JanSpeeltBas

That is a beautiful guitar! Any chance of shipping to Europe?

Scrolled top horns were introduced to the guitarworld 100 years ago by Gibson who transferred traditional mandolin designs (mandolins being their main business at that time) to their archtop guitars. American maker Premier picked it up for their electric guitars and basses in the '60s and it was continued through custom makers like Abe Rivera [attachment=31758:Abe_Rivera_scroll.jpg](remember the other bass in Jaco's classic DCI Video?) and Carl Thompson [attachment=31759:Carl_Tho...custom_4.jpg] in the '70s. Today we find beautiful scrolls in the Dragonetti basses made in Canada by Les Godfrey: [attachment=31761:Godfrey_fretless.jpg] [attachment=31760:Godfrey_...y_canada.jpg]

Back to France: here's Gougi. These instruments are built around Schertler electro-dynamic pickups. [attachment=31762:Gougi_El...ynamique.jpg]There's an EUB too, as well as solidbodies like this Hyperbass-inspired one: [attachment=31763:Gougi_solidbody_5.jpg]

K is for Kopo from France, this is an older model (Juan):[attachment=31756:Kopo_Juan_j_copy_5.jpg]

I think that the bridge construction is essential for getting a realistic upright sound. I've noticed that EUB's with a traditional tailpiece usually have a less "large electric fretless"-tone. For inspiration you should check out Mikael Janson's EUB Database - Almost any EUB ever made is in there...http://dvoi.com/proj/eubdb

When digging through my archive in search of [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5525&st=500"]Wonderful & Weird[/url] and [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=57672&st=0&gopid=575067&#entry575067"]Familiar Style[/url] basses I came across a fair amount of Rick-style basses. I'm personally no fan of them (but one day?) but I know quite a lot of BC'rs are fond of them. Feel free to add your own! (edited with Bassassin info!)
ARIA Pro II RB650 (Matsumoku, Japan)[attachment=31671:Aria_ProII_RB650.jpg]
ASCO (Korea, probably Samick)[attachment=31673:Asco_ric...opy___92.jpg]
ASPEN [attachment=31749:Aspen_rick_copy.jpg]
ATELKOF (custom, France)[attachment=31672:Atelkof_rick_copy.jpg]
BURNY (Fernandes, Japan/Korea)[attachment=31678:Burny_PR...ck_style.jpg]
CIMAR (Japan) [attachment=31679:Cimar_Rick_copy.jpg]
ELECTRA Corsair (Matsumoku)[attachment=31680:Electro_...ick_copy.jpg]
FINCH (Brazil, 70s)[attachment=31681:Finch_rick_copy.jpg]
GARZ (custom US, played by Kira, Mike Watt's wife)[attachment=31695:kira_gar...ick_bass.jpg]
GHERSON (Italy)[attachment=31683:Gherson_rick_copy.jpg]
GIANNINI (Brazil, 70s)[attachment=31684:Giannini...py___70s.jpg]
GONZALES (Matsumoku, Japan)[attachment=31685:Gonzales...apan_70s.jpg]
GOYA (Matsumoku, Japan)[attachment=31686:Goya_rick_copy.jpg]
GRECO (Fujigen, Japan)[attachment=31687:Greco_RB...ick_copy.jpg]
HONDO (Samick, Korea)[attachment=31688:Hondo_rick_copy.jpg]
HOYER (Germany)[attachment=31689:Hoyer_50...ick_copy.jpg]
IBANEZ (Japan, Fujigen)[attachment=31690:Ibanez_2...ick_copy.jpg]
INDIE IRK (Asia)[attachment=31707:Indie_IRK.jpg]
JAYRO (Bacchus, Korea)[attachment=31750:Jayro_rick_copy.jpg]
JOHN BIRCH (UK)[attachment=31691:John_Bir...ck_style.jpg]
JOLANA D-Bass (Chechoslovakia)[attachment=31692:Jolana_D...py_bo_PJ.jpg]
KASUGA EB750(Japan)[attachment=31751:Kasuga_EB750.jpg]
KAY (Asia)[attachment=31694:Kay_Rick...py___70s.jpg]
LINDO (China)[attachment=31753:Lindo_rick_copy.jpg]
SHAFTESBURY (Japan/Italy)[attachment=31696:Shaftesb...tyle_MIJ.jpg]
SHINE (Korea)[attachment=31754:Shine_rick_copy.jpg]
SIGMA (Kasuga, Japan)[attachment=31697:Sigma_Ri...y__Aria_.jpg]
TOKAI (Japan)[attachment=31752:Tokai_Ro...ick_copy.jpg]
UNIVOX (Matsumoku, Japan)[attachment=31698:Univox_rick_copy.jpg]
VORG (Japan)[attachment=31699:Vorg_Rick_copy_70s.jpg]
WELLER aka WESLEY(China)[attachment=31701:Weller_R...nt__act..jpg]
WESTMINSTER (Japan)[attachment=31702:Westmins...en_greco.jpg]

