Rarebird JazzHawk

Early 80s custom neck- through construction fretless bass, Jazz syle on steroids body (looks like a Jazz mixed with a vintage Alembic). Handmade By Bruce Clay in Colorado, the motherland! The most beautiful bass you can imagine x 10, he uses high quality woods and makes amazingly solid instruments. I am not sure of the body woods but they are 3 pieces of beautifully matching woods, the neck is maple with the standard Fender- style line through the middle of the neck. Very solid neck construction with no truss rod! Weighs quite a bit- luthier used to be able to use nicer woods for less money, those days are over! Everything covered in an exquisite clear lacquer finish. Has active EMG P and J pickups with passive tone and 2 volume knobs. Schaller tuners and Badass bridge and brass nut.

I play through an Ampeg SVT Classic amp with an 810 cabinet and a Keeley modified Rat pedal for overdrive ( I highly recommend for bass).I just bought this bass used, but so far I've been able to get nothing but great sounds. I never liked EMG's before, but they sound perfectly natural in this bass. It can growl like no other fretless I have ever played or can be smoothed out to woo the most savage beast (cheesy description I know, but apt). Very full sound and warmer than any other bass I have played! Amazing sustain and no noise unless treble is turned up too high on my amp. I may change out the pickups eventually, but only because of personal preference (passive sounds massive!).

Despite being built with no truss rod, it still has maintained perfectly low action for 20 years! The finish is still perfect apart from one small crack (not in the wood) and an area on the headstock where it appears to have been hung on a bad stand of some sort and rubbed off the finish on an inch on either side. Actually, the finish on the binding between fretboard and neck is a little rough, but hardly noticeable. Don't know how it was originally as I bought it used.

Have only owned about 6 hours, but the bass is still in fantastic condition after 20 years, which is more than I could have said about myself at age 20! No truss rod is kind of scary to me, but it feels like I could take down an elephant with this bass without it losing tune, so only time will tell.

Never dealt with him but have heard mixed opinions.

I have been playing 10 years and own 5 other basses. Living in Denver I have been lucky enought to see Rarebirds around (they are made locally), and knew from the first time I saw one that I had to have one some day. These go for well over $1000 new (even more if you have it custom built) and you can never find them used. Well, I finally found one used, and in a style that I don't believe he makes anymore. If you want a beautiful looking and sounding instrument that noone else has, look no further. I can not imagine a nicer sound, appearance, feel, etc... I just wish I could afford a fretted one for a main bass!