Mick Karn bass up for auction

[lowregisterhead]

A nice enough looking bass, used on the Rain Tree Crow album in 1991, not his Wal though. Whatever happened to it? Anyone know?

 

Private bids, starting at 7K.

 

https://burningshed.com/store/mickkarn/mick-karn_5-string-fretless-bass_other

[TheGreek]

IIRC Mick's two Wals are in Cyprus with his wife.

 

Starting bid of £7k - expect it to go for significantly more.

[Grahambythesea]

Curious it says “unbranded”. Headstock has TR and the T looks like the Tanglewood logo. 

[3below]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Revell guitar headstock  https://www.soundaffects.com/acoustic-guitars-c96/tony-revell-1997-blues-legend-in-natural-pre-owned-p18237

 

A similar bass appeared on here a while ago

 

 

Tony was a close family friend, did work on some of my basses and our kids were school mates.  As far as I know he is still in the Shropshire / Welsh border.

[TrevorR]

Fascinating! That’s an obscure bass. Yes, it’s a Revellation made by the independent builder from South Wales,Tony Revell. He was better known for building acoustic guitars and mandolins but in 1992 I commissioned him to make me a lovely acoustic bass. A few years later he developed a range of boutique electric basses - of which this is a rare example. Never knew that Mick Karn had one. Not many people did. He was a darned good luthier, though.

Given that the date is post 1992 it’s unlikely that it was used on the RTC album.

So there are a couple of possibilities given that they don’t give any details on the bass itself in the ad… a) it’s a 1990/91 custom order but more likely since it’s clearly one of the Revellation basses, then b) his wife can’t recall what it is and when it was bought - and memory simply got that particular detail wrong. Still a cool bass for a collector of basses and/or Karn, though!

Edited June 8, 2023 by TrevorR

[BigRedX]

15 hours ago, lowregisterhead said:

A nice enough looking bass, used on the Rain Tree Crow album in 1991, not his Wal though. Whatever happened to it? Anyone know?

 

I'd rather have this Travis Bean bass.

[diskwave]

S'ok but its not what I associate him with. Wonder if she will ever sell the Wals. Iconic basses in his hands.

[lowregisterhead]

20 hours ago, greavesbass said:

S'ok but its not what I associate him with. Wonder if she will ever sell the Wals. Iconic basses in his hands.

Yes, even if she ever did sell them, they couldn't sound the same in anyone else's. I still can't get my head around the fact he's been gone 12 years already.