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Build Diary - GB Spitfire 6


pantherairsoft
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Why are we waiting, oh why are we waiting - you know the song I mean!!

[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1099133' date='Jan 22 2011, 10:21 PM']Not the full journey by train. A good mate wanted to go see Bernie to so I got the train to Wolverhampton this morning and got there at 8.30, then we drove from there... And he dropped me back at the station on the way home.

Still long enough.

When I order the 6 fretless I'll let you know though :) I am however off to see Robbie & the land of RIM basses next Sunday for a few Marseer tweaks and to see some of his toys if you fancy a less intensive day out!

Pics will have to wait until daylight... Can't get any decent ones under the poor lighting... Tomorrow. I promise![/quote]

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OK Ok OK… I needed sleep!

Pics aren't amazing as its very dull here today, so imagine this is the worst the bass will ever look then get the idea :)

Overview -



Body Close ups -






Bridge Area (Notice how Bernie has bastardised 2 sets of hardware to create Black & Gold combinations on all the part, inc. Bridge, flip switch, even the gold screws on the black machine heads!) -



More in a minute...

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Continued…

Headstock (front and back facings) -




The awesome sandwich of the neck -


Heavily birds eye'd fretboard -


Notice the amazing lining job he's done around the edge of the facings and the body to allow the 'Autumn Burst' staining to start and stop without looking dodgy -



And finally the ridiculous low action (taken from the B string side at 12th fret) -


Happy days!

Shep

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[quote name='Oakbear' post='1099360' date='Jan 23 2011, 10:01 AM']It's been daylight for a good couple of hours! :)

A trip to Robbie sounds like it may be fun. I'll have to check and i'll pm when i know if that's cool...

So how does it play?![/quote]

No worries, let me know.

How does it play… Wow. I actually feel like I've become a better bass player over night. Sounds a bit OTT I know but the change in how fluent I play on the bass is unreal. The neck has Bernies signature 'glass' like feel, which if you haven't felt it sounds like a gimmick, but seriously the back of the neck is so smooth you could slip off it. I think it may be the fact that the bridge is truly 19mm rather than 18.5mm which many basses advertised as 19mm end up being. That tiny change means 3mm over all the strings width and just gives enough room for accurate popping and fretting.

It also have the updated preamp (version4 I think) which is fairly recent and OH MY GOD… as if GB's didn't go high enough already!

I've only had her a day and I'll wait a while then do a review, but at present I don't think I've played a bass like it. Its a very strange feeling. What I will say is that it's certainly a step forwards from even my last GB, which everyone used to say was the nicest they'd played… :)

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[quote name='pantherairsoft' post='1099464' date='Jan 23 2011, 11:28 AM']No worries, let me know.

How does it play… Wow. I actually feel like I've become a better bass player over night. Sounds a bit OTT I know but the change in how fluent I play on the bass is unreal. The neck has Bernies signature 'glass' like feel, which if you haven't felt it sounds like a gimmick, but seriously the back of the neck is so smooth you could slip off it. I think it may be the fact that the bridge is truly 19mm rather than 18.5mm which many basses advertised as 19mm end up being. That tiny change means 3mm over all the strings width and just gives enough room for accurate popping and fretting.

It also have the updated preamp (version4 I think) which is fairly recent and OH MY GOD… as if GB's didn't go high enough already!

I've only had her a day and I'll wait a while then do a review, but at present I don't think I've played a bass like it. Its a very strange feeling. What I will say is that it's certainly a step forwards from even my last GB, which everyone used to say was the nicest they'd played… :)[/quote]

Bernie let me on one of his secrets on how to get that feel and what you need to use. Did it on my Status neck and not only does the neck now feel amazing it looks far better... so much so, that I'm going to have to do the whole neck (e.g. the front and back of headstock). That satin graphite look looks so much classier than the sticky high gloss look. I've got a jazz bass body in at the sprayshop - can't wait to get that back and all assembled now - gonna be a killer jam night bass.

Preamp 4 is just out with new sound-to-light unit - Dick just completed them. Guessing that my new bass will be first to have the both units fitted simultaneously.

