Back from ze House of Pain ... (Dave Warning: Spalted Maple Content!!)

[Nocturnal]

Andy, have I ever told you what a handsome chap you are and fine player to boot? 

Why thank you, Uwe! You are too kind.

I probably would have used an ABM type bridge (like I'm installing on my GothBird rehab) on this, but I really like the Supertone bridge on my Gibson Bird. At the same time, the Supertone doesn't seem out of place on this one either. I think that this was a great concept and really makes it a special bass.

[ramone57]

stunning, Uwe!  one of the nicest spalted top I've seen.  I'm not really a fan of gold hardware but it looks good on that bass.
your luthier does very nice work!

[gearHed289]

Hmm... Maybe I just shouldn't say anything at all??? 

Spalted is just not my thing. Gold hardware.... in rare instances. The bridge is cool!

I had a dream last night that I was playing an Explorer bass - fretless, with black tape-wound strings. I think it was a Hamer with one of those tiger striped tops/cherry burst/cream binding.... 

[uwe]

Thanks for all the praise, heart-felt improvement recommendations and general discussion. I knew this bass would prove divisive. As one of my (female) collegues here said when she saw it: "It's a porn bass now!"

I wanted a weighty bridge on that Explorer after the flimsy thing it had on initially (very Fenderish .... brrrr ...), perhaps I overdid it with the Supertone! I very much understand the angular argument, just didn't think of it ... I als had a gold Schaller "monster" bridge (as angular as it gets, the ones to replace the old bar bridges with the slip-in-stringholder and all), but thought that would mount too high (it would have, even the Supertone needed some filing to get low enough).

This bass always sounded great (with the TB Plus pups, the original Epi pups were good, but not yet great), it just didn't look it. I wanted to go totally overboard with a boutique/Alembic/Wal/JAE-in-the-late-seventies look, I guess Herr Schindehütte succeeded.  

Now all I need is some damning, faint praise from Dave!  

[exiledarchangel]

So Dave W. = Dave Warning. Cool, now I got that. 

[Barklessdog]

It looks very nice if thats your thing.

Spalted maple is diseased wood as you already know. Cancer can be pretty, I get it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalting

Spalting is any form of wood coloration caused by fungi. Although primarily found in dead trees, spalting can also occur under stressed tree conditions or even in living trees. Although spalting can cause weight loss and strength loss in the wood, the unique coloration and patterns of spalted wood are sought after by woodworkers

Maybe a shaved hairy back bass is in your future?

I always wondered why you never aquired an Alembic series II or II ?

[TBird1958]

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Is that his I.Q.? Sperm count? active brain cells.............

[Lightyear]

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Is that his I.Q.? Sperm count? active brain cells.............

Now Mark!  Don't you know how difficult it is to make a bunch of left turns

And the bass is beautiful, just not my cup of tea.  I do have the urge to open up a fine white wine and perhaps some premium caviar after seeing these pictures though  

[Pilgrim]

And the bass is beautiful, just not my cup of tea.  I do have the urge to open up a fine white wine and perhaps some premium caviar after seeing these pictures though  

Funny - I'm headed home for some Cougar Gold or Cougar Smoky Cheddar cheese.....Mark can tell you that when you have those, drugs are for the poor people!  Maybe I should have wine instead of beer with it...

[clankenstein]

i like it....what does it sound like now?

[uwe]

Not much different, the maple top, fungus or not, might give it some added attack, the phatter bridge some added sustain. But if truth be told that bass sounded good from day one. The limba soft wood it is made out of is dent-prone as hell, but so resonant that even my luthier was impressed. He finished it poly rather than nitro to make it a bit harder on the surface. The Epi off the rack, even with Epi pups, puts the eighties Explorers of Gibson to shame as regards authority, sustain and attack. No comparison. Equipped with TB Plus pups it becomes snarlier and more focused, think of a Ric with the warm fullness of a TBird. Recommended even without silly fungus wood and pimp hardware!

[Lightyear]

Funny - I'm headed home for some Cougar Gold or Cougar Smoky Cheddar cheese.....Mark can tell you that when you have those, drugs are for the poor people!  Maybe I should have wine instead of beer with it...

DAMN!!    A thirty ounce can of cheese!!  How many cans of Cheezwiz can-O-spraycheese does that equal!?   And how many boxes of Ritz crackers do you need to finish it off

[TBird1958]

I will vouch for the cheese!


It's very good 

[clankenstein]

think of a Ric with the warm fullness of a TBird.

very nice indeed.thats my kind of sound!

[Dave W]

Not bad for diseased wood.

How was that?  


Uwe: Blatantly over-enthusiastic I'd say!!!