The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: Rhythm N. Bliss on June 25, 2009, 03:48:27 PM
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The price will be the same, don't worry. 22K for a bass??!?!?! :o It's gonna be amazing for shure.
It's a guitar; see this thread:
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1884.0
Hey Gary~ Congratulations on getting your Scroll bass!
Give us a thorough review, willya?
Too bad someone had to cancel their order (like I might) but that's goood for you.
I'm still tryin' to decide whether I want one fretless or not.
I guess fretless is the way to go to get that URB sound.
If I can get a good URB sound & a good Boz Burrell Bad Co. sound I'll be stoked!!
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If you haven't ordered it yet, you should know that Bruce's waiting list is up at about 3 years. I got mine in under 2 because I paid for it in full. His prices have also gone up since then, so I got a good deal. Bruce says I could turn around right now, and sell this bass for a healthy profit. He's had people offer him far over his price to get a better spot on the list.
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Hmm... did you cancel your order to take the slightly higher up the list or buy both then...? ;D
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It was only a hun to get on the list when I did, about a year & a half ago.
So is yours fretless, Gary? What paint job did you get?
I love the way he paints 'em red, then goes over it in black & somehow makes the red show just on the edges of the soundholes & here & there.
Badass!
www.xstrange.com
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Mine is the AEB-2 (fretted), and I got the original red/black finish. Seems like we've hijacked this thread. I'll start a new one when I get the bass next week (of all things, I'm going out of town, and actually had to ask Bruce to delay shipping by a couple days), and post some pics. I'll also go into more of the background of this bass in particular.
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Really quite surprised... I checked Terr's link and the prices of Scroll basses are very reasonable for an exotic custom... I remember seeing Mr Burrell playing one, 35 years back, and have remained entranced by them ever since...
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Here's Big Bad Boz in Black playin' an Ampeg fretless Scroll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoEP1NVmPM
Yep~ We've hijacked this thread all right. haha
They are reasonably priced for a custom made ax & it's a real labor of love for Bruce.
Just about the same waiting time as a Bach tooo
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Really quite surprised... I checked Terr's link and the prices of Scroll basses are very reasonable for an exotic custom... I remember seeing Mr Burrell playing one, 35 years back, and have remained entranced by them ever since...
I don't think Bruce has updated the website in about 5 years. Current price for one of his basses is $3900. I paid $3400 up front for mine two years ago.
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Woh~I hope he'll keep to the 34 hun price for me. :o
Yeah~ he is. Just checked with him.
Still got 23 ahead of me tho, dammit!
Cool that we got the Scrolls a thread of their own. Thanks Ol'ManC
Lookin' forward to pics of yours, GW!
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Yeah, good 'ol Bruce has not updated his website since 2003, as much as i have hampered him about it. I assure you he is busy though. He puts his nose to the grinder every day. I came across him a little over 10 years ago as I had a collection of Ampeg Scroll basses and when I heard he was making basses along those lines we foud each other. I have # 055 of his creations. The other 2 Ampeg Scroll tops I have have both been scutinized by him as he is interested in each and every one ever produced and has most of what exists logged in his files. Even back then it was a no less than a year if not 2 year wait. When I mentioned to him a year or so back if he would ever think of fretting my #55 he balked a bit and said please leave it fretless. Thing is I am getting on in years and have taken a liking to short scale basses for the most part or at least with jazz neck profiles. I'l try and post some pictures of mine. It has some unique features.Might even think about putting it up if the notion strikes me as i am not doing it justice letting it just sit in it's case.
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I'll look after it for you... That's look after, no money down... ;)
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Mine left Indiana today on its way here by UPS. It may show up tomorrow. Pics and story at eleven.
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Well, the waiting was the hardest part. UPS must have my address as the last stop of the day. So, I'm now the proud owner of Scroll bass #066. I haven't had a chance to run it through paces yet, but I plan on hitting a jam night tomorrow to break it in. Bruce has improved on the originals, especially with the neck. The original Ampegs were pretty beastly in the neck. You really had to work at it. I'm still trying to figure out the knobs and jacks - three output jacks, and each seems to have a distinct flavor to it.
