Overwater basses by Tanglewood

[Spoombung]

Shame there's no photos.

[eude]

[quote name='Spoombung' post='792175' date='Mar 31 2010, 05:17 PM']Shame there's no photos.[/quote]

+1

[BigRedX]

No photos no bass...

Are they doing the "Original" shape?

[crez5150]

This is the image in the press release so presumably this is the body shape.

[STU-SBL]

[quote name='crez5150' post='793404' date='Apr 1 2010, 03:29 PM']This is the image in the press release so presumably this is the body shape.

[/quote]


Not quite... but they do look like a relation


Photo's are available and when given the green light I will post them here... They look, feel and play great!

Stu

Edited April 2, 2010 by bleedproof

[martthebass]

[quote name='BarnacleBob' post='791829' date='Mar 31 2010, 01:07 PM']There are two Overwater perceptions in the for sale forum hovering about the £600 mark and no-ones buying - so who would buy a 'copy' at £800. Thru neck one went on evilBay at 'only' £900 recently (2.5k new)

Not sure what I'm trying to say here.


BB[/quote]

I take that as part and parcel of the 'custom' build scenario. I know that Perceptions (unless they have been 'specified' by a buyer) aren't customs in the true sense but I've always felt that small builder's output always loses a little more % wise when sold on second hand (cf. the RRP) than similarly priced Musicmans or Fenders. I guess there are exceptions (Status maybe?). One of the Perceptions you refer to above (ie my old Deluxe F'less) had an RRP of about £1600, but I've seen them go new from dealers at about the £950-1000 mark. I bought this bass last year used and sold on at about the same so once the 'new loss' has gone they hold value just fine.

Edited April 2, 2010 by martthebass

[STU-SBL]

Here you go guys.

I'd like to stress that these are [b]prototypes[/b], but are very close to the finished instruments - so not many changes.

Even at this stage they are fantastic and I have a particular fondness for the PJ4

If any of you guys use the images below (other web sites, blogs, forums etc) please reference and credit appropriately. [b]Overwater By Tanglewood (prototype) | www.overwaterbasses.com [/b]

Enjoy....

Stu & the Overwater team

Edited April 3, 2010 by bleedproof

[velvetkevorkian]

Any 5 or 6 strings with 36" scales on the horizon?

Edited April 3, 2010 by velvetkevorkian

[OutToPlayJazz]

They look very good quality and very varying in design. Not sure on the headstock shape, though. The traditional Overwater style would have been nicer. The pricing will be the clincher...

[Chris2112]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='795002' date='Apr 3 2010, 12:55 PM']They look very good quality and very varying in design. Not sure on the headstock shape, though. The traditional Overwater style would have been nicer. The pricing will be the clincher...[/quote]

Some of them look ok and some look a bit cheap. They're certainly not as nice looking as I had hoped they would be! They may well sound great.

Edited April 3, 2010 by Chris2112

[Marcus]

Not a great excercise in brand marketing this !!

So you build a reputation over decades as a custom builder charging £2-£3k for a bass and you allow your brand to be diluted down like this....

If these basses are Tanglewood built instruments - designed by Chris, then shouldn't they be logo'd "Tanglewood by Overwater"

[absolutpepper]

While I quite like the look of the Jazz I just couldn't imagine buying one (unless they are priced amazingly or play stunningly). Its a shame, I was really interested and now not so much.

[velvetkevorkian]

I'd like to see the full specs/options/pricing before making my mind up here. Let's not all rush to judgement on the basis of a few protoypes.

[Chris2112]

They just look a bit bland, a bit clubby and sadly, a bit cheap...which is odd considering the price of some of them! Much like the Washburn Status basses, I am not the biggest fan of the brand dilution thing...although the Cort Elrick basses were cool!

Edited April 3, 2010 by Chris2112

[NJE]

The Jazz looks interesting but I would like to see a 5. Is it just me or does the headstock look like a 4 string Lakland? Unfortunately the others are really not appealing and the headstock design goes down as one of the ugliest I have seen IMHO. Its a real shame I was hoping these would be really special, no doubt they will play very well like everything else I have played with Overwater on the heads, but they just dont have the aesthetic appeal of every other Overwater I have seen and nowhere near as eye catching as the lines on a Progress.

[overwater]

Having watched this thread unfold over the last week since my return from Frankfurt, I thought maybe it is time I threw in my two penny worth...

Firstly I’d like to say that I gave a great deal of thought to what I was trying to achieve before I entered into this relationship with EMC/Tanglewood Guitars and that my aim from the outset was to form a strategic alliance with this British company that not only has the knowledge and experience in manufacturing and distribution – but also shares my values with regard to quality control, value and design ethic. And, by entering into this alliance, it would enable me to extend what we do at Overwater – not dilute it...

The name on the headstock is there for very good reason - I see the ‘Aspiration Series’ basses as just that... A series of instrument that fit into the Overwater ‘family’ and encompass the all the values I have always aspired to – but at a price that makes us much more accessible and bridges the gap between the ‘boutique’ and more ‘production’ instruments.

