Eastwood Custom Basschat Edition Bass?

[NancyJohnson]

I'm wondering whether there would be enough interest for us to get a minimum of twelve (yep, that's right, twelve) Basschat footsoldiers to sign up for a run of Eastwood Custom Basschat Edition Basses.  No design specs yet  (but if you want a Fender clone, go to Andertons), no choices of finish (yet), no prices (yet).  Let's see how many say yes first and then we can start discussing.

Edited August 15, 2018 by NancyJohnson

[BrunoBass]

That will presumably depend on twelve people all agreeing on the same spec?

[ped]

Or one person buying twelve (which isn’t beyond some of you 😂) 

[NancyJohnson]

1 hour ago, BrunoBass said:

That will presumably depend on twelve people all agreeing on the same spec?

Pretty much.  Like I said, there's little point making a Fender clone, but there's a great opportunity here to produce something really decent and fun.

Once we decide what we want, we can tweak everything else from woods, hardware etc. thereafter.

Michael Robinson at Eastwood said to me via email that if we did go ahead, they'd also put it on their current project page as well (obviously to generate more sales).

[HazBeen]

I’d be interested potentially, short scale solid body (check out this Serek for inspiration): https://www.serekbasses.com/sacramento

[BrunoBass]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

Pretty much.  Like I said, there's little point making a Fender clone, but there's a great opportunity here to produce something really decent and fun.

Once we decide what we want, we can tweak everything else from woods, hardware etc. thereafter.

Michael Robinson at Eastwood said to me via email that if we did go ahead, they'd also put it on their current project page as well (obviously to generate more sales).

Sounds like an interesting concept.

[bigsmokebass]

Definitely interested to see what's discussed here 😁

[Leonard Smalls]

I'd be interested in something groovy and interesting looking - perhaps with LED fret markers...

[NancyJohnson]

10 hours ago, HazBeen said:

I’d be interested potentially, short scale solid body (check out this Serek for inspiration): https://www.serekbasses.com/sacramento

At this stage let's just see how many people would be interested rather than throwing in suggestions.  If we get 50 people interested, then we can decide what we want to try and do!

It would just be too easy for me to say, 'Let's do a Thunderbird,' but that's not really the point here.  It's an opportunity to perhaps resurrect a long deleted model (I could quote, umm, Dan Armstrong for instance) and put our own twist on it, or create something entirely new.

[bertbass]

Left handed version would be nice!

[Grangur]

Surely, there's no more point in a Thunderbird copy than in a Fender?

I guess we're expecting the budget cost to be sub-£1k ?

[NancyJohnson]

5 minutes ago, Grangur said:

Surely, there's no more point in a Thunderbird copy than in a Fender?

I guess we're expecting the budget cost to be sub-£1k ?

Hey Rich
I don't want a Thunderbird...if I did, I'd buy a Gibson (or another Lull).

I'm pretty confident the price would come in at under £1K, yes.  The most expensive Eastwood Customs come in at $1300 or thereabouts, but I'd qualify these as being very well specced; most seem to come in at sub-$600.

[HazBeen]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

At this stage let's just see how many people would be interested rather than throwing in suggestions.  If we get 50 people interested, then we can decide what we want to try and do!

It would just be too easy for me to say, 'Let's do a Thunderbird,' but that's not really the point here.  It's an opportunity to perhaps resurrect a long deleted model (I could quote, umm, Dan Armstrong for instance) and put our own twist on it, or create something entirely new.

Fair comment, but I would be interested in something that fits my needs (as will most), so you will surely need 50 interested people as you will likely lose up to 75% of interested people when speccing the bass/design.

[Sibob]

I quite like the K-200 bass (it's a bit like a cheaper Serek Midwestern), but the Eastwood logo and the tuners make it look cheap and nasty IMO.
More 'vintagey' logo, a more rounded headstock and plop some elephant-ear (Fender) style tuners on it and I might be interested, especially if there was a cool single pickup innit like the Serek B90.

Basically I want a Serek, which are wonderful, but too expensive for what I'd invest in a short scale....for now anyway.

Si

Edited August 16, 2018 by Sibob

[ead]

Interested, but feel that agreeing a common spec might be the biggest challenge of them all.

[bigsmokebass]

Get sharing people 🤣🙌🏻

[Wolverinebass]

Yeah, go on then. Let's see what everyone wants out of it.

Edited August 16, 2018 by Wolverinebass

[BigRedX]

Either a 5-string (34" scale), or a wide-necked Bass VI (30" scale) with 3 pickups, dual outputs and each pickup switchable between each output.

Set or through neck construction, angled headstock. Bright sparkle colour finish.

[NJE]

3 hours ago, Sibob said:

I quite like the K-200 bass (it's a bit like a cheaper Serek Midwestern), but the Eastwood logo and the tuners make it look cheap and nasty IMO.
More 'vintagey' logo, a more rounded headstock and plop some elephant-ear (Fender) style tuners on it and I might be interested, especially if there was a cool single pickup innit like the Serek B90.

