The Imprecision Bass

This bass was made from a variety of parts almost 25 years ago. My dad is a (recently retired) carpenter and was doing some repairs on a 16th century house damaged by fire. He was removing part of the fireplace and replacing the damaged part. Under the damage was enough wood to make this body - it is English Ash. The timber was so hard it was extremely difficult to work, and it is very heavy!

The neck is off of my first bass - an Aria Pro II precision copy. I probably wouldn't have pulled it apart if I had known how popular they were to become, but this one wasn't great and had a horrid lightweight body which made it very neck heavy, and someone had hand painted it (can't complain as I got it for 50 quid if I remember correctly). We re-profiled the neck to match my recently acquired (at the time) Fender Jazz as it was very thick, and scalloped the last few frets a la Billy Sheehan who at the time was rated as the best rock bassist in the world, and the band I was in used to do a fair few Mr Big cover songs.

The pickup is a DMarzio Model P (fitted reverse style) and the bridge is a Schaller (I think, it was a long time ago!)

There is no paint on the guitar, it is finished in Linseed oil. The strap is made from a piece of raw leather.

Much of the finish is wearing off as this guitar has played many gigs, probably hundreds, when I was playing regularly as a young man.

We never got around to making a rear cover for the electrics, and I may never get around to it!

The action is fast and low, especially for someone like me who plays predominately with fingers. The sound is very bassy, and the rumble is huge through my SVT stack.

Not necessarily the prettiest, but a fun workhorse!

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That's a stunner! Particularly love the Sheehan scalloping. I'd love to hear a demo!

Thank you! The SVT is in storage at the moment (small house + small children!) but when I next get it out I'll warm it up with this old girl and record the result. My Peavey practice amp simply does not do it justice!

So nice. That grain patterning, Pure wood porn.

What's with the scalloping under the strings up the top end?

It's the Billy Sheehan touch. He does that to some of his basses.

That is one tasty looking bass I bet it sounds great. There must be something good about ageing timber from fireplaces wasn't Bryan Mays guitar wood sourced from the same? Must be the warmth that dries it out nicely

Sent from Android N

Thank you folks! The body timber certainly is hard. My dad has done all sort of work and repair on old buildings over the years in the UK. I remember him telling me how old oak beams in houses are amazingly hard too. Certainly drilling into this was very difficult, and in spite of years of use the body has not a single ding in it, even where the finish has worn right off. Not sure if it was the fireplace location, or the 300+ years age that makes it so hard, or a combination of both.
I'll try to get a better pic of the grain over the weekend.
Cheers
A

Now I feel obligated to make a rear cover for the electrics.........!

It does help keep the dust out of the pots.

Ok you have sold me. Unfortunately there are no easily accessible 300 year old fireplaces to cut a cover from around Sydney way......

Send Brian May an email.

:D I might do that!