As I said, this particular bass already has a history. Before this one became mine, I was scheduled to get #067, but the person who ordered it cancelled just as Bruce was completing it. The original body on this bass started bubbling on the finish, as Bruce told me. He refinished a couple times, and then discovered that there are certain types of beetles that can lay their eggs in wood, where they can be dormant for several years. The piece of wood he used on the body just happened to have eggs in it. The bubbling was actually the beetles hatching. He ended up having to make an entire new body for the bass.
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/basses/ScrollBass2.jpg)
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FINALLY!
A true....................................
Wait for it..................................
BEETLE BASS!!
TA DA!!!!!!
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That looks great Gary. I have only ever played knock offs of scroll basses which ironicaly copied the monster neck.
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Congratulations. Seems like you've been waiting for it a long time.
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Coooool as hell! More pics & further evaluations, por favor.
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a very nice bass, indeed. i would prefer the fretted version as well.
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I've been dinking with it today. The frets on this bass are the smallest I've ever seen. I also never knew that the fretboard has an arch, much like an upright. It's been pretty easy to adjust to it. Anyone know what the three output jacks are for? I didn't get any documentation on it. I think the hardest thing to get used to is the headstock. It's a monster compared to most other basses. It just looks/feels so different. Otherwise, this is a pretty comfortable bass, with a nice mellow sound. Can't wait to get it in an open room with a live band.
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Separate output jacks for each pickup and a third for both? I can't see from the pic, does yours have two pickups?
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Found this update from 2001 on his website:
-A new tailpiece assembly has multiple string anchor holes to allow the use of different length strings, including the commonly available "Extra Long Scale" "Long Scale Plus" and "Super Long Scale" sizes, as well as the special "Ampeg length" strings. This will give you much more choice in string brands and gauges. I normally will ship your Scroll Bass with D'Addario Chromes flatwounds in the special Ampeg Length, unless you ask for something different.
-There are now two pickups, and a new controls and output jack configuration, with three output jacks and volume, tone, and blend controls. Two of the jacks are direct "hotwire" feeds from the pickups, and the other is a "normal" output, blending the signals from the two pickups and passing it through the volume and tone controls. Any of the jacks can be used simultaneously, which can be very handy in the studio or on stage. The entire pickup system is mounted to a sturdy brass plate that shows through the pickguard.
-The fretted AEB-2 model now has very tiny #764 mandolin-size frets. These work great with the flatwound strings and make the neck exceptionally smooth and fast feeling.
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Wow, Gary - man that is beautiful!
Cool- I see you found that info on the jacks. Somewhere, I had seen a page with more detail on the pickups. The basses pictured on his site have - what looks like - four soapbar pickups, but its really just two p-bass pickups. Each soapbar contains 1/2 of a p-bass pickup coil. The design would enable you to rearrange how each pickup's bass and treble coil was oriented.
I'd love to see a closeup of your pickup - wondering what's under there :) If that is a single pickup cover on your bass, I'd guess that there are two distinct pickups hiding underneath it.
In addition to the pickup design change, it also looks like he went to more of a traditional Ampeg-style tailpiece on this bass - instead of the individual anchors for each string.
I love it! Let the copious amounts of hi-res macro pics commence!! 8)
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We don't have a "sub-zero" emoticon, Gary...
Jealousy has a name, and it is "Scroll"...
Al... or "Scrollian - in Bass, no one can hear you scream..." ;D
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I'll get some close-ups of the pickups. I think they've changed again. Looks like 4 separate poles, and each has a separate cover. Also need to find out about the jacks. One jack seems to be a wide-open mix of both pickups with no knob controls at all.
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Here's what I got from Bruce today, regarding the pickups and controls:
Here's a quick overview:
The M-pickup is the cluster of 4 coils in the center of the body. They're made to give a thick, warm electric bass sound. You can adjust them individually in height with a 3/32" Allen wrench, to change the balance in levels between strings. Each coil has three 1/4" Alnico V magnets, so they're quite powerful.
The P-pickup is down inside the body, under the bridge. This is a mechanical/percussive pickup unlike anything on any other bass. The bridge is mounted on a suspension system of tuned spring bars, so it physically twitches and moves when you pluck the strings. The motion is similar to how the bridge moves on an upright bass, and it adds a pop and warble to the attack profile, and some sympathetic harmonics across the strings. The effect is very dynamic; the harder you pluck, the more you hear. Two magnets hang down from the suspension frame into a pair of coils mounted deep down in the body, which capture the movement and turn it into signal.
