Gillett Guitars

MET OFFICE ALERT - SEVERE WEATHER HITS GILLETT STAND A0!! So, what am I doing at home posting this when I should be on the M4 heading for London Olympia? No prizes for answering that one! Having enjoyed the best winter weather of just about anywhere in the country, we've been bitten on the bum by the heavy snow that's hit Somerset over the last 24 hours. The van with our stand is snowed in - as am I, Michael G and our Product Engineer Simon Austen at our respective homes. So, this morning has been an exercise in damage limitation The good news is that the show management have been able to build us a plain shell-scheme stand to replace our own wonderful (and expensive) creation and we're planning/hoping to travel tomorrow morning and be on the stand before lunch-time. In the meantime, we have to get close enough to the stranded van by car to enable the driver to load the stuff we need for the show (e.g. some basses!) on to his kids' sledges and meet us - I kid you not!! Luckily our friendly bass pro Freddie Draper (he lives in London) will be on our stand around opening time with his own bass and hopefully the couple of combos we're borrowing from Ashdown. He'll be holding the fort until we arrive so, if you're passing, be sure to say hi to him - and give him a pat on the back! Scrumpymike

MET OFFICE ALERT - SEVERE WEATHER HITS GILLETT STAND A0!! So, what am I doing at home posting this when I should be on the M4 heading for London Olympia? No prizes for answering that one! Having enjoyed the best winter weather of just about anywhere in the country, we've been bitten on the bum by the heavy snow that's hit Somerset over the last 24 hours. The van with our stand is snowed in - as am I, Michael G and our Product Engineer Simon Austen at our respective homes. So, this morning has been an exercise in damage limitation The good news is that the show management have been able to build us a plain shell-scheme stand to replace our own wonderful (and expensive) creation and we're planning/hoping to travel tomorrow morning and be on the stand before lunch-time. In the meantime, we have to get close enough to the stranded van by car to enable the driver to load the stuff we need for the show (e.g. some basses!) on to his kids' sledges and meet us - I kid you not!! Luckily our friendly bass pro Freddie Draper (he lives in London) will be on our stand around opening time with his own bass and hopefully the couple of combos we're borrowing from Ashdown. He'll be holding the fort until we arrive so, if you're passing, be sure to say hi to him - and give him a pat on the back! Scrumpymike

Only the best for U.S.

On behalf of myself, Michael G and our Product Engineer Simon Austen, just putting a marker down that your friendly neighbourhood Basschat sponsor Gillett Guitars will be there on stand A0. We'll have our Contour Bass range, a couple of Ashdown amps (UK manufacturers only on our stand ), our bass buddy Freddie Draper, and an itinerant keyboard player to make it all feel like the cocktail lounge on the QE2. Very much looking forward to meeting fellow members of the Basschat gang over the weekend! Scrumpymike, aka Gillett Guitars Sales & Marketing Manager

Hear hear - you'll be most

Those of you who are attending the London Bass Guitar Show the weekend after next and haven't yet got tickets may wish to use the following exhibitor code to get a 20% discount: EXGILLET20 If you're buying tickets online at http://www.londonbassguitarshow.com/ you just need to enter the code to get your 20% off. Sorry this is somewhat late but I didn't organise our exhibit at the show and didn't know about the discount! Hope to see you there - our stand number is A0. Scrumpymike

Really pleased to hear that Bernard - if it's passed the 'trial by band' test, you're home and dry Mike

The Gillett Contour has been cited as best electro-acoustic bass in the premium £1500-plus price bracket in Bass Guitar Magazine’s best bass gear round-up for 2017. The magazine reviewed a 5-string fretted variant of the Contour earlier in the year and praised the build quality, ergonomic design and outstanding performance. Here’s what they said about the 5-string Standard they reviewed: “For the best part of three grand (prices from £2200 - see * below), you’d expect exquisite production and precision engineering at every single construction point, and we’re pleased to say that as far as we can detect, the Contour is flawless. The whole instrument is a lesson in high-quality construction.” “… the ingenious chamfering of the body has to be experienced to be believed. The ‘Wrist Valley’ at the top is a stroke of genius.” “It’s clearly a beautifully-made, carefully-designed instrument and in use it delivers a performance appropriate for its price tag.” “… a super-friendly 31.5” scale…” “… the tones can’t be denied.” *Contour price range: Contour S 4 (slim-line body) — £2200; Standard 4 — £2400; Standard 5 — £2650

We've just got an early Xmas present! The Contour is one of 5 instruments cited in the 'Best Acoustic Basses' category of Bass Guitar Magazine's 'Gear of the Year' round-up for 2017. According to the citation: "...the tones can't be denied." The Contour is the only electro-acoustic bass guitar to be selected from the premium £1500-plus price bracket. We're well chuffed with that!

I've just done a proper Product Data Sheet for the Contour bass range. If anybody wants one, pm me your e-mail address.

Agreed - everybody who plays one says what a huge difference it makes. The way Michael G has managed to graft the front and back cutaways into the hollow body is a work of art.

" Looks lovely." Thanks fretmeister - not that I can claim any credit for that. It's even better when you see it up close 'in the wood'.

Yes, patents done and dusted.

Haven't really mentioned the through-stringing, which - together with the internal structure of the body - is a major contributor to the distinctive sound of the Contour basses. Just pull the hatch cover away from its magnetic mounts... http:// ...and all is revealed! http://

"Unless I'm mistaken I think it must have been Mike at the Cambridge folk festival a year or so back." Yes, he's done the main folk festivals over the last 12 months.

Thanks!

'Electronics' section of spec posted above now edited to remove reference to bridge piezo (fitted to Standard-bodied Contour only).

PS First pic shows truss-rod cover missing as I'd just done a set-up and not put it back. Here's a closer shot of the threaded brass inserts for the cover's machine screws - how's this for attention to detail?! http://

... and here's some pic's of my fretted S4 (which was an ex-demo btw): http:// http:// http:// http:// http:// http://

Yes, both currently on offer.

The S design only has the mag pup - new or ex-demo.

Can't disagree with any of that. The recordings were done before my time but, according to Michael G, the over-enthusiastic ad-lib that unfortunately took the edge off the Gillett presentation was genuine. A script would certainly have helped. (That razor pun was unintentional btw.)

Thanks for the feedback Brook-fan. I've checked the records and they just tell me that the bass at Hobgoblin is a 4-string Standard - so I don't know whether it's got the black nylon-coated strings or phosphor-bronze rounds. Either way, the unplugged volume won't be enough for performing to an audience. The extra volume produced by Michael's unique isn't really noticeable, but the tonal quality and sustain are IMHO remarkable.