Rare Basses

[Stub Mandrel]

11 hours ago, chaypup said:

I used to own this very bass! Got it from someone I was in college with who had done some trades with Dave Pegg. Can't remember what happened to it, I may have part exed it for an Ibanez Studio bass

Dangnabbit.

One of the few instruments to have a tune written to celebrate it.

[neepheid]

I don't have anything rare at the moment, but here are some rarities I've owned in the past:

1. Guild B402-A - one of only 335 ever made.

2. G&L El Toro - don't see these very often

3. G&L Tribute M-2000 - wait, what?  These aren't rare!  Not normally, but the one I had was rare in a sneaky kind of way - it was part of a batch which was supposed to be the GTB model (white body with black binding, matching headstock) but the factory messed up the first batch and forgot about the binding - they flogged them off cheap.  1 of 24-36 ever made - in this particular esoteric finish combination

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

1. Guild B402-A - one of only 335 ever made.

I like the Guild, can't appreciate G&Ls the headstock is a marmite thing.

[neepheid]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I like the Guild, can't appreciate G&Ls the headstock is a marmite thing.

Might explain why I like Marmite then

[Stub Mandrel]

33 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Might explain why I like Marmite then

So do I!

[Woodinblack]

4 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I like the Guild, can't appreciate G&Ls the headstock is a marmite thing.

All headstocks are marmite things. Love the G&L, hate the guild.

[Mikkoantt]

This is (I think) quite rare  also. Ken  Lawrence Brace  1 /5. 

[Bassassin]

That's gorgeous. And I don't know why more singlecuts aren't done like that.

[TheGreek]

Currently on eBay - Jazz style Jaydee fretless

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaydee-Supernatural-Custom-Bass-guitar-Fretless/333536292623?hash=item4da84fef0f:g:NacAAOSwSydeTp-y

[Kiwi]

1979 Alembic Series 1 graphite, one of maybe 50 in total, less in long scale.  Each neck was custom made and it proved to be such a ball ache that Alembic stopped offering the option in the early 80's.  The neck on this one is nothing short of magical - the action is a gnats wing above the frets and there's no buzz. Sounds just like an Alembic but maybe with a little more attack.

[alembic1989]

6 minutes ago, Kiwi said:

1979 Alembic Series 1 graphite, one of maybe 50 in total, less in long scale.  Each neck was custom made and it proved to be such a ball ache that Alembic stopped offering the option in the early 80's.  The neck on this one is nothing short of magical - the action is a gnats wing above the frets and there's no buzz. Sounds just like an Alembic but maybe with a little more attack.

That's lovely.

[EMG456]

Played one of these quite a bit in the early 80s- beautiful Modulus Graphite neck and definitely sharper sounding than the wood necked equivalents. That’s a lovely thing. 

[Kiwi]

9 hours ago, alembic1989 said:

That's lovely.

The poor resolution of the photos hide the road rash.  She has had a busy life in and around Nova Scotia passing through the hands of at least three well known gigging bassists until it made it's way to Hugh McMillan who was in Spirit of the West.  I bought it from Hugh many years ago.  Hugh gave her a new set of pickups as well as the old ones literally fell apart.  I could buy some period correct ones off Ebay but no real urgency right now.  

Hugh is using the bass in sub zero temperatures here:

 

[Kiwi]

1 hour ago, EMG456 said:

Played one of these quite a bit in the early 80s- beautiful Modulus Graphite neck and definitely sharper sounding than the wood necked equivalents. That’s a lovely thing. 

Any pictures?  I'm always curious about serial numbers.  Mine has to be the graphite necked sister of Greg Lakes 8 string monster used on Fanfare for the Common Man - only about 8 serials separating the two.

[Chris2112]

11 hours ago, Kiwi said:

1979 Alembic Series 1 graphite, one of maybe 50 in total, less in long scale.  Each neck was custom made and it proved to be such a ball ache that Alembic stopped offering the option in the early 80's.  The neck on this one is nothing short of magical - the action is a gnats wing above the frets and there's no buzz. Sounds just like an Alembic but maybe with a little more attack.

It's a shame they didn't revisit this option in later years, once the technology had improved to the point where the necks can be made to a consistently high standard. I absolutely love graphite necks, and would really like a G.Gould bass as my next instrument. Geoff is one of the real legends of the graphite bass world. 

[dafonky]

Here is my rare Pensa Suhr KOA jazz bass from 1989-1990

same specs and same breed as Victor Baileys famous Pensa Suhr before he used the Fender copy......

EMG pickups, active/ passive  circuit , very comfortable neck, doesnt sound aggressive at all.....listen to Victor’s “ Bottom’s up CD “ 

it’s exactly the same sound , warm and punchy ........

I will sell it probably

pm me if you are interested !

 

[itu]

Bailey's original was sold in auction for lot$ of dollar$. These are like hen's teeth, the price may be $ubstantial.