The output jack closest to the knobs is the "normal" output, which you'll use most of the time. The Volume, Tone, and Blend controls only work through the Normal output jack.
The knob at the bottom is the Tone control. It's a passive high roll-off, with a progressive rate. Fully clockwise is wide open; counter-clockwise cuts off most of the high end above 1khz.
The knob nearest the tailpiece is the Blend control, which is a linear blend between the M-pickup and the P-pickup. Fully clockwise is all P-pickup; fully counter-clockwise is all M-pickup.
The two output jacks up against the strings are the Bypass jacks. The one nearest the bridge is for the M-pickup, and the one nearest the tailpiece is for the P-pickup. When you plug into either of the Bypass jacks, it disconnects that pickup from the rest of the circuit and connects it directly to the Bypass jack. You'll find that the sound directly from each pickup is clearer and has more frequency range than it does going through the control circuit. In the studio, you can plug two cords into the Bypass jacks, running into two channels in the recording console. This will allow you to do one take, and have two separate tracks of the two pickups, fully isolated and synched together. You can them blend them as you like during mixdown.
I also use the M-pickup Bypass Jack (the one closest to the bridge) to quickly plug in my electronic tuner. The thick, warbling tone of the P-pickup can confuse some electronic tuners.
A quick note about your bass: While #066 was here, I did some experimenting with its P-pickup, trying some new ideas and comparing the sound to my own #060. I learned a few things and ended up incorporating two design changes in #066 that worked very well. They will now become standard, and I may retrofit #060 and others. One change was switching to larger 3/8" x 1" Alnico 5 magnets, in place of the previous 1/4" x 1" magnets. This boosted the output level of the P-pickup some, but mostly it boosted the very low subharmonics. The second change involves the shape of two rubber damping blocks that reduce two harmonic points in the spring bars. Without them, the P-pickup would have a slight annoying ring at two spots on the fingerboard. Previously, I had been using rectangular rubber blocks that clamped around the spring bars which worked okay. However, experimenting on #066, I found that small wedge-shaped rubber blocks worked even better. They damped the harmonics, with out as much overall damping of the pickup's tone. The R & D never ends here!
Other trivia: #066 is the first fretted Series IV model that I've built. I spent some time playing it, and even took it (along with #060) to one of my bluegrass jam sessions. I photographed it well, and it will be shown prominently in my upgraded web site....whenever I get it finished!
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I'd need an engineering degree to play it. More than one pickup and I get confused. ;D It does sound like he has some interesting concepts, I hope you can dial in your sound without too much trouble.
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Wow, that bass has quite a history already. That's really cool...
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I asked Bruce if it would be possible to make mine with no pickguard & he said No.
I wonder if he could minimize it tho. Look at the pics on his site of the painting process stages.
The Scroll looks AWESOME without a pickguard!!!
Also asked him about custom colors & he said he's done a Cobalt Blue & Black burst that turned out real nice & recently an Emerald Green & Black burst that is also gorgeous!!
He did a gold & black burst but said it was a pain & wouldn't wanna do it again.
I've still got a year or 3 wait to decide about all the details.
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I took it out to the gig on Saturday. For starters, let me say that it's probably not a good idea to get 2 new basses within a few weeks of each other, nor is it a good idea to bring them both to the same gig. It was so hard to pick between the two. I used the Scroll bass for the first two sets. This is a very unique animal. The arched fretboard gives it a different feel. The bass balances nicely, and feels pretty comfortable. It has a very warm, defined sound, along with one of the most dominant E strings I've ever had on a bass. Everyone said it sounded great out front, and also has a nice close-up presence. I'd almost say that the Scroll has one of the most natural sounds I've played. I played around with the blend of the two pickups a bit, using more of the pickup under the bridge for the more traditional country stuff. I was told you could hear the thumping out front pretty well, even though I didn't detect a lot of change from the stage.
