Beedster

Well look at that beauty, and being offered by a man who really knows his Stingrays and Fleas! I am SO tempted. Have to say that the idea of an 'unplanned purchase of a blue sparkle Modulus Flea' made me smile, and felt strangely close to home! Mark, I'd love that mate, but I'm building something similar at present, albeit something that will no doubt cost more but not be as good. Timing as ever! Good luck with the sale mate Chris

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1488981565' post='3253468'] Looks lovely Beedster Having not seen one of these, could you post some pics of it folded? EDIT: Just watched the video of the folding process, on the Chadwick website Looks very interesting. The chap in the video seemed to dis-assemble / fold the bass quicker than I can tune a DB! In your experience, just how quick is folding, and moreover, how quick a process is setting back up? Very intrigued - as I'm always looking for more ways to make bass playing that bit more portable [/quote] Hi Marc Good to hear from you mate, hope all's well. I'll post some pics of the bass folded in the case plus fully built tomorrow. Re the time it takes, I can build it in 2 minutes, albeit given I play guts I then spend a further 5 minutes getting it to pitch (having said this it takes me about 3 minutes to get guts to pitch on my 4/4). Building an SLB-100 before a gig can take almost as long to be honest. Folding it down is more problematic, but only because in my experience that's where the risk lies. In short, I'm so terrified of leaving the bridge, endpin, or fingerboard - all of which go inside the bass after breakdown - in the venue that I take it very slowly. Even so, it's an absolute maximum of 10 minutes from playable to fully back in the box. To be honest, I've had to wrestle for an equivalent duration to get a standard DB into a gig bag. Big difference is that I can still damage a standard DB getting it off stage, out of the venue, in and out of the car, or into the house. Once this thing's in the box after a gig, it's safe as houses. There is nothing out there like this bass. I've owned Yamaha SLB-100 and 200, Bespoke, various custom made hybrids, and all of them were so lacking in what really makes a DB a DB. This is 100% DB, albeit with a cunning piece of quite simple engineering that makes the World of difference to the gigging bass player. Can't wait to get a 4/4 version

By the way, the Chadwick is [u]not[/u] the bass in my avatar in case anyone's worried (especially given I'm 5'11). That bass, AKA 'The Beast', is something of a big'un

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1488968466' post='3253277'] That's a beauty. Could you comment if the carved top adds/subtracts much from the ply ones, seeing as you are one of the few that have owned both [/quote] Hi mate, even not played in this instrument is significantly more resonant than my previous model, and that's with full guts. I imagine with steels or hybrids it would be even more the case. This may or may be the result of the carved top of course, we all know the score with the inter-instrument variability between even luthier built DBs. Cheers Chris

At tis price, anyone out there who has the space and the lumbar spine for one of these should try it. You haven't heard the true sound of a bass until you've played it through a good tube head and one of these cabs. I really wish I still had the need for one.

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First things first, price is negotiable, but given this bass owes me close to £4500 total, it is not negotiable by a whole lot! OK, I have now owned two of these, and they are stunning, well engineered, playable and toneful instruments. The icing on the cake - its foldability - is phenomenal, as are both the speed of set-up and break down and the relatively small space it will fit into (no hassle at airports). So, having sold one in 2015 to buy a 4/4, in mid-2016 I approached Charlie to build me a 4/4 folding bass. No can do. Conversation would/should have stopped right there, had he not sent me the photo below of the appropriately proportioned (i.e., large 3/4) blonde. Long story short, I ended up buying it, and just after Brexit when the pound was plummeting. To make things worse, I play my 4/4 almost exclusively now, and it would have to be a really quite problematic gig that would require me to take the Chadwick in its place (frankly I find playing 3/4 a little like playing a short scale electric, hard). So, lesson learned, I am planning a 4/4 Chadwick-style prototype folding bass, about which I have been talking to a couple of carpenters (trust me, it's carpentry not luthiery that's required). I'm probably going to base this project around a 4/4 bass body/neck supplied by a European manufacturer who will supply them unfinished. Time will tell.... In the meantime, I think it's time to face up to facts, specifically that this lovely blonde is money sitting around unused. I'll lose a lot on it but c'est la vie. It has a carved top which is a bonus but a costly one! With the exception of a few small marks around the edges which were there when it arrived and about which I wasn't all that happy to be honest - it's in as new condition, in fact not really properly played in. I have the hard case of course, plus the original very sturdy packing that made it all the way from Nashville Tennessee to Canterbury Kent unscathed. Whilst I have no reason to assume it wouldn't make it a few further hundred miles, I would prefer collection or meet-up. Picture from Charlie below, I will post close-ups of the instrument later. Only trade of interest would be a nice 60's Precision. Or a boat of some sort [url="http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/Chadwick_zpsit2ylydy.jpg.html"][/url] Chris

