Bill Moll Express 18" Archtop Bass Guitar
It is a privilege to be able to experience and offer such a wonderful and unique bass. Let me begin by stating that for the past several years Bill Moll had made a name for himself in the world of high end Archtop Jazz Guitars. This bass incorporates and translates that experience into the world of bass. This bass is a full 18" across the lower bout, and a full 5" deep. Acoustically, this bass is "there". ( It is rare to be able to say this about an acoustic bass guitar. ) Building upon the fine acoustic tone, Bill has added a pickguard mounted floating pickup plus a piezo pickup built into the bridge. With a mono jack cable out, you get the magnetic signal only - use a stereo cable and you get both the magnetic and piezo pickups combined. The tone is big and woody. The bass is dynamic and responsive to the touch. It is alive. This bass is made with ALL solid wood construction. The top , back, and sides are Flamed Maple. The top is carved Spruce. The bound fingerboard , tailpiece , and pickguard are all Ebony. The neck is 34" scale, 24 frets and made of Flame Maple.

A new bass exactly like this would now cost $9K - $10K.
This demo example is offered at $6,750.

1974 Fender P Bass
Here is a a real time capsule piece.
Incredible condition for a 34 year old bass !
The frets show very little wear , and the rest of the bass mirrors
that sure sign of light usage.
This bass is all original and complete.
OHSC , hang tags , and owner's manual.
Find a more pristine example if you can - it will not be easy to do so.
BTW the way , this bass has the original "A" neck, actually a Jazz
Bass neck neck.
$2,600

Fender '59 P Bass Relic
Another bass form The Vault , we have here a Fender Relic with all of
the case candy.
Plays and sounds amazing , nice and light , too.

$2,000 OBO

Fender '64 Jazz Bass Relic
OUT OF THE VAULT - a rare escapee form the Vault.
This is a very resonant bass, almost alive as notes jump off the
fretboard
ALL dings and scratches are factory original - honest

With the case and all the trimmings, this bass is $2,100.

Stambaugh SCSN6 / 33"
NOTE : this is a custom ordered bass that has been delivered to the
player , but I just gotta show off this bass.

This is the second bass I have experienced with a 33" scale low B
that really works - must be some secret luthier mojo ?
It CAN be done.
What an easy player , with a great array of tonal possibilities via :
* 3 Pickups ( with a ramp looking like a 4th pickup )
* Mike Pope 4 band EQ - not cheap, but you get what you pay for in
terms of studio quality tone and signal to noise ratio.

The pickups are the Bartolini Classic line - NOT expensive but they
sound fantastic
The body is Ribbon Mahogany , the top Buckeye Burl , the neck Maple ,
Purpleheart and Bubinga.
Guess what Chris charged for that top m go on, guess.
How's about $100.
That's wack , eh ?

This bass, replicated , would run $3,600

Atelier Z
From Japan we have a slightly used funk bass.
I have been told that the fellow behind these basses now makes the
Sadowsky Metro line - please, correct me if I am wrong.
The quality is here , without a doubt.

* Ash body
* Maple 34" scale neck and fretboard
* Atelier dual / single coil pickups
* Atelier 2 band pre - vol, blend, treble, bass , with the bass knob
being a push / pull single / dual coil switch.

The best of both worlds - single coil for most slapping applications
and dual coil for fingerstyle ( or slap with added booty )
This bass is very nearly mint.
Unlike most Atelier basses I have experienced , this one is not a
boat anchor.
It weighs in at 9lbs, 6oz.

With a very nicely padded gig bag, this bass is $1,250.

Ribbecke Halfling Fretted 5
After the quick sale of the fretless 5 we had a little while ago, I
thought  "Why not a fretted ? "
I couldn't come up with a good answer, so here we are.
Made in the US by Tom Ribbecke, renowned for his arch top electrics ,
the Halfling series uses all solid woods.
Flamed Maple sides and back, Spruce top , Birdseye Maple and Wenge
neck, with an Ebony fretboard, height adjustable bridge and tailpiece.

The name "Halfling" is derived from the design of the bass' top with
the bass side flat, as on a steel string or classical guitar, while
the treble side of the top is arched, like
on a fine jazz box.