Basically I want a Serek, which are wonderful, but too expensive for what I'd invest in a short scale....for now anyway.

Si

This man speaks for me as well 😄.  I read the title and this is basically what came to my head, short scale or even up to 33” scale with some nice hardware (lollipop tuners please) and a big Novak or Serek-esque pickup. 

[ead]

4-string

NT

Natural finish

Preamp with active/passive switching, must have tone control that works in both modes

[NancyJohnson]

5 hours ago, Sibob said:

I quite like the K-200 bass (it's a bit like a cheaper Serek Midwestern), but the Eastwood logo and the tuners make it look cheap and nasty IMO.
More 'vintagey' logo, a more rounded headstock and plop some elephant-ear (Fender) style tuners on it and I might be interested, especially if there was a cool single pickup innit like the Serek B90.

Basically I want a Serek, which are wonderful, but too expensive for what I'd invest in a short scale....for now anyway.

Si

The K200 would look a whole lot nicer with a Spector style headstock.

[Bassassin]

Cool idea in principle and it will certainly be interesting to see what - if anything - the Basschat Hive Mind will agree on. Fwiw I'd definitely be interested in that Serek-esque shortscale, and off the top of my head, will also propose a compact & lightweight headless double-neck (fretted/fretless), with neck(s) through construction. Don't want much, do I?

One question though - why Eastwood? They're a brand I've observed with some little interest over the years, and broadly speaking they're purveyors of modern re-hashes of quirky retro tat, and do seem to ask some pretty eye-watering prices for what I'm sure are inexpensively-made Chinese / Indonesian etc instruments.

Considering we have brands like Chowny & Retrovibe right here on BC, wouldn't approaching them with this suggestion be more sensible?

[ead]

I thought it a strange choice, but wondered whether there was some connection leading to a very good deal in the background.

[NancyJohnson]

1 minute ago, Bassassin said:

Cool idea in principle and it will certainly be interesting to see what - if anything - the Basschat Hive Mind will agree on. Fwiw I'd definitely be interested in that Serek-esque shortscale, and off the top of my head, will also propose a compact & lightweight headless double-neck (fretted/fretless), with neck(s) through construction. Don't want much, do I?

One question though - why Eastwood? They're a brand I've observed with some little interest over the years, and broadly speaking they're purveyors of modern re-hashes of quirky retro tat, and do seem to ask some pretty eye-watering prices for what I'm sure are inexpensively-made Chinese / Indonesian etc instruments.

Considering we have brands like Chowny & Retrovibe right here on BC, wouldn't approaching them with this suggestion be more sensible?

The reason behind my mindset of going Eastwood was the prospect of relatively low build numbers, along with the facts they've made a name for themselves knocking out models quirky guitars and basses for a long, long time and their entire business model depends on that.   With all due respect to Chowny/Retrovibe, I don't see anywhere like the craziness or scope of what's going on at Eastwood. 

[Twincam]

I would be interested. Don't care what body style, neck, headstock or other aesthetics as such. Long as it's not horrible. Although try and keep costs down so nothing overly fancy but more functional for everyone. Nice clean lines. I suppose nut width 40mm so everyone should be ok, modern shaped neck not to slim not too thick in dimensions. Get rid of any fluff so no pg, one solid colour, bolt on neck. 2 tuners haha. Tried and tested non exotic body and neck material I'm thinking chipboard and ply! Mdf too heavy. Being serious alder or dare i say basswood (it is so good it has bass in it's name). One piece maple neck. Cheapest colour available, natural finely coated neck. 

I would personally only have 3 real, i would need these asks.

4 strings only! I won't do 5 as I heard Jaco only needed 3.

And a stupid number of big pickups. So think 3 music man style pickups closely arranged, from very edge of bridge upwards. Maybe even 4 musicman style pickups! very closely spaced, although that might be a bit too far. Maybe even add a simple active system. This is mostly for show and wow off factor. And if we can get a master volume knob that goes to 11 on top of that, forget about it! But not a deal breaker ha. If a bass is coming from basschat it has to be powerful and stand out with (possibly silly) electrics, even if using modestly priced parts but doubling up haha. Or 1 jazz bass right at bridge, 1 mm pu in normal mm place. A split p bass style. Then to finish a mudbucker in the old mudbucker neck position. Personally I think 3 close spaced music man pickups with a simply active system, 4 mm pickups would be amusing! Lose the active system if need be. 

And price wise I think try and get it down too 600 or less like 450 give a few more people like me a chance to participate then demand 4 pickups haha. i think they could be able to make a nice and not just basic cnc bass (even low volume) with all those asks for 600 sterling, so break there balls further for a proper deal.  Even with 4 pickups. If they can't do that then forget about it! Personally I think there instruments are a tad to alot overpriced especially given there not a big name by any means,  although they look decent. So as long as we have the design relatively done then can always shop around after. 

Yes ive been watching Donnie Brasco.