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1488744017' post='3251493'] And at 325 the bass will move quickly I suspect... [/quote] Agreed, although seller might help help the situation if he replied to to PMs regarding sales as well as reading them

I'd give you a decent price -£125 - for the preamp if you wanted to sell separately? Chris

[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1488617771' post='3250447'] Keep thinking about getting one of these and this looks georgeous, I'd have to get rid of my B-15 though...... Consider me tempted, where abouts are you? [/quote] Well mate, the Boogie is my ex, and it's the only current combo you'll get that gets close to the B-15. And you know I'd have the B-15 back if you really pushed me

[quote name='Old Man Riva' timestamp='1487866307' post='3243742'] The bass is no longer on hold and very much back up for sale..! [/quote] For which I owe Mick my sincere apologies. As I mentioned above, I tried to buy this bass (or one very like it) in 2014, and had a little trouble establishing the neck width from the then seller. This time around I was praying that Fender might have done the decent thing and put a proper Precision neck on a CS Precision, i.e., 42mm or so at the nut. However, 'twas not to be, and despite coming very very close to pulling the trigger anyway, I realised when late last night I was looking to source a block and bound Precision neck to go on this bass that I was probably venturing a little off piste so to speak. So, thanks to Mick for his patience and apologies for wasting his time, but my loss is for sure someone else's gain here, I et the feeling that most players, given the choice, would have a Jazz width neck on a Precision anyway, I'm just a bit odd Chris

[quote name='Old Man Riva' timestamp='1487683900' post='3241788'] Thanks, gents, for the kind words - it's a lovely bass and if I weren't under orders to free up some space then it may not be here (for the older viewers think Mr Barraclough's character in Porridge for a glimpse into the Riva home life!). Beedster, yes I'm confident it's 1.5" at the nut but will confirm when I get back later (I'll measure it myself) - if you fancied a trip to Essex there's a B15 Heritage here for you to try it through! [/quote] Look forward to hearing from you, and having just about managed to not buy back my old B-15 from Chris Anthony, I'd rather not have to spend any time in the presence of one

I very nearly bought that when it was up for sale last time around, can you confirm whether the neck is indeed 1.5" at the nut? We may be talking later

These are great basses and for that price a no-brainer

The best amp I've ever owned, and in a different league to absolutely everything else. In fact this made the Mesa I owned at the same time sound positively tone-free/sterile. I'd go so far as to say that it even made my playing sound competent. Too loud for my studio or I would have it back in a second - well, I'd never have sold it in the first place - but if you really care about tone, and record/gig at moderate volumes (it'll easily keep up with an acoustic kit), this is one of the stops on life's journey. For interested buyers I was the first owner, Chris the second. I paid significantly more that Chris is asking also. Having spent years (and thousands) trying to nail the perfect tone through buying basses, I realised it was all about the amp! I now record only and use a REDDI, which whilst it's good, doesn't quite do what a B-15 does. And the REDDI doesn't look anything like as good either, the B-15 was the only amp that ever registered on Mrs Beedster's acceptable in the house scale

And I'll have it if Greg doesn't Howdy Greg BTW! C

How is this still here ......

Folks, thanks for the above and PMs, forgotten about this thread! Will reply to PMs this evening (lots of stuff above and a whole lot more under the bed, in the attic/shed/studio bits still for sale (will list the rest later this week). Re the Badass I, not it would need new holes drilled, or at least, you can actually do it as the two outside holes are not too far off from holes 2 and 4 on a 5 screw Fender bridge, but it's not ideal. Chris

That is a formidable rig at a bloody good price

And yes, '64 was a very good year for Precisions

Lovely