My new Thumb BO

[saxonbass]

Well... it was a few weeks later than I planned, but I finally made it to Sound Control in Salford. Mind-boggling selection of basses on the "Warwick Wall"... and quite a few fretless!

The choice really, was between a Thumb BO and a Thumb NT. I tried to put the price difference aside. However, the BO was a great deal - almost as cheap as at Big Discount Warehouse... plus the fact that I could inspect it and take it home with me. The NT was not such a great deal... could have got it a few hundred cheaper at BDW.

I can now fully appreciate the differences between the BO and NT - but the BO did it for me... got the definite feeling I could gig this one to death, and the wood looked great... no negative points at all! The NT... I thought I might be a precious about taking it out... I wasn't used to the 3 band eq, and I thought the punch of the BO is just what I need for the current band.

Hopefully some pics will appear... now I've waxed it to within an inch of it's life... lemoned the fretboard and put some flatwounds on it. Might write a bit a more later... but now I just want to get the pictures on... then maybe play it some more...

 

[bassoctopus]

Superb

Did you deal with Colin?

 

[bassoctopus]

BTW Did you try the Stage II 5 string fretless? I would have bought that if it had been anywhere near the contents of my bank account

 

[saxonbass]

Hi Bassoctopus!

Can't remember the guy's name... but I don't think it was Colin.

I was pretty much set on a Thumb... the only other bass I tried was a Covette Bubinga... which was pretty amazing itself. Now if I had to try that against my $$ I'd be a bit stuck... they're similar, but different. The $$ is versatile, but the bubinga has such a great basic sound... reckon it'd be a good start for a CS bass... seen some FNA jazzman basses with bubinga bodies on the CS gallery.

The Thumb BO is everything I want for my current band... if I join an interstellar psycho-billy country funk band, I might think again...

Seriously... it's too much for the brain to take in on one visit... you start to doubt your own critical faculties after a few hours and just start to lust after the shiny woodwork! I reckon I might visit every now and then and try a few out... build up a bit of a database of what I like.

Salford SC are also holding a "Warwick evening" sometime soon... that might be a good opportunity to try or hear a few different basses. They will notify me... so I'll post details on here if you don't hear yourself... or for anyone else in the area!

Cheers
SJ

 

[Thumbfreak]

Congrats !

This bass is wonderfull !
You could not make a better choice for a fretless bass (maybe a NT).
I don't think you will ever regret this purchase.
The body looks like bubinga (really beautiful), is the neck made of wenge ?
What wood is the fingerboard made of ? It does not look like reguler ebony.

 

[saxonbass]

Hi Thumbfreak

I wouldn't rule out an NT - one of each would be nice... but I'll have to save up a few pennies first! the body should be ovangkol - like the neck, but the neck is much darker - darker than my $$ neck!

The fingerboard is tigerstripe ebony - the whole thing looks quite different in real life. I'm actually very pleased with the way the wood looks (as well as the sound) - this is going to be one waxed bass!

 

[Grgzilla]

Geourgeous Thumb Steve,you got a really nice piece of Ovankol,much nicer than most BO's I've seen.Many happy years of bass bliss will now follow. :wink:

 

[bassoctopus]

Salford SC are also holding a "Warwick evening" sometime soon... that might be a good opportunity to try or hear a few different basses. They will notify me... so I'll post details on here if you don't hear yourself... or for anyone else in the area!

I'll see if I can wangle some work in Bolton on the approriate day

 

[Grgzilla]

Salford SC are also holding a "Warwick evening" sometime soon... that might be a good opportunity to try or hear a few different basses. They will notify me... so I'll post details on here if you don't hear yourself... or for anyone else in the area!

I'll see if I can wangle some work in Bolton on the approriate day

I think that shop is having Seth do a clinic soon.

 

[saxonbass]

Salford SC are also holding a "Warwick evening" sometime soon... that might be a good opportunity to try or hear a few different basses. They will notify me... so I'll post details on here if you don't hear yourself... or for anyone else in the area!

