Tonefuchs Extreme Sport Bass. Weird hybrid.
With Lollar pickups.
That neck pickup looks a lot like a Charlie Christian pickup doesn't it?
(http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1967/tonfuchs.jpg)
It ain't exactly cheap...
http://www.musik-schmidt.de/gb-Tonfuchs-Guitars-Extremsport-VS.html
Love that thunderjag body shape, wish I could say the same for the headstock...
Body Shape looks a lot like PeterB's Jagbird shape, Tele controls, P bass in the back pups and bridge, Lollar Charlie Christian pup in the front, PG has the Big Al thing happening.
The headstock is pure ugliness
I love the body wood and burst and even the shape but I still think it looks like a bit of dogs breakfast as far as basses go.
No way I'd give up US$3500 for it.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c305/Jazzboer/JagBird/190720102439.jpg)
Agreed.
Head stock is fugly. And the whole design is a bit of a mishmash.
And I don't like the split P-pickup next to the Charlie Christian one.
I would've preferred the look of two Charlie Christian pickups.
Tone Fuchs? oh the fun we could have. ;D
The headstock looks like a mitten. :P
Quote from: Denis on January 14, 2011, 08:24:21 AM
The headstock looks like a mitten. :P
That's the
Dive MittenTM designed to produce maximum neck descent. A player's manliness quotient is increased by overcoming it, justifying the $3500 expenditure.
Hence the name Extreme Sport Bass ;D
Headstock looks like a boat to me.
Lollar has made a Charlie Christian pickup for several years, wonder if this is a different version for bass.
looks like a modified VOX headstock from the 60's
Uhum. How you have all forgotten me!!!!
That was my concept. I ordered the first one. And Uwe (the maker of Tonfuchs guitars, we share the first name) first laughed about my insistence on a front pup directly after the neck ("very strange to have that these days, you don't slap, do you?"), he jokingly then called it "Extremsport" (he calls all his basses Sport and adds something or other to it) becuae he found my vision of the bass extreme only to later on say "I'll make a regular model out of it". I really should claim royalties.
I ordered mine years ago.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/DSC01241.jpg)
Pics of the prototype he made for me (all korina, set neck and in blue) are still on his site, just scroll this gallery here down:
http://www.tonfuchs.de/sportbass.0.html
(http://www.tonfuchs.de/typo3temp/pics/480ebb167c.jpg)
Now i remember! I have those pics of yours in one of my bass pic folders. I knew there was something familiar about the name.
But I misread the name. My folder is titled "Uwe's TomFuchs bass." I thought the builder's name was Tom Fuchs. Not tonfuchs (tone fox).
D'oh! (_8^(I)
The headstock is a stylised foxes head... surprised no-one made the connection... ;)
Is there any bass (brand) you don't or have not owned, Uwe...? (hmm, don't remember Alembic in your canon, mind you I'm still a newbie, technically speaking...)
He's called Uwe Fuchs, a common German name. The "ton" is just an addition for his instruments.
Hey Uwe, I like your blue Tonefuchs!
Why didn't he keep the pickguard / controls lay-out from your concept?
And why did he make such a mess of the whole design. It was perfect on your prototype.
But what's with those two screws at the end of the fretboard?
Did Tonefuchs come up with a similar idea that I had on my Brooks bass?
On my bass the last part of the fretboard is the trussrod cover. The 24th fretmarkers are screws.
(http://gallery.me.com/vdbroekrob/100193/PA102172/web.jpg?ver=12867413880001)
Just a thought - try and get hold of some countersunk Allen screws - that will look neater, Rob...
I've tried to find those. And other solutions but none of hem have the right size thread.
There's two brass inserts in the neck. The screws have got to fit in those inserts.
Quote from: uwe on January 14, 2011, 12:03:18 PM
He's called Uwe Fuchs, a common German name. The "ton" is just an addition for his instruments.
So, should we say it's a "Fuchton"?
Quote from: Basvarken on January 14, 2011, 12:24:45 PM
I've tried to find those. And other solutions but none of hem have the right size thread.
There's two brass inserts in the neck. The screws have got to fit in those inserts.
pm me the thread size - I have a selection of stainless ones in a very large plastic stackable bin down in the shed... presumed metric
Ah, Rob, while you generally enjoy playing with small things and your basses might be midget, your mind is not! Exactly, the cover at the end hides the trussrod which is of the EBMM type, i.e. a wheel in which you caninsert anything with sufficient stiffness.
Hail to Hollands where dams lay low, yet minds soar high!!!
Quote from: Basvarken on January 14, 2011, 12:07:26 PM
Hey Uwe, I like your blue Tonefuchs!
Why didn't he keep the pickguard / controls lay-out from your concept?
And why did he make such a mess of the whole design. It was perfect on your prototype.
But what's with those two screws at the end of the fretboard?
Did Tonefuchs come up with a similar idea that I had on my Brooks bass?
On my bass the last part of the fretboard is the trussrod cover. The 24th fretmarkers are screws.
(http://gallery.me.com/vdbroekrob/100193/PA102172/web.jpg?ver=12867413880001)
Rob, Three pickups one knob ...............................I love that !
@ Scott thanx :)
@ Uwe Thanx. But damn I thought I came up with that myself. Or did Tonefuchs see my "New Challenge" thread ? ;D
@ Kenny thread is 4 mm (which is quite common), but the head is only 6 mm wide.
Quote from: Basvarken on January 14, 2011, 03:32:54 PM
@ Uwe Thanx. But damn I thought I came up with that myself. Or did Tonefuchs see my "New Challenge" thread ? ;D
I am going for my 7th year as a full time builder but have been involved in guitar bulding even before, and every builder (professional or hobbbyst) I met during this time have thought about doing that stealth truss rod cover thingy, myself included.
