Here's one of the basses bound for Chile. I can't get over how awesome the Maple Burl looks with just the sealer on! More on this bass soon. Also look to see some cosmetic changes to the blog as well as the main website. Stay tuned!

Anyone who followed the progress of the "Grabbertarian" we constructed for Paul Burnette of the band Darkest Hour using a mixed bag of Gibson Grabber parts and custom Sage parts will be interested in seeing this beast in action. So here we go, D.H. live in D.C.

Stealth 6

This 6 is off to Atlanta Bass Gallery for customer Eric Cornillo. I got the order when Eric tried to purchase a Warwick $$ from the Warwick custom shop, but Warwick wouldn't do a 35" scale. Some people think a 35" scale is no big deal, we tend to think most of those people have short fingers, the 35" scale absolutely kills on a low B, period, end of story. This bass had simple beginnings, two piece Swamp Ash body, Rock Maple neck, unlined fretless fingerboard, but then this wolf takes off it's sheep's clothing. Once you add a Black finish, custom Aero singlecoils, and an Audere preamp with a 5 way rotary control (www.audereaudio.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=44) this puppy kills.

Maple Burl Longhorn 4

Several posts ago I showed a rendering of a bass being built for a client in Chile. Here's the rough beginnings of the bass. I love the character of the Maple Burl, the red accents look fantastic, and I made sure to have them show up in the top, back, and a touch in the headstock, it really adds a pop. The Ziricote fingerboard has amazing grain and is offset by striking mother of pearl block inlays. This bass is also one of many to be adorned with custom made wooden knobs, and will also have an oversized wooden pickup ramp/cover loaded with Sage custom pickups made for us by Aero. Other features of this bass will include a custom 4-band preamp made for us by Audere, 33" scale, custom Hipshot hardware fitted with a Graphtech piezo system, a Plek fret treatment for amazingly low action, and a custom flight case. In other words there's a new sheriff in town...

The Grabbertarian is DONE!

OK so the bass is done and shipped. After Paul gets it I'll post any comments. This was a fun build, But now it's back to business as usual.

The Envelope Pusher

Cliff Davies bass just went out the other day. It was one of those basses that was sad to let go of. I thought I'd post a few of Cliff's thoughts upon opening his new instrument:

"Dude I got it. DAMN. The first thing that hit was how amazing the finish job is on this bass, I've had MTD's and Roscoes, but this bass' finish is amazing. If I smashed the bass, the wood inside would crumble but the finish would hold for sure. Well done!

I'm gonna play it for about a week until I tell you my thoughts on it's sound, I've only just plugged it in for about an hour but DAMN, it's such a great difference from the single coils I've been livin' on.

The Glock sounds great, the knobs are awesome, they make the top side of the bass so nice.

The Aeros and the pickup box are killer, I really dig the box and how it came out. The location on the bass is perfect for my style. I just love exposed pole pickups.

Dude it's just awesome, I'm so happy I took and chance on you guys and ordered this bass. You are the detail king, ever aspect is great, from the cool hex screws to the extra maple laminate where the neck is bolted to the body. You were right with the red finish on the back, it just kills. There's definitely another Sage in my future.


Thanks dude, I love this bass!

Cliff"


We Couldn't ask for a better response to one of our instruments. Thanks for carrying the torch Cliff.

The Grabbertarian Is Done!

My attempt to photograph this monster is pretty weak, never the less it totally kills. I'm gonna try and set up a real shoot before shipping it off to Paul, if it happens I'll post pics. This was an all out success, and we can't wait to see Paul hit the road and the studio with it.

Raining Blood

Blood Red paint that is. Paul asked us to match the Wine Red color Gibson used as one of the stock colors on the Grabbers. No sweat. A quick color match and two coats of the aforementioned red and we had the vibe we were looking for. Forgive some of these shots, the spray booth isn't ideal for photography, we promise to have some pro shots of the final product. Which is the next update. Stay tuned.......

The Grabbertarian

Every once in a while we take on special projects, it breaks up routine and serves a personal amusement. Our latest is for a personal friend Paul Burnette of the band Darkest Hour. Paul plays a Gibson Grabber that was modified with a replacement P-bass neck after the original neck crapped out, also it's fitted with new hardware. This bass has been Paul's companion for many years, and it shows. A fan gave Paul a bass they had tried to do the same thing with a while back, and although it was a nice gift it didn't really fire on all cylinders, so we took it upon ourselves to re-vamp the bass and give Paul a fitting backup bass to take on the road.

We started the project by eliminating everything except the body, next we made a custom Utilitarian neck, and set the bass up in raw form to get all the fit and playability issues in order. After filling many holes and adding new ones the bass was brought into the spray booth where it will receive a new wine red finish. In the coming days we'll post pics of the final finish, and eventually the final product which will feature custom pickups from the Seymour Duncan custom shop, and Hipshot Hardware, and lot's of Sage mojo.

Stay Tuned............

Our newest client Elias hails from Santiago, Chile. The first of two basses on order is a custom long horn with a Swamp Ash body core with bookmatched Maple Burl facings on the top and back, Ziricote fingerboard with block inlays, a pickup ramp, piezo bridge and custom Audere preamp. It gonna be a real envelope pusher. This installment features a rendered drawing of the bass. It's a great way to visualize a project before the first scrap of wood is cut. In the next installment I'll post the actual bass in-process, it's a head turner for sure!

Dudes

It's been way too long since a new post, and although I'd love to be sad it means we're busy. Anyhoo look forward to new updates on what's coming through the shop. This update focuses on a sometime overlooked component, knobs. We've been working with our good friend David King to come up with some special jewels to grace the tops of our basses, and fulfill our clients dreams. All the knobs shown here were custom made to our specs using wood from their respective bodies wood, so the match is seamless. It's a small touch that adds a big impact.