The neck on your 6 is great - its more along the flatter profile that I like as opposed to the one that was on your 5. Profiles are a peculiar thing though... for every guy who likes the flatter profile, there is somebody who wants the chunkier one! My favourite playing GB is -



...which happens to play and sound identical to my Spitfire 5.

So yeah, GBs are like nothing else out there right? Weirdly they let you do stuff you thought you could never play and can't play on any other bass...?

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[quote name='EBS_freak' post='1099489' date='Jan 23 2011, 11:45 AM']Bernie let me on one of his secrets on how to get that feel and what you need to use. Did it on my Status neck and not only does the neck now feel amazing it looks far better…

So yeah, GBs are like nothing else out there right? Weirdly they let you do stuff you thought you could never play and can't play on any other bass...?[/quote]

Yeah the neck finish is amazing, as is Pre amp 4. I imagine it sounds way over the top to non-GB users, but I agree on the concept of them letting you do stuff you could never plat before the GB. It's odd. Maybe is psychological.. either way, I like it. Not having a GB for a year I think I forgot how good they were.

[quote name='sshorepunk' post='1099501' date='Jan 23 2011, 11:53 AM']nice bass, attention to detail is amazing!

Tony[/quote]

Cheers Shep

Shep

:)

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[quote name='Oakbear' post='1099750' date='Jan 23 2011, 03:47 PM']Very nice geezer!

Gold's not normally my bag, but that combo actually looks ace.

And very interested about the neck finish....[/quote]


I might let you try it if you ask nicely :)

Had it less than a week. 2nd gig with it tomorrow night. Its bloody awesome!

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[quote name='Dread Bass' post='1104499' date='Jan 26 2011, 10:38 PM']HOLY f*** nice one Shep[/quote]

Yeah man it's a monster. I appreciate it kinda points the wrong way for you... But when your back in Notts lemme know and you'll have to check her out.

I think I once said that I'd never find a bass with a better, more solid sounding low B than my old Overwater Evo. It's taken a while but the crown has moved to this Spitfire. Even compared to other GB's I've played, this low B is monsterous.

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So, you've had 2 high end basses delivered over the last couple of months, why don't you give us a breakdown on the differences, the good, the bad and which one you ultimately prefer and why.....

I don't know the cost of either bass (PM me the cost of the GB as I'm intrigued) but how do they stack up against one another?

Cheers

D.

Ps you should see how low the action is on my ACG btw!!

Pps both your new basses are amazing in my view.

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[quote name='deksawyer' post='1105046' date='Jan 27 2011, 01:39 PM']So, you've had 2 high end basses delivered over the last couple of months, why don't you give us a breakdown on the differences, the good, the bad and which one you ultimately prefer and why.....

I don't know the cost of either bass (PM me the cost of the GB as I'm intrigued) but how do they stack up against one another?

Cheers

D.

Ps you should see how low the action is on my ACG btw!!

Pps both your new basses are amazing in my view.[/quote]

Cheers dude,

I'll drop you a PM shortly.

As for differneces I intend to do a write up on a comparisson of all 3 of my basses (as my Roscoe Fretless is actually more 'High End' than the RIM in terms of monetary cast) and shall do so in my Gear Porn thread. I am holding off on this for a few weeks at least though as when you get a brand new instrument its easy to get carried away with how 'perfect' it its. I think I need to give it a bit of time, then go back to playing the others etc etc.

Gimme a couple of weeks and I'll be detailed about it.

Shep

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[quote name='DanOwens' post='1104978' date='Jan 27 2011, 12:49 PM']That bridge is beautiful on the body. The whole thing is a careful balance between taste and ostentatiousness. Very nice, Shep![/quote]

Agreed.

To be honest I was never a fan of Gold hardware, but Bernie called me and said he had an idea and it was going to look the nuts compared to all black if I'd 'allow' him to do it. The result is the stripping of 2 full sets of hardware... Which means he has a reverse set (Gold machine heads with black screws, reverse of the bridge etc) sat waiting for another 6 string.

On the body wood I think the contrast is fantastic

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  • 2 months later...

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