I is for InnerWood from Japan. This is their Gig 5:[attachment=31640:InnerWood_Gig5.jpg]
J is for Jiraud (also from Japan): [attachment=31641:Jiraud_J_bass_5.jpg]

Missed another day again doing family-things...
These ABGs are for yesterday: the French Kopo Trapeze + Fantome by Fred(erique) Pons.[attachment=31631:Kopo_Tra...ome___93.jpg] I think there's a solidbody fretless Kopo still up for sale on BC and the radical Kopo Rostof with graphite or metal tube has been featured earlier in this thread - here it is again.[attachment=31632:Kopo_Aro...x_metaal.jpg] Metal tube bodies seem to originate from Italy with guitars being made like this since the '50s. A noteworthy Italian tube-frame bass is this '80s Stonehenge. It was made in the early '80s by Alfredo Bugari (formerly employed by EKO) in Castelfidardo. The Bugari company still exists but doesn't make instruments anymore. [attachment=31633:Stonehen...o_Bugari.jpg].
After this little diversion we're going back to France: here's Atelkof, made by Christophe Huort. Nice basses for all you Jaydee and Alembic lovers? [attachment=31634:Atelkof_Africa_I.jpg] [attachment=31635:Atelkof_Africa_II.jpg] [attachment=31636:Atelkof_Stage.jpg]
Though I wouldn't qualify the Atelkof as a strict copy here are some more classic Alembic-style basses: Hoyer Session (mid '80s, Germany) [attachment=31637:Hoyer_Se...bic_copy.jpg] and Fernandes (early '80s, Japan) [attachment=31638:Fernande...bic_copy.jpg]. This Hyak (late '70s USA)[attachment=31639:Hyak_ger..._alembic.jpg] was made by a former Alembic employee and features a unique neck construction: laminated graphite and wood without a trussrod. Unfotunately the first models had not enough graphite laminates to stop the neck from warping. Later models have and must play great but the Hyak company did not last for long...more scroll basses and French ones too tomorrow!

After missing a couple of days here's F: [attachment=31520:Fodera_N...re__4100.jpg] Fodera NYC, the ultimate modern J-style IMO. I almost bought one many years ago when they were made (by Fodera) under the NYC brand (and had fourstring versions) - nowadays there are only Fodera branded fivestrings.
G: Gerold Mayr from Austria:[attachment=31521:GM_Class...stenrijk.jpg] and
H: German made Hot Wire Funky Flash[attachment=31522:Hot_Wire...ky_Flash.jpg]

And continuing Kubicki and licensed basses: here's a Japanese made Blaster. It never got any further than a pre-production run but it's actually the official MIJ Kubicki.[attachment=31508:Blaster_...ail_body.jpg] [attachment=31509:Blaster_detail_kop.jpg].
Ofcourse the Kubickis are wonderful but nowhere weird by todays standards.
Here's an American made Barton, made by Bart Applewhite who's an instructor (and former student) at the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery.[attachment=31510:Barton_H...lewhite_.jpg] Early on in this thread instruments by Adamovic turned up - he studied there too.
Another Barton: [attachment=31511:Barton_Apple.jpg], just as all Bartons a one-off instrument. This headstock makes me think of Microfrets (early '70s) [attachment=31517:Microfre..._details.jpg] and the solidbody Martin basses from the late '70s: [attachment=31512:Martin_EB18.jpg]
Closing off again with this ABG by Dupont - as tomorrow we'll look at some interesting French basses. [attachment=31519:Dupont_ABG.jpg]

Yesterdays bass is a nice ABG by Henning Doderer - it's called the Wappenbass as it is styled as a traditional old german "wappengitarre" (weapon-shield shaped guitar). [attachment=31493:Henning_...ppenbass.jpg]

