Novelty bass ??

[Torben Hedstrøm]

From time to time I stumble upon some strange creatures... Even in this part of the planet.



-Don't know what to think of it really... Quite stunned !!

[uncle psychosis]

Isn't that a Travis Bean? Don't know about the basses but Travis Bean guitars are brilliant.

[Musky]

It's a Kramer DMZ of some description - I'm not really up on them enough to know the model numbers. Definitely not a novelty bass though, just an idea that never really took off although ally necked basses still have their adherents.

[Torben Hedstrøm]

Heh, actually it's a Kramer DMZ according to the classified ad. Old & scratched too. Did not want to link to the ad, as I don't want to be accused of knowing the seller .

[Torben Hedstrøm]

An old one too... [url="http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/adDetails/328"]http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/adDetails/328[/url]

[GregBass]

I had a Kramer ally necked guitar until my son inadvertently gave it away. I still hope to get it back one day. Hurts the hands to play on cold days, but certainly a talking point on gigs.

[BigRedX]

It's a bit difficult to tell from the tiny photos you posted, but if both of those pickups are original and it has a host of switches and knobs then it's a Kramer DMZ5000.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1340829974' post='1710322']
Isn't that a Travis Bean? Don't know about the basses but Travis Bean guitars are brilliant.
[/quote]

The Travis Beans had a clear "T" in the headstock, remember?

[Hobbayne]

I believe Mo Foster used one of these on the theme tune to 'Minder'

[Bassman Sam]

As used by Alan Lancaster of the Quo in the 70's.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1340836354' post='1710464']
I believe Mo Foster used one of these on the theme tune to 'Minder'
[/quote]

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1340849049' post='1710560']
As used by Alan Lancaster of the Quo in the 70's.
[/quote]

Lancaster used both aluminium-necked Kramers and Travis Bean basses.

Pete Briquette of the Boomtown Rats was also a Kramer aluminium user.

However the various different series of these Kramer basses all looked and sounded very different to each other. To lump them all together is a bit like saying - Fender Basses, Phil Lynott and JJ Burnel used them, when the OP was showing a Jazz bass.

[Dave Vader]

always wanted one of them old TB or kramer ally necked thingys, bass or guitar, don't mind.
Never got one when they were cheap in the 90s though, and now they're all vintage and collectable and expensive

[Torben Hedstrøm]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1340878293' post='1710817']
always wanted one of them old TB or kramer ally necked thingys, bass or guitar, don't mind.
Never got one when they were cheap in the 90s though, and now they're all vintage and collectable and expensive

[/quote]

Yep, this one is about £600...

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Torben Hedstrøm' timestamp='1340886172' post='1711015']
Yep, this one is about £600...
[/quote]

If it hasn't been modified and the wooden neck inserts aren't coming away from the aluminium then depending on how much wear there is (once again impossible to see from the tiny photographs posted) that's about at the top end of the right price range ATM.

[Dave Vader]

Did I mention how incredibly cheap I am?

[Blartfactor10]

Confession time! I swapped my Olly White 64 Precision for one of these back in about 1981......Well it was new and shiny..and sounded like the Slapy thing I was after at the time. I kept it for about 6 months and the bloke who got the Precision has still got it........MMM!......sometimes you learn the hard way!!! For me, it wasn't a keeper!!

Edited June 28, 2012 by Blartfactor10

[Donnyboy]

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1340849049' post='1710560']
As used by Alan Lancaster of the Quo in the 70's.
[/quote]

Yeh, it looked too big for him! I thought his sound went real downhill when he stopped using his Mustangs- became very harsh & didn't blend well when he went to Kramer & Tarvis Bean- in my opinion of course!! I liked & still do like the old Quo sound- don't like change ..... boomtish.

Nice looking bass though & different.

[MoonBassAlpha]

They do have a unique sound though - great in some settings.
I had a Kramer 450B and they weighed a lot, possibly 12.5 lbs iirc.
Real mans bass, that. It felt totally indestructable.