lojo Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 [quote name='AndyTravis' post='642188' date='Oct 31 2009, 09:52 PM']Fair point... It's just the story behind it i suppose, and the NWR connection. Also it's a bit of a one off. The thing is, if it was that great, would it still be on Bass Centres website after 18 months?[/quote] It seems there is no asset to be brought with this bass, so whoever buys its buys it for the "story" etc, because it means something to them But should understand they are unlikely to shift it on quickly, or recover anywhere near the initial outlay You have to really want this for you, and for the long term Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 The Bass Collection rep is giving me a bell later about this. So, i'll see how much he's willing to let it go for, and if he's willing to bring it up for me to try. Trav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 NWR is one of my bass heroes, but that looks naff. When I saw him with the Blockheads he was playing a loverly natural P bass. What a player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Well well well! Mr Watt Roy HAS used the one on the website, and HAS been gigging it's 'twin' for a while. The one in the photo is now sold...oh well. There will be another version arriving soon, with an altered headstock design. There are rumours there will be a Czech made version, which if the Euro Spectors, and the Euro Overwaters are anything to go by, can only be a good thing? There are plans to call the Jazz the 'Blockhead' and a Version of his modded Precision called the 'Rhythm Stick'....interesting. The necks on these have been measured from his basses, and the great man himself cannot discern between the prototypes and the original! Anyhow, i'm glad to see the guys still working and developing it. Bit of insider info for ye's there. I'm getting one of the protos, signed, maybe...winner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thebassman75 Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I don't know about this particular bass but I own one of the gold Jive Basses and its totally superb. I wanted something I could travel with without fear of it being trashed and £ for £ IMHO its the best jazz copy I've ever owned. It looks the bees knees with the matching headstock and growls like a Stingray (I kid you not). Most importantly though, it comes out the case, tunes up and plays great all night. Sure, for the price I might replace the pups and the bridge but thats more for the pleasure of customising something. If I left it alone, it would still be a great bass and for the money, what do you want!!?? It just goes to show tat you don't need a vintage collection or custom made bass to get out and gig and a decent level..give one a go if you get a chance, might get a burgundy mist one next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I've seen this being made, neck and body. They are scans of the staple bass NWR used over the years until the bass pretty much fell apart. The guys who made this do very good work so you might consider it a custom bass in that sense...but whether the custom-fit suits you ( being NWR's ) rather than your own preferences, only you can say. For that sort of money, I would tend to get a bass made for me, but then the luthier might not have that name-kudos...yet. maybe this is their entry into that sort of market....although their work underpins a few name luthiers, IIRC, anyway. If I wanted a neck or body made or finished, tho', I'd look no further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 I've seen Wilko play a few times this year, including last night at The 100 Club in Oxford Street. That's definitely the bass that NWR plays, at least when he's playing with Wilko. The only difference from the one in the Bass Centre listing is the headstock logo - Norman's has the word BASS (in that distinctive Bass Centre style) with a black circle ringed through it, a bit like a train coming out of a tunnel. What it certainly is NOT is a reconstruction of a vintage Fender Jazz. More than anything, it looks like a decent JapCrap copy from the early 70's, with a hooky headstock and lots of retro-fit mods. Given the amount of sweat, slobber and snot with which he sprays his basses, it must need a re-fin every few years. Sounds bloody great, mind. A couple of things that always catch my eye when I watch Norman play are his strap, and his amplification. He uses a strap I've never seen anyone else use which works in three pieces. The normal leather end-pieces with a hole for the strap button are separate items about 4" long, each having a full-width slot through which the main strap can be passed. The main strap is then an endless loop between the two 'fixed' end-pieces. What that means is that he can slide his bass into just about any position while he's playing, which obviously works well with his manic style. His main stage amp is a Line 6 combo with a 15" speaker. What's interesting is that the combo is then mic'd up for the house PA [b][i]and [/i][/b]he runs through a DI box too, so he has three ways of getting his sound to FOH. I assume that this is more belt'n'braces than an actual requirement. Oddly, the sound at The 100 Club is way better than at the Half Moon in Putney, which isn't what you'd expect from looking at the two venues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 That sounds like a contradiction of what I posted about it being a clone. I have been to the workshop and have seen the neck and body which are direct scans (they say ) of the vintage bass NWR used for years...right down to the thumb 'rest'. It is supposed to be a direct replacement of his vintage bass as that is too old and worn to be repaired and used with his workload. That is the reason NWR had Simms make one in the first place, according to the workshop. What the marketing deal is or may be now might be for a NWR model might be something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Dunno mate, but the headstock alone would be enough to ditch that idea. It's as hooky as a hooky thing, and definitely not Fender-shaped for the 'blob' at the end. As luck would have it, and very unusually, I have four Fenders (three genuine, one very precise copy) parked by my desk as I type, leaving little room for doubt. As others have noted, the NWR take on Shoreline Gold is pretty unusual, too. Up close, it looks a lot more like Ricky's Monteczuma Brown (a.k.a. ShitGlo). The bridge looked like a Badass to me, but I'm notoriously bad at recognising individual components. The pickguard was not the greatest fit, either, failing to match the curve of the lower bout. There was a finger-pull in the correct position (no thumb-rest of course) but Norman always rests on the bridge pickup anyway so it was untouched all evening. An excellent bass, played by an excellent guy, but this was no 1962 clone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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