Overwater Original Fretless

I found this bass on ebay,and felt lucky to get it.The bass has a similar design to a Gibson Thunderbird,and is the one that J.Entwhistle used for a while.The bass is Mahogany with a set neck,Ebony fingerboard.Schaller tuners and bridge.Overwater electronics,one humbucker pickup with an Ebony enclosure!The fretless sound is great,notes blossom well with good sustain.It gets that Percy Jones sound with ease.With one pickup at the bridge position (very close)it has a strong midrange growl,great for soloing,back off the treble and it has a strong voice for heavier supporting roles.It would be nice to have the 2 pickup version to extend the sonic capability,but this bass is a real find none the less.I contacted Chris May to discuss having a 6st made,and will do so when I can afford it.My main bass is a Fodera Monarch 4st,and I'm very happy with that,but this bass sounds so different from any other fretless I've played,it will always be in my line up.It also looks very cool,an "original" all the way.This is a simple bass,1 pickup,1vol.,1 tone control.All highest quality components-

I play in a "World Music"band.All that means is that we bend genres to create a sound that is unique,and hopefully enjoyable.We use Rock,jazz-rock-latin-Indian-etc.The fretless sound works best on songs that employ a more melodic approach to playing.It sounds great on our more exotic tunes,getting a cool sarod type sound.Sliding harmonics are a breeze,as the action is low,and the neck is very slim.Much like a Gibson Thunderbird.The Ebony fretboard and the unusual electronics,added to the pickup placement give this bass a very unique sound.A 2nd pickup would be nice.

I had the bass set up by Gerome Little (Little Guitars)and it plays great.After 20+ yrs the neck is straight,the finish is a little worn,but was applied with care as the color and sheen are still evident.The all Mahogany body is very good quality wood,and the Ebony fretboard is thick,and still in good condition.I wish I had known about these basses back in the 80's!

After 20+ years it still has a straight neck,the finish is beautiful and still has its sheen,the active electronics still work witout problems.Its solid

The people at Overwater are great.They are easy to work with and have a long reputation for building high quality instruments.There approach to bass building is unique and refreshing,as well as completely professional.

If I lost this bass I would try to find another vintage Overwater to replace it.I will be having a custom Overwater made soon.I really like there basses.