Marcus

Old Chinese Proverb. The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago... the next best time is today Buy an old Fender 60's if ya can but 70's versions seem to have rocketed in the last 5 years, I knocked back a mint Ash / Maple 78 P for £500 5 years ago... damm !!

Guys..... allow me to introduce Kev !! He purchased my Aguilar Rig with the absolute minimum of fuss, deal done for pound notes the same day !! Top bloke this Firmo..... Thanks Mate Mark

[quote name='Marcus' post='439574' date='Mar 19 2009, 07:55 PM']Chris does it again !!!! Boy this guy knows how it should be done........ we exchanged Sadowsky Basses today and everyone's a winner !!! Top blole this Chrisdabass, [b]the only question is what will we trade next...... [/b]got my eye on his NYC like but he's not havin any of it !!! ATB Mark[/quote] ...... and the answer is his Fantastic Aguilar Rig !!! I'll get his NYC one of these days Top Bloke this Chrisdabass Thanks Mate Mark

About 3 years ago John was charging around £1250 for this type of instrument Hope this helps

[quote name='Rich' post='880613' date='Jun 29 2010, 07:55 AM']This Thread Is Meaningless Without Pics [/quote] I agree entirely...... Will get some of the finished article in a couple of weeks

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='880634' date='Jun 29 2010, 08:56 AM']Pics! Dave's a legend. I'm due a visit, I think...[/quote] Hoy Geordie.... keep yer grubby mits off my lass !!!!

Guys..... long overdue update to this thread as my 40th Birthday bass is nearing completion Well.... where do I start with this.... certainly the build process has taken a few evolutionary developments since I first engaged Dave Wilson for my Bass to end all basses ! To say this build has had some thought during the 15 month project would be an understatement !! The process started with the Neck blank.... Bit of a twist here so bear with me ! I wanted a 5 piece construction with purple heart stringers, some very old wood stock was sourced for this, centre section of quarter sawn flame maple 2 purple heart stringers and 2 flat sawn pieces to finish off the sandwich, the blank was glued up and left to settle for 6 months while I forgot all about it.... Until one day I had an idea ! I like the sound of bolt on basses.... sometimes Thru necks can just be thin and nasal (Alembic Warwick etc - controversial or what) and 50% of the basses i've owned have been jazz basses, one of the potential issues with bolt on instruments is a mis match between body & neck. Here's an idea, I'd get dave to cut the neck blank to make a bolt on neck and a centre section for a jazz body !! To my knowledge I don't know of another bass built in this way..... it's like if you build a full length neck/body blank why the hell would you cut it in half ? This intrigued me..... my counter argument was.... why wouldn't you ? I mean, it settles the issue of neck & body not like eachother doesn't it ? it would be the same bit of wood(s) So I had a build concept...... Dave loved the idea and typically got more fired up for the project than me (which is saying something) Initially I wanted the bass finished in white with a rosewood board, propper old fender look ! I never wanted the bass to be a fender clone but the temptation to have it look like a fender from the front and something a bit special from the back was too much to resist. My idea was to have it painted white but to mask off the 3 piece laminate centre section so you have a lovely neck/body continuity. Dave wanted to cap the body with a nice maple top (even though it was going to be painted..... on you go bonny lad !! A few weeks later I had a body and a neck. Dave located some beautiful (really old chocolate rosewood - Yes expensive but not the $1000 upgrade Mr coppolo charged) The headstock was veneered to match the body top. It was all glued up and left for 4 months just to sit and live and breath and grow together ! With the skeleton complete....Time to consider some of the details, I thought, What do I like in a Fender ? I'm going to put the dream fender Jazz spec together.... Neck Dot & Bound (ala 66) MOP Inlays (Half way between Jazz & Precision at the nut) Elephant Ear tuners Vintage 60's Jazz pickups Stack Knob controls Marcus Neck Pickup cover 60's "threaded" bridge Perhaps a bit of a hotch potch..... but It's not a fender so what the heck, I was tempted to go pucka 66 spec, tempted to go 70's spec and also very tempted to go 60's stack knob !! Instead I mixed it all together and went for MY Spec !!!! Dave told me he had some lovely aged white binding with a faint stripe in it.... deal done !! I got some custom shop pickups, Hipshot ovals and a propper fender bridge..... time to forget all about it for a while til I got the call from Dave ! Time for a bit more thinking...... Dave asked me if I'd ever want a circuit in the bass, he wanted to know if I wanted a battery compartment routing into the back.... I love the Aguilar OBP1 and I knew i'd most likely end up with one in there at some point so I said yes. After which the body would be finished and the multiple coats of sealer, sanding undertaken - anyone who know's Dave will know he finished Stefan Sobell's wonderful instruments, so the finish was going to be a bit special. I got the call from Dave...... "Mark you've got to see this top befor I finish it in white" Dave sent me some photo's within 5 mins and I really had to agree..... I love Natural Jazz basses - Bring it on !!! Next brain wave..... wouldn't it be fantastic to have a stack knob control plate but active !! VOL/PAN BASS/TREBLE Paging John East...... quite a few emails later it was a reality (I think John may end up marketing this - you heard it here first) I think you'll agree...... an interesting project and one very near completion. I've played the bass and it fits me like a glove, the acoustic sound is phenomenal, really loud and radiates tone like nothing i've heard, plugged in (just passive Pickups wired straight to a jack) it's immense, massive sound, firm, tight and focussed with huge thump and attack. It plays like butter, the fretwork is totally amazing, with Dave spending masses of time on the fret dressing. The neck is solid as a rock (Very Alembic like from that point of view) The last pice of the jigsaw is the circuit, should be ready mid July when i'll be going over for a final set up afternoon and handover of the bass from Dave. Mr Wilson..... I had high expectations of your work, but the end result has surpassed even my highest hopes !! I just need an amp now !!!! Photo's to follow....... If anyone interested that is !! ATB Mark

You lot are anorexic !!