The Totally Miscellaneous non-Alembic Guitar and Bass Thread

[Nova Constellatio]

An electric archtop for Dave:

I think this one is a year or two later than your birth year, but it's worth keeping your eyes peeled for a Country Club from the mid-50s. They're essentially a White Falcon without all the frippery.

I bought this one off of eBay back in the dark ages, based on a blurry picture and the worst description ever. The one thing I could make out in the picture was original gang tags that hadn't been removed. I think it was around $1,200 when average examples were running $2,500 or so. The pickups are incredible.

The second photo shows it being played by a friend of mine shortly after I unboxed it.

[David Houck]

An electric archtop for Dave:

I think this one is a year or two later than your birth year, but it's worth keeping your eyes peeled for a Country Club from the mid-50s. They're essentially a White Falcon without all the frippery.

I bought this one off of eBay back in the dark ages, based on a blurry picture and the worst description ever. The one thing I could make out in the picture was original gang tags that hadn't been removed. I think it was around $1,200 when average examples were running $2,500 or so. The pickups are incredible.

The second photo shows it being played by a friend of mine shortly after I unboxed it.

Beautiful!  Back when I was looking at that '54, I read that shortly afterwards,  maybe a couple years or so, Gretsch started making humbuckers, predating Gibson (according to the account I was reading).

[Nova Constellatio]

Ray Butts, who designed the filtertron, wasn't the only one to beat Gibson on that — Rickenbacker had a functional humbucking pickup in some of their Combo guitars in
1955, and Slingerland beat them all with a six-coil humbucking pickup that they used in their Songster in 1935. But Seth Lover gets all the credit...

[Artgeckko]

Some lovely instruments on these pages...
Maybe a bit off kilter here, but I had a fun bit of educating myself...
I recently acquired a Hofner HTC bass from craiglist for $300 on a whim.
Never really liked these basses, even the higher quality german-made ones. To me they always felt kinda dead and sounded too woody and inarticulate for my likes. That said, they do have a particular sound, so decided to give it a shot.
The guy selling it hated the bass ( his words). Upon playing it, I uderstood why, because it was set up terribly - crazy high action, intonation off, pickups very low, and dead large gauge roundwound strings.
I thought maybe this was a poor decision...
Took me a bit of time, but after dialing it in, and some DR ultra light strings, the thing actually plays pretty well.
It was an interesting foray into short scale string tension, the dated floating bridge design, fret wire bridge saddles, my finger pressure, and effects all on intonation.
Fun process, not to mention my once separated shoulder thanks me for the much lighter load!

[Nova Constellatio]

If you haven't tried them, the LaBella Beatle Bass tape wounds are what McCartney uses — they're also the perfect length for short scale Series basses...

[edwardofhuncote]

I happen to have a stray set if you need them, Ed.

*I tried to put them on an Epiphone Rumblekat for a customer, popped the E-string at the tuner post (stupid-stupid-STUPID!) so I ordered a replacement and coiled them neatly back into the package.

[Nova Constellatio]

Since we're talking short scale basses that may or may not work well...

[Artgeckko]

Wow nice fender 6, in beautiful shape!!
Was playing with the hofner today( after doing a coat on the 77) and there are some odd spots on the neck, possibly uneven frets?
Will keep playing this for a bit as is, then when these strings start to lose their fun, I will switch to La bella flats, probably after doing some neck work. These light gauge strings, 30 - 90 are very slinky and loose.
Funny, after playing the Alembics, Ricks, Music Man, or fenders I own, the Hofner feels like a bit of a toy.
Its an odd feel.

 

[peoplechipper]

They feel like toys to me too, and have a sound I could never use (not nearly obnoxious enough) but they are fun to beat on occasionally, though I'd never buy one; but I can get my jollies on them at work when one comes for sale...Tony

[Artgeckko]

The funny thing I did notice playing that outdoor party was that certain spots in the tunes that bass seemed to "smear" in better that the articulate sounds of the Alembic. kinda fit the track better.  Didn't change anything on my rig. Something to them.  Not my go to, but considering how many great tracks have been made with those basses, there's something to it. 

[edwardofhuncote]

Joey sent me a link the other day where he'd read about Martin reintroducing the old Size 5 "Terz" guitars. I'd heard the scuttlebutt from the sales guys at the store. They don't remember these. Here's the story if you get interested in tiny guitars tuned three frets high.

https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/acoustic-guitars/martin-5-28-terz

Terz guitars are interesting for what they are, and they literally are tiny versions of the larger object. I had a 5-15 years ago and sold or traded it, can't remember. But I still have this one; a 1927 5-17T tenor guitar. I got it for just a couple hundred dollars years ago from vintage banjo dealer who only wanted the original Grover "pancake" tuning pegs off it. I got the tiny little husk and bought a new set of Waverly V-2's, antiqued them, and voil-a. I keep it tuned in what they call "Irish Tenor" an octave below mandolin, and strung with nylons.

Here's a few pics of mine, and a couple of it shown with a 2-18 tenor which is still considerably smaller than an 0 would be. That 2-18T was from 1928, and was a sweet guitar. I would love to have kept it as a companion to my little 5-17T, but that patient left my guitar hospital and moved on. *and FWIW, still had its original Grover pancakes.

[edwardofhuncote]

Here's those Grover pancakes... from my Shop archive. They were pretty scuzzy when I first took that guitar in. Came out nice. Now you see why the banjo dealer robbed the set from my 5-17T. Sadly, they're worth more than the whole guitar. Especially when installed on a vintage banjo. 

[Nova Constellatio]

I love the sound of a good terz guitar. I used to see them with some regularity, but I don't think I've come across one in person since Covid.