FS Chadwick Folding Bass, carved top, blonde, as new **SOLD** £3000

[Beedster]

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

Edited March 19, 2017 by Beedster

[TPJ]

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

[Beedster]

[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

[Beedster]

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

[Marc S]

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

Edited March 8, 2017 by Marc S

[Beedster]

[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

[Marc S]

Thanks for that very useful, comprehensive answer Beedster
I just wish you were a bit closer - so I could come & take a look
I don't have any DB GAS at the moment (apart from wanting to try a Yam SLB)
But I really do like the look of this bass of yours - it looks especially good in Blonde finish / colour
It's also a really neat piece of engineering too

Cheers again good sir

Edited March 9, 2017 by Marc S

[Beedster]

Here are some pics of it built.....

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2541_zpsc0xxl6uv.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2541_zpsc0xxl6uv.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2545_zpsiadyxpsr.jpg.html]
[IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2545_zpsiadyxpsr.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2551_zpshugdi25p.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2551_zpshugdi25p.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2554_zps7ufw72bx.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2554_zps7ufw72bx.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

And with the hood off so to speak....

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2536_zpsdstltvrf.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2536_zpsdstltvrf.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Beedster]

And the damage to the bottom which was there when it arrived

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2539_zpscrgfhukw.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2539_zpscrgfhukw.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Beedster]

And whilst it's a pretty big 3/4, next to the size of bass I prefer to play these days.....

[URL=http://s80.photobucket.com/user/Beedster/media/IMG_2506_zpst8vnwcqe.jpg.html][IMG]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/Beedster/IMG_2506_zpst8vnwcqe.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Marc S]

This bass really does look fab
As does her big sister. Don't know how you manage to carry that 4/4 around Beedster
Looks huge compared to the 3/4

Here is a link to the video of it being "folded"
http://foldingbass.com/see-and-hear/videofold/

Edited March 15, 2017 by Marc S

[Beedster]

Sold to a very nice gentleman and a good player who I imagine will make very good use of it

C