So many basses, so little time!

The poor 1946 Epiphone B-5 bass keeps getting pushed to the side for other bass projects. What’s the old story about the shoe cobbler’s children had no shoes because the cobbler was too busy making everyone else new shoes! Well its not like I don’t have any basses to play, however there are a lot that I would like to play before I die that are not at the front of the line…1941 Epiphone B-1, 1940 Epiphone B-3, 1937 Kay O-100, 1936 American Standard…I could go on and on whining.

We have every intension of getting the 1946 Epiphone B-5 bass playable by mid-summer (as we already have two prospective buyers)…right now, the new projects are rolling in the door. We did a set up and a Bass Monkey speed neck treatment on a newer Hungarian bass last week. Lonnie prefers to NOT work on new, modern basses but this job seemed reasonable. The gentleman was very nice and really needed to get his bass playable again. The G string was lying on the fingerboard, it needed a new bridge cut for the tall overstand of the bass. It wasn’t a big project, but it pushes everything aside for a short time.

The other bigger project is Popeye! A 1958 King Mortone that is looking for some Bass Monkey TLC. This bass traveled the whole way from Fredericksburg, VA for some love. The bass is playable as is; however the new owners want the full Bass Monkey spa treatment for Popeye. He is named Popeye for the “USN” letters carved in at the button, right above the King decal. This is a very cool bass; Lonnie is excited to get started on the project. He feels the bass has lots of potential. We will give it a full set up with new Thomastik Dominant Solo tuning strings, a new bridge, new ULSA ebony end pin, new tail gut, dress the fingerboard (which is about to pop off from lack of hide glue contact) and a little cosmetic touch up and it will be a real fine player.

It is always fascinating to have two basses to compare side by side. We own a 1935 King Bass and now have the opportunity to compare this more modern, late model, 1958 King to our very early model 1935 King. While there are similarities, there are many differences. The immediate thing that stands out to me is the thickness of the neck. My 1935 has a huge neck made of beautifully flamed maple. The 1958 King neck is more similar to that of an Epiphone. It is meatier then a Kay but a different shape then an Epiphone. And of course there are those super cool King decals…they are so retro.

We need to get some of the spring festivals behind us so Lonnie has time to work on basses. So many basses, so little time. Keep coming back for the latest updates!

What's new...

Howdy All!

Time flies much too fast!

Lonnie and I have been busy with lots of music jams and acquiring even more special Epiphone basses for our collection. The workshop has been pretty quiet but we hope to soon kick it in gear as the winter blahs slowly melt away. Today the temperatures actually went above freezing and we saw some warm sunshine…for a few minutes anyway.

Here is a small sample of a local jam we attend. These recordings were made on an Edirol HR-9 digital recorder. The bass on this recording is our 1937 Kay M-4 named Polly pretty Polly.

http://www.mediafire.com/?544onc9jg7apuqp

http://www.mediafire.com/?gtsrr2iv76d5see

http://www.mediafire.com/?kd44de118btqc2l

(can you tell I like banjo tunes)

Lonnie is getting back to the 1946 Epiphone Blonde B-5 number #811. The saddle was loose so he removed it, cleaned it up, shaped it and it is now back in place with some fresh hide glue. This bass is really clean and has beautiful flamed wood. Once all the repairs are completed and we have it gig ready we hope to offer this bass for sale. We get lots of inquires about our Epiphone basses and if we have them for sale. The answer is normally no, we do not have any we are willing to sell from our collection. I think I’ll stop hording all the Epi’s and let one or two go from my collection this year (maybe…I’ll think about it). My collection of pre-war Epiphone’s purchased for research purposes has grown quite large. I’ll post to our website showroom when we decide to let one go for sale and find a new owner for this fine bass.

In addition to basses Lonnie continues to make his customer order banjo and Dobro picks. He is working on his third custom order for his super size finger picks. And because his craftsmanship and skill has no limits he has been setting up banjos as well. True to form he is modifying banjo bridges and modifying banjo heads. It never ends…show him the standard and he will stretch the boundaries.

Keep checking back…there is always something good going on in the workshop!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas from the Bass Monkey Workshop.

It has been quiet for a few weeks as there have been lots of activity other then basses and music going on around us. The holiday season is a joyous time to reflect upon how truly fortunate we are to have our health, friends and family. My Papa used to say, “You are a millionaire and don’t know it, if you have your health”. I could not agree more.

We have had some wonderful musical moments this year and have made many new musical friends. Lonnie continues to amaze me with his persistence and craftsmanship. I am amazed by the people who contact us with great appreciation for our love of basses and their documentation of history and restoration. We both love what we do and glad there are folks out there that appreciate our efforts…no matter how small or insignificant we are in the big, wide world of the internet.