Now for the BachBird. Beast, I tell you, beast! This has that Thunderbird roar that I love so much. You don't hear it so much on stage, but you KNOW it's hitting the back wall quite nicely. It's a better fit for some of the all-out rock songs, but still has enough warmth to cover the older country stuff like "Memory of a Memory". This bass is good enough as is, that I'm almost worried about what will happen when I swap the pickup out. :o
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Gary... re your BB... the oldest rule in engineering is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it..." ;)
and re your Scroll... just checked the lottery... Damn...! still on the wish list... :sad:
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Here's a close-up of the M pickup. I took the Scroll out to a jam last night. I'm getting a lot of good comments on it. This thing is better than an old Vette, and it's cheaper. 8)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/basses/ScrollBass3.jpg)
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:o Cool! Man no wonder it takes so long to turn these out, what with all the iterative r&d and custom parts. Neat to see that he's evolving the original intent of this bass as a portable alternative to an upright, rather than Fenderizing it - like my 80s SLM-sponsored prototype.
I can really see the massive arch of the fingerboard in that pic! Is it a cylindrical radius all the way up to the nut? or it is more of a progressive taper? His improved take on the "mystery pickup" sounds like a neat feature too
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I wonder what using 2 F*nd*r P pups in a similar configuration would sound like...?
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Now i get it. When you said 4 coils, I figured it was some sort of quad-coil humbucker arrangement, i.e. with coils perpendicular to the strings as usual. This is an full-size individual pickup per string. Bet it sounds thick.
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what happens to the note when you bend strings?
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what happens to the note when you bend strings?
It goes sharp. :mrgreen:
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if there is no volume drop'between' the pickups i guess you might be able to do something similar with 4 single coil pickups,lots of wiring options.wheres my chisel...
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Tony...! ;D
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Well, fool that I am, I went to the annual FDP jam yesterday. Only played a couple very easy songs, then watched one of the other guys play the Scroll for a few songs. Great sound through an SVT!
(http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/44328/2720498920096188528S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2720498920096188528kxbkCJ)
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You crazy! Rest that arm!
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You crazy! Rest that arm!
I REALLY hope that I don't read a tale of woe about that short playing excursion...dang it, take it easy on that arm!
Beautiful bass, though.
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Let me pile on - if I may. Are you NUTS!? >:(
The fractures and such may well recover from continued stress but nerve damage is nothing to screw around with.
You keep this up and the Karma gods are going to send you some really ugly ass nurses ;D
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Fear not. I wasn't tempting fate. The sling was resting on the bass, while my fingers dangled in front of the strings. I really wasn't putting any stress on the arm. I did "No Other Baby" from McCartney, which is three notes for the whole song.
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At least you didn't try anything complex like "Why Don't We Do It In The Road."
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At least you didn't try anything complex like "Why Don't We Do It In The Road."
LOL! I did tell them that "Roundabout" was a no-go.
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Wow those are amazing basses. Congrats.
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That bass looks absolutely stunning! I'd have probably done the same thing if I was in your shoes. ;D Just save "Hey Bulldog" for next years gathering when you're healed up...
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I do love it when I see Hey Bulldog in the setlist.
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I do love it when I see Hey Bulldog in the setlist.
For me its Pipeline.
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There's a B.Johnson scroll bass on ebay right now.
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Here are a few pictures of my Bruce Johnson Bass including a diagram of the features:
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Sorry guys here are the others:
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/copaceticphotos/73P090.jpg)
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/copaceticphotos/73P093.jpg)
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss181/copaceticphotos/73P094.jpg)
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Hey copacetic~
How 'bout a little description of how you like your bass?
Some clips of how you sound would be coool to hear tooo
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All due apologies for not getting back to your question sooner but I had enough of a hard time trying to learn how to post pictures even with Dave's advice. (I think there should be a step by step tutorial for these things and this particular forum has it's own idiosynchracies as well). So no sounds for now. Well I worked with Bruce on what I wanted and needed along with what his perimeters were going to be with his scroll bass. Both of us being lovers and having a number of the various Ampeg scrolls. It absolutly had to have some of the 'modern' tones as well. One of my requests was to have a slim neck/not big C profile which he did very nicely. Originally he had done my bass in a high gloss black (like a piano as he referred to it) but I did not quite like that so I asked him to make it look like an old piano which he did nicely. Mine was completed in early 2003. It has quite the sound spectrum. As you can see from the diagram I supplied, there is that blend switch that sweeps from the Ampeg sound all the way through to an Alembic sound. He developed this w/Rick Turner as I recall him mentioning. Along with the tone control there is almost nothing left un'turned' so to speak. The other requirement I had was to keep it simple as I hate too many switches. It was fun working with Bruce, he's a great guy and totally dedicated (and fanatical but don't we all appreciate that quality here..). One thing with Bruce is you have to have patience. Even back then when I had the 'debuffing' of the Gloss black, that took about 6 months. My only issue at this point is that it weighs about 9 3/4 lbs and I am in my old age finding 8 1/2 lbs about what I will tolerate. After all I did with Bruce on getting this bass made I haven't the heart to tell him I might be considering giving it up. He told me he'll buy it back anytime, but he'll probably deconstruct it. So I am looking at my options...