For today: Mouradian CS74. [attachment=31498:Mouradia...S_74_015.jpg] [attachment=31500:Mouradia...74_81_82.jpg]It's on some BC'ers wishlist and actually acquired last year by a London based TB'er (who may be on BC too?). It's used by and designed for Chris Squire with the body shape depicting the initials C S. It was made for a while in the '80s by Jim Mouradian (located near Boston, USA) who stopped making them for unknown reasons (an unconfirmed story tells he licensed the design to a Japanese company) but has recently moved back to where he originally started making custom basses and guitars (Winchester,MA). He's a very respected luthier and runs a shop/repair business together with his son Jon. He plans getting back to making the neckthrough CS and another model (the bolt-on Reality that's used by Pat Badger of Extreme who himself has worked in the Mouradian workshop too). [attachment=31499:Mouradian_Reality.jpg]There are both active and passive versions (Joe Barden or EMG pickups) and a possible CS75 fivestring version. For the past few years this design was made (under licence) by Las Vegas guitardealer Ed Roman (who owns probably more than twenty brandnames of highend custom guitars ) as the Abstract Mysterion. [attachment=31497:Abstract...esigned_.jpg]
Another Abstract bass (probably not licensed...): [attachment=31501:Abstract_Brutus.jpg], very much like the original Swiss Rolf Spuler (Paradis) bass: [attachment=31502:Rolf_Spu..._design_.jpg], once made in Japan as the Ibanez Affirma: [attachment=31503:Ibanez_AFR_105.jpg] and in Korea as the luthite-bodied EDA900/905: [attachment=31504:Ibanez_EDA900.jpg]
Last bas today is this Swiss Piguet ABG made by a former Spuler employee [attachment=31506:Piguet_prototype.jpg] with a Kubicki-style headstock extension.

I've owned two NYC Sadowskys: a '95 fretted maple neck/ash body with Sadowsky pickups which sounded fantastic (but had to sell it because of a very nasty dead spot that I just couldn't live with) and a custom made '96 fretless (#2424 - who has it now?) with EMGs which just didn't sound right. Great basses - but not for me and probably not for you too?

The german-made Hoyer 25 guitar (three were made in the mid '50s) had a built in full tube amp and speaker. There are several '60s makers who used built-in transistor amps but this one is the only one I know that uses tubes.

Here's Bas-Extravaganza with a built-in 12AX7 preamp tube. Power is supplied through the XLR.[attachment=31381:Bas_Extr..._J_style.jpg]

E for Extravaganza! Today a J-style totally made out of wenge and equipped with Bartolini's + the optical Lightwave pickups (with added piezo's, onboard switchable EQ and rechargeable powersupply) made by [url="http://www.bas-extravaganza.nl"]Bas Wittenberg[/url]: [attachment=31380:Bas_Extr...wave_pus.jpg]. For more on optical pickups: [url="http://www.lightwave-systems.com/"]Lightwave.[/url]

Today it's twisting time again. Many posts ago the twisted neck Torzal (by [url="http://www.littleguitarworks.com/"]Little[/url]) showed up, also featured in a bass by Bas "Bass Extravaganza" Wittenberg whose Lightwave J-style is featured [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=57672&st=0&gopid=575067&#entry575067"]here today.[/url] For now we have the twisted bodies of [url="http://www.burrellguitars.com/"]Leo Burrell[/url]. He makes both solidbody and acoustic basses - be sure to check his website for a better view...[attachment=31377:Burrell_..._twisted.gif] [attachment=31379:Burrell_...c_Bass_5.gif]

Sensible thing BB, though I wouldn't mind taking your Wal...

Today's familiar bass is again german, a [url="http://www.deimelguitarworks.de/"]Deimel[/url]:[attachment=31298:Deimel_p_style.jpg]

We'll leave the aluminum & acryl and go for an ABG: this is the Gottschall Funnel Bass - with soundports where you don't expect them...[attachment=31294:Gottschall_Funnel.jpg] [attachment=31296:Gottscha...nel_body.jpg]
More info: [url="http://www.gottschall-guitars.de"]http://www.gottschall-guitars.de[/url]

