Bobby Ray's Bass Face
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Gallery Index (from top, L-R):
Click an image to enlarge
Selmer(?) “Wenzel Kohler” Upright Bass, 1950's-60's (approx.)  I purchased this bass in 2003 from a very-talented musician who had just graduated from the University of North Florida’s Jazz Studies program (one of the world’s best, BTW) and was in-hock with the IRS so he needed to unload it quick.   This is a 5/8-size (or a ‘small’ 3/4-size – scale: roughly 40 3/4 in.) all-plywood bass that was, before I bought it, refitted by a luthier in Gainesville to give it a relatively-low action (especially at the 1st or ‘G’ string) and tuned to give it a deep, loud voicing.  This is an optimal bass for jazz – I consider myself VERY lucky to run into this! This bass was made in the old Bohemian town of Luby (a.k.a. Schönbach) near the Czech-German border (label inside says ” Wenzel Kohler, Luby Czechoslovakia”) which has been known for centuries for its stringed-instrument manufacture (fun fact - it is the original home of Höfner guitars & basses), and, according to who I purchased it from is approx. 50-60 years old.  I normally play it “natural” using an AKG C1000S microphone over the bridge. But on certain occasions where the acoustics are not practical, I have a David Gage Realist transducer-pickup mounted under the bridge to plug it into an amplifier (I use an Acoustic Image Contra 250-w amp).  For arco (bowed) work I use a French-style ARY pernambuco bow (with “hybrid” or mixed light/dark horsehair) and Carlsson rosin.   

Ernst Heinrich Roth Upright Bass (dated 1965) This upright has a few ‘rattles’ in it, so I may need to take it to a luthier for repairs. It is a nice-sounding bass, but VERY fragile!!  This will likely never leave the house without a humidity-controlled case (which will cost approx. another $3-grand). In fact, even more recently it has developed a few new cracks in the solid-cedar front…  Roths are very popular basses with jazz musicians.  The most famous Roth bass was Charles Mingus’ bass whose scroll was carved by Mr. Roth in the shape of a lion’s head.  Update (2016) - the neck of my Roth bass has since come loose at the heel, so it is currently unplayable until I can get it to a luthier for the necessary & expensive repairs.

Fender Electric Bass  Originally a 1972 Fender Jazz Bass that I purchased cheap in Vero Beach around 1985 with a severely warped neck (broken truss-rod??) and a damaged sunburst-finish.  I stripped the finish off the body to make it “natural” (and a nice Swamp Ash body it is!), replaced the neck with a 3rd-party P-Bass style neck - replacing that in 2002 with a 1974 Fender Precision fretless-neck that was later fretted by Jacksonville luthier Richard Wagner.  The bridge-pickup is from an old Gibson Thunderbird bass.   Now in storage (that '74 neck is "toast", as they say, so looking for another one), but have a 'new' Fender to replace it (see below).

Ibanez SoundGear Prestige, 2000  Currently in storage, structurally sound but needs new electronics.

Carvin B5 Electric Bass, 2004  This was built from a kit all precut & pre-wired by Carvin (now known as Kiesel); all I had to do was finish it & put it all together – the finish used was an antique Shellac finish which I hand-brushed on approx. 15 coats over a 2-week period.  The body is solid alder, neck is maple (all stained & finished with the brushed-on Shellac).  Includes active electronics.  This bass is strung with La Bella semi-rounds.


Gibson EB-2 Electric Bass, 1966  All original, it never leaves the house.  I still play it from time to time though I have not ever gigged with it.  Includes the original semi-hardshell case (which was falling apart when I bought it; I literally had to glue it back together) and though not pictured I have the bridge-mute for it also.  Strings are RotoSound tape-wounds.  

And a few guitars...
Gibson ES-345 Custom Shop, 2009  This is a "B.B. King" re-issue of a 1963(?) ES-345TDS that the great bluesman once played back in the '60s, before he switched to the all-black ES-355TDS that became his original "Lucille".  Modified with a Bigsby B6 vibrato-tailpiece (though not all-gold like on the originals - King's 345 had a stop-tailpiece), a phase-reversal switch and a smaller pickguard.

