Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: edwardofhuncote on September 16, 2017, 05:58:14 AM

Title: I.D. this bass?
Post by: edwardofhuncote on September 16, 2017, 05:58:14 AM

I posted this video on the 'Listening Thread' the other day, of Doc & Merle Watson with their long-time cohort T. Michael Coleman on bass...

Can anyone identify this bass? I can't quite make out the name on the headstock... in a few frames it looks like it maybe has some kind of Gibson-type pickup covers.  ???

*video is late 1970's.

**definitely looks like Schaller M4's on the headstock.

***also appears to be a half-lined fretless.

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: pauldo on September 16, 2017, 06:33:28 AM

I pick up on a Hagstrom vibe, but really the headstock isn't atypical...

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: Philip-M-Bass on September 16, 2017, 06:57:27 AM

Hello Edward,

That bass, I believe is a Hohner/Bartell Black Widow bass!

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t28092/

Scroll down for pictures!!

Also This  http://bartell.vintageusaguitars.com/index.php/amps_electronics/bartell-basses/1197-hohner-bass/

Philip.

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: edwardofhuncote on September 16, 2017, 07:04:38 AM

I believe we have a winner... that sure looks like the one.  :)

I also found these pictures, courtesy of:

http://donnagreentownsend.com/

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: Philip-M-Bass on September 16, 2017, 07:11:16 AM

Hey Edward ,

Amazingly John Paul Jones played one in 1972!

http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=8255.0

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: edwardofhuncote on September 16, 2017, 08:54:59 AM

Well, now that the mystery is solved, or at least my own adle curiosity is satisfied, I'll just have a little fun with the thread...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Michael_Coleman

Like I was saying on the other thread, Coleman is one of the few bass guitar players to ever have successfully 'sold' the instrument to a larger bluegrass audience that usually doesn't accept anything other than an upright. (trust me - I've lived on both sides) His work with Washington D.C.-based headliners The Seldom Scene, (and later, crossover band Chesapeake) put him on a national stage with it. It still isn't commonplace, but I know I get a lot less of the stink-eye when I show up with a bass guitar... I can't help but think that was aided by this guy, and a few other brave souls.  ;D

He was also a sound-guy for a while, made evident in the lyrics to this little bit he did with the Scene:

"Some nights it feels right, the bass sounds nice and round,
There's always some fool in the back that stands up and yells-
TURN THE BASS DOWN!

Well sit down you old fool, it's not to much bass that you hear,
It's just the acoustics of the room, or that half-smoked joint behind your girlfriend's ear..."


Yeah man... that's my kind of bass player.  8)

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: elwoodblue on September 16, 2017, 09:35:02 AM

...love the FOH blues  :o , though I know I'm guilty of being too boomy
(I blame it on the drummer).



 Hendrix had a Black Widow guitar, and I got to play it one lucky day ! :D

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: keith_h on September 16, 2017, 01:36:34 PM

Well beaten to the punch. I was thinking a Hohner which sold relabeled Bartell instruments back in the 70's.

Title: Re: I.D. this bass?
Post by: gtrguy on September 17, 2017, 10:30:26 AM

I picked up and played several of these in music stores back in the day and tried them out. Not bad instruments and I thought the fretless ones were good.
However, I never bought one, nor have I seen anyone playing one.