wingnutkj Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I have always loved the look of these basses (and their guitar equivalents, for that matter), but given their rarity, figured I'd never actually get my hands on one. Then, last week, I was idly looking on eBay to see if I could find any nice semi-hollow basses (Gretsch-style). This came up in the search, and it was one of those "oh baws, I'm going to HAVE to bid on it" moments of GAS. I won the auction and a box promptly turned up... Charvel/Jackson launched the Surfcaster guitar in the early '90s - they also did a bass and a 12-string guitar. It's a departure from their usual widdlywiddly super-strats, and I guess it was an attempt to buy into the emergent alternative/grunge/indie scenes with styling cues from the decidedly NOT widdly-widdly super-strat guitars favoured by those bands. It's not really semi-hollow - there's a bit of a chamber beneath the shark-fin f-hole but not much. It's got a lovely flame top, binding all round, balances well, shallow neck somewhere between J and P width. So far I've not had a chance to play it much other than to confirm the electrics work - lipstick pickups, volume, tone, pickup-selector switch, and a toggle on the tone pot which apparently gives phase switching options. Made in Japan, and fits nicely with my other alt-rock oddity from that era - my Squier Vista Venus guitar (Courtney Love signature edition). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Lovely. I've got a guitar version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Beautiful! Grog from Die So Fluid used to play one of these with Feline back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Nice bass! I was trailing the net for one of these, on and off over the last couple of years. It was either thus, or the dean taxi bass . I ended up with the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howdenspur Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I like that. Especially the Gretschish orange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Gorgeous! Just wish there was a 5-string version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnutkj Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1414700367' post='2592490'] Just wish there was a 5-string version. [/quote] Yay! The BigRedX seal of approval! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 [quote name='wingnutkj' timestamp='1414704332' post='2592562'] Yay! The BigRedX seal of approval! [/quote] Really? Only 4 out of 5! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icunningham Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I've always loved these and always wanted to own one but never found one for sale and kinda forgot about them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 That, that's fit that is. What a beaut. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Yummy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Lovely bass, congrats John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 [quote name='wingnutkj' timestamp='1414704332' post='2592562'] Yay! The BigRedX seal of approval! [/quote] *grin* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Love that. Really cool, good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Love it! I wonder if Warwick had this in mind when designing the Fortress Flashback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Looks great, bet it plays and sounds great too. All round winner you got there wingnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnutkj Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1414696199' post='2592431'] Beautiful! Grog from Die So Fluid used to play one of these with Feline back in the day. [/quote] Years back, I saw her brandishing a black Surfcaster bass on the cover of Bassist magazine, and that's probably the main reason for the lingering GAS. If I remember right, I saw that actual bass come up for sale, either here or on eBay, but had no spare cash at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immo Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thing of a beauty. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrag Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Cool bass. Loved the look of them in the 90s but looks even better now. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Nice find! I've always wanted one too. I bought a Charvel Surfcaster semi acoustic in 1993, my first 'proper' bass. I still have it and would never part with it, in fact I played my first ever gig on it! Playing my Surfcaster unplugged has such an amazing tone, it has been my life's mission in a way to find an electric that sounds like it but amplified (the eq on my bass never came close unfortunately). I always wondered if an electric Surfcaster would be it. Really well made and designed basses (the fixed unadjustable rosewood bridge on mine is still pretty much in perfect intonation 21 years later!), mine is a joy to play. Congratulations on a great find and well done! I hate you for reminding me that I need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Here it is, used to be my profile pic on here. The neck that you can't see looks the same as yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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