Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: PhilKing on January 10, 2009, 04:21:41 PM

Title: NBD
Post by: PhilKing on January 10, 2009, 04:21:41 PM
As WezV as hinted, Santa was good to me this year.  My Bravewood Jazz Bass arrived on Christmas Eve.  It is brilliant!  It is finished in burgandy mist (with matching headstock), and is a stackpot 61 bass.  The feel is awesome and the sound is totally perfect.  It is by far the best Jazz bass I ever played and it gives my 66 Precision a run for it's money.  It has a set of BK Jazz Bass pickups and I can say that once again Tim has produced an amazing set of pickups.  However the star of all this has to be John Elliott who made the bass.  To say that the bass is a relic is to really demean it.  Not only does it look old but it feels it too.  When you pick the bass up to play it feels like this is the 10,000th time that it has been plugged in and it is all ready to hold down the bottom end once more.  I have lots of original old guitars and all I can say is that there is some sort of Cornish magic happening here.  Once you pick up the bass you can't put it down.  The sound doesn't have the bottom end growl of my Precision, but it has a smooth even tone that you can hear on all the old James Jamerson Motown riffs through to Jaco Pastorius and can still get into the more modern sounds that Jazz Basses have been famous for through the years. The pictures don't really do it justice but here are a few.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: nfe on January 10, 2009, 04:26:33 PM
I love burgandy mist on basses. It's wonderful.

Heck of a relicing job on that too. Looks fantastic.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: FernandoDuarte on January 10, 2009, 04:39:28 PM
Awesome!
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: WezV on January 10, 2009, 05:02:45 PM
plays very nicely too, thx again for bringing it to show me :)  I am literally blown away every time i see John Elliot's work - the patience and attention to detail is outstanding

i had to take pics (along with phils stash of british goodies ;) ):
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/BJBass.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/BJBass3.jpg)
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: Philly Q on January 10, 2009, 05:05:25 PM
Burgundy mist with matching headstock, perfect!

John Elliott is the king of relics!
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: dave_mc on January 10, 2009, 05:44:07 PM
very nice! :)
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: 38thBeatle on January 10, 2009, 05:51:43 PM
Beautiful.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: Fourth Feline on January 10, 2009, 06:03:22 PM
Yes, absolutely beautiful !

It really does have that " pick me up and play me " vibe going on.  I can almost hear that mellow sound from here.   8)

Congratulations on money well spent - and having great taste.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: gingataff on January 11, 2009, 05:03:24 AM
I love the aging on the pickguard, especially where the finger rest would be.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: noodleplugerine on January 11, 2009, 10:51:51 AM
Love the aging, looks super authentic.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: Philly Q on January 11, 2009, 11:06:45 AM
What was the other packet of biscuits, apart from the Bourbons and Ginger Nuts?
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: PhilKing on January 11, 2009, 03:36:46 PM
Tesco's Ginger Crinkles
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: PhilKing on January 11, 2009, 03:38:01 PM
I love the aging on the pickguard, especially where the finger rest would be.

What you can't see in the pictures is the indentation in the scratchplate where the pickup cover would have sat!
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: Philly Q on January 11, 2009, 03:44:38 PM
Tesco's Ginger Crinkles

Oh, nice!  :)  Was the Marmite in another case?

Getting back on topic, I like the way he does the little chips and wear around the edges of the body.  It doesn't just look sanded off, like most relics.  And the back of the neck looks genuinely aged, not like a new neck with most of the lacquer removed and a load of dirt rubbed on it.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: gwEm on January 11, 2009, 04:32:05 PM
john elliots really out done himself this time. what an amazing piece of work!
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: d1dsj on January 11, 2009, 08:41:02 PM
I agree with everyone else... that really is fantastic! I've tried googling John Elliot and nothing? Is he a friend or a luthier, does he have a website?
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: WezV on January 11, 2009, 08:56:22 PM
http://www.bravewoodguitars.co.uk/
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: d1dsj on January 11, 2009, 09:54:13 PM
Wow... thanks Wez... flippin' awesome! Any chance someone could let me know the sort of ballpark price for both a S type and T type please? Don't want to make contact just yet as I'll end up in the doghouse with the better half again! Many thanks.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: PhilKing on January 11, 2009, 10:09:28 PM
Tesco's Ginger Crinkles
Oh, nice!  :)  Was the Marmite in another case?
Lots of other goodies in my suitcases, these were the overflows!

I waited 2 years for this (originally ordered in November 2006), but it was worth it.  Part of the reason that it takes so long are the small details that the pictures don't bring out (like the fact that the scratchplate is slightly warped, the patina on the controls and machine heads, if you were to take the control plate off you will see that it has correct period capacitors - even though no-one will see them normally).  The other thing is that it is perfectly set up to play and feels so played in when you pick it up.  Anyway I thought the following pictures with my real 63 burgandy mist strat might interest you.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: PhilKing on January 11, 2009, 10:15:29 PM
Wow... thanks Wez... flippin' awesome! Any chance someone could let me know the sort of ballpark price for both a S type and T type please? Don't want to make contact just yet as I'll end up in the doghouse with the better half again! Many thanks.
I think they are in the £1,500 range depending on pickups, finish and other parts (original parts will add to the cost - unless you have them yourself).  However the best thing is to contact John via email since I might be wrong (remember I ordered mine 2 years ago!).  My 64 Bravewood Strat has many original parts that I supplied from years of collecting, whereas the Jazz is all John's work.
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: d1dsj on January 11, 2009, 10:18:44 PM
Thanks Phil, I may well start the ball rollin'! 
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: AndyR on January 12, 2009, 08:49:49 AM
Bit late to this - but it's a fine looking bass there Phil :D

And I always like seeing pics of your strats! :lol:
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: Philly Q on January 12, 2009, 11:18:44 AM
Bit late to this - but it's a fine looking bass there Phil :D

Despite the colour-matched headstock?   :wink:
Title: Re: NBD
Post by: AndyR on January 12, 2009, 12:33:30 PM
Bit late to this - but it's a fine looking bass there Phil :D

Despite the colour-matched headstock?   :wink:

:lol: - can't have everything!

Doesn't worry me so much on basses for some reason (I actually missed it on first viewing - but at least the strats have the "andyr" approved colour schemes!)