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A) don't think about an RD (over 9lbs, in my modified state model), or a Victory (even heavier!) if you go down the latter route, and...
B) always read back for typos...
Stephen... Steve... I presume that, "Both of us being lovers", should have ended with an "of Ampeg instruments", but the world is a many splendoured thing... ;)
In all seriousness, the weight issue is a real shame... :sad:
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Cool info. Thanks, copacetic!
After all that I'd pump up to handle the weight; lift weights rather than sell it.
Guess I better pump weights more & increase my number of sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups & f-ups!!!!! :D
Lookin' forward to gettin' mine! Probly anuzza year or so
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I'm not sure what mine weighs, but it's not much of a burden to play or carry for a night.
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Can't afford one of Bruce's scrolls? Here's an affordable Greco (US$1200 shipped worldwide) .....
http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/ubox.cgi?T=syosai&sline=389&print=1&keys2=tsudanuma%40ishibashi%2Eco%2Ejp&tid=list3
(http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/image/3263120012.jpg)
(http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/image/3263120014.jpg)
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Wow! That Greco looks stunning.
(A lot less contrived than the Bruce Johnson scroll bass) :-X
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Weird - I'm getting a listing for a Zoom503 pedal on that link.
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Ishibashi always changes their links up - you'll have to navigate to the main page to find it.
Another scroll derivative along the lines of the Greco that looked to be nicely executed was/(is?) made by a Japanese company called "Combat". I've seen at least a few of these floating around in the 1K range:
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/5142_3.jpg)
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/58da_3.jpg)
I miss our Ebay seller with the hardwood floors ;D - always taunting me with pretty Orville birds, and other mostly-Japan-market-only rarities. I got my scroll from him:
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/ampeg/aeb1-2.jpg)
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Well, at least that's a copy that did the headstock right. I've seen a few, like Eastwood, that don't even come close. Others don't even bother with the baffled body. I figured that for the money of most copies, I could have an original. Having played one of the originals, I decided to go with Bruce. I don't regret it at all.
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Never had the chance to play one... and still waiting for the lottery win... :sad:
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Can't afford one of Bruce's scrolls? Here's an affordable Greco (US$1200 shipped worldwide) .....
http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/ubox.cgi?T=syosai&sline=389&print=1&keys2=tsudanuma%40ishibashi%2Eco%2Ejp&tid=list3
(http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/image/3263120012.jpg)
(http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/image/3263120014.jpg)
hmmm....would they sell parts, i wonder?
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I still remember the first time I saw Boz Burrell with one (and if I find the pics I'll post) back in the mid 70's at Earls Court... such a cool bass... 8)
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Well, at least that's a copy that did the headstock right. I've seen a few, like Eastwood, that don't even come close. Others don't even bother with the baffled body. I figured that for the money of most copies, I could have an original. Having played one of the originals, I decided to go with Bruce. I don't regret it at all.
Agreed~ At least they got the headstock right on the Combat. Greco is cool too!!
Wonder how they sound tho??
Lookin' forward to gettin' MY Johnson Scroll! I keep braggin' about it.
It will console me when I've sold my Zemaitis guitar & '53 Gibson EB.
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Talked to Bruce today & he said I've only got 7 or 8 ahead of mine now!
Some guys aren't following thru cuz of tough economic times.
I'm still livin' in a van down by the river myself, but I'll be following thru somehow.
I'm guessing I'll have it within a year. 8)
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Talked to Bruce today & he said I've only got 7 or 8 ahead of mine now!
