October 2001

Custom in Stages

Paul's Stan Deluxe Paul loves Stanley Clarke. From the time he saw Stanley's album "If This Bass Could Only Talk" (1988, Portrait RK40923) he's been lusting over our short scale beauties. He'd been playing a Stanley Clarke Standard in Flame Walnut when he decided that his next bass would be in Coco Bolo and fitted with a few other interesting features.
One of the more subtle options included on this bass is planning for installing Series II electronics in the future. It isn't as simple as just swapping out the pickups and electronics - the placement of the current controls is critical so the next job goes smoothly. We also hollowed out and shielded both sides of the body.
What you see here is stage 1 of this custom bass. We've installed the electronics from our 20th Anniversary model bass, included the humcanceller (it's fully functional, but doesn't play a role with the present circuit), the 5-pin connector, and cut the backplates. Stage 2 will be when Paul decides to upgrade to the Series II electronics.
Laser LEDs The most prominent feature on this bass is the front installed Laser LEDs. These markers are 1000 times brighter than our side LEDs at 2 candlepower each. Paul's bass has been fitted with a dimmer control so he can decide how much to illuminate the crowd. Even with a fast shutter speed, these lights show off how bright they are.
The maximum contrast is achieved with the chrome tuning keys, logo and script mounted on the dark Coco Bolo peghead veneers. We layer 5 veneers on the front and back of the peghead to increase the strength of this most vulnerable area. peghead
chrome In this view of the hardware, you can see it reflecting in the highly polished surface of the bass. We setup basses before we send the hardware to the chrome plater, so even the slots in the saddles and nut are plated.
Paul was very specific in his request for the appearance of the wood. He wanted Coco Bolo that was very dark, more red than orange, with more straight grain lines and less of the wild and swirly figure sometimes exhibited by Coco Bolo. In fact, he'd seen a bass for sale on the website of a dealer, and wanted us to match it as closely as possible. wood detail
front back

SPECIFICATIONS

  • 4-string Stanley Clarke Deluxe Bass
  • Coco Bolo top and back
  • Laser LED front markers
  • Prep for future Series II electronics installtion
  • Chrome plated hardware

Price available on request

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