BluesHawk Bass

[Chris P.]

that looks so good,your dog may start barking! 

But it sure looks great! Much better than I thought it would be! I never liked the Blueshawk a lot, but this bass with these pickups, color and knobs is pretty!

[Barklessdog]

Thanks-

Here is a rough sound demo, forgive the crappy playing!

The bass comes off very punky/ clanky and begs to be played with a pick, thus I did these playing with a pick.
http://8.14.112.20/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=578947&songID=6798117

The first verse is the front pickup

Second verse is both pickups

Third verse is bridge pickup

After the break each verse is one Big D varitone setting in sequence

[shadowcastaz]

Damn fine sound.Kudos!M

[uwe]

The link above only brought me to soundclick.com and I don't know what to do from there, but the bass looks fantastisch. And I like Jazz Bass tones for their purity.

[Barklessdog]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=578947&content=music

I don't know why the link is not working, but try this one.

I have been recording with the bass and have found its sweet spot. The bass with some effects, really sounds like a trumpet, horn section with its single coil clear sound. The Varitone has been very useful as well. At first I was not sure I really liked the tone as it was very clear, somewhat thin.

I will post a song I am working on just using it. If I were to change anything on the bass I would have moved the pickups further apart to get a greater variation in tone. A single coil closer to the neck would have added more beef to the tone. The two pickups together obviously give you a much fuller sound. Funny but I found myself using the single coil only modes for the horn parts. The Dummy coil works really well as the bass is dead quite in single coil mode. That with the kahler and the first setting on the varitone, you have an instant trumpet/trombone sound that is really cool. None of this is reflected in the above clips. Those are just the straight sounds pretty much and now really do not reflect what this bass can do.

This bass makes me horny!


While I find the very clean single coil sound great for the role this bass is fulfilling, I wonder what some hot, high output single coils would sound like. Probably not as horny.

This bass is the polar opposite of my LP.

[shadowcastaz]

Polar opposite is more reason to leave it be . Id send Bill lawrence and his daughter a pic of this bass.
http://www.billlawrence.com/

[Barklessdog]

Yes, I agree. I needed to see what it can do, not make it the same as all my other basses or what's the point?

I sent him a pic. Great site.

[shadowcastaz]

And he is still at it. amazing!his daughter is very sweet on line .

[Barklessdog]

Here is the song "Horn Toad" that is just using the Blueshawk"

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=578947&content=music

[Granny Gremlin]

Hey, I kinda missed this whole thread when I was awol - took me a while to catch up.  The bass looks excellent I must say.  Good job.

[Basvarken]

Woah! I totally missed this whole thread!!
Where was I two years ago?? Did the BaCHbird perhaps consume me that much to make me overlook this cool project? 

This is awesome John. I never knew you built it yourself 


I have lot of catching up to do.


Thanx for the heads up guys.

[OldManC]

I remember the beginning of this project but I seem to have missed this thread as well. What a great progression from idea to execution!

[Barklessdog]

Its been about a year or so since it was finished. It has become my number two bass. I really enjoy playing it.

With the single coil pickups it has a very clean thin sound that works great with the Kahler for lead & chordal / horn stuff.

That with the varitone really gives it a nice clean variety of tones.

I don't really like the straight bass sound though. Too thin & mild. The LP is still my favorite straight bass tone.

I discovered that I am not a single coil guy for regular bass playing. I love my pickups hot & heavy.

The other thing I dont care for on this bass is the hard top edges that cut into your arm (like a Ric).

If I were to build another I would use high output single coils & a mahogany body. I can also this bass with a two piece LP tbird style bridge. I do not regret the kahler in any way.