wateroftyne

No-one has got to the bottom of that one. 'Exhibition Special' is mentioned a fair bit.

Exactly right. Managed to get it back thanks to the kindness of the chap who bought it off me.

Thinking about it... probably not. They sound different enough to justify both, I think.

Could also be Laklands (which are GHS Precision Flats in disguise)

Three gigs in... it's an absolute belter!

^^ Agree - this is the only issue I'm aware of. Last time I spoke to Mark he was aware of the problem, so maybe have a word with him to see if he's changed his approach.

Do the edges of Bravewoods still look like they’ve been nibbled by hamsters?

The story around it is harder to fake, though.

I really don't think Andy Baxter would stake his reputation on something like this if he wasn't 100% certain of its provenance. Do you?

100%. And the good folk of Basschat could up it to 200%.

I dunno. We’re talking a lot of money here, so if you’re going to fake it your story had better be watertight. Presumably the guy was fairly well known around that circuit, and people could vouch for the bass… or flag it if it’s fishy.

‘…much reduced.’

Of course the story is important. For romantic reasons and because you know what you’re getting. The alternative is to pay less for something with a sketchy history, which of course is the more common route. As for the price, this is a 61 - not a 62 or 63. There really can’t be many of these in the UK. Regarding the case, I seem to recall that imports didn’t come with one, and Arbiter provided their own? Might well be wrong on that, mind.

At this level, along with the known history, I think it does (assuming there’s plenty of wiggle-room on the asking price).

As tidy as this one? With candy and provenance?

Holy cr@p!

Areet gang! Is there anyone around Buckinghamshire with a WB100? A pal of mine is interested and I’d be grateful if they could have a look… ta!

Picked it up from Dave's earlier. It was fab before, but now...what a difference. Action now is on a par with my other '71 which is my reference action. In fact, it feels identical. It sounds significantly different though - my other one is much mellower, possibly due in part to the re(over)wound pickup. The new one is more present and acoustically resonant. Different sides of a coin. The foams seem to be in good nick - plenty of height. I've actually asked Dave to lower the pickups 'cos that's what I prefer. Before I forget, here's a pic of some of the bits it came with. The manual (which has the sale details on the back... $315), the original cable (which seem to go for silly money in their own right 😮), the previous owner's strap, the sticker with contact details that was removed from the back (Dave managed to remove it leaving a barely noticeable discolouration), and one of many celluloid tort picks. I feel like I've been passed a torch (and I'm not talking about the flammable picks).

Right... just heard back from Dave. He's quick! The bridge has been moved to where it should be. Setup is done. No refret necessary... the original frets live to fight another day! The board is Brazilian rosewood 😃 He took the guard off and is under the impression it's the first time it's ever been opened up. For that reason he didn't feel the need to dig the pickups out. The pots aren't stamped on the bottom but I suspect they are stamped on the side as is sometimes the case. He didn't check, but if I'm feeling brave in the future, I'll open it back up to confirm. I'm in no hurry, though! The 'burst has barely faded compared to what's under the guard. I definitely think it's lived most - if not all - of its life in the dark. Heading off to pick it up shortly...

Aye, so... I've just been up to drop it off with Dave Wilson. He's had a look at it and... we're still none the wiser as to why the bridge has been moved. It's actually a little crooked in its new location, too - I guess good luthiers were in short supply in Bermuda - so he's going to sort that out. It's a shame the bridge has been drilled, and a couple of new holes have been added to the body, but you can't see the new holes in the bridge. If that's the only major mod in 53 years, I'll take that as a win. In other news, I thought it may have had a refret, but turns out it hasn't. As of now, I still haven't seen under the 'guard, but it looks to all intents and purposes like it's never been opened. We'll see. Dave's going to open it up, take some shots and put it back on before that celluloid gets any time to shrink. Incidentally, when I took the neck off, it felt like it had never been opened. Hard to explain - just the look of the screws, the seal at the joint, etc. I'll never know for sure, though. What we can conclude is that it's spent almost all its life in a dark concert hall. The body has so much colour in it - it's rarely seen sunlight. Best bit is though - I gave it a run out on Saturday night, and even before any tweaks it sounds and plays wonderfully. Not a great showcase for it, but...

That’s part of the mystery - new holes have been drilled in the bridge, between the originals. I’ll find out more soon…

Yep, if you’re 100% sure it’s Will, you’re good to go.

Just soundchecked it. Ooooof.

Cheers! The shadow is actually surface marks at the edge of where the bridge used to be. if you look closely you can see the old holes for the bridge cover adjacent to the new ones (the previous owner used the bridge cover with foam stuffed in it). I can't work out why it's been nudged, as it's actually offset the strings. It's still completely playable, but I'm scratching my head as to why. The neck and weight are almost identical to my other beloved '71, but the 'new' one is definitely more resonant, and brighter. Old one is darker and rounder. Disclaimer: Can't say how that translates into the real world until I gig it.. which is tonight 🙂

Cheers, all! Just made a quick murky vid. It sounds exactly like a P with ancient flats should sound.