I'll see if I can wangle some work in Bolton on the approriate day

I think that shop is having Seth do a clinic soon.

I'd definitely try to get there if Seth is doing it... maybe I should wear a red rose so he can recognise me! :wink:

 

[Oil Can]

Congrats!

Great choice. A Thumb BO is an excellent companion and will serve you very well.

I did the same thing about four years ago and opted for a fretted BO4, which is still my main stage axe. Three years later I had scraped together enough cash for an NT.(I sometimes play on tight stages, and I'm afraid that I'll bang the headstock of my NT5 into a mic stand, or someone will knock it out of the guitar stand accidently.) The NT is something that I'll pull out for more "special" occasions.

The BO and NT are different animals, but both great for their own reasons, and you can make an excellent case for either one.

 

[Martthebass]

That's well gradely as we say 'round these parts Steve. Will the $$ still get action?
I'm starting to GAS for a Thumb BO4 - fretted of course, but the Corvette would have to go to fund it (still have to abide by Mrs Martthebass's 3 bass rule). Maybe next year............................ :roll:

 

[saxonbass]

Mart... the Thumb is just the thing for my current band... reckon I'm going to use it all the time... might try out the $$ a few times. I think the $$ is really versatile... if I end up playing in a different band, I think it would cover a lot of bases (basses?)

Oil Can... yeh... I wouldn't rule out the NT - after a lot of saving... but for where I am now, the BO is just right... and I like it a bit more each day!

 

[Oil Can]

Saxonbass, the Thumb BO is still just right for me too.

I'm so comfortable with it after 4 years, that it's the one I always grab to take gigging.

Oil Can

 

[Vinnie]

Nice bass. Me likes the bicolored fingerboard. Are they all like that now?

 

[odominguez]

Nice bass. Me likes the bicolored fingerboard. Are they all like that now?

Most of them are. Tigerstripe Ebony has that quality. It is the true color of the wood. some people only use some parts of the tree and then stain it to make it look darker. We use the whole trunk of the tree and sometimes we get these nice grains. Since the early months of 2006 we have been using Tigerstripe ebony and will continue to do so from now on.

 

[saxonbass]

Saxonbass, the Thumb BO is still just right for me too.

I'm so comfortable with it after 4 years, that it's the one I always grab to take gigging.

Oil Can

Talk about comfortable... it's even shaped at the back so I can stick me belly in...

Seriously (?) I've got my first rehearsal with it on Thursday... so I might report back... gives me a chance to bang on about it a bit more!

 

[saxonbass]

Nice bass. Me likes the bicolored fingerboard. Are they all like that now?

Most of them are. Tigerstripe Ebony has that quality. It is the true color of the wood. some people only use some parts of the tree and then stain it to make it look darker. We use the whole trunk of the tree and sometimes we get these nice grains. Since the early months of 2006 we have been using Tigerstripe ebony and will continue to do so from now on.

Yes... I have been told by a luthier that a lot of the "black" ebony we see has been stained. Regarding the photos... the flash tends to bring out the contrast a lot more... in reality the grain seems darker and more lustrous.

 

[boston asphalt2]

Talk about comfortable... it's even shaped at the back so I can stick me belly in...

seriously! that is why I love it too! I have to wear my stingray low in order to fit against me the way I like. The Thumb was designed to be a part of me. Someone on the Musicman forums told me that the Thumb was an ergonomic disaster. That guy was a dumb@$$

 

[saxonbass]

Talk about comfortable... it's even shaped at the back so I can stick me belly in...

seriously! that is why I love it too! I have to wear my stingray low in order to fit against me the way I like. The Thumb was designed to be a part of me. Someone on the Musicman forums told me that the Thumb was an ergonomic disaster. That guy was a dumb@$$

Absolutely - it was just a coincidence I decided to shorten my strap at the same time (that's all in another thread)... and the fit is tailor made! Also had no problems with neck dive or whatever... I took along my comfort strap to audition the bass... it's padded and doesn't slip at all... a marriage made in heaven!