Our wishes for all that visit our blog or website; have a wonderful holiday filled with good friends and joyful music. We will do our best to keep you coming back with interesting stories and pictures from the Bass Monkey Workshop.

Merry Christmas to all!
Lonnie & Wendy

Job well done...

The picks have been delivered with smiles all the way around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSlUux633Wg



Neal was surprised and delighted. He slipped them right on and began to play. I think he played all evening with out a pick flying off his fingers.



Perfect fit!



Now he has to find something new to bitch about because he can’t complain his fingerpicks fly off. I guess now it will be his thumb picks, capo or slide goes missing. The picks looked and played as good as anything professionally made. Lonnie was very satisfied and Neal was all smiles.

Job well done!!!

Now back to basses...

The super sized picks are DONE!

The custom made, super size, Bass Monkey Dobro picks are finished!!!



Once again I am amazed by Lonnie’s skill (and persistence) on this project. I think he surprised himself too. I watched him form these picks from a flat piece of stainless steel into the final product is pretty darn cool. Lonnie knows metal just as well as he knows wood…maybe even better.



Sammy Shelor picks on left, Lonnie picks on the right

My rough translation for the creation of the picks is they came from flat stainless steel sheet stock, to being hand cut, shaped over and around several objects. Then he hand filed and polished them. There are several steps from the porous stainless steel to the highly polished finish.



Though I am not sure of every step, there was wet sanding, then dry crocus cloth, then buffing compound and a buffing wheel. These picks gleam they are so highly polished, I really can not tell a difference from his Sammy Shelor banjo picks. I know he is very excited to present them to our Dobro playing friend Neil. I hope Neil can adapt to these new picks, as Lonnie has put a lot of effort into making them custom just for him.



Once again it was nothing more then a personal challenge to see if Lonnie could not only make the picks, but make them look and feel as good as the finest made Sammy Shelor banjo picks. I expect to see two grown men trade a handshake and a hug on Thursday night when Lonnie presents the picks to Neil. I know it seems like a silly little thing…a set of super size custom Dobro picks for an experienced and seasoned player. Some how I think it will mean the world to Neil (and to Lonnie). Someone actually cared enough to hear his lamenting (for years Neil has said nothing fits his fingers) and do something to change it…ask nothing in return but satisfaction and a smile.

Pretty darn cool.

Progress from last night until tonight...

The first pick is almost done. Lonnie needs to get some fine polishing cloth and finish detailing it.



The pick on the left is his Sammy Shelor banjo pick, the one on the right is his super size pick.



Hi never fails to amaze me. This was all done by hand, he does not have a machine shop or power tools…all by hand. He could not be more tickled with the results.



The one on the left is his super size pick.


We sure hope Neal has that million dollars he promised…or maybe just a million dollar smile of appreciation will be payment enough.

Slight Detour…

What's going on in the workshop isn’t always about basses? Lonnie has taken a slight detour with an idea to fabricate some SUPER SIZE finger picks for a jam friend.

We have a regular Thursday night jam with the locals at the community center; one of the regular pickers is a Dobro player with HUGE hands and fingers like stumps. He is a great Dobro player but you can always count on him to have a finger pick fly off or drop during a good break. His fingers are so large for years (he is 72 years old) he stuck the largest finger picks he could find on the very tips of his fingers and then glues them on…yes…glues them to his finger tips. The finger picks barely go around his finger and they cut into his cuticles.



Well, Lonnie being a welder and fabricator for many years once told Neal…I’m going to make you a set of picks that fit your finger. Of course Neal looks at him in disbelieve and say “I’ll give you a million dollars if you can do it”. As I said before…don’t challenge Lonnie and say it can’t be done…because he will prove ya wrong. Last Monday after work he stop and got the flat stainless steel…certain grade, right thickness, blah, blah. He got them cut out and roughed enough for a test fit Thursday night. I think Neal was in disbelief and still doesn’t think Lonnie can deliver the goods. Tonight Lonnie is shaping the metal and smoothing the edges. He is going to make some fancy design in the band and the polish them up like a new shiny penny. We even have a little box with velvet lining to put them in for presentation…we are crazy…I know.



The best part is Lonnie knows he can do it and Neal will be left speechless…well maybe not speechless but at least we won’t have to watch him pick up his finger picks two or three times a night. Lonnie will get back to the bass soon; right now he is on a mission. He knows he should be working on the bass but he loves a new challenge…Bass Monkey custom size finger picks.



Stay tune for pictures of the final out come…it should be fun.