LeftyBassist.com

Back in February of this year, I started discussions with Rod from Regenerate Guitar Works, one of the pillars of the Lefty Bassist community, about the possibility of acquiring a bass that had been hanging around his inventory rack for some time, the VRB-DS4L...

The back story: I had been considering doing a new, Darkstar based build for some time. With Hammon being in suspended limbo (thus making Darkstars as rare as hen's teeth for the foreseeable future), I contacted Rod to see who had purchased the original VRB-DS4L (which you might remember from THIS THREAD), thinking that with the fickle nature of many of the poster's here (sorry guy's, it's true), that it might be up for resale. To my surprise, Rod informed me that the bass was still available and that if I was interested, there was also the additional option of a wider "P"-ish neck if that was my cup of tea.

Long story short, I decided to take the plunge, partially on Rod's reputation here and partially on gut.

Here's the part where you should pull up your chair closer to your monitor and pay attention:

1. Rod is a really great guy to deal with. Having constant communication with the guy who is building your guitar is awesome, and with Rod, it's not you that has to initiate the contact--he is straightforward with providing the updates and will give you the truth if there is a delay or what-have-you. As anybody who has read his posts in the Regenerate forum knows, dude is very strong on details. Sure, building guitars isn't his full time job (yet) but he treated this customer like he was a king and, as someone who owns a small business himself, believe me--it mattered much.

2. Most importantly (because let's face it, shit ain't cheap), the bass is an absolute dream. The day after I got it, I had an extended rehearsal set up with a group of players who always manage to end up in a lot of, uhhhh "longer sections": Ok, it gets a little jammy and the rehearsal clocked in a couple hours longer than expected. I brought along my other main bass expecting to switch out but never did. I was amazed by the lack of fatigue on my fretting hand, the neck, despite being wider and chunkier than the USACG-built neck on my other main bass, is really a smooth playing MF. Fast forward six weeks and the "falling in lust" period has ended and I've decided that we are gonna go ahead and get hitched--I really love playing this f-ing guitar. The Darkstar/control setup is precisely what I wanted: The volume is a volume and the tone offers a huge range of possibilities but it more or less sounds great anywhere.

My only changes: Switched the strings to DR Flats and raised the action very slightly to accommodate my anvil-fingered lack of finesse.

Here's a pic of the bass that Rod took prior to shipping:



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fickle nature of many of the poster's here (sorry guy's, it's true),

What are you saying exactly?

Just that there is a lot of horse trading of basses between folks. Nothing malicious.

Well thanks for your reply. I seem to think if someone calls my nature fickle for buying and selling many of my basses it’s not meant to be a compliment or even neutral. I certainly do not want to turn an originally positive posting about a fellow board member negative but wanted to address your separate comment on the “horse trading” of basses.

I do in fact have a small number of basses that I at least for the time being never intend to sell or trade but I make no promises to them. My musical tastes change as well as what I think sounds good at the time for whatever I playing. I also own several other basses I do intend to sell and trade. I wonder if this is the sort of horse trading you were inferring to?

If so I just wanted to make a few statements for all who buy and sell basses often that I know of anyway. I have since buying and selling nicer amps, basses, and other musical gear get a snide comment or negatively presented questions about my personal decisions to keep, move, or ignore gear I have bought or sold. First I cannot for the life of me figure out why someone else would care what one does with their gear. I sometimes cringe when I see nice gear get mistreated but it’s not mine to worry about and also none of my business. The fact that there are limited numbers of nice lefty instruments floating around makes guys like me a good thing I would think. I mostly buy basses I sort of have a likening for that look like they need work or a good set up and bring back to life and trade or sell and give someone else a chance to dig on it. For me my love is music itself and the tone and sound of it. My desire is to make my own and add something new. I have no real serious attachment to the stuff music is made with as much as the music that is made. I have a deep deep love of gear as a whole and I love to try as many different basses and amps and strings and effects as I can. It is research for me. Mostly the sideways comments and looks are almost always from guys with either limited funds or are jealous or just narrow minded otherwise I can’t see how they could see sharing as anything other than a positive thing especially if I’m giving someone else a great deal or have fixed an issue on a bass that was sold to me with no disclosure and I stopped that issue from going on and on. The best basses I have ever played were never new from what I can recall so it a gift when another lefty passes along an opportunity that might end up in my hands for a bit for me to explore and then also pass on. Maybe my view of all that gives gas is different from the mainstream but I do not think it fickle by any stretch. I certainly do not buy and sell to make money or like to deal with headaches of waiting for something to sell or get delivered.

Anyway I am glad to hear you love your bass man seriously I do I think it’s great. Just for me basses and gear I don’t take down the aisle to marry and proclaim forever death till us part as I already have a wife and for sure do not need another.

Totally agree with dealing with Rod. From the point of ordering my 55 heritage to the delivery, the detail of the build were posted on the net and emails. Rod is a great person to deal with. By the way the bass is still awesome, being my go to bass for my blues band.
Leftieray

Thumbslam, dude, I promise I don't give a shit what you or anybody does with their guitars and gear: First of all, it would make me a hypocrite because I've turned over so many effects in the last few years I honestly can't keep up. Secondly, it's not in my nature to judge what people spend their money on--if you can't see that I was just poking fun, then so be it. But let me reiterate that I meant nothing by it.

Sorry man I probably came off as a know it all jerk off.

Hey, it's hard to convey exactly what you mean when you are limited to only a keyboard. Everyone will (by necessity) take every word literally simply because they have no other choice. When you are making a joke, please use the smilies to indicate that. It cuts down on hard feelings....

+1 to Rod being a good guy to communicate with. Even though I made it clear that I was not buying something right then, he was extremely accomodating with me and getting me a quote on a dream bass. Very responsive, and gracious. Hope to put together the scratch to get one of his masterpieces someday.