Basvarken

The company that makes the bridge sets for the 12-string basses that I build, is ETS Hardware from Germany. They made a bridge set for a 24-string bass. So I guess anything is possible. 🤪 One of the most ridiculous bass guitars I have ever seen in my life, actually...

I guess that is possible, yes. But the bridge and tailpiece would be a costly affair, since they'd have to be custom made. But who on earth has hands that big and strong to play an 18 string bass? My fingers have a hard time at 12 strings already! In my defense: I'm not an experienced 12-string player (as you probably can tell by the sloppy playing in the video) 😉

That is serious money! 😮 The TB-12 cost less than half...

I have just completed the build of a new twelve string Thunderbird bass. The entire build process is documented here: https://www.enkoo.nl/brooks-tb-12.html Brooks TB-12 - Mahogany body wings - Nine ply Mahogany/Walnut set neck. Neck through - Opaque white (blonde) high gloss finish - Abalonoid binding - Ebony fretboard - Circle position dots - Jumbo frets - 34" scale - Buffalo horn nut - Three ply black/white/black pickguard - ETS twelve string brass bridge set - Two spokewheel double action trussrods - Carbon reinforcement strip in the neck - Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the neck position - Lace Alumitone DeathBar in the bridge position - Allparts stacked pots (volume/tone volume/tone) - Mullard capacitors - MEC on-on switch for coil split (humbucker-single coil) - Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners - Gotoh Stealth ST 31 guitar tuners - 2 x Pure Tone Multi Contact jack output - d'Addario EXL 170 - 12 strings - Weight: 4.25 kg Wiring was done by BQ Music.

Woke up this morning to see that my book is featured in Australian guitar talkshow 'On the Couch". Very nice to get this kind of appreciation from Down Under! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UwSF2uE_8w

Here are a few of my headstocks:

The first time I used the Lace Alumitones was on the first twelve string bass I built. I was looking for a humbucker that has bar magnets that are wide enough to pick up all the strings equally as good. Many bass humbuckers with bar magnets are a bit on the narrow side. But Lace offers the Bass Bars in several widths (3.5', 4", 4.5"). Which made me curious about those. I checked a few YouTube videos and decided to try them out. I was pleasantly surprised. They have a very high output level (even though they're passive). Are dead silent (no hum whatsoever, even in single coil mode). They sound very even across the tonal spectrum. And I think they look pretty cool too. I've used them on a regular four string bass too.

Latest addition to the family of black basses

Yeah, my bad. My head was in the Thunderbird shapes. But your description was spot on EB-0 Bird. Still regret selling that one...

Did I build that? 🤔 You mean the Telebird perhaps? Or the EB-TB? That must be the one you're thinking of!

Got a new bass build ready. TB-12-Q Twelve string Thunderbird Bass with Quilted Maple top. - Mahogany body - Bookmatched Quilted Maple top - Nine ply Mahogany/Walnut set neck. Glued in - Transparent black stain - High gloss transparent acrylic finish - White binding - Ebony fretboard - Mother of pearl position dots - Jumbo frets - 34" scale - Buffalo horn nut ? - ETS twelve string brass bridge set - Two spokewheel double action trussrods - Carbon reinforcement strip in the neck - Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the neck position - Lace Alumitone DeathBar in the bridge position - Allparts stacked pots (volume/tone volume/tone) - Mullard capacitors - MEC on-on switch for coil split (humbucker-single coil) - Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners - Gotoh Stealth ST 31 guitar tuners - 2 xPure Tone Multi Contact jack output - d'Addario EXL 170 - 12 strings - Weight: 4.25 kg Electronics circuit by my good friend Bas Becu. Serialnumber: 2021003 Pics of the build process can be found here: https://www.enkoo.nl/brooks-tb-12-q.html

Here she is with another Sister Noir

I did a drastic make-over on a bass to make it part of the black bass family Used to look like this:

For those who wonder how a twelve string bass sounds:

Yeah, you tune the octave strings slightly different from one another. This gives a rich /full sound. If you'd tune them exactly the same it wouldn't sound as lively. Quite like a piano indeed.

Yeah, or it's stitched together 😉 The reverse triplets were done per special request. The gentleman who I built it for is a finger style player. He wants to hit the octave strings first.

Well... the guy who I built it for plays in Dream Police

I built a new Brooks bass! The EXB-12-2PR (EXplorerBass - 12 string - 2 Pickups - Reverse strings triplets) - Mahogany body - Laminated Mahogany set neck. Glued in - Black gloss finish - Checkerboard binding - Ebony fretboard - Brassl position markers - Nickel silver frets - 34" scale - Buffalo horn nut ? - ETS twelve string brass bridge set. Gold plated - Two spokewheel double action trussrods - Carbon reinforcement strip in the neck - Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the neck position - Lace Alumitone Bass Bar in the bridge position - Switchcraft output. Gold plated - 2 x Stacked volume/tone knob. Gold plated - Pickup selector switch. Gold plated - Gotoh GB 350 lightweight bass tuners. Gold plated - Gotoh Stealth ST 31 guitar tuners. Gold plated - d'Addario EXL 170 - 12 strings - Weight: 4.5 kg Electronics circuit by Bas Becu. Pics of the build proces can be seen here: https://www.enkoo.nl/brooks-exb-12-2pr.html

New black bass born today!

Two Brooks sisters, side by side Grabbird and Thundervee

Ladies, Gentlemen and everyone in between: I proudly present the Brooks Thundervee. A hybrid between a Thunderbird and a Flying V. - Neck through with Korina body wings - Nine ply Korina/mahogany neck - Ebony faceplate on headstock - Red Mahogany stain. Gloss transparent acrylic finish - Rosewood fretboard - 23 Jumbo frets - 34" scale - Handcut Buffalo horn nut - Three ply black-white-black pickguard - Wide travel Thunderbird bridge - String through body ferrules - Hipshot ultralite nickel plated tuners - Spokewheel double action trussrod - 2 x Sixties repro Thunderbird pickups nickel. 9.2 K Ohm - Di Marzio EP111 toggle switch 4PDT for serial mode - 2 x Volume pot Bourns 500 kOhms logarithmic - 1 x Tone pot Bourns 500 kOhms logarithmic - Kemet capacitor 47 nF paper insulation - DR FatBeams 45-105 Electronics circuit by BQ Music Pics of the build process can be found here This is what she sounds like:

Yeah that was a nice surprise! https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2020/12/28/best-of-2020-top-10-reader-favorite-bass-of-the-week-features/

It is one YouTube video 😉

I did. Check the video a few posts above...

Haha thanx. Well, here you go: