Thursday 11 July 2013

Vintage 1970s Strange Buzzard Custom Caveman Bass Guitar Project Alembic ? Prop?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

 A Strange Buzzard (???) Custom Caveman Bass? A two octave tree trunk?
This fits in pretty well with some of the other recent posts and it's always nice to develop a stream of thought (if not consciousness)...


Or, it could be just a failed attempt at a off-the-wall instrument and now a piece of junk.
Anyway, it caught my eye and it's certainly worth a few minutes of our time if only just to contemplate the possibilities.

The seller says:
Wow check out this monster??? No idea what this is. Looks like some abandoned bass guitar project from somebodies nightmare. The neck is not just full scale its XXLL jumbo large scale. Whatever that means. This thing is really strange and weird. Might be some homemade project. No idea if this will actually hold a tune or break when i put strings on it. Selling as project, prop, art piece, as is parts junk pile!
Hello there, getting a lot of emails asking the same questions. Will try to answer here.>>> no other parts with this bass. Nut 1 1/2 Scale 37 1/4 Total Length 48 Body 13 Width 1 3/4 Don't see a truss rod. 12th fret 17 3/4 Neck seems straight but with no truss rod who knows.  Fret board is attached. No indication of why hardware is stripped.  
The potential buyers are asking questions so we'll show them too:
Q:
What's the scale length? Or just the distance from the nut to the 12th fret? And the Nut width. Is the neck clearly straight or twisted? Do you think it maybe has a fixed truss rod or bar in the neck?? is the fretboard securly attached? Is there no indication of why it was stripped of the hardware? Thanks, it's an interesting piece for a project perhaps...
A:
Hello there no other parts with this bass. Nut 1 1/2 Scale 37 1/4 Total Length 48 Body 13 Width 1 3/4 Dont see a truss rod. 12 th fret 17 3/4 Neck seems straight but with no truss rod who knows. Fret board is attached. No indication of why hardware is stripped.
Q:
OK, so this is a pretty weird bass...I am interested & would like to bid...BUT, first, a couple questions: - Does it have an adjustable truss rod? - Has this beast ever been strung-up & used before (what past history can you offer)? - What is the condition of the frets? - What is the measurement from the nut to bridge saddles (scale)? many thanks Chuck South Haven Guitars
A:
Hello there no other parts with this bass. Nut 1 1/2 Scale 37 1/4 Total Length 48 Body 13 Width 1 3/4 Dont see a truss rod. 12 th fret 17 3/4 Neck seems straight but with no truss rod who knows.


One thing it shows is, people don't always read the description so it's worth (if you're selling) spelling it it out clearly. Really clearly. Splitting your copy up into small, easily digestible, chunks is not a bad idea. Otherwise, patience is a virtue.
So, what do we think? Is this a monster bass, an ill fated experiment or an unfinished innovation? There a few amateurish areas - pickup routing obviously - but some others show some skill.
there have been some offers, so others see some potential in this wee beastie.

David, overstretched in Barcelona


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2 comments:

  1. Without any re-enforcement that neck is surely not going to stay straight. and I can imagine bad neck dive although it looks like a nice Knee hook for sitting down.

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    Replies
    1. Bill Wyman's lost bass at last..! As if bass playing weren't uphill enough? Right, and the seller notes there's no truss rod visible. Rather than view this as 'art' perhaps a relic from an era when people expressed themselves more freely.

      Just as hearing our own voice recorded and played back to us ( most of Gavin's readers are old enough to recall how absolutely 'heady' it was to have a cassette recorder? ) I believe virtually *anything* Pre-internet/Chinese Invasion will find an audience and ( to varying degrees ) appreciate. If not from an investment perspective, certainly in our fondness. Kind of like playing Mick & The Boys "Silver Train" 1st thing Saturday morning, much to your mother's consternation. IMHO

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