This design has been in the works for a few years and is the result
of a collaborative effort between luthier Tom Ribbecke and bassist
Bobby Vega.
The result is a very articulate bass with great dynamic range,
capable of subtle nuance.

This bass , with the hardshell case and optional 'Burst top, lists
for $6,750.
Please call for the LAG discounted price.

Citron Steve Swallow 5
One of my favorite bass players and composers is Steve Swallow , so I
HAD to get one of these , right ?
HEY ! That's a better rationale that many I have used in the past.
Here is a bass that gets you right to the music.
Simplicity can be a good thing , if the resulting bass has a voice
and dynamic response like this.
The hollow Mahogany body is a full 3" deep , capped by an X braced
solid Spruce top.
The one piece Mahogany neck is 36" scale , but you might not realize
that if I didn't tell you.
Very comfortable, and the reach to the left is quite manageable.
The fretboard and pickguard are Macassar Ebony , the bridge and
tailpiece are Rosewood.
The intonation adjustable bridge and tailpiece are Rosewood.
The piezo EMG system uses 6 under saddle piezos.
The preamp is 18V by EMG  with bass and treble cut and boost.

This example is different than Mr. Swallow's own in a couple of ways.
Steve prefers a very tight string spacing ( 1/2 " ) that most of us
would find ( at least initially ) uncomfortable.
This example has a more "standard" spacing.
And, on Steve's bass , only the volume tone is accessible on the
pickguard.
He had the treble and bass pots buried in the control cavity - he
wanted them set to his liking ( full bass boost and full treble cut )
to accommodate his use of a copper pick.
I asked Harvey to mount the concentric bass / treble on the outside.
This bass be made with your personal preference in mind re: string
spacing and location of the tone controls.
And color
Dubbed "The Red Swallow" this bass , with gig bag , lists for $5,975.

Ristola Instruments 5
We are pleased to be able to offer this bass by New Hampshire luthier
Brian Ristola.
While this bass would work well in almost any musical style I can
think of , it will really stand out in the hands of a capable
funkmeister.

Why, you ask ?
Ash Body
Maple Fretboard
Maple / Purpleheart neck
Bolt-on design

You dig ?

The pickups are Bartolini X Series noise-free split coils - perhaps
my favorite by Bill and Pat B.
The preamp is an Aguilar 2 band, with dual volume controls.

This bass barley weighs in at 7 lbs, 15 oz.
Like Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard , a lightweight with a heavy
punch.
No Mas !

List for this bass is a shade over $3k - the street price is $2,375.

Harvey Citron CB 5
CB = Chambered Bolt-on.
The idea behind this design was to create a big sounding bass with a
lot of bottom end AND great definition.
Sounds counterintuitive perhaps, but Harvey has hit the bullseye.
The body is 2" thick Ash, made with multiple hollowed out chambers.
The top is Quilt Maple with a deep GreenBurst tint.
The pickups are a proprietary design utilizing ceramic magnets - you
guitarists out there know what that means.
A hotter signal than alnico or neodymium.
The preamp is the Aguilar OBP-3 , a good choice for this application.
The neck is three piece Maple , 35" scale, with a Pau Ferro fretboard.
This is a finely crafted bass with its' own unique personality ( as
are all Citron basses )
List , with gig bag , is $5,160.
Please call for the actual sell price.

Jerzy Drozd Excellency V
Here we have a 2008 example of Jerzy's most popular model, the
Excellency.
Like they say in the Lexus commercials, this bass is "very nicely
equipped"
The body is Swamp Ash, with a central tone block of Maple.
The top is Quilt Maple with a trans black stain - looks kinda
purplish in certain lighting.
The neck is Maple and Wenge with a flat black stain.
Fretboard is Macassar Ebony

Here are the some of the added options
* Twin carbon fiber reinforcing bars
* Active / Passive switch
* Mid Frequency select switch
* Wooden control cavity covers
* Passive tone control
* High gloss finish
* Abalone logo
* Abalone side dots

With case, this bass lists for $6,810.

Jerzy Drozd Excellency V "Crazy Maple"  ***SOLD***
Here we have an Excellency V / 24 with an Etimoe body and Spalted /
Flamed / Burled Maple top.
Crazy, huh ?

