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rk7

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Posts posted by rk7

  1. On 21/05/2020 at 18:12, JohnR said:

    This is the best bass-related thread I have ever read. Congratulations.

    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

     

  2. On 18/05/2020 at 13:21, therealting said:

    That is a stunning piece of work, and a ridiculous level of weight reduction! I had been toying with getting @Andyjr1515 to do something like this for me, this has tipped me further in that direction...

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

    RK

  3. 11 hours ago, funkypenguin said:

    I had the pleasure of playing this bass way back in 2013 at the NE bash (I think it had only just been completed if memory serves @rk7 ?!) and remember it being a beautiful instrument. Im so happy for you that the guys at overwater were able to pull this off for you, I know I would be devastated if I could no longer play my main bass anymore! Fantastic result all round! Out of interest, what is it exactly that you prefer about the overwater circuit versus the East unit? purely out of curiosity as I swear by Johns U-Retro unit! :) 

    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

  4. 27 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

    Well that's a bit like, after you've let me look at your Aston Martin, you saying, "Hey Andy.  I understand you got a new moped recently - can I have a look?" xD

    As long as you PROMISE never to show this to Martin...

    Well...you did ask!

    Andy ;)

    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

     

    • Thanks 1
  5. 5 hours ago, White Cloud said:

    The thing that gets me is that I felt the need to move my favourite bass on last year because I couldn't live with the weight (10.8lbs) anymore ... an Overerwater Progress 5 string. 

    A - I never thought of this solution

    B - If I had I'd never have thought OW would entertain it.

    #:-(

    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? 😁

    • Thanks 1
  6. 8 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

    Superb and utterly professional job :)

    I took the time to fully read through the thread rather than dip in and out and every aspect - starting with your own judgement, @rk7 , that playing this bass was more important to you than leaving it in its original form to the stunning quality of work - fills me with awe and admiration.

    Best modification job I've ever seen and, in my view, the only one I have seen that breaks the rule I always caution enquirers that "all mods reduce resale value".  I have no doubt in my own mind that this has actually enhanced the value, not that this matters as it's clearly and rightly a keeper.

    Over coffee, I'm going to read the whole thing again, if not simply for the perfection of that heel recarve!

    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

    • Like 1
  7. 16 hours ago, hubrad said:

    Fantastic! The Overwater team is just so skilled with all the wood and wire stuff.. I have a couple, which are nothing flash in terms of the whole range but are absolutely spot on in looks, sound and playability.

    Glad yours has a new lease of life, and glad you're still around to enjoy it!

    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

    • Like 3
  8. 17 hours ago, BassTool said:

    WOW what an amazing transformation.

    I was lucky enough to try Robin's bass at a bass bash a few years ago, it is a beautiful piece of work, but now looks equally incredible.

    Great thread @rk7 thanks for sharing that superb workmanship by OW 👍🏼

    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

  9. 39 minutes ago, owen said:

    I have a 25+ year old 36" six string waiting to go for a post lockdown refurb. Overwater make a lovely instrument. 

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

  10. Right, I got to the workshop unscathed, (fairly quickly, I admit). So its time to plug in and try the bass I suppose.....😁

    240338AA-1D76-4340-B685-0809BAA32E67.thumb.jpeg.ebf14e192a95e10711da2d0dac4bc640.jpeg

    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

    • Like 13
  11. And so, dear readers, all that remains is to fit the hardware and strings:

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    The Hipshot Ultralight Tuners

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    Final wiring, bridge pieces, and pickups. Oooooh, nearly there now!

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    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)

    • Like 4
  12. 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:

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    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. 

    F3DF6C68-BBE2-4994-BCA6-C6F09A318B93.thumb.jpeg.c2e70fa116c11581f965cad03606882a.jpeg

    • Like 1
  13. 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:

    472B2A76-0AFC-4868-A198-BE253C9C55C6.thumb.jpeg.673aa2280e803f4b6d57e39e750f96d6.jpeg

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    • Like 3
  14. 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 😀:

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    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!

    F84517B6-34E3-458E-B34C-FB3F046DC8E9.thumb.jpeg.d6d0a092f5e79616e9eec21015f1e8fd.jpeg

    So now we have a C profile neck. Very current, I'd say.

    • Like 3
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