Once I saw it done (one of my friends who I introduced to guitar bulding did it on his first build), I didnt really think much of it. Its cool if it goes with your design, but sometimes I think a stylish TRC is a must on a headstock design.
FWIW, Uwe's Tonfuchs was built in 2006.
Quote from: Basvarken on January 14, 2011, 03:32:54 PM
@ Kenny thread is 4 mm (which is quite common), but the head is only 6 mm wide.
That's not so common... I found some M4's with varying thread lengths in Pozi and Philips but no Allens - all 7mm across the head - not going to suit...
Found a number of them online but all look like 7mm heads...
I like the bass - can't say the headstock does much for me. Looks like a 60's Vox paddle-style headstock that got caught in a door and a chunk broken off.
Quote from: Daniel_J on January 14, 2011, 09:31:42 PM
I am going for my 7th year as a full time builder but have been involved in guitar bulding even before, and every builder (professional or hobbbyst) I met during this time have thought about doing that stealth truss rod cover thingy, myself included.
Once I saw it done (one of my friends who I introduced to guitar bulding did it on his first build), I didnt really think much of it. Its cool if it goes with your design, but sometimes I think a stylish TRC is a must on a headstock design.
Oh seriously, every builder you've met? :rolleyes:
Well I have never seen it and that's what counts for me.
It's not just because it goes well with the design. I wanted to come up with a solution for the weakest point on mahogany necks with an angled headstock. Ususally there just is not enough wood left because of the trussrod cavity. They're very vulnerable at that spot.
@ Dave
Uwe's bass doesn't use the fretboard as a cover as far as I can see. It looks like his bass has a plastic rectangular cover within the last part of the fretboard, past the 24th fret, that gives access to a MusicMan type truss rod wheel.
Quote from: Basvarken on January 15, 2011, 02:55:24 PM
@ Dave
Uwe's bass doesn't use the fretboard as a cover as far as I can see. It looks like his bass has a plastic rectangular cover within the last part of the fretboard, past the 24th fret, that gives access to a MusicMan type truss rod wheel.
I think you're right. He didn't say it was part of the fretboard itself.
I haven't seen another like yours. I have seen US Masters basses where the neck extends beyond the end of the fretboard and the truss rod access hole is cut into the end of the neck with no cover.
(http://www.usmasters.com/images/Bass%20Gallery/EP53---Blueburst-large.jpg)
Quote from: Basvarken on January 15, 2011, 02:55:24 PM
Oh seriously, every builder you've met? :rolleyes:
Well I have never seen it and that's what counts for me.
It's not just because it goes well with the design. I wanted to come up with a solution for the weakest point on mahogany necks with an angled headstock. Ususally there just is not enough wood left because of the trussrod cavity. They're very vulnerable at that spot.
I wasn't considering the functionality issue, but you are right. Considering the well know problems of Gibson's angled heads on mahogany necks, I understand your idea to set the truss rod adjustment on the body end of the neck.
And now that I'm having a better look at your design, I see it is actually a genius idea. Because you wanted the neck pickup to be placed right at the end of the fretboard, so if it had a aditional cover beyond the end of the FB then it would've pushed the pickup further from the Mud-zone you were after.
Kuddos on a great idea considering functionality and aesthetic design .
Sorry for the initial bashing on your idea. But I really meant when I said all builders I met have thought of the idea. At least the ones I met and talked to personally.
When I saw the thread title and read it out aloud, I thought this was a thread about Warwicks.
But even Warwick threads are allowed here. And I'm sure we have more than a few closet Warwickers here. Cometh forth!!! Only Chris P. is man enough to admit to owning AND playing one ...
No problem with warwicks here, if I had one I'd play the heck out of it. Hey, I even own and play a f****rlike thingie! :D
I haven't seen another like yours. I have seen US Masters basses where the neck extends beyond the end of the fretboard and the truss rod access hole is cut into the end of the neck with no cover.
(http://www.usmasters.com/images/Bass%20Gallery/EP53---Blueburst-large.jpg)
[/quote]
I have a few of their basses. All play really well. great necks. electronics - nothing special..... lousyt resale value so i was able to pick them up in the 500 or less range where a new one sells for around $2000.
Quote from: uwe on January 17, 2011, 06:09:26 PM
But even Warwick threads are allowed here. And I'm sure we have more than a few closet Warwickers here. Cometh forth!!! Only Chris P. is man enough to admit to owning AND playing one ...
I have 3.... 5 string, thumb with alembic pups as i hated the mec's, a special anniversary blondie. but i must admit they collect dust...
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/DP%20BASSES/warwick/warblond1.jpg)
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/DP%20BASSES/warwick/war5b.jpg)
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/DP%20BASSES/warwick/waralem1.jpg)
Quote from: Basvarken on January 14, 2011, 12:07:26 PM
Hey Uwe, I like your blue Tonefuchs!
Why didn't he keep the pickguard / controls lay-out from your concept?
And why did he make such a mess of the whole design. It was perfect on your prototype.
But what's with those two screws at the end of the fretboard?
Did Tonefuchs come up with a similar idea that I had on my Brooks bass?
On my bass the last part of the fretboard is the trussrod cover. The 24th fretmarkers are screws.
(http://gallery.me.com/vdbroekrob/100193/PA102172/web.jpg?ver=12867413880001)
That really did turn out nice. So now that you had it for a while how do you like it so far?
How does it rate with your other basses?