Sting played earlier, natural ones, as did Adam Clayton. Pino played one in a Paul Young clip but that one was just a prop...I keep seeing these white ones - this one's for sale in Germany at [url="http://www.station-music.de/:"]http://www.station-music.de/:[/url] [attachment=31287:Ibanez_M...ian___87.jpg] for 590 euro, another natural fretless one locally at [url="http://link.marktplaats.nl/272883674"]http://link.marktplaats.nl/272883674[/url]. And on ebay for 100 dollars: [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/1985-Ibanez-Musician-Bass-Pearl-Finish_W0QQitemZ170373552977QQcategoryZ38080QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.com/1985-Ibanez-Musician-B...0QQcmdZViewItem[/url] - a real nice price (provided you get it shipped...) as the trussrod covers alone are sold for 80 dollars. Aha another one - ugly black, overpriced and advertised as a '83 model - the pickups make me think its a later version but I'd have to look it up to be sure: [url="http://cgi.ebay.nl/1983-IBANEZ-MUSICIAN-BASS-made-in-JAPAN_W0QQitemZ120459911829QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGitarren?hash=item1c0bf86295&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.nl/1983-IBANEZ-MUSICIAN-BA...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url]

FMW website: [url="http://www.fmw-guitars.de/"]http://www.fmw-guitars.de/[/url]

Most commonly mentioned weird bass is actually not this Sharc but the Shark by Austrian guitarmaker Andreas Pichler from Gross Kirchenheim. It was first marketed under his own (Andreas Guitars) name, later by stringmaker Thomastik-Infeld under the Infeld brand. It's out of production for some years but actually an interesting bass. I read positive reviews about it when it was introduced in '95, these details come from a catalogue posted on Vintaxe.com:
There were two types with little difference (probably only the finish?): Basking Shark and Bull Shark. They have wooden necks with an aluminum fingerboard and a wooden headstock. This unlike the guitar version that has a aluminum headstock too. It's scale is a mysterious 35,8", the Sharkfin like body is made out of maple or ash (this could also be the difference between Basking and Bull...) and hailed for its balance. Original pickups are Alembic, hardware by Schaller. Later Infelds may have different pickups - I think this bass is pictured inside some of their string packages too. This is it: [attachment=31227:Andreas_...ld_Shark.jpg] [attachment=31228:Andreas_Bull_Shark.jpg] [attachment=31229:Andreas_Shark.jpg]
EDIT: these Basking and Bull Andreas basses were made until '02, from '03 to '04 under the Infeld name, a single Shark model with alder body and Bartolini pickups.

In all of its sharkiness it reminds me of this French bass from the '80s: Apex [attachment=31232:Apex.jpg] with programmable controls like the Vigier Nautilus.
As for Wesley: did someone ever try their Vigier-copy? [attachment=31230:Wesley_E...giercopy.jpg] Must be as bad as this Chinese made Neotone Ritter Ripoff! [attachment=31237:Neotone_...ter_copy.jpg]

a Chergold?

And parallel to the Weird & Wonderful thread here's a familiair-styled German FMW Precious with neckthrough construction and acryl bodywings...[attachment=31215:FMW_Prec...le_acryl.jpg] with a full acryl P-style bass in our [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5525&st=480&p=573773&#entry573773"]sister thread![/url]

[attachment=31211:FMW_Sharc.jpg]Today: FMW Sharc Bass, made by Frank-Michael Weber in Berlin. Weber uses acryl for his bodies. This one’s headless with an attachable lit headplate. The neck (and center body since it’s a neckthrough design) is made out of maple and mahogany with a 24 fret ebony fingerboard. Pickups are by Häussel with optional piezos in the ABM bridge.

Other FMW models (all acryl-bodied)include the Arrow (modern styled with MIDI electronics) and the P- & J-style Precious (in our [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=57672&st=0&gopid=575067&#entry575067"]parallel "less weird & familiar" thread[/url]) and Jaybee.
Why Acryl? In FMW’s own words:
“The idea was to combine finest woods like maple, padouk, ebony and mohagony with the best available hardware and acrylic bodies.
As a physicist Frank-Michael Weber knew that the low internal damping and high stiffness of an acrylic body should lead to a good sustaining guitar. The vibrational properties of the material are more precise than the properties of conventional wooden bodies. Thus the sound of guitars with wooden bodies is alway different within a series of "identical" guitars.
The sound and sustain of acrylic guitars in contrast is always predictable and repeatable.
That´s why Frank Michael Weber started to built acrylic guitars in the year 2002. From than to now a lot of new models have been devellopped and musicians all over Europe and America chose fmw guitars.”

