BigRedX

Today's bass comes from Italy, [url="http://www.laurus.it/english/english.html"]Laurus[/url]

This is the Quasar


At the moment Laurus just does the single design in a variety of string, pickup and woods configurations.

I believe there is a technical reason for the small headstock shape, but it's not currently explained on the Laurus site (although the're not the only builder to utilise this design element).

Check out the "who plays Laurus" section - there's some impressive sounding clips there.

Lorne, If I'd been doing this thread 30 years ago BC Rich would have been right in there, however in the intervening years IMO they've become pretty much the mainstream for "extreme rock" styled instruments and also I don't feel that the designs are quite as radical compared with what else is now available as they were back in the late 70s. Having said that if you ever feel the need to sell one of your 8 strings I'll probably be at the front of the queue!

bass-ferret, I don't think that a fanned fretless is going to be much more difficult than non-fanned - afterall it's all about practice pitching the notes right, besides the KR fretless instruments all have enough marking on the fingerboard to get you roughly in the right place.

wotnwhy, I'm seen quite a few basses with similar bridges to the KR Kamakiri - some will be featuring in this thread soon.

peted, I believe this is the most recent bass completed by Sei. Martin was fitting the electronics in it last time I was at the Gallery finalising the specifications for my Sei bass. While I love the Sei flamboyant shape and fanned frets, I'm not entirely sure that the combination quite works...

Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few weeks...

However normal service should be resumed until I run out of suitable instruments to share with you.

I've been trying to keep these selections to basses that are currently available for purchase just on the off-chance that anyone who loves these as much as I do may be tempted to get one...

Anyway on with my current selection and something that Dragonlord might possibly be interested in - more fanned frets from KR Guitars:

The Jamal Ursa Major +


and the Kamakiri


I found KR Guitars through the Luthier Access Group and at the time I bookmarked the site there were 4 models and a fairly informative, although completely Flash-based site (which makes grabbing pictures to show here slightly more complicted that normal so I'd held off until I had time to dedicate to it). Since then the site has been completely changed and is now marked as under construction and only has limited (but easy to grab) pictures of these two basses.

However what is there is completely stunning - especially the Ursa Major +. Fretless with a slight fan (35-34") and fretlines disguised as art. Q Tuners and extended upper range access. If it wasn't for the single-cut body and the complications that might arise from my guitar-style "technique" this could be heading my list of ideal basses.

Dave - will you have one of these amps with you a Music Live?

I'd very much like to try one out.

There's at least one basschat member with a trem-equiped bass.

The most common system for bass is the [url="http://www.kahlerusa.com/home.html"]Kahler[/url] one. Unfortunately because the site is written completely in Flash I can't give you a direct link but go to 'products' and take it from there...

I've played the AB II in the Gallery. As the others have said from the playing position the fanning is a non-issue unless your into chords high up the neck on the low strings. I think it took me about 30 seconds to adjust...

They're called [url="http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/bass_ferrules.htm"]ferrules[/url]

You should be able to push them out from the top using something very slightly smaller than the top hole...

Not a proper update, but a quick look at eBay reveled that the those responsible for producing the Ritter copies have now turned their attentions to Atlansia...

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-4-string-Bass-Guitar-Solid-wood-body_W0QQitemZ200161013505QQihZ010QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]Check this out[/url] complete with the mad reversed tuner order headstock...

Around £150 inc shipping (but not customs charges) from the US.

Sorry about the lack of updates recently...

Unfortunately work and other things have left me with very little time over the last week or so.

Hopefully normal service will be resumed by the end of this week...

What's the scale length on the Charvel? Also what are the strings fitted at the moment - tapewound? Is there a case for it?

I'll be going and would definitely be interested in trying out the new amp if you're going to have one there.

That is cool looking! Very nice!

More details please? Have you decided on materials, pickups etc?

