GW Custom Basses and Lutherie - Grandon Westlund, The Bass Kahuna

SC1, 5 String: For Alton, bassist with The Minnesota based band, Staija

GW Basses us proud to announce Alton as a sponsored bassist! Be sure to checkout the Staija website, catch them live when they're in your area, and buy a CD!

Here are the specs for Alton's Bass:

Neck:

5 Piece neck through. Wenge with two purpleheart stringers

Ebony fingerboard, fretless with maple fret lines, 35" scale, side dots at standard positions (3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, etc.)

Black Limba headstock (to match the body)

Flamed maple headstock overlay to match the flamed maple top on the body, with a thin purpleheart accent layer between

Custom "Alton" Inlay at 12th fret, white mother of pearl block inlay with "Alton" inlayed into the MOP in Pau Abalone

Will be tuned A-C-G-C-F

Body:

Black Limba body wings and back

Flamed maple top with thin purpleheart accent layer between maple top and body, Neck laminations to show through

"Monkey Grip" cutout in upper horn

Hardware and Electronics:

Hipshot ultralight tuners and "A" style bridge, black

Two Bartolini P4 Pickups with Aguilar OBP-3 preamp

Status and Updates

01 September - Neck blank is glued and clamped, and here are a few pics of the woods to see how they will go together.

(click on image to view larger version)


All of the woods to start	Neck blank glued and clamped (Alton's is the top one)	Custom inlay with Alton's name in pau abalone in white MOP for the 12th fret

21 October - Fret lines are in, neck is done, truss rod is in, and fingerboard glued on. Custom "Alton" inlay and body wings go on this weekend! Should be a first week of November delivery.


Ebony fingerboard with maple fretlines in	Truss rod in, fingerboard glued and clamped	Body center rear block glued and clamped (it's the one in the back...)

27 October - It's looking like a bass. Next to finish the neck carving (and "monkey grip"), route for hardware and electronics and put on the finish.


It looks like a bass. Great flame figure in the maple top	Gallery did a great job of matching up the back pieces	Great flame figuring in the headstock overlay

06 November - First few coats of oil are on! (Sorry for the pics, low light levels in my shop...)


Front view	Side front view	Front closeup	Side front alt view	Alton 12th fret inlay
Rear body	Headstock closeup

15 November 2004 - It's a bass! I love the how the different woods really blend together on this one. It was a favorite at the Rock-a-betes benefit show yesterday. I've got custom matching wooden knobs on order from THG Knobs, unfortunately they weren't ready yet (my fault entirely for not getting the wood cut-offs from this bass to them sooner.....), but I'll ship them out to Alton as soon as they come in.


Full front view

02 December 2004 - The matching wooden knobs from THG Knobs are in, and I shipped them out to Alton today. I had them made from the cut-off wood from the body, so they match up perfectly, and also had them put a 2mm abalone index dot in them. I always have one extra knob made for my customers as a spare just in case anything ever happens. Beautiful!