Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Herbie Flowers replica Jazz bass £1100 collected (SALE PENDING)


Clarky
 Share

Recommended Posts

As the original FS thread was a bit messy and included two basses, I am kicking off a fresh one. For sale here is my Herbie Flowers replica Jazz made by BC's talented luthier Wes Steed. Its a wonderful bass with black nylon tapewound strings on for a real DB vibe and is a great copy of the iconic 1959 bass used on Walk on the Wild Side and Space Oddity (missing only the original's fuzz switch). Its not one for slapping or fast finger funk, unless you swap the strings over.

I paid £1400 for the bass as it had £800 of original early '60s Fender parts (listed below). Given the state of the market I will now accept £1100.

Specs:
61 Tuners + 62 bushings and screws
62 bridge + screws
All screws from 60/61 including the neck plate screws
String tree 61 with screw
59 thumbrest with screws
Fullerton 83 RI jazz stack knobs and early bell plate
Hand wired repro harness
Suhr Vintage spec handwound pickup
Neck from a 62RI Fender Jazz but re-profiled by Wes
Wearing Herbie-correct Rotosound Tru Bass strings
Note: headstock has a Fender decal which has partly scraped away (this does make it look authentic and could easily be replaced for a fiver).
Comes in soft gig bag only (no hard case)
Weighs 8.77 pounds

Picture below is one of Wes' from his build thread [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/117779-herbie-flowers-jazz-bass-replica/page__hl__herbie__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/117779-herbie-flowers-jazz-bass-replica/page__hl__herbie__fromsearch__1[/url] and was taken before he applied the headstock decal
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=91792"]DSCN2065.jpg[/url]

I don't have a bass-sized box and I don't want to put Mrs C through waiting in all day for Interparcel pickup so this is meet-up/collected only in London

[attachment=94079:Herbie2.jpg][attachment=94080:Herbie 3.jpg][attachment=94081:Herbie 4.jpg]

Edited by Clarky
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1322476769' post='1451134']
What a fantastic bass! I had a Fender Custom Shop '60, but couldn't get on with it. How does Wes's creation stack up against the CS basses?
[/quote]
Thats hard to say. It has better pickups than Fender CS, lots of old Fender hardware and is very particular in style (nylon tapewounds etc), as its trying to emulate Herbie's iconic bass. In many respects, though, its very similar to a Fender CS, eg, the neck, being from a 62RI (but slightly re-worked), feels just like a Fender CS relic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1322480665' post='1451205']
No more than the original (see below) :) :

[attachment=94090:1959Jazz3.jpg]
[/quote]

and its been dropped on the floor lol.

Good luck with the sale. A bit OT but if anyone has the War of the Worlds stage show DVD there is some great rehearsal footage of Herbie with his Jazz.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Plux played the orginal for a week last year and loved it. You had to prize it out of his hands to give it back to Herbie at the end of each day :)

If it sounds like the original (no reason why it wouldn't) then it really has a unique tone that works beautifully in a mix, especially for anything that Herb played on (Space Oddity, TRex, War Of The Worlds etc etc) - just killer!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1322646253' post='1453795']
Plux played the orginal for a week last year and loved it. You had to prize it out of his hands to give it back to Herbie at the end of each day :)

If it sounds like the original (no reason why it wouldn't) then it really has a unique tone that works beautifully in a mix, especially for anything that Herb played on (Space Oddity, TRex, War Of The Worlds etc etc) - just killer!
[/quote]
Thanks 51m0n, it has a great warm, round, thick tone and does a great impersonation of a DB if you roll off the treble. However, its a very singular type of bass and anyone that likes super-slick, zingy, ultra-low action Jazz basses will hate this! This is definitely for a blues, retro rock or DB doubling player :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1322648319' post='1453822']
So it has the original action too? Crikey :)
[/quote]
Based on what I hear of Herbie's bass, the action on mine is a big improvement! I would describe it as medium. Was really trying to make the point that its a bass you dig in, with the big thick Tru Bass strings, rather than a super-fast/slick 'modern' Jazz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...