Pangborn on Reverb

[roger]

For those who could be interested, on't see these very often, shame about the 'butchered' bridge🙁

 

 

https://reverb.com/uk/item/93341230-ashley-pangborn-custom-bass-guitar-based-on-warlord-model-1985

[Grahambythesea]

Why do I just think JD? That has the weirdest nut I’ve ever seen.

[GeeCee]

On 01/12/2025 at 07:50, Grahambythesea said:

Why do I just think JD? That has the weirdest nut I’ve ever seen.

Because that is a JD roller nut by the looks of it (helps with string bending).  The bridge and tailpieces are also JD pieces, as is the brass PU selector surround.  I think this bass had a Schaller 3D bridge originally and the owner had problems with the strings slipping due to the shallow break angle and took it to Jaydee to be "fixed".  And, let's face it, Pangborn was always heavily influenced by JD (funk groove was another JD signature, not Pangborn).

Edited 5 hours ago by GeeCee

[W1_Pro]

I'm intrigued when you say that the previous owner had problems with the strings slipping. Where did they slip too? I'm not trying to be snippy, thats a serious question. I've had my Pangborn for a good few years and I don't play it much, although every time I pick it up I wonder why because it is a truly amazing machine. Mine also has the pointy headstock, which makes it a fine looking thing.  I read somewhere that a group  of the UK builders (Jaydee, Pangborn, Goodfellow etc) in the 70's and 80's  were chasing Alembic with  multi laminated  necks, complex electronics and the shape of the bodies. I've always thought that was quite a good description of what was occuring.

Edited 4 hours ago by W1_Pro

[GeeCee]

1 hour ago, W1_Pro said:

I'm intrigued when you say that the previous owner had problems with the strings slipping. Where did they slip too? I'm not trying to be snippy, thats a serious question. I've had my Pangborn for a good few years and I don't play it much, although every time I pick it up I wonder why because it is a truly amazing machine. Mine also has the pointy headstock, which makes it a fine looking thing.  I read somewhere that a group  of the UK builders (Jaydee, Pangborn, Goodfellow etc) in the 70's and 80's  were chasing Alembic with  multi laminated  necks, complex electronics and the shape of the bodies. I've always thought that was quite a good description of what was occuring.

Slipping out of the groove in the roller saddle on the Schaller bridge when slapping due to the low break angle, I believe.  Mark King said something similar and that is part of the reason why he ditched his pair.  The owner was and may still be a member.  I don't recall his username, but if you do a search for Pangborn, you can read it in his own words.  You will have to go back a ways but there is not that much Pangborn content.  What you say is true, though the late John Diggins always maintained that the initial similarity was more of a happy accident and based in large part on a customer's design specifications, which was an attempt to copy an Alembic.  He would also say that Ashley Pangborn spent a fair bit of time studying his instruments at trade shows over the years and you can see them evolve closer to a JD, for example, in terms of the control layout.  That said, Pangborn's instruments were (mostly) neck throughs, while JD stuck with the set neck design.