W1_Pro

51 minutes ago, Owen said:

Filter preamps make my head hurt. But this thread has me fancying and Overwater Original. 

Go on...you know you want to....

Here's mine, taken a couple of years ago. Overwater on the right in the process of having the control cavity insulated...NR TBird on the bench being restrung and set up...The pile of paint cans has only got bigger...

Fantastic bass at a very decent price...GLWTS Nik.

Nice bass that....GLWTS

AFAIK yes, 1985 is relatively 'late'. My burst one in the pic further up the thread is according to Chris 'very early' he dates that as 1979 and the blue one at 1980 or '81.  Here is a link to an article reviewing an Overwater with Armstrongs but in the same position as the earlier Lawrence pickups. A transitional model I suppose. It does mention in the review that Chris has been building this shape of bass for some time. https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/overwater-bass/6557?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The article dates from June 84.

That must be a 'late' Original I think JPJ? The pickups have moved into an Artisan like configuration I notice. Really interesting to see how they have developed over time. Is that the battery box just off to the left there?

This looks like a completely magnificent project. I hope it ends up sounding as formidable as it looks! 

Bill makes a very good point about cable nonsense. I'm reminded of an event I worked on a few years ago at the opera house in Covent Garden. It was aimed squarely at obscenley rich people, and one of the featured attractions was a display of insanely expensive hifi. The mains blocks they plugged into were a sight to behold. Massive curly mains leads going into twenty amp powercons plugged into these amazing looking six gang plug boards with power conditioning and martindales built in. All of this apparently really helped the transients on the bottom end, the noise floor, etc etc etc etc.  I followed one of these cables behind the set flats, where it was daisy chained into a white plastic four gang which was obviously bought from a pound shop. 'What tangled webs we weave', I thought.....

Thanks for that. As far as I'm aware, the  early originals had Bill Lawrence blades in them, and then for whatever reason, they (Overwater) moved to using Kent Armstong soap bars and continued doing so into the Artisan bass(on the right of the pic below).  The Kent soap bar is a relatively straightforward humbucker to  which Overwater (sometimes) added a coil tap to to facillitate single coil usage, one assumes...Mine are all passive and have a single jack out.

So Red, the Overwater that you had that was active..I assume that was a later one with the Kent Armstrong soap bars?

Hello folks,

I have a question with regard to this.

I've heard a few people mention Overwaters 'filter based preamps' over the years but I have to confess I have no idea what they are or what they do.

Were they fitted to Original series basses? I have three of them which are all passive. Two of those have completely standard pot and loom wiring  and the third has a pcb which might as well be pot and loom, as it has (mounted on the PCB) two pots (volume and tone), a coil tap switch and a capacitor. 

If anyone could shed any light and maybe a pic or two, I should be grateful.

2 hours ago, Twigman said:

Never been asked for a carnet.

As I understand it carnets are normally only required for unaccompanied freight.

Travelling with one's own instrument does not require a carnet.

A CPD is a different document. As far as a carnet goes...In the good old days when I used to do a bit of tour managing, the turns kit would be carneted in and out of countries regardless of whether they were with it or not (ie. Air Freight vs a bus, for instance). The key demarcator as to whether you need a carnet for your kit or not is if you are being paid for what you do, as I understand it anyway, but I've always found that quite a lot is subject to the whim of the individual customs agent...

18 hours ago, umcoo said:

Yep, CTM112's. 

 

They come with huge badges which didn't look great imo, so removed them. Great cabs though, and a very easy one hand lift. 

That, is a very nice looking rig. I use a Little Bastard with the 2x12" box. We're not the loudest band in the world- both guitarists are obsessed with not using amps so they go straight into the the PA- but with a live drummer and two guitars, this holds its own quite comfortably and of course, because I am driving it quite hard you get that lovely power tube break up....

On 01/05/2025 at 14:14, Twigman said:

Almost all my gigs are fly aways in various EU countries.

 

I always check my bass into the hold in a SKB iSeries case.

