Please tell me about that bass

[Dexterward]

Hello there from Germany!

 

Can someone please tell me something about this bass? It was built by Chris May, who owned a music store on Denmark Street in London. It was built in the early 80s. Solid woods, Schaller hardware, overwater pickup, 24 frets, Thunderbird headstock. What series is it? thank you

 

[bassbiscuits]

It’s an overwater bass I believe. 
 

I’m sure someone on here knows the model. 

[Misdee]

It looks like the most basic version of the bass Overwater made in the late 1970's/ early 1980's. I think it was called the Artisan, if I remember correctly.  It might well have been a slightly different shape to the full-spec Thunderbird-style basses they made, a bit more compact, but I'm going back a long way in the recesses of my memory. A local guitar shop was an Overwater stockist and I remember they had one in stock. That will have been about 40 years ago.

 

Anyhow,  they were excellent quality instruments and would look the part nowadays in any indie/alternative rock band.

 

I know that in those days a feature of top of the range Overwater basses was conical fretting, where the frets  got progressively thinner going up the neck. It's worth checking if this bass has that. Anyhow, it's a really interesting bass and a very good find.

Edited 3 hours ago by Misdee

[geoffbyrne]

Chris May often checks in here, so he may see this & comment - if you're lucky!

[HeadlessBassist]

@Misdee is absolutely correct. It's a late 80's Overwater Artisan, a slightly downsized, single pickup version of the Overwater Original.

 

Here're the specs from a 1987 review...

 

OVERWATER ARTISAN BASS

PRICE£599

BODYmahogany

NECKmahogany

FINGERBOARDrosewood

PICKUPone humbucker

CONTROLSvolume and tone; coil tap switch

COLOURSblack/red/blue/sunburst

[Schnozzalee]

Very nice 👌

[snorkie635]

21 hours ago, Dexterward said:

Hello there from Germany!

 

Can someone please tell me something about this bass? It was built by Chris May, who owned a music store on Denmark Street in London. It was built in the early 80s. Solid woods, Schaller hardware, overwater pickup, 24 frets, Thunderbird headstock. What series is it? thank you

 

Drop an e-mail off to Overwater and Chris should reply. Good luck - a fine instrument.

[Misdee]

59 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

@Misdee is absolutely correct. It's a late 80's Overwater Artisan, a slightly downsized, single pickup version of the Overwater Original.

 

Here're the specs from a 1987 review...

 

OVERWATER ARTISAN BASS

PRICE£599

BODYmahogany

NECKmahogany

FINGERBOARDrosewood

PICKUPone humbucker

CONTROLSvolume and tone; coil tap switch

COLOURSblack/red/blue/sunburst

£599 is about £1750 in today's money allowing for inflation. I'd buy a new one of these for £1750 from Overwater nowadays, but somehow I don't think that would be the asking price. High-end basses have got proportionately more expensive over the years especially lately.🙁