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NBD - You want shiny and new?


Happy Jack

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I can do shiny and new.

Ali%20DB%20-%20details%203_zpsjfs0myrj.j

You want old school? I can do old school.

Ali%20DB%20-%20scroll%202_zpsdqj5ltul.jp

You want etched & engraved? I can do etched & engraved.

Ali%20DB%20-%20details%201_zpswues1cxm.j

You want figured maple? I can do figured maple.

Ali%20DB%20-%20whole%206_zpsytbk8f1g.jpg

You want 3D finish? I can do 3D finish.

Ali%20DB%20-%20whole%201_zpsrlhwy15o.jpg

You want customised rarity? I can do customised rarity.

Ali%20DB%20-%20endpin%203_zpswzfjw9k1.jp

You want barking mad silliness? I can do barking mad silliness.

Bluejay%20in%20a%20poly%20bath_zpscwuv5l

You want more photos?

http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/library/Basses CURRENT/AliKat Double Bass 2018

 

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1 hour ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

Once I got past the beauty of the brushed aluminium body (it took a while), I couldn't help but notice the slightly purple hue of the fingerboard. Is it a trick of the light, or do you have a fancy and exotic wood under those strings?

The fingerboard is really quite red, rather than purple. It reminds me strongly of Cedar of Lebanon though I doubt that is what it is.

The invoice & spec states that it is Rosewood, but I don't believe that for a minute. Apart from anything else, that would have fallen foul of CITES, Shirley.

As to "brushed aluminium", I say to you "Pah!", and again "Pah!", and thricely "Pah!". This is hologrammatically etched 3D aluminium I'll have you know, My Good Man.

B|

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12 minutes ago, TheRev said:

That is a thing of pure beauty..

We need sound clips. Now.

Thanks Rev, and the sound clips will indeed follow as soon as I've had a bit of work done. Dave Gartland is not actually a luthier, he's a specialist aluminium-welding artificer who has gradually morphed into luthiery.

I'm genuinely impressed with the state that the bass has reached me in, but it has a pure rockabilly setup with a very high action (and an extra piezo under the end of the fingerboard) which doesn't really suit my totally pizza playing style. ;)

It also has twin soundposts to stop the aluminium flexing too much, and I think these should be directly under the feet of the bridge. The treble side pretty much is in the right place, maybe 1cm adrift, but the bass side is at least 3cm too close to the treble side for my liking.

A brief verbal description would be that, played acoustically, it is reminiscent of a tuned steel drum. It's definitely a DB, and it's definitely musical, but you can absolutely hear that this bass is NOT made of wood!

Put it through any form of amplification of course (as I have done, though briefly) and the great majority of the metallic sound just disappears.

In a band situation it will sound like a DB but look like the DB From Another Planet. Since most audiences listen with their eyes, I expect them to be fooled into thinking that I can play like you guys!

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I should also mention that the body size is a fair bit smaller than my 3/4 ply bass (an Anton Zeller). It's certainly not a 1/2 size, and it's more than a 3/8 size if such a thing exists, I think it just is what it is. 

That reduction in size neatly offsets the greater weight of the aluminium as opposed to ply. Overall, this bass is heavier than my Zeller but not by enough for it to be an issue.

For the benefit of those who have met me and have some idea of my size and build:

Ali%20double%20bass%201_zpszlhqh0nf.jpg

Ali%20double%20bass%202_zpsgsxfk9xp.jpg

 

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1 hour ago, Daz39 said:

I have to ask; how much was postage from SA?!? 

Still not entirely sure, partly because of the way the deal was structured (the original quote was for the bass, delivered), partly because it had to change a couple of times since the eventual package was over-sized, and partly because it worked out way more expensive than expected and I made a 'contribution'.

My best guess is that the airfreight cost around AUS$1500 in total.

The crate took just four days to travel Adelaide --> Dubai --> Liege --> Arnhem --> Dartford (Kent) --> Park Royal (West London), in the process being trans-shipped FIVE times, and with really accurate tracking all the way.

It then took two days and three attempts for TNT to get the bass the last three miles from Park Royal to Harrow, complete with totally inaccurate tracking, lying drivers, and attempts to dodge all responsibility. Welcome to London.

 

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So this is the bass we heard about at the April double bass bash!

I wondered when you would finally get it delivered and I have been waiting for the pics and I must say it looks fabulous.We are all waiting to hear it.

Well done, now more GAS for the rest of us.Aluminum(Canadian spelling) would be great in our climate.

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4 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

I should also mention that the body size is a fair bit smaller than my 3/4 ply bass (an Anton Zeller). It's certainly not a 1/2 size, and it's more than a 3/8 size if such a thing exists, I think it just is what it is. 

That reduction in size neatly offsets the greater weight of the aluminium as opposed to ply. Overall, this bass is heavier than my Zeller but not by enough for it to be an issue.

For the benefit of those who have met me and have some idea of my size and build:

Ali%20double%20bass%201_zpszlhqh0nf.jpg

Ali%20double%20bass%202_zpsgsxfk9xp.jpg

 

Pint held purely for scale 😁

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