 

If you travel with your instrument as baggage then no ATA carnet is required.

 

If your instrument travels unaccompanied, as freight, then an ATA carnet is required.

 

 

Have you been asked for a carnet by customs whilst travelling with your bass, Twigman ? 

I suppose techically when travelling with your own kit, you should have a CPD but I've never met anyone who uses one...

1 hour ago, umcoo said:

I put together this small valve rig earlier this year. It sounds great and is plenty loud, even though it's only 30w.

Are they Ashdown boxes?

Ashdown.

Maybe its just me, I quite like the G&L ones and I'm agnostic about Sire. The HB ones are OK too..I mean, at that price, I'd put up with a lot..😆.

18 hours ago, BassApprentice said:

I've followed Seldon on Instagram for a good while and really like his designs, even the weird headstock! 

 

For those that don't like it, he can do a more traditional 2+2 for you...

I agree about the headstock. I quite like that angular thing he's got going. I suppose you have to try something a bit different otherwise we end up with endless minor variations of Fender headstocks...

45 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

Reminds me slightly of a Attila Balogh Odyssey bass - might be the Canadian link.

A Balogh. Now theres a fine looking instrument...There was one for sale on here a while back. Lovely it was.

Theres a variant of the 434 that looks like an Ibanez Musician. Very nice.

I think its pretty...

On 06/10/2025 at 20:21, ped said:

Just adding the obligatory comment about being offered one for -£300 in the 80s

I remember when all this was fields....

I've never owned a Wal. I played one in Livewire in Cardiff in the 80's and it was lovely. Never really got around to buying one when you couldn't give them away and now I really cannot help thinking they are overvalued. But, I've been saying that since they were £1500, and this one is seen to be a bargain at £8K, so I'm probably wrong about that.  When they were 'new' in the eighties I remember having a chat with my old bandmate Rob Crocker who was a luthier of some note (he's now sadly passed away). He was a contrarian, as are most luthiers of a certain age, but when I raved about the Wal I'd just played in Livewire (it was £800 brand new iirc), he remarked that he thought that was stupid money for what is, after all, a bolt on neck bass. He had an Alembic in his workshop at the time- which may have belonged to Ravi from Livewire, I'm not sure- and he went on and on about the woodwork and the electronics and how top notch it all was. I own a couple of Alembics now and they are completely amazing things, I could probably buy either of them with a bit of effort for less than the asking price of the Wal. I have no idea what I'm trying to say, apart from the idea that value really is in the eye of the beholder, and I've never understood why Wal - good as they are- is the ONLY bass guitar that really commands this sort of cash (as a brand that is, rather than because of having belonged to someone famous). 

6 hours ago, Hellzero said:

There: https://www.switchelectronics.co.uk/products/1m-linear-16mm-right-angle-splined-potentiometer

 

https://www.switchelectronics.co.uk/products/1m-logarithmic-16mm-right-angle-splined-potentiometer

 

 

Thank you Hellzero, thats very cool. I've also emailed the folks at Banzai you suggested (technically I need straight splines rather than right angles) to see if they can maybe help.

That is an awesome selection of knobs it must be said. Thank you Hellzero. As it goes, I took JPJ's advice and called Overwater, I think it was Chris I spoke to, who was, as usual very chatty and astonishingly knowledgeable and helpful. I  ended up ordering some new Overwater knobs. I only wish that someone, anyone would pick up the emails they get from the contact form on their website. I think this is either the second or third time I've filled it in and got nowhere. 

Would any of you folks happen to know where I can come by a 1 meg log PCB pot and a 1 meg linear PCB pot?

Morning all,

I'm looking for a set of replacement knobs for an Overwater 'Original' or 'C' bass per the pics below.

I've reached out to Overwater via the form on their website and recieved the usual stellar customer care (absolute silence).

The knobs look to be knurled wood, with either a plastic or MOP position marker on the top. They are flared at the bottom like a witches hat knob.

Anyone know of a supplier or could suggest anything similar?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Stuart