molan

I know someone who's selling one for £700. Very good condition and I think even still has original box PM me if you're interested.

I owned a Jerry Donahue signature Strat for a while it was serial 0001 and was Jerry's personal guitar. I bought it from him at a trade show where the guy from Fender explained that it was a long, long way from the actual ones in the shops. It looked identical but had different pickups, tone pots, wiring, fingerboard inlays etc and that the neck had been re-profiled by his personal tech. It had a 'crafted in Japan' neck plate but apparently the entire thing had been built in the US Custom shop for him. To give Jerry his due he sold it because he actually wanted to go out gigging with a factory Japanese model once all the development work had been done He even sold it to me at the price of a Japanese one! The Fender rep told me to leave the building immediately in case Jerry changed his mind and asked for it back, lol.

I saw him with Weather Report - one of the worst gigs (by a 'name' band) I've ever seen Technically very clever indeed. Musically, duller than a very dull thing in dull town

I have to admit that I'm firmly in the 'I'd only buy one if there wasn't something better available' camp. In the shop I help out in I often see used cabs come in with these covers and the quality and level of protection they offer compared to some of the better manufacturer covers is really not in the same league. I took a few out and put them up against Aguilar and Bergantino covers and the improvement on the original fit ones was huge. I haven't compared prices but, if I'm looking for a cover to fit on a £500 cab, then I'd want something better than a Roqsolid.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1367189425' post='2062469'] .. Despite the headstock showing a little too much cleavage. [/quote] Lol - I have to admit the first time I saw this bass I thought I looked like the cutaway in the headstock had been modelled by Kingbollock(s) himself

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1367179598' post='2062311'] I think a mass produced object can be an object of beauty, although Fender and Gibson are also looking at volume sales so they will tone down design in a way that Jens Ritter does not have to. Looking at the Ritters I think it's fair to say he is elevating the instrument above form and function and into art. Do I think they are beautiful, yes, the most beautiful, no. In terms of design I think that Leo Fender got it right very early on. It's a criticism laid at Fenders door that they don't come out with anything new, but when you have the icon of design and function why should you? There are many identical E-Type Jags (well, perhaps not so many now-a-days) but it is a very beautiful car. There are very few Bugatti Veyrons, but they do nowt for me [/quote] I have no argument with you that a mass produced bass can be a thing of beauty - I love my 1963 Fender. However, the OP asked for "the most beautiful bass ever" and my thought was that something that's the same as something else can't the the [i]singular[/i] most beautiful bass - it can only be one of many beautiful basses. I also hear what you're saying about cars but I'm not sure the analogy works as well because there are so few genuinely individual cars out there because the simple tooling cost of making one would be immense. Whereas the cost of making a highly individual bass is far less & there are way more of them in existence

[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1367146990' post='2061648'] More pics [url="http://www.ritter-basses.com/item_info.php?i=617"]here[/url] I'm not normally a fan of Singlecuts and I've while the workmanship is amazing not really wanted to own a Ritter, but got to admit this one is quite something! [/quote] I had a reserve on it for 24 hours but decided that I couldn't justify the money on a fretless

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1367146366' post='2061634'] Got to admit that is pretty radical! [/quote] It's also incredible to play! I can just imagine one with frets - maybe one day. . .

This recent creation by Jens Ritter is absolutely stunning in the flesh. Pictures really don't do it justice. . . This close-up of the headstock gives a better idea of the amazing fingerboard:

If the OP is looking for the single most beautiful bass ever doesn't it have to be a full custom build that's a 'one of a kind' - otherwise it's just a bass that's very nice indeed but looks almost identical to a lot of other basses? This would, therefore, exclude almost all Fenders, Gibsons, Rickenbackers etc. Obviously individual beauty will be in the eye I the beholder but if something looks near identical to many other basses it's not really going to be THE most beautiful bass ever

The MarkBass 1x12 is a fine combo and it works extremely well with the larger of the MB 12" extension cabs - traveller 121H I think. The advantage of the larger traveller cab is that it raises the height of the combo up to where it really works well as a personal monitor. Of course you're also opening up the full power of the head and moving a lot more air. It's a very efficient combination. Still very light weight even with the 2nd cab. You could easily have a combo/cab in each hand and a bass in a gig bag for a one trip journey from car to venue. My personal favourite small rig is an Aguilar TH500 with either one or two matching SL112 cabs. These cabs are even lighter than the MB ones and sound great with the TH500 head. A single SL112 goes deeper and louder than an MB121 combo (IMHO) and a pair of the cabs sounds huge! I know a couple of heavyweight pro players using this set up for club gigs

I saw a few of these at MusikMesse - they really stood out on the Marleaux stand. Looked very cool

The soul / jazz / funk cruises have been going for over 10 years - some pretty good people on these. Marcus Miller and George Duke areregulars, also this year there's Tower of Power, David Sanborn, Oleta Adams, Earth Wind & Fire, candy Dulfer, Gladys Knight, The Whispers, Sheila E, Ohio Players, Billy Paul, etc. etc

On the Fender front - I heard a dealer near me placed an order for no less than 6 new Custom Shop basses at the show. . .

This was the highlight for me - absolutely stunning in the flesh! So much so that I had it on 'reserve' for 24 hours but then decided I really needed a fretted one: http://www.ritter-basses.com/instruments/2012/1246-5.jpg

It's rising. . .

Depends which ones. There are some ok quality Fenders but there are also some really nasty cheap ones

[quote name='james' timestamp='1365486300' post='2040119'] Sounds like Paul Turners don't suppose you know how much it will cost? [/quote] Don't have a price on this yet [quote name='dafonky' timestamp='1366129597' post='2048742'] Ok I would like to have an LM 4-string, ASH, but with a Rosewood neck instead of the maple neck ..... did you ever see such an AC bass ? I would trade for sth else or pay cash for a second hand one..... [/quote] Jimmy will make an LM bass with a rosewood board but I've never seen one. Everyone seems to go for the 'snap' of ash / maple on the LM series.

Really good heads. Well made, reliable and, for me, a great all round tone. Pretty adaptable too and work well with quite a few different cabs

I've been to the factory where these are made - small production batches, lots of handcrafting. Everything I saw was seriously nice

I use a B15'at home and have an Aguilar TH500 for live use. It's obviously not the same but it's the closest I've found so far.