Thought I would post this here rather than in the bass forum so more people could see it.
I've been buying Rondo Hadean bass ukes specifically to modify in one way or another. A couple months ago they brought out a slightly longer scale (24") with better electronics, so I bought one to hold until I got an inspiration. That inspiration came a few days later when I came across a thread on the Talk Bass forum asking to show photos of a bass bought because it was made in the year they were born.
I looked up the basses available in 1949 and discovered that the only one other then than a full size stand up bass, was the first solid body electric bass created by AudioVox, the Serenader, designed in 1939 (it was not Fender in 1951). Using that, I designed what I call a tribute bass.
I cut up the body, had Pat Wilkins do the gold paint job (excellent work) and Eric's Guitar make the pickguard and thumbrest (also excellent work). I designed the headstock logo from the original 1939, printed and applied the decal, but added my birth month for the sake of the Talk Bass thread.
It took only eight weeks, including decision making time, to have it all done. Far better than the seven months the blue mod took by a local luthier who kept putting mine aside for "more important" clients, and a year that the red one took by an out-of-town builder because of weather and other jobs that hampered him. From now on I only use Wilkins and Eric, who are within driving distance from me and 10 minutes from each other. The lower photos are the original Rondo and the AudioVox Serenader (which is actually 30" scale).
I took it to rehearsal yesterday and despite having to constantly tune the new Road Toad Pahoehoe strings, it played very well, the electronics are much better than the Rondo shorter scale model.
I've been buying Rondo Hadean bass ukes specifically to modify in one way or another. A couple months ago they brought out a slightly longer scale (24") with better electronics, so I bought one to hold until I got an inspiration. That inspiration came a few days later when I came across a thread on the Talk Bass forum asking to show photos of a bass bought because it was made in the year they were born.
I looked up the basses available in 1949 and discovered that the only one other then than a full size stand up bass, was the first solid body electric bass created by AudioVox, the Serenader, designed in 1939 (it was not Fender in 1951). Using that, I designed what I call a tribute bass.
I cut up the body, had Pat Wilkins do the gold paint job (excellent work) and Eric's Guitar make the pickguard and thumbrest (also excellent work). I designed the headstock logo from the original 1939, printed and applied the decal, but added my birth month for the sake of the Talk Bass thread.
It took only eight weeks, including decision making time, to have it all done. Far better than the seven months the blue mod took by a local luthier who kept putting mine aside for "more important" clients, and a year that the red one took by an out-of-town builder because of weather and other jobs that hampered him. From now on I only use Wilkins and Eric, who are within driving distance from me and 10 minutes from each other. The lower photos are the original Rondo and the AudioVox Serenader (which is actually 30" scale).
I took it to rehearsal yesterday and despite having to constantly tune the new Road Toad Pahoehoe strings, it played very well, the electronics are much better than the Rondo shorter scale model.
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