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*SOLD* Neil Murray’s ’Stratocaster Bass’ by Roger Giffin *PRICEDROP* 1979 2-tone sunburst
£2950

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neilmurraybass

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[size=3]£500 off - price now £2450[/size]

[size=3]The only bass of its kind in existence! (As far as I know). It doesn’t get enough use, so it’s time for someone else to enjoy it.[/size]

[size=3]31” scale[/size]

[size=3]3 Schecter J-type pickups[/size]

[size=3]Maple neck with 24 frets[/size]

[size=3]‘Tremelo’ arm with 5-spring block[/size]

[size=3]String spacing: nut 7/16” (11mm) bridge 11/16” (18mm)[/size]

[size=3]Gold-plated parts.[/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5616.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5616.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5615.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5615.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5614.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5614.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5613.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5613.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5612.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5612.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5611.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5611.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5610.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5610.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5609.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5609.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5608.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5608.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5607.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5607.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5606.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5606.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5605.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5605.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5619.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5619.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5618.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5618.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/DSCF5617.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...F5617.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]

[size=3][url="http://s57.photobucket.com/user/neilmurraybass/media/Neil-amp-Strat-bass-1981.jpg.html%5D"]http://s57.photobuck...-1981.jpg.html][/url][/url][/size]


[size=3]My favourite guitar shape has always been the Fender Stratocaster, so in 1979 I decided to have a scaled up bass ‘Strat’ made for me to my specifications by highly respected guitar builder & repairer Roger Giffin. Roger was based in Kew, Richmond at the time but has been living in the US for many years. He has built basses for John Deacon and guitars for a host of famous players.[/size]
[size=3][url="http://www.giffinguitars.com"]http://www.giffinguitars.com[/url][/size]

[size=3]We started with a fretless Precision neck, and that defined how large the body would be in relation to the neck, and also what the scale length would be if there were 24 frets installed in the neck. What I’ve realised since is that a Precision bass and a Strat guitar actually have the same size body, though a Precision has bigger horns. This means that this scaled-up ’Strat bass’ has quite a large body, so it might look a bit odd if you’re on the short side! I think the body is either ash or alder.[/size]

[size=3]Roger had to fill in the dots on the side of the neck and install new ones in the correct fret positions, but we also soon found that the P-bass neck wasn’t as straight as we’d have liked, so he constructed a replacement maple neck. The original neck has ‘Fender Stratocaster Bass’ on the headstock, but it wasn’t possible to do that on the replacement neck. The original neck and pickups are included in the sale.[/size]

[size=3]I had some custom pickups made, with rounded corners to look like Strat pickups, but these too had problems and I also wanted to change the pickups’ positions slightly, so this required a second scratchplate to be made and extra routing to the body.[/size]

[size=3]I got some Schecter J-type pickups (nowadays called Schecter Monstertone pickups) which screw into the body rather than attach to the scratchplate/pickguard. I found that even though the Schecter pickups were an improvement, the bridge pickup was rather quiet so I made a humbucker from two Schecter pickups and altered the scratchplate and body to accommodate this.[/size]

[size=3]In recent times I have reverted to the standard 3 single-coil pickup arrangement so I had a third scratchplate made. The wiring allows the pickups to be connected to different positions of the 5-way switch, to allow for preferred pickup combinations, such as the neck and bridge together. At present, there is a master volume control and the other two pots don’t do anything, but it would be easy to have a volume for each pickup, or a master tone control or even to add an active treble/bass preamp.[/size]

[size=3]Even with a 31” scale, there is quite a lot of tension when using regular gauge strings, so the tremolo arm/whammy bar is more suited to being used for vibrato rather than big pitch drops. [/size]

[size=3]Sound wise, having a trem with springs gives the bass a slight ’Strat’-type sound, with a bit of resonance and hollowness, rather than being thick and full-bodied. The shorter scale length also contributes to this. However, the bass is very easy to play and allows for fast Stanley Clarke-style runs![/size]

[size=3]There are various scratches and dings, though nothing major, mostly just from home wear and tear, rather than having been gigged heavily.[/size]

[size=3]You can see me use this bass in 1979 on the video of Long Way From Home by Whitesnake, though I didn’t use it on the actual recording:[/size]
[size=3][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ1PfB59zf8"]https://www.youtube....h?v=tZ1PfB59zf8[/url][/size]

