Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

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Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Mon Feb 12, 2018 1:25 am

So, I posted this in the "Ugly & Beautiful" thread but just saw it crop up again on yet another Facebook group...

Image

It's apparently been doing the rounds for a while. Some folk swear they saw it a few years back. The majority of people with an opinion seem to think it's either Czech or Russian. There also seems to be a notion that it's from the 60s. Of course, it could've just been made to look like that. The weird jack placement has one guy thinking it was an upright bass, although it has trap buttons so I'm not sure about that..

Someone else found the old eBay auction it was listed on but all the pics have since been deleted.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290636055479

Personally, though I would't want to own something like this myself I think it's kind of amazing, just as far as execution is concerned. The colour, the choice of plates, covers & pickups (which look super cool), even that pointless Teisco-style monkey grip. Such a crazy one-off!!

Anyone else able to shine more light on this enigma?
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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:23 am

I've seen that before too, though I can't remember where or when. I think the upright bass theory may have some credence despite the strap buttons as the minimal body size is vaguely reminiscent of other electric 'uprights' produced by Framus/Warwick.

If you look at any picture of Bill 'Kiddy-fiddler' Wyman from the '60s, you'll see that his playing position suggests he started out on upright bass and had to transition to electric bass playing by degrees. I'd venture to suggest that this mystery bass might have been pitched at a similar demographic, judging from the jack placement. Just guesswork, of course.

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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:29 am

Also, not apparent from the pics, but the curved pickups suggest a radius more like a traditional contrabass than the average electric.

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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by antisymmetric » Mon Feb 12, 2018 3:21 am

Funny, no really overt similarity to an Ovation Magnum but I'm still getting a vision of Jah Wobble playing this... :)
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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by StevenO » Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:15 am

I dig it. I think Harvester could do an interesting take on it, as he does with just about everything he touches.

I bet this was intended to be used as an electric upright, rather than a fretted electric bass.

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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by NoiseNoiseNoise » Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:20 am

antisymmetric wrote:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 3:21 am
Funny, no really overt similarity to an Ovation Magnum but I'm still getting a vision of Jah Wobble playing this... :)
Show him the pic and ask what he thinks. He's on Twitter :)
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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by Larry Mal » Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:48 am

StevenO wrote:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:15 am

I bet this was intended to be used as an electric upright, rather than a fretted electric bass.
It does have strap buttons, though. Maybe it's designed to be able to be used in either way.

I like it, regardless.
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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by fuzzjunkie » Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:25 am

The strap buttons could have been added later though. The butt one in particular is in a strange position and sits at a weird angle. I wonder if there isn't a hole or bracket for a upright stand attachment where a normal strap button would be that kept it from being placed there?

The curved pickups, thin body profile and fret less neck all scream upright to me unless they wanted to bow it like a cello.

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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by Squirrel » Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:55 am

It's probably not Russian as it just has a regular output jack instead of a shitty DIN5 one, and it appears to be original judging by the lack of a gigantic washer around it. But yeah, I first remember seeing it posted somewhere maybe 4-5 years ago?

Also, what fucking idiot paid £1010 for it?

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Re: Mysterious fretless bass doing the rounds....

Post by oid » Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:10 pm

Squirrel wrote:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:55 am
Also, what fucking idiot paid £1010 for it?
perhaps it was the idiot who recognized it for what it is? The idiot may very well know something we do not about this bass, or the idiot may just know how much such an instrument would cost custom made.

Either way, I am a fan of this bass, first I have seen of it, kind of want to make a copy. The head stock seems poorly executed compared to the body though, does not reflect the aesthetic.
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