Cort acoustic-electric bass guitar, early 2000's  I've tried my hand with acoustic bass-guitars on some gigs, I find they suit best on Latin jazz tunes though I usually go upright as well.  This one has a soundhole-cover to suppress feedback, a Fishman piezo-pickup under the bridge, and Rotosound Jazz Bass tape-wound strings.

Giannini nylon-string acoustic-guitar, early 1960s  Made in Brazil, playable but needs a lot of work & stays in the house.  As of this photo, one string is broken. :P

Epiphone F-style mandolin, 2012  I've also toyed around a bit with mandolin!  This one is a fairly new Epiphone copy of the classic Gibson F4.

Martin D-16GT acoustic guitar, 1996  My latest acquisition, and I love it!!  Great-sounding yet inexpensive Martin (Sitka spruce top, mahogany back & sides).  Has a built-in Fishman piezo-pickup under the bridge; the controls are hidden underneath the edge of the soundhole & the 9-volt battery is in a pouch velcro-attached to the base of the guitar out of sight from the soundhole - the only catch is that you have to loosen the strings to change the battery but this guitar, being a Martin, also sounds great mic'ed so the Fishman is merely an enhancement and not so much a necessity.  Recently had the frets dressed & new gold-plated Grover tuners.

New (2016)...
Fender Custom Shop '58 Precision Bass (reissue)  My new main electric axe!  Specs pretty close to the originals: 1-pc maple V-profile neck, nitrocellulose lacquer finish, 50's-spec spaghetti-logo decal on the headstock, the  neck is "aged" to look 'road-worn'. 2-pc laminated alder body (not "aged" like the neck), 2-tone sunburst finish, anodized aluminum pickguard, "classic" P-Bass split-pickup (with poles raised under the A-string), typical passive electronics.  Added a vintage pickup-cover (from an original bass) - also have a matching bridge cover, but not installed here.  Tuners are also from an original bass.  This baby feels & plays like a MUTHA!!   Strung with Fender tape-wound flats.

Last updated March 4, 2016
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  • VIGFOTO 2.0
  • MUSIC
    • Bobby Ray Sampler
    • Jazz by Legacy >
      • Legacy - Jazzland 2016
      • Legacy - Duval Ford 2018
    • Jazz by Walden >
      • Walden - Karpeles 2009
      • Walden - Art Walk 2010
      • Walden - Checker 2010
      • Walden - Cookbook 2019
    • Al Waters Tribute
    • My SoundCloud page
    • Elephantosis (SoundClick.com)
  • VIGFOTO IMAGES
    • Jazz Art by Walden
    • Legacy at Jazzland Cafe
    • Jacksonville Arboretum, Florida (1)
    • Jacksonville Arboretum, Florida (2)
    • Red Top Mountain, Georgia
    • Nature Sampler
    • Fort Caroline's Eagles
    • More Galleries >
      • Albuquerque Murals, New Mexico
      • Big Talbot Island, Florida
      • Biltmore Estate, North Carolina
      • Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
      • Little Talbot Island, Florida
      • Magic Lantern
      • Sebastian, Florida
      • Vigfoto (Old site) >
        • Olustee Battle (1993)
        • Showtime! (1987-1991)
        • Washington DC (1999)
  • Video Gallery
    • Jax Arboretum - Jones Creek
    • Red Top Mountain - Allatoona Lake
    • Cooking With Jazz: Art by Waldecor
    • Summertime: Jazz Connection
    • VigFoto: Nature
    • VigFoto: Jax Rocks
    • VigFoto: Jax Rocks II
    • VigFoto: Jax Rocks III
  • Etc
    • About Bobby Ray
    • Bass (and Guitar) Gallery
    • Blog Archive (to 2014)
    • Remembering Dad
    • Strava