Since I got interested in playing music almost 35 years ago, I've played guitar and synth, as well as bass, in all the different bands I've been involved with. Guitar is where I started, but bass is the instrument I keep coming back to. There was an interesting article in one of the US Bass mags a while back about why bass players tend to make good producers, because they are more likely to 'hear' the whole song as they tend to be providing both the melodic and rhythmic foundation. Personally I think that playing another instrument is beneficial as it gives you a better idea about how the elements of a piece of music can fit together.

[url="http://www.atlansia.jp/"]Atlansia[/url]

[url="http://www.geocities.jp/jerseygirlhg/home.htm"]Jersey Girl[/url]

And now sold!

They were on display at this years LGS, but I wasn't able to try one out.

Got to say for all the really good practical design features on the bass it's got to be the most ugly J-clone I've ever seen...

Sorry for the lack of basses for this thread over the last two days...

I'll try and make up for that over the week.

Here's something that looks at first glance fairly conventional from [url="http://www.lightwave-systems.com"]Lightwave[/url]

Two Sabre SLs



Lightwave uses the specially designed Lightwave optical pickup which is built into the oversized monolithic bridge units. These use infra red light to read the sting vibration and are supposed to give a more realistic sound of the the string. The standard model (top) also has a piezo system which Lightwave call "Ice-Tone" which can be blended in with the optical sensor output. The hybrid model (bottom) replaces the piezo with an active humbucker. I have one of the earlier models, the chambered Sabre A and I can confirm that the bass output and sustain are amazing. The notes are really pure and deep and you can get some wonderful tones out of this bass. This is one instrument where changing strings makes a massive difference to the tone, so it's unfortunate that it's so fiddly to set up. The optical sensors have to be perfectly aligned with the strings to get the best results which involves allen key adjustments and removing the back panel to access a scary amount of internal electronics. However the end results are well worth the effort. the amount of control available over the string balance etc is astounding and a good setup will give rewards in the sounds that are possible with this instrument.

On hold pending payment

A small selection from my "Covertastic" iTunes playlist:

I Know What Boys Like - ACO
Hotel California - Alabama 3
Still Life - Alishas Attic
Shack Up - A Certain Ratio
Jump - Kid Carpet
Too Drunk To Fu©k - Nouvelle Vague
Running Up That Hill - Placebo
Daddy Cool - Placebo
Mr Roboto - Polysics
Against All Odds - The Postal Service
Barracuda - Rasputina
I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor - Sugababes
Wild Horses - The Sundays
Song To The Siren - This Mortal Coil
Paranoid Android - UMASS Front Percussion Ensemble
Common People - William Shatner
I Won't Last a Day Without You - Shena Ringo

The great thing about David Jay's bass playing with Bauhaus is half the time you don't realise it's fretless until you hear the occasional slides he puts in.

And a bit more on time come Saturdays choice. More Germans, this time [url="http://www.kraushaar-gitarren.de/"]Kraushaar[/url]

Here's a Hero Bass and a Kordy Fretless Bass


Some very individual guitars and basses on the site - these are two of my favourites. The Kordy in particular has some interesting features which are shown in the build photos that accompany the information - the central block instead of being solid as on most semi-acoustic instruments has holes connecting the two chambers; the end of the fretless fingerboard has a raised metal edge to give a traditional slap sound while still allowing fretless playing - something that Basslab instruments also feature.

+1 for Japan try the [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-Life-Remastered-Japan/dp/B000G1SZM8/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-8639949-2871802?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1191065319&sr=8-1"]Quiet Life[/url] album.

Fridays basses (just a little late) come from another German maufacturer - [url="http://www.phantom-guitars.de"]Phantom[/url]

More fretless basses with metal fingerboards, here we have the Luxman Metal Guru


and the XTC Metal Guru


Very little info on the website other than model specifications, and most of the instruments are fairly conventional, but I do like the metal fingerboards and the extended access of the Luxman.

Anything with originality, do it again in a completely different original style.

Strip to song back to the vocal line and build it back up. It helps if you don't really know the original so you won't be influenced.

[quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='66844' date='Sep 28 2007, 12:32 PM']In a good way or a bad way[/quote]


Well I think they're great

YMMV