Happy Jack Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 I can do shiny and new. You want old school? I can do old school. You want etched & engraved? I can do etched & engraved. You want figured maple? I can do figured maple. You want 3D finish? I can do 3D finish. You want customised rarity? I can do customised rarity. You want barking mad silliness? I can do barking mad silliness. You want more photos? http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/library/Basses CURRENT/AliKat Double Bass 2018 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 What an amazing looking instrument and wife 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbie Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Awesome!! You rock! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Once I got past the beauty of the brushed aluminium body (it took a while), I couldn't help but notice the slightly purple hue of the fingerboard. Is it a trick of the light, or do you have a fancy and exotic wood under those strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Beautiful instrument! Congrats 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 That is a thing of pure beauty.. We need sound clips. Now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 22, 2018 Author Share Posted June 22, 2018 1 hour ago, EliasMooseblaster said: Once I got past the beauty of the brushed aluminium body (it took a while), I couldn't help but notice the slightly purple hue of the fingerboard. Is it a trick of the light, or do you have a fancy and exotic wood under those strings? The fingerboard is really quite red, rather than purple. It reminds me strongly of Cedar of Lebanon though I doubt that is what it is. The invoice & spec states that it is Rosewood, but I don't believe that for a minute. Apart from anything else, that would have fallen foul of CITES, Shirley. As to "brushed aluminium", I say to you "Pah!", and again "Pah!", and thricely "Pah!". This is hologrammatically etched 3D aluminium I'll have you know, My Good Man. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 2 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: hologrammatically etched 3D aluminium Absolutely stunning.Without doubt the best NBD I've ever saw. Congratulations for having the high levels of taste required to order such a beauty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Witness the fitness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 22, 2018 Author Share Posted June 22, 2018 12 minutes ago, TheRev said: That is a thing of pure beauty.. We need sound clips. Now. Thanks Rev, and the sound clips will indeed follow as soon as I've had a bit of work done. Dave Gartland is not actually a luthier, he's a specialist aluminium-welding artificer who has gradually morphed into luthiery. I'm genuinely impressed with the state that the bass has reached me in, but it has a pure rockabilly setup with a very high action (and an extra piezo under the end of the fingerboard) which doesn't really suit my totally pizza playing style. It also has twin soundposts to stop the aluminium flexing too much, and I think these should be directly under the feet of the bridge. The treble side pretty much is in the right place, maybe 1cm adrift, but the bass side is at least 3cm too close to the treble side for my liking. A brief verbal description would be that, played acoustically, it is reminiscent of a tuned steel drum. It's definitely a DB, and it's definitely musical, but you can absolutely hear that this bass is NOT made of wood! Put it through any form of amplification of course (as I have done, though briefly) and the great majority of the metallic sound just disappears. In a band situation it will sound like a DB but look like the DB From Another Planet. Since most audiences listen with their eyes, I expect them to be fooled into thinking that I can play like you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 2 hours ago, Happy Jack said: You want barking mad silliness? I can do barking mad silliness. What? Isn't that the dream of anybody who's ever been a child, albeit in the distant past? 😮😛🙃 These are the main links for David Gartland's work: Ali Kat website Ali Kat on Facebook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 22, 2018 Author Share Posted June 22, 2018 I should also mention that the body size is a fair bit smaller than my 3/4 ply bass (an Anton Zeller). It's certainly not a 1/2 size, and it's more than a 3/8 size if such a thing exists, I think it just is what it is. That reduction in size neatly offsets the greater weight of the aluminium as opposed to ply. Overall, this bass is heavier than my Zeller but not by enough for it to be an issue. For the benefit of those who have met me and have some idea of my size and build: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 So how many pairs of shoes and handbags does this equate to for Silvia? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz39 Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 I have to ask; how much was postage from SA?!? It’s obviously good for metal, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 I assume this is good for metal. I'll get my coat. 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 4 minutes ago, TheGreek said: So how many pairs of shoes and handbags does this equate to for Silvia? Hmm, what are these shoes and handbags whereof you speak? Surely you mean how many new Warwick Corvettes or nice electric uprights? 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Happy Jack said: ... ... I'll be ordering one of these tomorrow (hang the expense..!) if this is what is delivered..! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylie Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Silvia Bluejay said: What? Isn't that the dream of anybody who's ever been a child, albeit in the distant past? 😮😛🙃 These are the main links for David Gartland's work: Ali Kat website Ali Kat on Facebook I think if a kid fell in there, it'd be okay 'cause he wouldn't get hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 That's phlippin well phenominal! Congrats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 22, 2018 Author Share Posted June 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Daz39 said: I have to ask; how much was postage from SA?!? Still not entirely sure, partly because of the way the deal was structured (the original quote was for the bass, delivered), partly because it had to change a couple of times since the eventual package was over-sized, and partly because it worked out way more expensive than expected and I made a 'contribution'. My best guess is that the airfreight cost around AUS$1500 in total. The crate took just four days to travel Adelaide --> Dubai --> Liege --> Arnhem --> Dartford (Kent) --> Park Royal (West London), in the process being trans-shipped FIVE times, and with really accurate tracking all the way. It then took two days and three attempts for TNT to get the bass the last three miles from Park Royal to Harrow, complete with totally inaccurate tracking, lying drivers, and attempts to dodge all responsibility. Welcome to London. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Very nice, indeed. I think the fretboard wood is padauk. 😉 That said, mine is crazier : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 21 minutes ago, Hellzero said: Very nice, indeed. I think the fretboard wood is padauk. 😉 That said, mine is crazier : Not 'crazier'; broken. ... ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggering on Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 So this is the bass we heard about at the April double bass bash! I wondered when you would finally get it delivered and I have been waiting for the pics and I must say it looks fabulous.We are all waiting to hear it. Well done, now more GAS for the rest of us.Aluminum(Canadian spelling) would be great in our climate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 22, 2018 Author Share Posted June 22, 2018 I blame Alcoa. And Pfretschzner. Who said "Bless You"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 4 hours ago, Happy Jack said: I should also mention that the body size is a fair bit smaller than my 3/4 ply bass (an Anton Zeller). It's certainly not a 1/2 size, and it's more than a 3/8 size if such a thing exists, I think it just is what it is. That reduction in size neatly offsets the greater weight of the aluminium as opposed to ply. Overall, this bass is heavier than my Zeller but not by enough for it to be an issue. For the benefit of those who have met me and have some idea of my size and build: Pint held purely for scale 😁 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.