Some guys aren't following thru cuz of tough economic times.
I'm still livin' in a van down by the river myself, but I'll be following thru somehow.
I'm guessing I'll have it within a year. 8)
If a couple people drop out ahead of you, you'll probably see it in a year. My wait was cut short when the buyer for #66 dropped out just as Bruce was getting ready to finish it. It happened to be the same thing I ordered. I was originally supposed to get #67. I paid for mine up front, because I knew that if I dropped $100 deposit, there would likely be a reason for me to back out, and I didn't want to do that.
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Hi all,
Just stumbled upon this site by accident while looking for info on scroll basses, I remember some of these names from the old "dudepit" site. At any rate, I have a scroll bass project that Bruce is putting together for me and we recently had an oppurtunity to visit with him at his shop in burbank, while I have had several phone conversations with him, it was really great to me the man in person. He was very gracious and showed us around the shop , antigue machines are another one of his passions, great old lathes and drill presses fill his shop. He pulled out a bunch of his creations from over the years, my favorite was an early one with the pickup mounted towards the rear like a MM stingray. They were mostly fretless models and that convinced me to have him replace my fretted board with a new fretless one,they just seem "right" that way, he also pulled out a Ampeg AMUB for me to try as I had never had the opportunity to play a real one before. As a one man operation I know thigs move kind of slow in the production area, but I,m hoping mine will be finished sometime this year. We had a great time visiting with him, he,s really an interesting and nice fella. He also told me he found a manufacture to replicate the scroll bass hardshell cases, and that they are much nicer than the originals, so hopefully he will have some of those available in the near future. I will post some pics of my bass when I recieve it.
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Talked with Bruce today & he'll be starting on mine soon! YES!
He said I may have it by Jan. & definitely by March. Yay, hooray & freakin' A
Gonna get ready for this fretless by working on my skills with my maple blankplank '78 Fender P modded with a Jazz pickup added.
How do you like yours by now Gary? Have you played it for a whole gig?
How 'bout you, copacetic? Are you still thinking about selling yours or are you playing it?
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Welcome Bluesblaster, look forward to seeing pics of both yours and Terr's. I will probably never buy one myself but the Scroll basses certainly have a certain appeal about them. I admit that I have only ever heard nice things about Bruce.
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Talked with Bruce today & he'll be starting on mine soon! YES!
He said I may have it by Jan. & definitely by March. Yay, hooray & freakin' A
Gonna get ready for this fretless by working on my skills with my maple blankplank '78 Fender P modded with a Jazz pickup added.
How do you like yours by now Gary? Have you played it for a whole gig?
How 'bout you, copacetic? Are you still thinking about selling yours or are you playing it?
I still love mine, but haven't had it out to a gig in a while. I did record one song off the upcoming CD with it, though. I've actually reached that point where I consider where I'm playing when picking a bass to bring. We're currently playing in all the worst places in town. One club owner was shot and killed in his home not too long ago. I'm also having trouble with the blend knob, and just haven't gotten around to doing anything about it. And, with the Embassy back home, I not only have some catching up to do, but it's another bass that I will have to worry about. Looks like the fanfret may be the main gig bass for a while.
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I am still loving mine. what i have done to get around the only for specific song scenario is the following. With the blend pot all the way, the magnetic pickup still has some of the percusive pickup thumb which doesn't really work with more modern sounding bass songs. However if you use the direct out for the magnetic picup it is clearer and more treble. So i know use an AB pedal so i can "switch off the bass" and change output jacks on stage without having to get to my amp and avoid the sound....
the direct out for the magnetic pickup is a much more modern sounding option. I asked Bruce about putting in a zero load cap but he says that would not work so this is my solution, for now..... Makes the bass a whole set worthy versus how i was using it when ifirst got it - for Broomberg type tunes only....
My 2 cents....
On a side note i bought one of bruce's SSB models from someone here , Bill Jones, and it is a really nice bass. sounds great. believe it or not the direct out is also the way to go. Very beefy sounding bass. he did a great job.