A short history of acryl see-through “plexiglass” guitars: we all know the Ampeg Dan Armstrong designed plexi’s (1969-1971 but several times reissued, and copied into the ‘70s by Ibanez and Aria/Univox)[attachment=31212:Ampeg_plexi_ri.jpg] which is followed by the shortlived US made ’78-‘80 Renaissance (not the current Rick Turner instruments) – a real back breaker at 15 lbs.
Bernie Goodfellow (in the days of Nightingale) made a custom plexi-body P-bass for Charlie Jones, as did Crimson guitars – these have a plexi neck too![attachment=31213:Crimson_...i_P_bass.jpg]


Other acryl body basses are the pictured Sandberg Plasma (originally conceived for Rammsteins Oliver Riedl, mainly for the visual effect enhanced by LEDs in the body) and the defunct American NEO instruments with similar light effects.
[attachment=31214:Sandberg_Plasma_5.jpg]
(photo by stationmusic.de)
Nowadays there are quite a lot of cheap Korean and Chinese made acrylic body basses available from companies like Fine, Gremlin, Infinity, Sakura and Wesley .

I'm leaving the alphabet - since the last "wonderful & weird"posts have featured some aluminum basses here's a [b]Specimen[/b] (made by Ian Schneller):

Harry (not Harvey…)Fleishmann has been called the “Edison of Bass” by Bassplayer Magazine’s Jim Roberts and indeed he has been pioneering in instrument design. He is however more than a luthier – a writer, teacher, musician and composer too. He doesn’t make many instruments but seems more into design. He has designed for FMIC (that big company that started out as Fender but now holds many brands like SWR and Guild) and in the ‘80s for IMC (Samick, Hondo). Todays bass is designed for Jackson (part of FMIC) and called the Anti-Gravity. It was made for a short time ( around ’02) in the USA and it’s a very original instrument. Attempts to have more made in Japan have failed, maybe due to the controversial looks? Most people call it downright ugly – I myself like it and nearly bought one a few months ago...key attribute of the Anti Gravity is its low weight (under 7 lbs) which comes from a distinctly shaped solid spruce body and graphite reinforced mahogany neck. Other features are Basslines J-pickups, active EQ and Hipshot hardware.
[attachment=31136:Jackson_AG5_full.jpg] [attachment=31137:Jackson_AG5_back.jpg] [attachment=31138:Jackson_AG4.jpg]
These pictures are the 35” scale AG5 fivestring and a less common AG4 fourstring version.
From the eighties there’s this: [attachment=31139:Fleishma...less_EUB.jpg]
It’s a Hondo Flash, a licensed Korean made version of an early Fleishmann design: the Bassic IV. Originally a custom bass made for avant-garde musician Bob Drake (worth checking out his music!) and produced in relatively larger numbers (untypical of Fleishman) in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s by Harry himself. Again lightweight (5 lbs) and balanced. And an early headless design.
Check out the Fleishmann website for more interesting basses, ABGs and EUBs . And he pioneered fanned frets too![attachment=31140:Fleishma...l_basses.jpg]


Aluminum update: a current Fouke[attachment=31141:Fouke_35.jpg], a Tactical [attachment=31163:Tactical_ABC_alu.jpg] and the magnesium Messenger (ca. ’68) guitar – they made some basses too but not that many – it’s even impossible to find a picture of them…[attachment=31142:Messenge...taarhals.jpg]

[i][size=1][quote name='RhysP' post='572794' date='Aug 18 2009, 01:48 PM']He made more than one bass - Kasim Sultan from Todd Rundgrens Utopia had an Ankh shaped Veleno bass.

With regard to the Staccato bass - I played one when they first came out at the London music trade fair (when it was was trade only before they let the great unwashed spoil it.). Pat & Chris had a small stand in a room that was chock full of fantastic basses.

They had serious problems with the basses; because magnesium is such a soft metal the bridge & string retainers on the headstock began to rip out of the body under string tension over time.[/quote][/size][/i]

Thanks for your info: my source(Michael Wright - Guitar Stories vol.2) speaks of just one-off bass, made as part of a guitar-bass set.
And nice to hear from someone who actually played a Staccato. I know only one owner: sessionplayer Reggie Worthy in Germany.