BigRedX Posted October 24, 2007 Author Share Posted October 24, 2007 Next up is from Japan [url="http://www2.wbs.ne.jp/~tokai/"]Tokai[/url] Here's a Talbo Bass Tokai are best known for making copies of other manufacturer's instruments (often better than the originals), but they also do several original designs of which the most interesting (and most successful) is the Talbo. The Talbo design with it's semi-hollow engine-grade aluminium body original appeared in the 80s in guitar form only. When it was re-vamped in the late 90s the range was expanded to include the bass and the Jr (with built-in amp and speaker). The Talbo bass is probably my favourite of all the aluminium bodied basses, the body shape I find very comfortable and ergonomic. I believe Bassassin here on BassChat has one of these. I'll be getting one just as soon as I can find a good one at a sensible price. The ones I've seen in the shops in the UK all appear to be seconds with casting marks on the bodies (something that I've never seen on examples for sale in Japan) and seriously overpriced compared with what you would pay for a perfect example in Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 Another day and another bass and more aluminium, this time from [url="http://www.industrialguitar.com/index.html"]Fouke Industrial Guitars[/url] This is the 35 Bass Fouke Industrial Guitars specialise in all aluminum lap steels, but also branch out into 'conventional' guitars and basses. The semi-hollow bodies are made out of an aluminium sheet, compostite, aluminium sheet sandwich and the necks are come from the major parts suppliers such as Warmoth and Moses or from parts supplied by the person ordering the instrument. This example is a 30" scale with a Kramer aluminium neck. Prices are around the $2000 depending on the parts used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Oh! That's the first a while that's made me sit up straight. Wonder how she sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Today's basses are from Italy [url="http://www.jacoland.it/"]Jacoland[/url] This one's a Jazzy and this one's called Nemo There's not a lot of info on the site about these instruments or their creator. Just lots of interesting, basses with slightly unusual features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Sorry but there won't be any updates over the weekend as I'm off to see [url="http://www.thebirthdaymassacre.com/"]The Birthday Massacre[/url] and check on the progress of my Sei Bass More weird and wonderful next week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Here's some 'tasteful' basses: [url="http://www.weirdomatic.com/weird-bass-guitars.html"]Weirdbasses[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 [quote name='BigRedX' post='79973' date='Oct 26 2007, 09:51 PM']Today's basses are from Italy [url="http://www.jacoland.it/"]Jacoland[/url] This one's a Jazzy and this one's called Nemo There's not a lot of info on the site about these instruments or their creator. Just lots of interesting, basses with slightly unusual features.[/quote] these look very nice, but surely such a short top horn will bring balance issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_MaN Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 thats fugly lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Reminds me of one of those mint humbugs (the brown ones): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 Back from London, where The Birthday Massacre were completely awesome live; the Mac Expo was very disappointing - if I didn't know better, I wouldn't have though there had just been a major upgrade to the OS and the iPhone was less than 2 weeks away from it's UK release; and The Bass Gallery was in danger of being flooded! Jono - thanks for the link. Unfortunately you posted a Wishbass (amongst others) so please stand in the corner and think about what you did! ;-) wotnwhy - balance could be a problem on those Jacolands, although the Jazzy also has to other strap button raised which should go some way to reducing the (potential) problem. Paul, I have mixed feelings about CT basses. There are aspects that are great such as the upper horn scroll/hook design, and there's no denying that these are quality sounding and playing basses, but sometimes I think the details let it down - for instance the over-thick wood binding on the fingerboard and the Wishbass-eque jack socket mounting. I believe that when you get to this level of build/cost in an instrument it's the attention to detail and overall aethetics that separates one luthier from another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 When I started this thread, my original intention was only to post instruments that were in production. However over the last few weeks I've been building up GAS for one of these: It's a Reverend Brad Houser 5 string. Dual humbuckers, 35" scale length, retro/modern styling and a finish called Lava Swirl (obviously inspired by Kai's Powertools Texture Explorer Photoshop plugin!) For more check the [url="http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/archive/bass_gallery/index.htm"]Reverend Bass Archieve Gallery[/url] Unfortunately at the moment Reverend aren't making any basses, so my best bet is a daily check of the TalkBass sales forum and the hope that I can find one that the seller is willing to ship out of the US. However there is a rumour circulating around the Reverend forums that bass production might be back next year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I played a reverend guitar in the 'bug eye' chrome finish that was very cool. Not sure about the basses though, the slab body puts me off a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 [quote name='BigRedX' post='81860' date='Oct 31 2007, 06:09 PM']Paul, I have mixed feelings about CT basses. There are aspects that are great such as the upper horn scroll/hook design, and there's no denying that these are quality sounding and playing basses, but sometimes I think the details let it down - for instance the over-thick wood binding on the fingerboard and the Wishbass-eque jack socket mounting. I believe that when you get to this level of build/cost in an instrument it's the attention to detail and overall aethetics that separates one luthier from another.