Author Topic: Osage Orange Photo (Read 106 times)

lesh_lash · « **on:** July 23, 2009, 11:06:23 AM »

I came across this photo online of the Osage Orange with the different bridge. I think this is authentic but I have never seen this photo before. I am trying to figure out all the differnt fingerboard inlays. Does the 21st look like 2 dolphins. Please any help on all the inlay would be greatly aprreciated.

olieoliver · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2009, 11:20:19 AM »

I'm probably showing my ignorance here but, Alembic actually made a guitar from a Boise D'Arc tree?! WOW

I had hundreds of those om my property when I had my farm, HATED them! All those huge thorns and nasty horse apples Of course the fruit is good for detering insects.

I've heard of this bass often I just never put 2 & 2 together.

OO

lesh_lash · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:05:22 PM »

The oddest thing about this picture is the it does not appear to have frets and it has a different bridge on it that I have never seen before on this guitar. Any ideas or help?

elwoodblue · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2009, 07:43:54 PM »

That's a bit of a mystery to me,
Wasn't it godfather that ended up at a luthier's as a sort of test instrument?
Maybe someone was in the middle of making mods and a fretjob on this when they took the pictures.
I'm sure the Badass bridge sounds just fine, to me it lacks the visual magic that the bird tailpiece and standard bridge evokes.

hieronymous · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2009, 08:19:26 PM »

I wonder if someone felt that Badass bridge was easier for quick changing strings - I find that the tailpiece/bridge combination requires a bit more gymnastics...

Sorry, no other insight on the pic, cool as it is!

bassman10096 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2009, 10:39:40 AM »

My understanding is that the Osage top or bottom laminate came unglued from the core (If somebody has more accurate or complete info, I'd love to hear). With all the experience Alembic has amassed in the 35+ years since then with gluing difficult wood combinations together, I'm sure they could fabricate another one that would stick. Given the lack of fretwork in the picture and given that I've never seen a photo of a Badass on that bass, is this possibly a Photoshop? When did Badasses first come onto the market?

olieoliver · « **Reply #6 on:** July 24, 2009, 10:57:42 AM »

I believe BADASS was introduced around 1972.

OO

811952 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2009, 10:58:16 AM »

BadAss was mid-70's if memory serves. BadAss would be more of a hassle than stock bridge/tailpiece, as the BadAss requires fishing the string through a hole...

I recall somewhere Mica posting that they won't build another instrument from that wood, because it's so oily it doesn't take glue very well at all.. Again, if memory serves...

John

zezozeceglutz · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2009, 11:53:55 AM »

The Badass was definitely part of Phil's bass while he was still playing it. See here for some shots with the Badass and what look to be individual tailpieces for each string behind it: http://www.grateful-dead-photos.com/spartan.html

This bass, according to all that I've heard, was always the first to go under the knife for experiments owing to the fact that the amount of electronic components inside made it unreliable relative to the Godfather and they didn't trust it to be Phil's only bass out on tour. It was eventually more or less destroyed by a tech in some experiments related to extra string length behind the bridge, if I remember correctly. They gutted the electronics, routed for simple passive pickups, and drilled a ton of holes to mount different tailpieces. Fred Hammon of Dark Star pickup fame told the full story on the old Dudepit and actually owns Osage Orange's original pickups.

lesh_lash · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2009, 11:14:47 AM »

I think it is a different bridge in those pictures from 4-22-79. The bridge looks a little different and the tail piece is for sure not the same. I would say this photo is one of the last pictures taken of it still together.

According to the Grateful Dead Gear book the neck was made from osage orange and the body was Hawaian Koa wood. The neck delaminated from the body.

altgrendel · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2009, 12:48:20 PM »

For the inlays, I would say you have Saturn, two dolphins, and two lightening bolts with a heart in the middle.

edwin · « **Reply #11 on:** August 06, 2009, 02:13:23 PM »

Wow, I never would have thought a Badass would have found its way onto that bass. Weird. According to the post at the Dudepit, it might be in the Chicago area.

Edwin