rk7

Thank you for your kind words. As I said in the thread, this was a really big deal for me, as my health issues were rendering the bass unusable. However, Martin saved the day with his excellent work. There was a very extensive build thread on here when the bass was built, however all the associated photographs have disappeared, and the thread is the poorer for it. thanks again! RK

Thank you! And yes, I'm still over the moon about the results Martin achieved and the quality of his work RK

I have an East PreAmp going begging if anyone needs one...

Hey there! I remember coming over, with Martin, to the NE Bass Bash, it was a great day out. I particularly like the mid range output from the OW circuit, which when coupled with the ease of use when compared to the East circuit, makes it a good choice for me. I know the East circuit can be adjusted for almost any output, but for me the OW simplicity makes it a winner. Robin

Never mind Aston Martins and Mopeds, its so good to see instruments being converted to allow them to still be played. Fantastic job Andy Robin

Fantastic work, as ever, Andy! A different approach to the chambering job. but stunning nonetheless Robin

A -The solution only came to me as I had called in to visit Martin one day and he showed me two Perception basses with completed woodwork, one of which was chambered and one wasn't. The weight difference was simply astonishing. B - Yes, but as I've mentioned before, I am close to all the guys at Overwater, so perhaps that made them look on my request more favourably. They are, however, very much player-focused anyway, so exemplary post-sale support features heavily for them. Sorry about your bass, by the way. Perhaps order another? 😁

Thank you for your kind words, its been a difficult few years RK

Hey Andy! I was hoping this thread would catch your eye. I follow your activities on here, so I thought this one may be right up your street 😊😊 Martin did a simply amazing job for me, no doubt about that. He is a real artisan, and a very close friend, which probably helped a bit. On one of my many Hospital visits, he walked onto the ward for visiting time with the one and only Phil Mann behind him. Phil had been visiting the OW workshop and came along to visit me. I was blown away. Good friends mean so much. I also enjoyed my small involvement along with Martin in the early days of the modification. All the key work though, came from Martin, but I should also mention Chris and Kirstie again, as the job was only agreed upon following their backing. Clearly the players experience is something that Overwater take seriously, and to see me unable to play the instrument didn't sit well with them. This bass was always meant to be played, despite its price tag, and it is definitely a working bass. I am happier now with the tone of the bass than I have ever been.Incidentally, on the subject of the heel recharge, Martin also contoured the rear of the top horn for me, as part of the chambering project, as the bass wasn't fitting my chest as well as it had following my cardiac adventure. Someone mentioned in a comment that you had done a chambering thread for someone? Could you send me a link please, I'd like a read 😊 Thank you for your kind comments Robin

Thank you!

Yes, they are skilled indeed. This job has never been done before, but Chris and Kirstie backed my request, and Martin certainly delivered the skills needed to fulfil it. One of the many important advantages of OW ownership is the support that is available waaaaaay beyond the point of purchase. I'm a lucky man. RK

Thank you for your kind words, I am blessed indeed to own and play this bass. The OW gang are a superb bunch to deal with, and certainly stepped up in my behalf. RK

You are in the right ballpark at £500

What do you mean? The cost of this work? 😊

Yes they certainly do. A 36" sixer. Very nice. Ask Martin about having it chambered, and watch him go white! Ha ha

Thank you. Yes, I am over the moon with the outcome 😊

Right, I got to the workshop unscathed, (fairly quickly, I admit). So its time to plug in and try the bass I suppose.....😁 Despite Martin keeping me informed throughout the work with lots and lots of photos along the way, there is nothing like being presented with the completed bass. I was utterly blown away by the look of the new back facing. It looks like it has always been there. It really does. Such quality workmanship by Martin, who really is a legend. Now on to the numbers: The bass, prior to the chambering work, weighed 10.5 lbs. It now weighs a simply amazing 8.1 lbs! Thats an overall reduction of 2.4 lbs. This is lighter than I could have hoped for. It is immediately more comfortable to wear, even for a 3 hour gig. I am simply delighted with the work Martin has done. Upon plugging. the bass in, a second surprise awaited. At the outset Martin was concerned what effect the chambering would have on the sound of the bass. This bass always has had 'grunt' to spare. I play in a 9-piece Soul band, with a 4 piece brass section, and they are loud, so the bass has always been turned up, to the point where my Vanderkley Aurora was clipping for 3 hours. With the new Overwater circuit, and the chambered body, the bass seems to 'breathe' more. I notice that the mids in particular seem more pronounced, but all the bass tones are still there. I am so happy with the sound, which overall is so much improved. So there we are! A scary piece of work, driven by absolute necessity, with a very happy ending! What more could I wish for. Huge thanks to Martin, for taking this job on. Thanks also to Chris and Kirstie at Overwater, and to Neil for the excellent re-finishing of the bass. I am very fortunate to own my Overwaters, and moreover, to be part of the Overwater players family. I am blessed. Thank you for reading my ramblings throughout this thread, I hope you have found it informative and entertaining in equal measure. Right, I need to get practicing! Over and out RK7

And so, dear readers, all that remains is to fit the hardware and strings: The Hipshot Ultralight Tuners Final wiring, bridge pieces, and pickups. Oooooh, nearly there now! Yessssss! Its finished! Just a full set-up to go, and re-fitting the strap lock buttons. Time to get in the car and slowly drive to Carlisle to the workshop! (Oh, and those swanky new control knobs look fabulous)

Once the finish had fully dried, it was on to re-fitting the hardware. I had already been in discussion with Chris and Martin about having a new circuit fitted into the bass, as the original John East circuit was due for a change. Whilst the chambering work was being done I had been noodling around with my first Overwater, the Bolt-On Perception. I was struck by how good the tone of this bass is, using a standard Overwater circuit. I was also impressed by how straightforward this circuit is to use, which is handy when gigging. Therefore I asked Chris to fit a new Overwater circuit and controls, and the fancy new Overwater 'top hat' control knobs: Martin had also finished the extensive shielding that goes into each OW bass, taking account of the changes due to the chambering, in particular around the pickups.

Thank you. The guys at Overwater are simply awesome!

So after much sanding, and 'slurrying' (which fills the tiny holes and voids in the grain of the Wenge on the neck, the bass was off to Neil to have its new finish applied. Originally we had thought that the bass would only need the back re-finished, but eventually it became apparent that the whole bass, front and back, would need done. Thank you Neil, it looks amazing:

Martin then moved on to blending in the neck to the body, which involves chisels and a large hammer. I had to look away for this bit 😀: And its all done, Phew! At this point, Martin made another suggestion. When the bass was originally built, the trend at Overwater was towards a D profile on the neck. Nowadays, the preference is for a C profile. Obviously changing the profile from D to C actually removes wood, over the whole length of the neck, which ends up as a significant amount, so I immediately agreed to this change. Martin was happy with my decision as the re-profiling allowed him to use his beloved Shinto Rasp! Hah! So now we have a C profile neck. Very current, I'd say.

Time for some more woodwork on the back, fine tuning the round-overs, and drilling for the ferrules for the individual Hipshot bridge pieces:

Right, now that the glue has dried, and all the clamps are off, lets have a look at the new back! And there it is! All glued up, with a bit of rounding over too!

Martin was very keen to glue the veneer and the new back on as soon as the chambering was complete, so out came the G-clamps and glue: Cheers! RK