As with the other Excellency basses we had at NAMM , this bass is
loaded with options.
LIke that top , and
* Twin Carbon fiber reinforcing bars
* Active / Passive switch
* Mid Frequency select switch
* Wood control cavity covers
* Passive tone control
* High gloss finish

Jerzy Drozd Signature V
Jerzy Drozd Signature V
Do you like wood ?.
I mean gorgeous wood and lots of it, made into a fantastic sounding
and playing bass ?
Read on.

The Signature model by Jerzy is his most "wood intensive" bass. The top
is Spalted Maple , among the best I have seen , and the back
is a crazy Burl Maple.
The 34" scale neck is primarily Flame Maple with Bubinga, Purpleheart
and Wenge runners.
The fretboard is a thick slab of Ebony.

For this example, we asked Jerzy to use his single coil hum-
cancelling pickups - dual coils are the norm for this model
I find the single coils to be more "open" and bright than his dual coils.
The preamp is by Aguilar , with volume,blend , 3 band EQ with passive
tone control.
I really do like the passive tone control - you get your EQ as you
like with the passive tone full open , than you can back off the high end
in a very subtle way to get the bite of the tone just right. There is a
mid select switch, and this bass can go active or passive
via the push/push volume control.

This bass as equipped, with case, lists for $8,430.
Please call for the LAG discounted price.

Jean-Pierre has been a player for some time , and has done some
building for himself in the past.
His woodworking skills are top-notch.
This bass plays and sounds fantastic, and JP has done what some have
not - created a Single Cut shape that
is not derivative and offers a new take on this design style.

This bass has a Flame Maple 35" scale neck, with crazy birdseye
figure on the fretboard and unique
block inlays.
The body is Ash, the top Bubinga.
Weight is 8lbs, 14 oz, and the balance on a strap is about perfect.
Bart JB pickups and a Sadowsky 2 band preamp make this bass at home
with Funk and Fingerstyle.

We are extremely happy to have been chosen to rep these bass for Jean-
Pierre Mutti.
This bass , with gig bag is priced at $3,150.

I should have bought one of these a long time ago.
What a bass , with a truly unique and refined design !
There are many, many tones within this bass, yet thru all these
tones, the bass has a real inherent character that I love.
Two of Harvey's magnetic pickups are controlled by an EMG 3 band Eq,
with sweepable mids.
Add to this the piezo system with its' own bass / treble controls ,
blend between the two mags , blend between mag / piezo.
Whew !
There IS a lot going on here , no doubt, but it is all very
manageable and more importantly, musical.
Within 15 minutes I had this baby figured out.
It took several more hours for me to find a slew of new and usable
sounds.

The 2008 list price for this bass is a bit over $7K – please call for our special
sale price – this bass came in at the 2007. 

Watson SCNT 5 / 34" FL
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, fretless......................I love fretless !!!!!!!
Fretless bass ought to taught to carefully selected schoolkids, so we
might have more fretless adult players in the music we dig.

This is the first fretless bass by Alex Watson ( save for his
personal bass - he was bright up right ).
The SC design makes playing this bass a very comfortable and intimate
( ? ) experience.
The mini fretlines help with intonation without giving the appearance
of frets.
These little lines really DO work , the small line enable the mind to
complete the line and therefore play in tune.
Oh yeah, another thing about fretless , ALWAYS smile when you are
playing , as if you really meant all those microtonal anomalies.

The body core is Wenge , with Flamed Koa top and back , with runners.
The 34" scale neck is primarily Wenge with Orange Osage runners.
The fretboard and matching pickup covers are Gaboon Ebony.
The pickups are custom overwound Big Singles by Carey Nordstrand -
matched with Glockenklang 3 band EQ and your are in Smoothville, USA.
Nice pickup placement , Alex !!

This bass is offered at $5,250.

Ken Lawrence CB II 5 / 34" ***SOLD***
After receiving this bass and making sure it survived its' trip, I
played this bass for about 10 minutes and put it back in the case.
Out of site, out of mind, they say.
The point being, I cannot afford to keep every great bass that comes
my way , and I figured that the less I play this bass the less
opportunity for temptation to grab me.

