LeftyBassist.com

Hello everyone,
I just want to share with you my new experience with an unknown instrument maker called Igor Keller in Slovakia.

I found him by mistake on ebay while I was looking for a left-hand neck. I saw that this guy was selling jazz bass neck replica of a '64 Fender he made. For a rare time I was browsing ebay without the lefty research and when I found that neck, in my head it was a lefty but it wasn't. So I contacted him and said I was sorry about my mistake and he said to me "No problem, I will make a lefty for you". Why I wanted a neck from him? Because he was in Slovakia, home of my favorite NHL goaltender Jaroslav Halak. My intention was to have the neck signed by him during summer if possible during the World hockey championship in ....Slovakia. It didn't happen of course and Igor was really sorry about it and I didn't even have big expectations about that to start with. So he did the neck and after seeing pictures of it I said to him "can you make a left-hand replica of a 64 Jazz body as well?" He said "of course". And I ordered a 3 tone sunburst with a tortoise pick-guard. By the meantime, Igor got in touch with a journalist that follows Halak in the NHL and talked about my intention to have the instrument signed by him during his visit in Montreal for the game between the St-Louis Blues and the Montreal Canadians. Halak used to be with the Canadians and made an incredible impression during the 2010 play-offs on the fans even as a second goalie that overpassed the No.1. Great story that moved me a lot. The underdog that makes it big even if the organization kind of spitted on him and he saved theirs asses off from day 1 with the big team. Anyway, I got an email response from Jaroslav Halak himself last week after I wrote him a email about my intention to have him autograph a bass hand-maded in Slovakia for a fan of his in Montreal and agree to meet me to sign the bass.

I got the bass yesterday (neck and body assembled). Great workmanship and quality woods here for a ridiculous price. A total of $770 US and shipping cost of $92 from Slovakia to Canada that took less then a week by postal services. I bought some parts on ebay (tuning pegs,bridge and tubes) that he provided links for. I order pu from a local guy here, Lauzon who has a great reputation at making very high quality stuff and an extra Audere preamp that I will try. I have the feeling that this bass will be a top weapon in my collection on top of that.

These are some of the pics he sent me and they don't give enough credits imo to the quality of his work but it will give you an idea. I don't know how much would cost warmoth parts but these are hand-made for me by a true passionate builder and I really love that since my main bass that I play professionally for more then 20 years is a custom built that surpass everything I have tried so far.

Vive le travail of the creators, the passionates and underdogs like us, lefties

Sly

PS I will post pics of the actual autograph with Jaro Halak in january. I look so forward to that and to assemble the whole bass next week.

WOW!
Je suis speechless

Too bad the pics don't show as much the quality of his work. The neck is thin and will be fast and the alder body has a good resonance and the finish is really good for a hand-made bass. When I think I bought a Fodera body and fretless neck that was made for somebody that didn't buy it and they were hanging for years in the shop and I paid $1500 for and finally sold it, I think this guy is worth it a try. And he knows already how to make left-handed basses

Great quality in the woods and workmanship and a very affordable price for us.

I am impressed! I can't wait to read your review after you got it up and running and to start my import business.

Sweet! Is he strictly a "Fender clone, bolt on" kinda guy, or does he (or has he expressed any willingness to) cross over into "Gibson clone and/or set neck" territory?

I'm getting a 64' lefty jazz neck made from him right now too. He sent me a couple pictures of your bass when he had just finished it up. I want to get him to make me a lined fretless too. here are a couple pictures of my neck in progress its a 64' spec with flame maple and banjo frets. hopefully going to be super fast!

Hey that is great. How did you know about him?

I don't know.

I asked Oscar here if he knew him since they are both from Sloviakia, he told that a friend guitar player had a 7 strings guitar from him and was really happy about it. 7 strings guitars are not too standard.

I found him through eBay too... I was after a custom neck but i wanted something a little more personal than warmoth

interesting ...

just for information : what is the body wood type of the 62 RI Jazz in the photo of the first post ? It doesn't seem to be alder or ash ...

He told me that it is alder.

In any case there are a lot of alder trees in central Europe so I would not doubt that.

Just got an email to say my neck is on its way!

Wow beautiful Chris.

I love the grain on the neck.

I wonder about your price - 770$ for Body and Neck - as in his ebay shop there are only expensive parts listed (Neck for 600$, Basses for >2000$). Do you know exactly what the Body and the Neck seperately were? I'd be really interested in that, as he might be the luthier for my next project

I don't know either. When I saw his add on ebay, the neck was $600 also but I asked him a favor and he couldn't do it. So I don't know, may be he felt guilty about it ;p.

It was if I remember correctly something like 400 for the neck and around 300 for the body. I also know that this bass is kind of a promo for him.

Anyway with all the parts it comes to somewhere around $1300 which is good because this bass is becoming one of my fav so far.


Hope this helps,

Sly

Last update,

Here is my Igor Keller bass. 64' replica jazz Bass with split-coils PU from a local guy called Lauzon and fitted with an Audere preamp JZ3.........................And oh, signed by my favorite hockey player last nite, Jaroslav Halak from Slovakia.

This bass is awesome and I think it will be ny fav Jazz even if I have a 72 and a 76.

Here it is from last night meeting with Jaro himself:

Sly, that's Halak wearing the parka and long hair, right?

Hahaha

The other one is Jaro Pastorius !!