[size=3]I also played it on the occasional song when playing live in Gary Moore’s band in 1982.[/size]

Edited by neilmurraybass
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neilmurraybass

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[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1452963803' post='2955168']
Hi Neil

heard your band, Space Elevator's rendition of 'Don't believe A Word' on Planet Rock yesterday, very tasty I thought, linking the fast and slow versions like that :i-m_so_happy:
[/quote]

Hi,
I'm going to see Space Elevator tonight in High Wycombe! I played on their album, did a video with them and played at the 100 Club with them 18 months ago, but after that I bowed out and their bassist is now Chas Maguire, who plays on Don't Believe A Word. They are planning a second album with funding via Pledge Music. The fast and slow versions are similar to how Gary Moore did the track on his Back On The Streets album.
Neil

Edited by neilmurraybass
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mrtcat Mentor

mrtcat

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[quote name='neilmurraybass' timestamp='1452964579' post='2955177']
Hi,
I'm going to see Space Elevator tonight in High Wycombe! I played on their album, did a video with them and played at the 100 Club with them 18 months ago, but after that I bowed out and their bassist is now Chas Maguire, who plays on Don't Believe A Word. They are planning a second album with funding via Pledge Music. The fast and slow versions are similar to how Gary Moore did the track on his Back On The Streets album.
Neil
[/quote]

Space Elevator are great. I did a function gig last year with Brian Greene on drums. Possibly the nicest drummer I've ever played with despite being a huge Wycombe Wanderers fan. GLWTS

Edited by mrtcat
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neilmurraybass

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Soundcloud audio examples of the different pickup settings - I have it connected up as follows:
Position 1: Middle pickup
Position 2: Neck+Middle
Position 3: Neck pickup
Position 4: Neck+Bridge
Position 5: Bridge pickup
Recorded flat through an Apogee Duet into Logic Pro. No EQ or compression.
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/middle-pickup"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/middle-pickup[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/bridge-pickup"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/bridge-pickup[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neck-pickup"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neck-pickup[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckbridge-pickups"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckbridge-pickups[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckmiddle-pickups"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckmiddle-pickups[/url][/size]

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gareth Veteran

gareth

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[quote name='neilmurraybass' timestamp='1453143767' post='2956822']
Soundcloud audio examples of the different pickup settings - I have it connected up as follows:
Position 1: Middle pickup
Position 2: Neck+Middle
Position 3: Neck pickup
Position 4: Neck+Bridge
Position 5: Bridge pickup
Recorded flat through an Apogee Duet into Logic Pro. No EQ or compression.
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/middle-pickup"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/middle-pickup[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/bridge-pickup"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/bridge-pickup[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neck-pickup"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neck-pickup[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckbridge-pickups"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckbridge-pickups[/url][/size]
[size=3]
[url="https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckmiddle-pickups"]https://soundcloud.com/neil-murray-2/neckmiddle-pickups[/url][/size]
[/quote]


Thanks for that

Much appreciated

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neilmurraybass

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[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1453150239' post='2956932']
Jimmy Lea showed me his new JayDee Custom EB3 backstage in 1983 and said [i]"bet you've never seen a bass with a wang bar before"[/i].
Oops!
[/quote]

I also have an Aria bass with a Kahler bass 'wang bar' on!

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Big_Stu Proficient

Big_Stu

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[quote name='neilmurraybass' timestamp='1453200556' post='2957261']
I also have an Aria bass with a Kahler bass 'wang bar' on!
[/quote]

Seen you several times with M3 (& spoke after at the signing stand, - I had a Snafu sticker that Micky M was trying to blag off me :lol: ), but don't remember seeing you gig a bass with a bar on it, do you not use them much now?

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neilmurraybass

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[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1453211440' post='2957423']
Seen you several times with M3 (& spoke after at the signing stand, - I had a Snafu sticker that Micky M was trying to blag off me :lol: ), but don't remember seeing you gig a bass with a bar on it, do you not use them much now?
[/quote]
When I had the Strat bass built, I was probably hoping to do a Jeff Beck on bass, and at that time (1979) I think I still got a bit of bass soloing with Whitesnake, but practically speaking, it's tricky to use a completely different bass just for one song. Later, with Black Sabbath in 1989-90, I did a bass solo, and the Aria was useful for that. During most of the rest of my career a bass solo either hasn't been asked for, or using a whammy bar brought as many problems as benefits.
Neil

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