Pat Wilkins Jazz Bass - Utterly Gorgeous!

[xilddx]

Pat Wilkins does the finishes for many top end USA manufacturers like Lakland. He builds a few from top quality parts each year and they retail from between $2,300 to about $5,000. I bought this from BC's bobpalt, who's a diamond to deal with, cheers Bob. It's a beautiful player, medium low action, smooth and easy to play, the very wide range of tones from the DiMarzios and Demeter preamp are rich and sophisticated. The finish is off-white pearl, which is subtle and very beautiful.

This is an extract from the email Pat sent me when I asked him about the bass a couple of weeks ago ..

[i]Hi Nigel

This bass is made from parts that I collected from an outside source in Japan. The body wood is 2 piece alder, center seamed like I specified and the neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard, bound with block inlays. I did all the work myself including the finish work, fret work and assembly. It has all the hardware and guts that I would use on one of my high end basses like Hipshot bridge and tuners, Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups and a Demeter 3 band preamp (bass, middle, treble boost and cut). It's got a bone nut and the cavities are shielded. Pretty much exactly like my high end basses. I was able to save a lot of money by not having to make the body and neck so I was able to keep the costs down on it. I believe that if I made this bass today the price would be between $2400-$2600 US.

I hope this answers your questions. If you have any more questions please write back and I'll do my best to answer them. I hope you enjoy the bass for a long time. Cheers

Peace
[/i]
Pat Wilkins
Wilkins Guitar Finishes
15734 Stagg St
Van Nuys, CA 91406
818 909 7310 ph
818 909 7439 fax
www.wilkinsguitars.com
[email protected]

Edited December 11, 2009 by silddx

[Musicman20]

Brilliant colour and amazing blocks!!!

[EBS_freak]

Bang on!

[Stingray5]

That's tasty, tasty, very very tasty...

[xilddx]

Thanks very much gents MM20's lovely 62RI MIJ P gave me a bit of a hard on for something Fender-like. I like MIJ Fenders but don't dig on the USA ones that I've played and owned. So I thought I'd indulge in a Fender Killah. Something to rival my Corvette $$. This does it for me. I feel like it's a black tie and DJ event whenever I play it. Can't wait to gig it.

I'll get some pics up of the white Steinberger double neck I just got from sixshooter. My band cracked up when they saw that last night But if she wants me to play bass and guitar in her band, I'll be buggered if I'm gonna carry separate instruments around. I'm only likkle - and so is my motor car.

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='Stingray5' post='681736' date='Dec 11 2009, 09:30 PM']That's tasty, tasty, very very tasty... [/quote]
+1

That explains a lot Nig...

[Clarky]

Very pretty mate, congrats Nige

[xilddx]

Thank you very much I wasn't dissin Fenders as such, it's just I can never get the action low enough. I liked your USA P MM20 had off you actually. Very nice bass.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='silddx' post='681855' date='Dec 12 2009, 12:23 AM']Thank you very much I wasn't dissin Fenders as such, it's just I can never get the action low enough. I liked your USA P MM20 had off you actually. Very nice bass.[/quote]


Truth. I found my Fenders had to be shimmmmmmmmmmed to the max!

[xilddx]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='681784' date='Dec 11 2009, 10:44 PM']+1

That explains a lot Nig...[/quote]
Thanks a lot Nik, it does, but I am still going to find parting withe the 'vette $$ very painful.

[Marvin]

My word that's nice. No nice is not the word I'm looking for - bloody lovely. That's more like it.

Edited December 12, 2009 by Marvin

[51m0n]

Edit to remove a post that I meant to go in another thread entirely - damnably fiendish tabbed browsing makes me look like a a###hat once again

On another note - thats the nicest jazz I've seen for a very long time Nige

Edited February 20, 2010 by 51m0n

[xilddx]

[quote name='51m0n' post='752120' date='Feb 20 2010, 07:45 PM']Edit to remove a post that I meant to go in another thread entirely - damnably fiendish tabbed browsing makes me look like a a###hat once again

On another note - thats the nicest jazz I've seen for a very long time Nige [/quote]
Thank you mate.

Let's hope someone with £800 thinks so too