On to the bass.
The chambered body is Walnut , the top is
Curly Spalted Maple with a little bit of tint.
The neck is 3 piece Eastern Maple with an Indian Ebony fretboard.
34" scale
Custom Duncan / Lawrence 3 band preamp , wired with audiophile wire.
Active / Passive with true passive mode
Glockenklang blend control with true audio taper / audio reverse taper
Nordstrand Fat Stack pickups in Ebony covers
Hipshot hardware
Dunlop dual function strap locks
Oil and wax finish
Fodera strings
Estrella gig bag

Ken Smith 2007 Black Tiger 5
Here we have a pristine example of some of Mr. Smith's fine work. This
bass is MINT , and I consider MINT to be an absolute term - not
a mark
The body core is Maple with a Walnut top and back.
This bass comes with the OHSC and all of the standard case candy. $3,500

Jerzy Drozd Mastery V
This is the first of  its kind -  a painted bass from Jerzy.
Why not ?
We chose a bass with a not-so-dramatic Maple top - a good candidate
for a whitewash.
The Mastery is a neck-thru bass , with an Etimoe body and Maple top.
The neck is 5 piece Maple and Wenge , with an Ebony fretboard.
35" scale, 24 frets.
The pickups are Jerzy's own JeDXS split single coil ( noise-free )
The preamp is the Aguilar 3 band  with mid select switch
Will you be the first kid in the country with a painted Jerzy Drozd
bass ?
With the case, this bass is $4,990.

With a TKL Zero Gravity hardshell case, the Major is $4,375

With the OHSC , this bass is offered at $4,600.

Jerzy Drozd Barcelona VI MIDI
Here is our 2nd such bass from Jerzy, one of two MIDI 6 string
versions of this bass in the world.
The Barcelona design is the result of a collaboration of two great
artists, bassist Carles Benavent and luthier Jerzy Drozd.
It is named after their beloved city.

The 5 piece Maple / Wenge neck is 34" scale.
The fretboard is Macassar Ebony.
BTW, the fretboard on this example has NO Radius , like a true
classical guitar.
( it is possible to order this bass with a 20" radius neck , like
Jerzy's other models. )
The body is Spanish Cedar , the top Spruce.

This bass has more varied tones that I have ever heard in a passive
bass.
The two magnetic pickups are Jerzy's own split single coil design ,
and the piezo bridge pickups are by RMC.
Good stuff.
Tones range from jazz guitar like to acoustic guitar/bass.
Right now I have this bass tuned EADGCF , hence the guitar reference.
You might prefer BEADGC tuning - no problem.
With the string-thru body feature, a low B comes thru strong.

You want more tone possibilities ?
Go MIDI.
I have a Roland VBass here.
What a gas !
It is possible to use the MIDI alone or combine MIDI with the
magnetic and piezo tones.

This example is truly a full blown version of this model.
The inlay is called "Ray of Light".
List price is $9,585.
If this is a little rich for your blood, I understand. A standard
Barcelona VI without MIDI , piezo and inlay lists for $6,200.
The Barcelona is a unique instrument.
You have to hear and play this instrument to fully appreciate the
possibilities.

Jerzy Drozd Excellency VI / 28
I asked Jerzy to find a nice hunk of Redwood, and he did not disappoint.
The body on this bass is Swamp Ash with a Maple center black.
Jerzy is of the opinion that while Swamp Ash is a fine body wood,
tone is enhanced  on a bolt-on design with the neck connecting to
Maple ,  a much
harder wood.
The result - great tone and reduced weight.
This bass features the optional 28 fret body style.

Also included on this very deluxe EX VI are
* Twin carbon fiber reinforcing bars
* Active / passive switch
* Mid Frequency select switch
* Passive tone control
* Abalone logo
* wooden control cavity covers

With case, this bass lists for $6,700.

Ken Lawrence ChamberBrase II 6 / 34"
OK , we now have two of these extraordinary basses , very similar but
with some subtle differences.
This example features an Alder body with Chechen top.
The fretboard is also Chechen.
The ChamberBrase is a great design that lends an 'air' around the
notes, while retaining great definition.
I wish I was better with words - there IS a unique quality that is
hard to define.

This bass is equipped with Nordstrand Split J pickups. I love these
pickups.
What really sets this example apart is the Mike Pope 4 band preamp.
The two mid bands each offer 2 switchable frequencies , giving you
the ability to nail those
critical mid bands.
The pickup blend is sublime - even volume , no mid position volume dip.

