have less but any decision will rest with the maker but they'll be stiff enough for sure. Especially if the fingerboard is nice and strong. I doubt there will be issues if the wrapped necks have a core made from a soft wood such as cedar, balsa or spruce.

He's a regular. There's a few like that. I think music is partially about communication and if the original video speaks to you then who are any of us to question that. However for me, there's a lot going going on and it changes rapidly. It's hard to interpret emotionally.

Hi peeps, We updated the site on Sunday Aug 14th and after waiting a while for the site to re-index itself (basically it tries to figure out where everything is again so you can find it) things seem to be working as expected. You might find a few new features including AI assisted functions for images and stuff. But if you find any bugs, please let us know below and we'll investigate.

Yamaha have been my favourite manufacturer for some time. When they do something well, they do it really well and really consistently. Second hand values are pretty healthy for the top notch kit.

That was a Moses neck from my stash. Carbon wrapped necks don't sound as bright as fully CF necks but they do have the same evenness and consistency. LIke I said, I think it's a nice compromise especially when the core wood is quite light.

Jon Shuker has the ability to make a wrapped neck. It offers the best of both worlds if it comes with a phenolic, richlite or ebony fingerboard. But I couldn't comment on the potential cost, it would be hand made in every sense of the word.

Probably an admin. Like me for example.

I know Martyn has been making noises about retiring for a while and he's charging a decent whack for his creations too, not far off Wal. I have a few of the Yamahas he designed back in the late eighties.

Just make it growl.

Kind of, it doesn't take an understanding of luthiery to make sure something is aligned properly. This kind of issue is due to willful ignorance or poor training.

It's a pub rawk bass. Only thing is, I don't play pub rawk. But if I did...

Jaco didn't need 5mm screened.

It helps if the CNC operators know how to place the wood on the platform accurately so that it's centred and square. I have a couple of mahogany/maple laminated guitar necks where the laminates are maybe 3mm out of true to the centre line of the neck. It probably won't affect playability but it's irksome anyway. I also had to send two strat necks back because the twonk who had cut the fret slots firstly recycled an old ebony fingerboard that already had slots in it, he just flipped it over after thicknessing and glued the old fretted side to the neck. Secondly the new slots were cut perpendicular to one side of the fingerboard, not the centre of the neck so the frets were out of true with the nut. Luckily for me the sales rep was honourable and sent through two more necks that were made correctly to spec.

This has appeared before but reposted - my preEB beaten to hell stingray which I've owned since 2006. I nearly lost it on the way to a gig, after leaving it behind on the street in Shepherds Bush. Thankfully a friendly and astute neighbour rescued it from being salvaged by a couple of meth heads. One thing I will never have to worry about though is dinging it. I have a ray because it's got a uniquely muscular sound and a coarse, rasping treble.

Steinberger, Status and Gus all use completely different fabrication techniques. Steinberger use an injection mould based system with graphite fibre impregnated resin. A bit like fibreglass reinforced bitumen or concrete. I like these necks, they're warm sounding and fairly consistent. Everything that a graphite neck should be. Status (and Modulus) use monocoque construction which is the same technique used for making Formula 1 parts. That involves lining a mould with up to three layers of resin impregnated, woven composite sheets in the same way as fibreglass. It also gives the manufacturer control over directional stiffness through orientating the sheets in different directions as they're laid down. However it can produce issues if the design relies on a phenolic fingerboard for strength. Modulus had issues with their necks for both Alembic and Musicman due to the phenolic (aka Bakelite) fingerboards not being stiff enough in the early-mid 80's and then Modulus again around 1994. I've played necks by Vigier and my own Alembic which are superb but arguably over designed. The 80's Status Series 2000 basses also have fabulous necks when properly dressed. Gus, as has been mentioned, use pre-impregnated carbon fibre sheets wrapped around a wooden core. I think Status have used this technique on bodies as well. It's practical, relatively easy to set up and some forms don't even require a kiln to set the resin. There's a nice dampening effect from the wood core but still a feeling of evenness and consistency across the whole fingerboard. Rob played around with dampening in the Stealth 2 basses, injecting epoxy foam into the hollow shell, and it resulted in instruments that were still characteristically bright sounding in that Status way but with a pronounced upper midrange purr. Graphite composite neck, resin body. Status did something similar with it's Series 4000/5000 basses. A bass with a graphite neck needs some form of dampening for it to accentuate the warmer sounding frequencies. Traditional choices of ash or alder are too bright, mahogany is nice (and I used it on my self build) and maybe there are some softer, cheaper woods like paulownia or tulipwood which might work as well. Steinberger used maple in it's M series instruments which produced some pleasant sounding instruments but perhaps that wasn't just down to the wood. He actually messaged me last night and revealed that he's almost overwhelmed by emails these days. Last night alone he had thirty to respond to so yes, it seems like there's always a chance he might miss one or two. A call seems to be the most reliable way to get in touch, as I suggested before.

Maybe give him a call. He usually checks his emails in the evening at the pub. Well if the wood can experience heat then it'll expand/contract but perhaps to a lesser degree than say a Jaydee or Musicman neck. Even aluminium necks suffer from heat expansion but I doubt Jon's necks will be affected by humidity. I think he uses cedar for the neck too as maple is a little overkill and lively.

Jon Shuker's JJ Carbonlite basses have a similar construction. It's a good way to build, low overheads, sound great with most of the stiffness without being too stiff and brittle.

China has very limited experience in composite musical instruments. It's restricted to a few companies although it's growing slowly. Only one of those builds guitars and they're acoustic. Even before then, Steve Mosher wouldn't make custom anything for less than an MoQ of 10,000 units. I hated the jazz necks they made but the steinberger music yo necks are alright.