Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I finally got my camera out to make some photos of my new Martin Keith. Some of you saw and played it at MARF IV.

Details.

That's got some purdy wood on it!

Exquisite form,too,Jeff!

To me, this illustrates the gulf between archetypal and arbitrary shapes in the design of a guitar or bass.

Most free-form-sculpted basses come off as so very contrived and tortured into existence. This one's shape is so natural and comfortable to the eye.

I imagine that, since you've invested in one, it goes without saying that it plays and sounds exceptional as well?

cjj wrote:That's got some purdy wood on it!

Ain't that the truth!

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

Paul, this is my second Martin Keith, the first one is a fretless that I got at NAMM 2010. These are wonderful sounding basses very full, warm, smooth tones, and they are capable of getting very aggressive sounds when needed. I love the Citron humbucking pickups; the passive electronics are unique in that besides the usual panning from bridge to neck pickup I can pull up on the tone control and pan from inner coils to outer coils of the two pickups, offering some really nice spaced single-coil type sounds, and still keep the humbucking nature of the pickups.

I have posted the outdoor photo of the fretless Elfin 5 in another thread here in the past, but here it is again along with a new studio shot.

A truly beautiful bass Jeff. It reminds me of a local builder, Jeff Mallia, but with a bolt on neck.

It has almost an ancient look to it ... like some old mid evil lute or something with very modern lines... can't put my finger on it - that's just the vibe it get from it. Beautiful looking instrument! How do you tune it?

BEADG on both, although EADGC might be an interesting change for me on the fretless Elfin.

incredible looking instruments,Jeff! Are they 34" scale? The necks looks really wide,(at least at the body end)---are they fairly shallow like the 4004 necks?

Jeff they are both beautiful! Thanks again for letting play with the fretless, amazing tone!

The basses have 34 ½" scale, the nuts are 1 ⅞" and the string spacing at the bridge is ¾", all pretty standard fair, but the necks are thin with shallow shoulders along the necks, very comfortable.

Gorgeous bass! Congratulations.

Jeff, I didn't get to play your bass, but I did go to meet Martin at the most recent NAMM show from your recommendation (thank you). If your Elfin matches Martin's personality, you have a truly wonderful instrument. Congratulations and enjoy it!

Thanks for letting me noodle on her Jeff. Was a wee bit nervous as the Fender fretless I experiment on is lined. But with such distinctive tonality, she was a dream. Made me appear to be more adept than I really am. Tell Shari, Lori and I are asking about her. Hope all is well