What you see in these pre-production prototypes represent over a year’s meticulous hard work – but never the less, they are still very much a ‘work in progress’ – a proving ground to ensure we can indeed transfer successfully into larger production. Yes – I agree; they do still look a bit ‘two dimensional’ and unrefined – but these mostly aesthetic concerns are recognised and will be addressed before we go into full production...

I have been very clear from the outset that this would not be simply a ‘badging’ operation. These basses are not ‘copies’ – but a ‘Series’ of instruments in their own right. I have always believed in design from ‘the inside out’ – not visa versa. My very first consideration from the beginning has been for the sound and playability. These basses where never going to be a selection of bits bolted together and badged with an Overwater logo!

Every part of every instrument has been designed specifically – from the bottom up – or are actual Overwater parts shared with existing Overwater instruments. The timbers we have chosen are included for their acoustic properties and the pick-ups, electronics and hardware are all largely unique to Overwater instruments and have all been designed to match both the performance and expectations associated with the rest of the Overwater range and to integrate fully with our handmade instruments.

Tanglewood/EMC have been the facilitators – not the driving force. I have been given a completely free hand and absolute veto. Our project team includes Haydn Williams (CAD and design specifications), John East (electronics), Alan Entwistle (pick-ups) and of course myself.

We have chosen a small factory with an excellent track record for exceptionally high class work and quality control. American luthier and production engineer Jim Donahue – whose manufacturing experience and long association with Ibanez makes him an ideal choice to facilitate the transition from design to production – and I will be supervising and overseeing the first full production run – on the ground, at the factory...

Yes, of course we are limited by our budget – but I have made every decision based on what would make this a better musical instrument... And yes; by conventional wisdom, I have probably spent a disproportionate percentage of my budget on things that might not be initially obvious. But that has always been primary concern - my mantra has always been ‘sound and set-up’ and never ‘form over function’! Which probably accounts for why Overwater almost certainly has a higher proportion of professional, freelance and session musicians among its client base than any other ‘boutique’ bass builder in Europe?

We have always been ‘player led’ and I absolutely take on board everything that is said both here and elsewhere – Frankfurt was our first outing with this new line of instruments – and I have to say we met with an almost universally positive reaction – but it has also given us the opportunity to re-evaluate and fine tune some aspects of our design before we go into full scale production and I also note with interest comments made within this discussion..

Thanks for your interest,

Chris May

[OutToPlayJazz]

Thanks for the clarification, Chris. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say that we're looking forward to seeing (and playing!) the production ready models. Best of luck with your new venture and the expansion of the Overwater brand.

Rich.

[crez5150]

Chris you should have made sure most what you just said went onto the press release

[absolutpepper]

I personally agree with Chris at Overwater that this would not be a dilution of the brand but rather an opportunity to provide a high quality instrument which is 'spiritually' (for want of a better word) related to the luthier built Overwaters we know and love but at a cost effective price.

I do, however, think that the prototypes do appear a bit bland and its a big shame that they chose not to stick with the original headstock design. In saying this the Jazz looks nice from the picture and would like to see more finish options/specs, etc.

Chris

[overwater]

I did want these basses to be recognisably different from our UK handmade instruments – however both headstocks have been used by me before – so there is some continuity here. But as I said earlier, there will be quite a bit of re-working and refinement before we go into production and things will change, plus there are a couple of other models in the range not yet seen...

It has already been decided that only the Overwater logo will appear on the front of the headstock on the production models.

Prices will start around £329 in the UK for the passive ‘Classic J’ basses and around £449 for the active ‘Aspiration’ – raising up to around £899 for the ‘full Overwater spec’’ ‘Elite’ models..

Five strings and fretless will be available before the end of the year...

Edited April 4, 2010 by overwater

[iamthewalrus]

Have followed this thread with great interest as an owner of a custom OW.

IMHO let's give Chris a bit of leeway with this project - if it doesn't work out he could always pull the plug on it (as Musicman did with the OLP brand). Those of us who have either dealt with Chris face to face, or on the phone know he's a top bloke, & he's not the sort to sell the brand unless it meets the OW standard of a first class finish.

Cheers,
iamthewalrus

[tom1946]

Well I hope this does turn out well.

I was a Tanglewood specialist dealer until I retired Last year and I still have some of the 'exotic' electro acoustic guitars that I can't sell. Have to say the Canyon was a good bass for the money....

As Chris says, everything is done to a budget.

[derrenleepoole]

[quote name='bleedproof' post='794912' date='Apr 3 2010, 11:03 AM']








[/quote]

I personally think the JP model is quite nice, and it does remind me a little of the OLP's in the headstock design crossed with the SX bass vibe from over the pond. The second headstock design is perhaps a little more subtle for my liking, and I do feel that the first design would suit some of the other models just as well, especially the single humbucker bass. But that's just me...

I hope this works out well, as I've always admired Overwater basses and have often wished I could own one. I think the PJ model is now on my 'to try and to buy' list.

[wotnwhy]

if you can do a 5 string fretless in any guise for under £600 you'll be onto a winner (at least in my books!)

[MB1]

MB1.
I like that Red JP!