New orders are now taking 18-24 months - why wait ?
Life is short - reward your self now.
You deserve it , right ?
Ken's CB basses are better than most , I can think of very few
builders as talented as Ken.
( I am lucky enough to work with some of his peers )

List for this bass with a heavy duty Estrella gig bag , is $8,630.

***To the Vault***Kenneth Lawrence ChamberBrase II - 6 / 33 "
Drum roll please..................................................
At long last, the often rumored but seldom seen CBI 6 / 33" is here.
Ken first mentioned this bass over 2 years ago.
It was merely a gleam in his eyes back then , but it is here now and
it is truly special.
Here are some facts, Ma'am

* Chambered 2 piece Alder
* Figured Myrtlewood top and headstock veneer
* Eastern Hardrock Maple 33" scale neck with Walnut "Heeltone Plate"
* Premium African Snakewood fretboard , knobs , and "switch plates "
* Wenge rear cover plate
* Nordstrand Split coil "J" pickups
* Mike Pope 4 band preamp
* Hipshot hardware, black
* Dunlop dual function strap locks
* Oil and wax finish
* Fodera Stainless Steel strings
* Estrella gig bag - very nice, in black

Those of you who know Ken's work - skip these next few lines.
Ken is one of the very best bass builders in the world.
I can think of none better and precious luthiers few are at his skill
level.
He is a very active and talented player , facts which positively
influence his basses.

Schack 6 / 36"
Here we have a prime and mint example of one of the best basses out
of Germany.
Schack has been building basses for many years, though they were
never imported in quantity to the States.
Bottom line - you do not see many of these basses here.
Build quality is truly world class , as good as I have seen.
First , the woods.
Body wings are 7 piece , Flame Maple core with thin Wenge and Maple
veneers topped off front and rear by stunning Black Poplar Burl ,a
wood I first
experienced several years ago on Jerzy Drozd's high end basses.
The neck is an eleven piece design , primarily Flame Maple with
Bubinga runners.
Yes, it is 36 " scale, but is very comfy and easy on my small to
average sized hands.

The pickups are by BassTech of Germany, and the preamp is a great
design = volume, blend and three bands of semi-parametric EQ.
Note those three concentric knobs offering frequency selection and
cut / boost - very versatile and useful.

This bass is used but MINT.
Supplied with an ultralight hardshell case.

List ( in US $ ) is $8,265.
PRICE DROP ! $3,100

Jerzy Drozd Sequel VI "Blue Boy "
Last year we had  a deep green Sequel VI at NAMM - this year we
brought this blue bass.
This is very punchy bass , with a little bit of "air" around the
notes , due to the semi-acoustic construction.
The body is the standard Etimoe, with a very tightly Flamed Maple top.
And , matching headstock AND fretboard inlay.
35" scale neck, Maple with Wenge runners
The pickups are Jerzy's split singles, with a rear biased placement.
The preamp is Aguilar's OBP-3 ( 3 band )
The toggle switches are  are
1 ) Pickup selector
2 ) 2 way mid frequency selector
3 ) Active / Passive

All in all, quite a bass.

"This bass was SOLD for two weeks. The player decided that 35" scale was not for him. He grabbed a 34" ExcellencyVI/28 instead.

So, Blue Boy is back and specially priced as a fully warrantied , little used demo.

List is $6,665 - please call for the special demo price.

Dual Duncan dual coil custom magnetic pickups
RMC piezo bridge pickup system
Custom Duncan 3 band preamp
Fibre optic ( blue ) Mother of Pearl side dot position markers
Macassar Ebony fretboard.

This bass , with a heavy duty Estrella gig bag lists for $8,375,

Jerzy Drozd Legend VI MIDI
New from NAMM, we are proud to present the Legend semi acoustic fretless 6. 35" scale, 36 "frets". This bass employs a single magnetic Jerzy Drozd humcancelling split single coil pickup,RMC bridge piezos, and a Roland MIDI pickup. Perfect for use with the Roland GR20 and V Bass. Just plug and play. What a sweet playing and sounding bass ! Combine the mag and piezo to suit your style, add MIDI to further expand your sonic possibilities. It IS possible to combine all three at once. Fretless players - does it get any better?

The 2007 list for this bass is $7,800 – please call for the LAG discounted price.