[Stub Mandrel]

43 minutes ago, itu said:

Bailey's original was sold in auction for lot$ of dollar$. These are like hen's teeth, the price may be $ubstantial.

Should have gone to Tesco:

[EMG456]

11 hours ago, Kiwi said:

Any pictures?  I'm always curious about serial numbers.  Mine has to be the graphite necked sister of Greg Lakes 8 string monster used on Fanfare for the Common Man - only about 8 serials separating the two.

Unfortunately, no. The shop I worked in for a while back then had two in stock - the last two of a consignment of Alembic instruments which had been brought in a couple of years earlier - needless to say, I got quite familiar with them!

One was sold to Wet Wet Wet- I don't know if it was personally owned by bassist Graeme Clark or if he may even still have it. The other was traded with a shop in England ( maybe Dixie's Music - can't remember) where it was hung from the machines in a shop window display. The fishing line suspending it broke overnight and the bass came down on its point onto concrete and was found in the morning in three pieces, both body wings having split from the neck with the force of the impact.

[Kazan]

1965 Meazzi Hollywood Jupiter Bass (Italy)

Long scale, solid body, original active preamp (on bridge pickup only - battery under the "Hollywood" badge). Has mercury kill switch to disconnect the battery and mute when put upright in the stand. Slider controls are master volume and pickup blend. The two knobs are separate tone controls for each pickup. Pickups have adjustable polepieces (similar set-up as on the Hagstrom/Guild pickups). Lots of other interesting and odd details (i.e. rear mounted jack, rosewood binding to hide the fret tangs). Very good sounding and gig worthy bass. Tuning machines and bridge are comparable quality to same period Fender hardware. Only downside is it is heavy.

Quite rare - I looked for years and only know of 3 others. The guitar version is comparatively more common. There was at least one Bass VI version made as well.

Edited March 12, 2020 by Kazan
Add photo and info

[Stub Mandrel]

23 minutes ago, Kazan said:

1965 Meazzi Hollywood Jupiter Bass (Italy)

Long scale, solid body, original active preamp (on bridge pickup only - battery under the "Hollywood" badge). Has mercury kill switch to disconnect the battery and mute when put upright in the stand. Slider controls are master volume and pickup blend. The two knobs are separate tone controls for each pickup. Pickups have adjustable polepieces (similar set-up as on the Hagstrom/Guild pickups). Lots of other interesting and odd details (i.e. rear mounted jack, rosewood binding to hide the fret tangs). Very good sounding and gig worthy bass. Only downside is it is heavy.

So bad, it's good...

[itu]

https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3007B/lots/34

This was the bass of the late Victor Bailey. Sold for 10455 U$D.

[Kiwi]

12 hours ago, Chris2112 said:

It's a shame they didn't revisit this option in later years, once the technology had improved to the point where the necks can be made to a consistently high standard. I absolutely love graphite necks, and would really like a G.Gould bass as my next instrument. Geoff is one of the real legends of the graphite bass world. 

It was suggested about ten years ago on the Alembic forum and Mica explained they didn't want to risk subbing out any work because of the following story.  Geoff had been supplying necks to Alembic since 1976 but by around 1982 or so (the last year of neck manufacture) he had been focusing on setting up Modulus and had stopped taking personal responsibility for QC.  A number of graphite necked basses came back to Alembic for attention and at that point they pulled the plug and swore to only offer basses where everything was made in house. 

To be honest, there were issues after Modulus was established.  I had a couple of early 90's Quantum 5 string basses that were lemons.  One was too bright because the neck was too rigid.  It's fretless sister sounded much better but the neck was like a banana (not rigid enough).  The 96 Sonic Hammer I had was a peach though. 

Here is the Series 1 at the 2015 SE Bassbash. I'm not sure who is playing it but hopefully he'll say hello.

[cetera]

My holy grail?!? Quite possibly....! My gorgeous US custom built Spector NS2X 'Spectorbird'.... tobacco sunburst finish on 5A quilted maple with gold hardware and legendary Haz-labs preamp. Signed and numbered #003 on rear of headstock. A very rare bird indeed.... 😎

 

My Hamer Impact basses (circa 1990) - very rare - prob less than 100 ever made and they look and sound lush!

 

My mega-rare Staccato MG bass. One of a approx 40 in the World and this one is signed by Gene Simmons.

Edited March 11, 2020 by cetera

[jazzyvee]

On 10/03/2020 at 14:59, Kiwi said:

1979 Alembic Series 1 graphite, one of maybe 50 in total, less in long scale.  Each neck was custom made and it proved to be such a ball ache that Alembic stopped offering the option in the early 80's.  The neck on this one is nothing short of magical - the action is a gnats wing above the frets and there's no buzz. Sounds just like an Alembic but maybe with a little more attack.

True legendary bass and something to hold on to. If you don’t mind me asking, how did it come to be in your possession?