One thing you should consider is the fret lines that he does just on the side of the neck. IMHO a great idea on bruce's part.
http://www.xstrange.com/Gallery/AUB069.html
Jim
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I am still loving mine. what i have done to get around the only for specific song scenario is the following. With the blend pot all the way, the magnetic pickup still has some of the percusive pickup thumb which doesn't really work with more modern sounding bass songs. However if you use the direct out for the magnetic picup it is clearer and more treble. So i know use an AB pedal so i can "switch off the bass" and change output jacks on stage without having to get to my amp and avoid the sound....
the direct out for the magnetic pickup is a much more modern sounding option. I asked Bruce about putting in a zero load cap but he says that would not work so this is my solution, for now..... Makes the bass a whole set worthy versus how i was using it when ifirst got it - for Broomberg type tunes only....
My 2 cents....
On a side note i bought one of bruce's SSB models from someone here , Bill Jones, and it is a really nice bass. sounds great. believe it or not the direct out is also the way to go. Very beefy sounding bass. he did a great job.
One thing you should consider is the fret lines that he does just on the side of the neck. IMHO a great idea on bruce's part.
http://www.xstrange.com/Gallery/AUB069.html
Jim
Cool idea puttin' the fret lines on the side of the neck for a fretless. I'll buy that!
That SSB is a beaut! Cool that it ROCKS as good as it looks!!
Mine will ROCK on one pickup & be m-e-l-l-o-w on the other.
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(http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/mly0588l.jpg)
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Relax, that post was from 2009 guys
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2 of bruce's creations....
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/AMPEG%20STUFF/bj1.jpg)
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2 of bruce's creations....
(http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac102/desantisjn/AMPEG%20STUFF/bj1.jpg)
They do make a good looking couple...
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Call me crazy but I'm gonna follow thru with getting a lefty Scroll made!
I've got a good amount of money coming in from the sale of some property so I gave Bruce the go ahead today!
He'll begin mine in mid-Feb. & finish in May. Yay, Hooray & freakin' A!!!
Gonna be fretless, "moonburst"--Electric blue & black!! Number 076
He explained that one pickup isn't really a full URB sound. This bums me out more than a little.
I was hopin' to use this for mellow stuff & have a very URB sound. But NOoooo
I still want it tho for the Boz look an' sound!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoEP1NVmPM&feature=player
How do you like yours by now, Gary?
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Call me crazy but I'm gonna follow thru with getting a lefty Scroll made!
I've got a good amount of money coming in from the sale of some property so I gave Bruce the go ahead today!
He'll begin mine in mid-Feb. & finish in May. Yay, Hooray & freakin' A!!!
Gonna be fretless, "moonburst"--Electric blue & black!! Number 076
He explained that one pickup isn't really a full URB sound. This bums me out more than a little.
I was hopin' to use this for mellow stuff & have a very URB sound. But NOoooo
I still want it tho for the Boz look an' sound!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoEP1NVmPM&feature=player
How do you like yours by now, Gary?
I still love mine, but don't take it out much. It's mainly because of the places we play. I still have an issue with the blend knob, but it's only because I haven't bothered to resolve it. I did record with it last September, and it sounded pretty good. Still a gorgeous bass, and fun to play, though.
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Call me crazy but I'm gonna follow thru with getting a lefty Scroll made!
I've got a good amount of money coming in from the sale of some property so I gave Bruce the go ahead today!
He'll begin mine in mid-Feb. & finish in May. Yay, Hooray & freakin' A!!!
Gonna be fretless, "moonburst"--Electric blue & black!! Number 076
He explained that one pickup isn't really a full URB sound. This bums me out more than a little.
I was hopin' to use this for mellow stuff & have a very URB sound. But NOoooo
I still want it tho for the Boz look an' sound!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoEP1NVmPM&feature=player
How do you like yours by now, Gary?
add 2 months at least.....
Bruce is right. the mystery pickup is really an add on effect of fretless character to the magnetic pickup. By itself it is pretty terrible sounding. If you set the blend about 75-80% bridge and tone down about the same it gets a great URB sound.... you going lined or part lined or commando???
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Fretless I guess. Is that Commando? I like it.
2 months extra wouldn't be too bad. Yeah, I sorta figured that. haha
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For Commando, think plain ebony board with no markings... just like a double...
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like the one on the left
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like the one on the left
YEAH~ Mine will be just rike that only refty, brack & brue. Ah-so
Am I on the right thread? Sucks to get old.