Mik's Jimmy Johnson Deluxe

[Mik Walker (mik)]

Here's a pic of my Jimmy Johnson 5-string, mahogany core, maple accents, crotch walnut facings, 34 scale, 20th Anniversary electronics... luscious!

[Mik Walker (mik)]

Bird, pup n' sun.....

[mikedm]

Absolutely beautiful.
 
This might be a stupid question, but what makes this a Jimmy Johnson Deluxe?
 
Mike

[prime]

Looks like a standard to me. Though how a bass this beautiful can be labeled standard is beyond me!
 
Matt

[mik]

Hi Mike and Matt, and thanks for the comments! Yes, she is a beauty indeed.
 
These pics were originally posted in the first Alembic online club on Yahoo which I used to co-own. When Mica set up the new club here on the Alembic site she transferred the pics across and titled this thread Mik's Jimmy Johnson Deluxe. I'd never really thought about the Standard vs Deluxe aspects of this before as it's a fairly unusual beast.  
 
The Jimmy Johnson aspect comes about as Jimmy was involved in the concept and design of the bass, based on his Series IIs but in a more affordable package. This bass was displayed at NAMM (99 or 2000 I think) and I believe there were plans for this to become another Signature line alongside the Clarke and King models. I've heard nothing more about this in a long while now so not sure where Mica and Co are up to with such plans.
 
As a great fan of Jimmy's playing I was quickly hooked on the idea anyway when the bass became available at a dealer within range of me.
 
The Deluxe aspect is probably covered in that the bass has a 5-piece laminate (mahogany core sandwiched between maple laminates and then that fabulous crotch walnut both front AND back) - whereas the Standards have 3-piece bodies (though you can add a back lam at extra cost just to confuse the issue a bit more).
 
The neck is 5-piece maple with 4 walnut pinstripes which is more like the 5-string Standard SC and MK models - (SC and MK Deluxes have 5-piece neck lams of Maple and Purpleheart I believe).
 
The electronics are different again from both the Standard and Deluxe SC and MK models as they are the 20th Anniversary type which gives pickup selection and switched mono/stereo output in addition to the 2 lo-pass filters.
 
So it's kind of a hybrid of the usual Standard and Deluxe features plus a few more switches. Mica called it a Deluxe and I wasn't about to argue...!
 
Thanks for your interest - I'll stick up another pic or two showing these features a little better.
 
Cheers
 
Mik

[mik]

Side angle view - 5-piece body
 

[mik]

Back - view. More Walnut? Oh, alright then!
 

[mikedm]

Mik,
Thanks for the info, interesting history. I did notice the pup selector and extra toggle, but with Alembic's ability to custom any standard set up you can never be sure what you're looking at without asking. Then neck lams were what was puzzling me, the walnut pin stripes are usually part of the standard constuction. Myself, I like the look of thinner pinstripes. As far as being a Deluxe, I think anything they make is deluxe, so you can't go wrong there. She's fantastic and I bet a dream to play.
 
Mike

[bassman10096]

Mik,
Your walnut creates one of the prettiest top and back combinations I've seen.  I had been thinking coco bolo for a bass I'd like to build but your walnut stopped me dead in my tracks.
Was crotch walnut a special order or was it under the California Walnut or Walnut Burl wood selections?  Sorry to be nosey, but I'm very interested.  Thanks - Your bass looks great.
 
Bill

[mik]

Hi Bill,
 
Thanks for the kind comments. It really is a superb-looking bass in person. I bought the bass as a done deal from a dealer and had no hand in the ordering or build process, so therefore had no hand in choosing the woods. I simply heard of the finished bass' existence, went to try it out and fell in love. After buying it I sent a few mails to Mica and got some of the information listed above.
 
It was shown at one of the NAMM shows and, I suppose, being effectively a prototype for a new line, perhaps the walnut for this bass was the equivalent of special order. The dealer certainly had the top listed as exhibition quality as I recall, but that's not an entirely uncommon term these days.  
 
If you check out the wood bank section here at the club I can't see anything listed as crotch walnut, but some of the pieces in the superb walnut section do have figuring that is not dissimilar, number 255 dark medium and light looks quite nice for example.
 
If you wanted to come close to the figuring I have I'd speak to Mica directly and tell her you're looking for Walnut with figuring similar to Mik's Jimmy Johnson 5. She'd know either how the choice was made for mine or, at least, how to go about finding something similar.
 
Another point to bear in mind is that the first pic shown here is fairly wildly exposed (check out the colour of the ebony board and pickups - they look bleached out). That's a combination of direct sunlight, a light reflective carpet and the angle at which the bass is lying. Not at all accurate from a colour perspective but it really set the figuring on fire which I loved. The picture of the back of the bass is a much more accurate representation of the overall colour of the walnut. I can probably find or take a pic of the front with more faithful lighting if you need one?
 
Mik

[bassman10096]

Thanks for all the info Mik.  I guessed the picture of the back was more like the normal lighting look of the wood.  It's still exceptional.  I will talk to Mica about woods well in advance of when I want to order.  I've looked at some of the Superb Walnuts and think I saw the one you mentioned.  I've also looked a bit at sites owned by dealers in exotic woods.  Some of them sell guitar lumber.  Not sure about how advisable this might be or how it would work.  More to ask Mica...
thanks again, and enjoy that beautiful bass
 
Bill

[mik]

This beautiful and unique bass is currently up for sale. In perfect showroom condition, never gigged, barely used, smoke-free environment etc. etc. Mail me at mik_walker@yahoo.com for full details.