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35,000 year old Bass


Partyboydan

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In partyboydan's defense, I say check this out-

 

http://www.ancientkauri.co.nz/about.html

 

"Ancient Kauri is derived from a number of buried prehistoric forests that grew at the dawn of time, some more than 50,000 years ago. These forests are located in the Southern Hemisphere on the Northern Island of New Zealand, north of Latitude 36 South.

 

Buried under peat swamps by an unexplained act of nature before the last Ice Age, the trees were left lying just beneath the surface of the ground. This underground resting place, sealed from the air, became a perfectly balanced cocoon that preserved the timber. It is known to be the oldest workable timber in the world.

 

Extraction of the logs is time-consuming, expensive and technically difficult, requiring skilled operators of heavy machinery. Working in wet conditions, logs must be carefully brought to the surface. Once removed from the ground, each log is assessed, then milled to yield the best grain and timber qualities.

 

Ancient Kauri has a beautiful and distinctive grain. When polished, the wood is a deep golden colour with hues, textures and sheens that change under differing shades of light."

 

I guess it just comes down to your perception of the reliability of radio carbon dating.

 

Additionally, the headstock is based, apparently, on Maori designs, making for, at the least, a design element at once new and unique enough to be a brand trademark ( it got all of us talking) yet based on local tradition. This said, it's not my cup of peghead either.

 

I also am not wild about the cutaways on the Lightwave bass, although they remind me of the Ibanez Blackbird I trashed long ago. Also also, the Stealth model is not for me.

 

The 11 pole p/u for guitars sounds interesting, as does the electronics design and apparent execution.

 

The model description of one bass having "a Sapelle red wood and Ass body" while having untapped comedic potential, I shall remark on no further.

 

Overall, it looks like really nice stuff, well made, with some new ideas on top as well.

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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I didn't see any pricing information on there; do you have to email them for that? I'm just curious if we're talking in the range of $500 or $2500 or $5000 for one of these instruments because of that wood?
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  • 3 years later...

I thought I'd bring this thread to life again, as reading the above comments about this awesome bass made here in New Zealand!!... well know one mentioned the sound, and the leading edge technology , re. the "optical pickups" Is anyone else making basses around the planet doing this?

Also you must listen to the sound bite for the bass with the optical pickups!!!!

http://www.guitar.net.nz/Sounds/lightwave3.mp3

It sounds so "other worldly / out of body experience!!" I would love to hear it live one day. When I found these basses early this year, I emailed to ask what the price was with the optical pickups (which also means strings other than steel can also be used) but I think the guy is German, and his written english not great! He only quoted me for one with standard bartolini pu.s but I can not find the email now. Was about $NZ6000 I think (roughly $4000 US).

 

Do have a listen if you haven't already. These swamp kauri basses just look fantastic, IMHO.

 

For a look and detail about the optical pickup go here;

http://www.guitar.net.nz/

Then click bass on the side bar and scroll down.

Worth a look if you haven't seen these before.

MUSIC is food for the soul
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They look nice to me, including the headstocks, but I won't be buying one this week. ;)

 

I have played a bass with lightwave pickups. I thought they were great for harmonics...the harmonics came out clear and loud...but not so great for slapping because the noises which are part of the slap style didn't come out at all.

 

(alert: inside Jewish humor next)

I guess if I want a headstock to represent my cultural heritage, I'd have to get an eight string bass and have the headstock look like a menorah. No, wait a minute, I forgot the shammos. Make that a nine string.

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Originally posted by jeremy c:

(alert: inside Jewish humor next)

I guess if I want a headstock to represent my cultural heritage, I'd have to get an eight string bass and have the headstock look like a menorah. No, wait a minute, I forgot the shammos. Make that a nine string.

And maybe get a final trimming down done by a mohel?

:eek::D

My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace
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Originally posted by Flemtone:

Nice looking wood, but the headstock must be removed with extreme prejudice.

(or maybe it's just me..)

It's not just you -- it's me too.

 

That peghead puts the "ugly" in "butt ugly." Also the "butt."

"Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky"
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Yea, I'd admit I'm not that excited about the headstock either, but the body is pretty awesome looking, and the fact the wood is so ancient; Well that's rather unique, to say the least! I wouldn't say no if given one.

 

What about the sound. Any comments about that??

MUSIC is food for the soul
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Originally posted by tnb:

What kind of sticker would you put on 35,000 year old wood?

I have no idea.

 

But then, I'm not a narcistic, kajillionaire, idiot rock star.

 

Maybe someday though. Dare to dream, dare to dream...

 

;)

"Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky"
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Originally posted by tnb:

What kind of sticker would you put on 35,000 year old wood?

I would just need a little sticker. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/icons/icon11.gif

 

I guess the question I would ask is, does wood that old make it sound better/different, or does it just look cool? That's a high price to pay if it's just for looks.

-- Joe --

 

"If you think you're too old, then you are." --Lemmy Kilmister

"I have not seen a man who is not god already." --Austin Osman Spare

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Originally posted by jmrunning3:

Originally posted by tnb:

What kind of sticker would you put on 35,000 year old wood?

I would just need a little sticker. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/icons/icon11.gif

 

I guess the question I would ask is, does wood that old make it sound better/different, or does it just look cool? That's a high price to pay if it's just for looks.

Especially if you're going to cover it with stickers. :D
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50,000 year-old wood found underground and all we can think of for it is making furniture and instruments? Has nobody made it a park or something yet? Reminds me of mammoth steaks.

 

I'm not crazy about the design but hey, if I was up s#!+ creek, at least I'd have a paddle. If the headstock was made of petrified wood it would work nicely as a tomahawk as well.

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Pristine, untouched natural wonder and all we can think of is building a walkway around it, a 10,000 square foot visitors center and gift shop, and 5 acres of parking.

 

+1 on the butt. ugly. butt.

Would be a good candidate for a Steinberger conversion kit. And a matching clock.

- Matt W.
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At the kind of price they'd be asking, you could presumably ring up and say "y'know that headstock is uglier than the elephant man, if you could just lop that off and replace it with something a bit more, y'know classic, like fender-ish, cheers"

N x

"i must've wrote 30 songs the first weekend i met my true love ... then she died and i got stuck with this b****" - Father of the Pride
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Originally posted by davio:

50,000 year-old wood found underground and all we can think of for it is making furniture and instruments? Has nobody made it a park or something yet? Reminds me of mammoth steaks.

You're right, we should go into the forest and chop down a living tree and leave the dead tree alone.
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Originally posted by getz76:

Don't worry, all you have to do is work on the kajillionaire and rock star part and you'll be there.

Cool!

 

*sings* Close your eyes and we're half way there, hold my hand and we're almost there, tomorrow, tomorrow, to-mor-rooooooooooow.....

 

:D

"Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky"
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Originally posted by getz76:

Originally posted by davio:

50,000 year-old wood found underground and all we can think of for it is making furniture and instruments? Has nobody made it a park or something yet? Reminds me of mammoth steaks.

You're right, we should go into the forest and chop down a living tree and leave the dead tree alone.
:):D;)

 

From my post above, re: the peghead, for those who didn't slog through the whole post:

 

"Additionally, the headstock is based, apparently, on Maori designs, making for, at the least, a design element at once new and unique enough to be a brand trademark (it got all of us talking) yet based on local tradition."

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Originally posted by scyzoryk:

What if you believe that earth is only roughly 6,000 years old (young earth)? If you could debate that with the manufacturer and win, would you get it for 1/6 of the price? :)

Note my comment above re: radio carbon dating. :D

 

Peace,

 

wraub

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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