[/quote] Go and pick one up,play it.....now put it down Now say sorry for even saying...NO THINKING such thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 Ped, the Bug Eye Chrome is a cool finish - unfortunately there were no pictures of a bass with this finish in the Reverend gallery otherwise I'd have post one of those as well. I'm not sure if the the uncontoured body would be a problem without trying one although none of my favourite basses (Gus, Pedulla Buzz or Lightwave) have any body contouring beyond a radiusing of the edges, so probably not. ARGH, since I don't play by myself in a darkened room, for me how a bass looks is just as important as how it plays and sounds. There's just something not quite as elegant as it could be about that particular CT bass (especially considering how much they cost) - although remember that for me the Gus G3 and the Spalt Hybrid are close to the pinacle of bass design so what do I know... What I can say is that after spending most of the 80s playing synths when I first moved back to guitar and bass I bought practical but dull-looking instruments (a Washburn 5-string bass and a Yamaha 'super-strat') but after a gig or two I was ready to replace them with something that more reflected my on-stage personality in looks as well as sounds - an Overwater Original 2 Bass, and a custom-built Fret-King Esprit V guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_MaN Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 [quote name='BigRedX' post='81984' date='Oct 31 2007, 10:28 PM']When I started this thread, my original intention was only to post instruments that were in production. However over the last few weeks I've been building up GAS for one of these: It's a Reverend Brad Houser 5 string. Dual humbuckers, 35" scale length, retro/modern styling and a finish called Lava Swirl (obviously inspired by Kai's Powertools Texture Explorer Photoshop plugin!) For more check the [url="http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/archive/bass_gallery/index.htm"]Reverend Bass Archieve Gallery[/url] Unfortunately at the moment Reverend aren't making any basses, so my best bet is a daily check of the TalkBass sales forum and the hope that I can find one that the seller is willing to ship out of the US. However there is a rumour circulating around the Reverend forums that bass production might be back next year...[/quote] Soon enough you'll want to sell it though and you wont be able to because it is absolutley horribly fugly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Yes I meant to say non-radiused body rather than contouring on the actual body. My Bacchus Jazz had a flat top and I could notice it every now and then. The Reverend basses have lots of fans over on Talkbass. Apparently they have quite a distinctive and individual sound. Pedster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 (edited) I don't think the CT bass is supposed to be elegant. Its fat and bulbous shape is what I like about it. And I don't think it would look right in a single colour. I love its blank expression and slanted mouth as well Both 'weird' and 'wonderful' in my opinion. Great thread. Edited November 1, 2007 by paul, the Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 E_MaN, as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder... If I manage to get hold of a Reverend Bass I doubt very much I would sell it, as these days if I'm interested enough in an instrument to buy it, it will get used, and if at some point it no longer suits my playing needs, it would go into storage until such time that it does again. I suppose I'm lucky in that I'm not in a situation where in order to have a new instrument I have to sell another for either reasons of space of finance... Paul, I think that my problem with the CT bass is that it has gone on to influence several other luthiers who IMO opinion have improved on the design and execution namely Bas Wittenberg and... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 (edited) ... the creator of todays featured bass Jens Ritter. Really [url="http://www.ritter-basses.com/"]Ritter[/url] should be an obvious choice, but my favourite of his basses is one of the less popular ones, The Raptor Looking at the Ritter site it would appear that the majority of the instruments he makes are based on the Roya design. I prefer it when he plays less safe, and I think the Raptor is a supreme example of this. Generally fretless with a 36" scale length, Lightwave pickups (and if you want a conventional magnetic pickup too) and an amazing 3D body shape cmplete with lower horn 'claw'. I'm not sure if you could still order one of these due to Lightwave's current policy of not supplying other makers with the pickups. I wonder if they would make an exception for Ritter or if in this case the price includes the cost of him buying a Lightwave Sabre to gut for the pickups and electronics? Edited November 1, 2007 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 BTW - who moved the thread over the weekend? Personally I think the Bass Porn section should be reserved for instruments actually owned by BassChat members and since the only basses in this thread that are actually mine are the Gus G3s... On the whole though, I'm kind of flattered that my less than mainstream tastes should be so elevated (despite what some posters appear to think!) ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I love this thread. I don't know who moved it - I wasn't aware it had moved either, since I usually use the 'view new posts' page! Where was it originally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Prob my fave Ritter bass. You might like my old Volvo's rear window sticker, too: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 It was originally in "Bass Guitars" Now it's here though, it's probably not worth moving back unless you strongly feel that the Porn Section should be for "Readers Basses" only and not just any old instrument found on the interwebs... Also thinking some more about the slab nature of the Revered, for me I don't think this would be a problem - my second favourite guitar is my Fret-King Esprit and that has a non-contured, non radiused body and the upper half of the body is a similar shape to that of the Revered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 [quote name='ped' post='82553' date='Nov 1 2007, 10:44 PM'] Prob my fave Ritter bass.[/quote] And one that nicely illustrates the point I was making about the CT bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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