Shopping, Musician Style

Today I went down to the Carvin Guitar factory in Poway and custom-ordered a new bass. I love Carvin because, not only do their instruments sound and feel great, they are custom made to your specifications right here in America at their factory. I ordered the B-5 which is a five string bass with a bolt-on neck. Below is a picture of the B-5. I ordered a different finish and wood face.


Like the above image, mine will have black hardware. That is about where the similarities end. Mine will have a black headstock with white carvin logo. I chose to not have inlays on the fingerboard. My bridge pickup will be a "Stingray"-style humbucker. The option I'm most excited about is the Dragonburst finish over flamed maple. Here is a sample:


It should take about 8 weeks to finish. I'll post pics then!

Tools of the Trade

Inspired by Adam, here are the instruments I own that are of the electric bass variety. Starting from the left:

1. Kydd 5-string electric upright bass. I bought this one at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) conference after it was used as a demo bass. Since I've worked with the bridge, I really like it.

2. Clevinger Bassic electric upright bass. I bought this one at the now defunct The Bass Centre. They had four different ones and this was by far the best feeling and sounding. The bright yellow color was icing on the cake. A few years after I bought it, I met Martin Clevinger at the NAMM show and he told me they only made two Bassics in this color. Instant collectible.

3. Grass Roots 4 string. I bought this one in Japan when I was working at Universal Studios and playing the Clevinger everyday. I needed a bass guitar so I could get my bass fix in my apartment. Paid the equivalent of $80 for it. I installed EMG pickups when I got home. I will soon upgrade the bridge and nut and should have a pretty decent instrument.

4. Carvin LB75. My workhorse. I bought this one in 1997 or 1998 and have used it regularly since. I added the block of wood between the pickups and under the strings because I have a tendency to "dig in" too hard when I play. This forces me to play with a lighter touch.

5. Bassline Worp 5 fretless. The crown jewel of my collection. Handmade in Germany. Also bought this in Japan. I was immediately drawn to its unusual style. After I played it, I knew I had to have it. This baby just sings. The headless design makes it the most comfortable instrument I have ever held. The Bartolini pickups sound amazing. I paid about $1300 for it. After I got home I found it online for $4999. It now sells in the $3000 range. I'd say I got a pretty good deal on it.

Victor Wooten

Today I had the amazing opportunity to see my favorite bass player, Victor Wooten, give a clinic right here in Riverside. After playing and taking questions for about an hour he asked, "Who wants to come up here and play my bass?" No one took him up on the offer. Playing bass in front of arguably the greatest electric bass player in the world can be a bit intimidating to say the least. Victor warned us that we would all kick ourselves in the butt later tonight if we didn't take him up on the offer. Finally a brave soul got on stage and started playing. Victor then gave him a private lesson for a few minutes right on stage in front of us. After a few other players, I got up there and got to play my idol's instrument and get a private lesson from him. What an amazing experience. The few minutes on stage with Victor reignited that passion for music that sometimes gets lessened by the rigors of being a working musician (nasty load-ins, bad charts, questionable meals, etc.). Search Youtube for "Victor Wooten Norwegian Wood" to get a taste of how amazing this man is.