Rare Basses

[Paul S]

The most unusual bass I own now is a recently acquired Yamaha BX-5.  Unusual enough in black as a 4 string, let alone a white 5 string.

 

Not my bass but it looks exactly like this:

 

Edit - so there must be at least one other!! 😄

Edited November 15, 2018 by Paul S

[Marc S]

I'm really enjoying this thread - thanks to the OP for starting it
There's some unusual stuff out there....

[TrevorR]

Does this count?

[yorks5stringer]

6 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

All my basses are rare, being left-handed 😜

I used to own a lefty Aria SB-1000 that stands out - you just never see any. The set-neck models come by once in a while, but the neck-through models are very rare. Mine had two extra pickups installed, and was originally fretless but had been fretted by a previous owner. 

My Ibanez MC924's are also kind of rare as lefties. Rumour has it there are only about 250 in existance. I had been looking for one for a few years, and then found three within a couple of months and bought all three, and kept the best two. Fantastic basses. My 1983 is an absolute keeper (it's just one month younger than I am).

And I own an Esh Stinger that is somewhat unusual, especially as a lefty. It's a fun bass, with two EMG DC35's and a piezo bridge. Lots of punch, and a bright and powerful attack. Cool looks too, with the sandblasted ash with blackened grain beneath a white finish. It looks similar to this one, but left-handed, with a deeper neck pocket and longer heel, and with two big EMG soapbars. Controls are volume, passive tone, 3-way rotary pickup selector and 4-way "Esh-tronic" switch: mag only, mag only bypassing all controls, mag + piezo, piezo only.

Don't see how this is a lefty unless you play it upside down?

[BreadBin]

I've a few rare ones - left to right are an Allen Eden Jazz bass, never seen another and Google will only find images of mine. Fender MIJ Jazz Bass Special from 1985, A-serial number Japanese domestic market import with a P profile neck not J profile like the export model. Ibanez P copy from 1972/3, not many of these around either.

Crap photo unfortunately! 

[Hellzero]

Below are some photos of the rarest basses I owned or I am still owning.

Aries Senes VS 6 Tomek (they don't build anymore for themselves) :

Berne Harpobasse (the craziest 34" double bass with a harp top, it's a production instrument) :

Capelli DM Signature Pro 1 (the best ergonomics ever and not a one off even if it bears number 1) :

Celinder Custom 6 Michael Andersen (36 inches and even rarer GreenGrove original preamp) :

De Gier Elevation 6 Custom Number 4 (Sander De Gier favourite bass) :

Jerzy Drozd Obsession Basic 7 (the old one with the Aguilar OBP-3 and 7 strings) :

JP Basses Plume Redwood 5 (very few ever made and he stopped crafting basses) :

Ken Lawrence Associate 5 #76 ( with an XLR DI 5 pins, Nordstrand pickups and HazLabs preamp) :

Leduc MP 628 SF (grade AAAAAAAA woods and 150 years old Brazilian rosewood fretboard) :

Leduc U-MM6 (my companion for more than a decade and quite hard to find)  :

Leduc PAD 6 (only 20 ever made) :

LowDown Custom 6F Special (only one ever made with this very thick body and 33" scale) :

Neuser Courage 6 (Robert Neuser original Czech model) :

Nexus Gom Jabbar Magellan Fretless 6 (Polish fantastic craftsmanship):

Overwater Progress First Generation (Zebrano top with the rare original preamp à la Wal) :

Sandberg Thinline Fretless 6 (the only known set neck with standard strings spacing) :

Status Electro II 6 Jonas Hellborg (only 2 known models made both for Jonas Hellborg) :

Stradi Symphony Bass Fretless 5 #6 (2110 years old swamp oak top) :

Warrior DM4 Custom NT Marcus Miller (nothing to add) :

 

Yes, I'm a lucky man or ... not. 

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by Hellzero

[Shaggy]

18 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

I've got a rare international series Maui Blue 1993 Squier Japan P Bass. Only ever seen two....

 

I used to have a 1972 MGB Roadster in just that colour - British Leyland called it "Pageant blue"

Nice!

[TheRev]

10 hours ago, Adee said:

This is an '88 Washburn B80, Neon Pink / Blue Crackle finish, rare as hens teeth and very little info about them unfortunately.

The 'Stephens Extended Cutaway' is just plain sexy ....

 

I recall playing one of those in a shop in Belfast in 1988 when I was 16. I thought it was the coolest bass I'd ever seen. 

[TheRev]

10 hours ago, 6feet7 said:

Two early 90's Patrick Eggle Milan V's. Very few made and no others like these two.

I love Eggle basses. I lusted after a New York bass after seeing one at the Birmingham guitar show. Wish I'd bought it as I've never seen one since.

[6feet7]

49 minutes ago, TheRev said:

I love Eggle basses. I lusted after a New York bass after seeing one at the Birmingham guitar show. Wish I'd bought it as I've never seen one since.

I bought the darker one on here - I understand it was a one-off made for one of the managers at the factory, and it's been used around the world at some fairly big gigs (before I got it). Soon after I saw the lime green one on Reverb (though then it was plain wood and only three pots. I had to buy it immediately, had it first dyed green and then decided to go the whole hog and get it professionally painted in metallic lime green. Had an extra control fitted and, for the first time in forever, appear to be GAS free

[Pea Turgh]

2 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Yes, I'm a lucky man or ... not. 

 

Well, I think we can all go home now. No one is going to top that lot!

