Just Coming In

[Nocturnal]

Welcome to The Outpost!! I remember your name from the Dude Pit days. Please enjoy our brand of insanity 

[Basshappi]

Welcome to another Dude Pit survivor!

[gweimer]

Welcome aboard.  I remember your name, as well.  We're still basically just several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a pict.

[bassilisk]

But I have four Gretsch basses...including the Ultimate Cougar Bass...so perhaps my wackiness doesn't fall far from the group.

I have a couple of wackies as well....

- a mid 80's Carvin LB50 that I dropped some TV Jones Thunderblades into
- a mid 80's all Koa Kawai KRB105 with a graphite neck and Schaller pickups and hardware
- an early 60's Hagstrom Coronado IV with Bi-Sonics

And to the mojo hobo - I have always wanted to try one of those Gibson IV's. They still appeal to me. Very curious as to how they sound.

I also see I'll have to revive my photobucket account to insert pics.

[gearHed289]

Welcome to the Outpost! And wow, you have one of those graphite neck Kawai basses? I bought one when they first came out, all black. I fell in love with the neck and the look, but there were issues with the neck. How is yours? Mine had ZERO relief, so it was total buzz-town on the first few frets. I had some serious screaming matches with Kawai and the store where I bought it (I was a real hot head in my youth). They sent another bass and it was no different, except they added a "bar" type string tree. Still buzzy. After I raised a stink while there was a store full of customers, they gave me full credit toward whatever I wanted, so I got my first Guild Pilot which I played for years.

[slinkp]

Wackies are more than welcome here!

[bassilisk]

Yes, the Kawai was irresistible to me when it showed up on ebay. The neck actually has a touch more relief than needed. This was before most of the graphite makers realized a TR would be a good idea*. It's playable with the action a bit higher than I usually use, and I have no problem still gigging it. I really like the neck profile and it balances perfectly.

I've been wondering whether I could get it heat treated - Headless USA does Steinbergers, maybe they'll do this. At any rate, that's down the line if at all.

It really has its own tone too. Those Schallers are solid midrange, and with a set of Chromes on it, it cuts the mix like a hot knife. No billowy bass to get in the way!

*I bought a Zon Legacy back when they were just starting out and they had no TR. Still don't I understand. Well, being in its infancy there were all those claims of graphite being stronger than steel yadda yadda...
I loved hitting some harmonics and giving the headstock a whammy - man it sounded (and looked) very cool! Fast forward 8 years and there was a front bow in there that made it pretty difficult to play. Another bass on the "maybe I'll get around to it some day" pile. I'd have to send it back to Zon for correction. So much for stronger than steel....

[the mojo hobo]

And to the mojo hobo - I have always wanted to try one of those Gibson IV's. They still appeal to me. Very curious as to how they sound.

Like a Thunderbird http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1773.0 I'd probably still have it if it had a 4 in line headstock.

[uwe]

True. George Carlston's eternally famous quote: "Thunderbird in Clark Kent mode."



With a high E!!! For those of you who venture to dark and forbidden places - not that anybody does this here, ever.

[bassilisk]

I've noticed that, for a bass that basically became invisible from its outset, it has gotten pretty pricey relatively speaking for an 80's bass.

With examples hovering in the $1K range it sits squarely in the midst of used Fender/MM/G&L territory, not to mention others like Warwick and Spector i.e. With those much more common (and popular) choices available, what would drive the price up? It's only interesting to us fogeys...

The same thing has happened to basses like Peavey's original Rudy Sarzo model. I think I got the last one of those at $425 a couple of years back. I will say it's an excellent bass and easily worth twice my cost, but that connection to the 80's kept it off the radar for a lot of years. Couldn't give them away.

Personally I don't understand this aversion to the 80's connection. I've always felt any well made/good sounding bass, regardless of it's visuals, was something worth having and playing. It seems this is now starting to trend.

When I would bring my '02 TBird to a wedding gig nobody snickered, and it sounded right at home playing Sinatra.
Same for my 80's BC Rich Mockingbird.... Or my '86 Steinberger XL-2.....

[Dave W]

I forgot the bachbird had Pit origins? I though it was here!

Some cool things happened on the pit. I still want a Lakland DPLE even if it was somehow connected to the forum imploding. (I missed the whole thing)

Yes, Rob conceived the BaCHbrid project while the Pit was still limping along. The project was ongoing when we started here in January 2008. At that point Rob was still gathering commitments. The earliest existing thread here started in April 2008 after Rob deleted an earlier one out of fear that Gibson might notice.
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=434.0

[slinkp]

We've been on here for nine years???

Jesus I'm old

[uwe]

It hasn't really been that long, has it?!!!

[Dave W]

We've lasted longer than the Pit did.

[uwe]

By any methodology that's a crystal-clear statement.