[Happy Jack]

2 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Nexus Gom Jabbar Magellan Fretless 6 (Polish fantastic craftsmanship):

 

 

Why does it not surprise me that you've owned such an astonishing selection? 

And I'm loving the idea of a bass called Gom Jabbar ...

 

[kodiakblair]

@Mastodon2

Were you aware Fender used a Palaedium neck in the design of the Geddy Lee jazz bass ? 

[Hellzero]

2 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Why does it not surprise me that you've owned such an astonishing selection? 

And I'm loving the idea of a bass called Gom Jabbar ...

 

So did I, but don't come to close : you know what will happen to you. 😁

[lowregisterhead]

On 14/11/2018 at 20:36, fleabag said:

I'll actually say what this is, but i'm sure many will know this beast

Overwater Classic / Original  Deluxe ll,  1983,  Filter circuit , Bill Lawrence pups in Ebony covers

I remember trying a very early version of one of these in Andy's Guitar Workshop in Newcastle in late 81' / early '82. It was gorgeous and weird and the neck seemed to go on for ever. Beautiful workmanship.

[Mastodon2]

34 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

@Mastodon2

Were you aware Fender used a Palaedium neck in the design of the Geddy Lee jazz bass ? 

I was not! It does have the smallest neck of any four string I've ever played, it's effortless to use. 

You've got a purple Palaedium haven't you? Probably even rarer than the orange colour. I sometimes wonder how many are out there, I'd be surprised if Peavey sold more than a few hundred worldwide. I doubt there's more than a handful in the UK. 

[Rich]

On 14/11/2018 at 20:21, tom1946 said:

How aboot this?

It's an 80's Fender Performer, not many made.

Oh man, MAJOR jealousy from me. I would love to get my hands on one of those.

[Rich]

5 hours ago, TrevorR said:

Does this count?

Nah, common as muck mate 

Mine is in the custom-order-only finish 'Strawberry Red' which I suppose might make it rare-ish?

Edited November 15, 2018 by Rich

[kodiakblair]

9 hours ago, Mastodon2 said:

I was not! It does have the smallest neck of any four string I've ever played, it's effortless to use. 

When Jim DeCola moved to Fender he asked what was the difference between a standard jazz and a Geddy.

"Your Palaedium neck" was the reply

I've a purple Axcelerator 5 string.my Palaedium is the amber colour same as your's.

[Skybone]

RickenFakers!

 

[LeftyJ]

 

14 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

Don't see how this is a lefty unless you play it upside down?

It isn't. That's why I said:

21 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

It looks similar to this one, but left-handed

[LeftyJ]

13 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Nexus Gom Jabbar Magellan Fretless 6 (Polish fantastic craftsmanship):

 

Is that one of their models with a polished granite fingerboard? I've always been intrigued by those.

Looks beautifully made, and all the veneers between that top and the back really look lush!

[yorks5stringer]

46 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

 

It isn't. That's why I said:

Did not spot those words in my quick scan of your text!

[Bass_Guardian]

18 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Below are some photos of the rarest basses I owned or I am still owning:

Aries Senes VS 6 Tomek (they don't build anymore for themselves) :

Berne Harpobasse (the craziest 34" double bass with a harp top, it's a production instrument) :

Capelli DM Signature Pro 1 (the best ergonomics ever and not a one off even if it bears number 1) :

Celinder Custom 6 Michael Andersen (36 inches and even rarer GreenGrove original preamp) :

De Gier Elevation 6 Custom Number 4 (Sander De Gier favourite bass) :

Jerzy Drozd Obsession Basic 7 (the old one with the Aguilar OBP-3 and 7 strings) :

JP Basses Plume Redwood 5 (very few ever made and he stopped crafting basses) :

Ken Lawrence Associate 5 #76 ( with an XLR DI 5 pins, Nordstrand pickups and HazLabs preamp) :

Leduc MP 628 SF (grade AAAAAAAA woods and 150 years old Brazilian rosewood fretboard) :

Leduc U-MM6 (my companion for more than a decade and quite hard to find)  :

Leduc PAD 6 (only 20 ever made) :

LowDown Custom 6F Special (only one ever made with this very thick body and 33" scale) :

Neuser Courage 6 (Robert Neuser original Czech model) :

Nexus Gom Jabbar Magellan Fretless 6 (Polish fantastic craftsmanship):

Overwater Progress First Generation (Zebrano top with the rare original preamp à la Wal) :

Sandberg Thinline Fretless 6 (the only known set neck with standard strings spacing) :

Status Electro II 6 Jonas Hellborg (only 2 known models made both for Jonas Hellborg) :

Stradi Symphony Bass Fretless 5 #6 (2110 years old swamp oak top) :

Warrior DM4 Custom NT Marcus Miller (nothing to add) :

 

 

Yes, I'm a lucky man or ... not. 

 

Bloody hell mate! That was some ride

Edited November 16, 2018 by Rich
Photos removed from vast quote

[Hellzero]

1 hour ago, LeftyJ said:

Is that one of their models with a polished granite fingerboard? I've always been intrigued by those.

Looks beautifully made, and all the veneers between that top and the back really look lush!

No, this Nexus has an epoxied burl imbuia fretboard and a 19 pieces neck !!! It's Stradi, another Polish luthier who is making polished stone fingerboard. But I tried a bass in Volterra (Italy) entirely made of alabaster, it was very heavy, but sounding very good.

Check this : http://www.alabastrosonoro.com/elbass.html