6/10/08

While not everyone who visits this site may be aware, yesterday we lost a good friend in Adrian Garcia. Aside from being a first call bassist in Las Vegas and a consummate professional, Adrian has been a great friend to everyone who's ever had the pleasure of meeting him. He has been fighting cancer for years and in all that time he managed to not only keep a positive outlook, he always had a smile and a laugh to share. That is quite a task for anyone, but in Adrian's case it was a testament to his amazing spirit and his great heart.

Of course we are all saddened by this event but Adrian was never one to mope or to let himself get bogged down, so we are continuing with what we do. But we are arranging something to pay tribute to our friend and what we have learned from him. Stay tuned for more news on that front.

In different news...

Yes. You are looking at the actual official Nordstrand preamp. Technical information will be available soon and we are already using them in the Nordy bass line. Aside from the fact that it uses may wires in pretty colors, this is a very clean and musical piece of equipment. With all the controls at max, the tones generated are still usable. We've been really pleased with how this unit has performed in all the stages of research and development.

But wait! There's more!

With the demand for Nordstrand Pickups growing, we have brought another member onto the team! Meet Frankie...

Don't let the suave Nirvana/Metallica hat and the casual smile fool you: Frankie is all business and he's been a great asset to Nordstrand. Now if we could just get him to start giving the rest of us tips on achieving cool...

There will be more soon about all of the above and more. Thank you all for the support and enthusiasm. Without you there would be no reason for us to continue making strides.

5/7/08

As there has been so much interest in it, we thought it was time to give you some information on the Nordstrand Preamp. Does this mythical item actually exist? Does it live up to Carey's exacting standards? Well, take a look...

While the intial R&D was handled by others, the Big Cheese decided to take things into his own hands... literally! We have installed a couple of the pre-production versions of the pre into instruments for testing and to gauge their performance in real life, not just on paper or on the oscillascope.

So far it sounds great!!

It will be available in both 2- and 3-band versions, capable of being set up cative/passive and I believe it can be wired with a passive tone control. While the original idea was just to have it in just the rear rout instruments, it will be available on the basses with control plates as well.

This means that these will be available as an option for the Nordy line starting immediately. Several players wilth instruments currently in the queue have called and/or written to see if we can't adjust their orders to include the Nordstrand preamp.

In terms of sound and character, think of our pre as about half way between the organic nature of the Audere and the 'traditional' active sound of the Aguilar. The Nordstrand preamp is muscular but clean and still very open sounding.

There is even talk that one of our shop monkeys who favors passive instruments may install one in his newest build...

3/19/08

Just a quick not to let everyone know that there are descriptions of nearly everything in the Nordstrand Pickup line if you check in the Nordstrand Forum.

The pickups website is still being overhauled so email us if you have questions or just join the forum and post your questions there.

We still plan to update both sites with schematics, sound bytes and more. Bear with is a little longer please.

3/1/08

Greetings and my deepest apologies for lack of updates to the page. We have absolutely been caught up in a whirlwind since NAMM. Let me preface this by stating that your humble narrator spent one solid month sick, starting on the evening of January 20th, as I was driving home from the show. Since I shook (knocking on wood as I type... with great difficulty!) the majority of the malady, I have just been coughing up the gunk that's been clearing up the airway and returning to something like normalcy. When you combine that with the fact that we've made changes to the crew, the computer that I use and the software that I have grown accustomed to over the last years, you begin to see my little tiny portion of the whirlwind. We have also been swimming in new orders and new customers... Wacky!

So, as I did not get the time to do so before now, let me share some of the NAMM highlights. Most of the photos were mine, but others will be credited where credit is due.

First, let me point out that I did post a blog about this on my page over at myspace, so if you want to see some other pics and read about some randomeness that is not necessarily related to the shop, please head over and read my blog.

Now, on to the hooplah!

The big news this year was the announcement of our exotic top Nordy option. We brought a handful of these beauties to the show and they -- not surprisingly -- were a smash hit. The general consensus was that they looked fantastic but that they sounded and played even better! The fretless pictured below has a flame redwood top and Big Singles. It is Scott Pazera's personal bass, here in the hands of the one and only Baba Elefante...

The man flipped when he played it and immediately told Scott what an incredible bass he had. Very cool.

We had a host of visitors this year, from the usual suspects to some very cool new faces. From the former category we have Scott Pazera and Todd Johnson...

Lee Barker, creator of the Barker Bass, came by to discuss pickups and fashion with our own guru of both, Carey...

L.A. monster player and composer extraordinaire Steuart Liebig made the scene, too. Aside from the fact that he was playing a Fodera fitted with custom pickups designed by our own Mike Cooper (which sounded outrageous!), we got to hear Mr. Liebig in duet with Scott Pazera. It's rare that Steuart plays a standard, but when he does... WOW!

Who else made an appearance? Freakishly talented singer-songwriter Seth Horan (as captured here by his wife Gina)...

Aside from being an impassioned vocalist and a devastating lyricist, Seth just tears up a bass. This year I got to hear a handful of performances with a lot of material from his newest recordings and... MAN! Just heartbreakingly beautiful stuff. If you want to have some fun, swing by Seth's myspace page. He keeps an hillarious tour journal/blog and his photo gallery is not to be missed. Now we need to see about getting him some new p-ups in those fancy Warwicks he plays.

Next up, one of my best friends and a very cool new one...

Dead center is Yves Carbonne with his fretless lefty 12 string Jerzy Drozd Legend. As wild looking as the bass is, the way Yves plays is just incredible. There is a reason he is as sought by musicians all over the world! On the left of our goofy trio is Damian Erskine. It was his wife Cortney who snapped this pic and the next one. Since I first heard his playing I have been a fan of Damian's. Meeting him was just a treat. A very cool fellow and as unassuming a soul as you're likely to meet. Which leads me to one of my favorite NAMM moments ever...

Ray Riendeau swung by the Zon booth (right next to us this year) and jammed for a while with Damian. I rave about this on my blog, but this was some of the most intimate playing I've ever heard. These cats not only listened to one another, but they truly respected the spirit of the music they played. Their take on "Footprints" just slayed me!

So who else swung by? I'm glad you asked...

Scott Ambush of Spyro Gyra and Ambush Basses, seen here with Carey and Mairilio. Maybe it's just a bass player thing (is my personal bias showing?), but again here is a man with tremendous talent, staggering ability, one of the cooler gigs you're going to run into and just no ego to speak of! Now having Scott here was hip, but he also happened to pickup one of the new Nordy basses and...

Wow. Just wow. Great touch. Great note choice. DEEP pocket. And there was just so much joy when he played. It was truly an honor to have him come by. As an interesting footnote to this shot (credited to Maurilio, along with the one above -- although I'm not sure who's manning the camera in that one) is that the bass Scott's wielding here is the new one for Adrian Garcia! His first Nordy is named Purity and this one with its camphor top and Big Splits is named Charity. I wish we'd had a camera in hand when Adrian came by to play the beauty, but you will find an interview with Carey about it, as well as Jon Herrera talking about our vJ5, on Bass Player TV.

And that's it for this installment of "What's New" at Nordstrand. Now that we're basically healed up and starting to get a handle on things at the shop again, we should be able to get you some more timely additions to this page. We'll probably trim it back a bit and lose some of the older updates (does that make any grammatical sense?) soon so it does not take this page forever to load and I would advise you to read what you like from the older bits while you still can.

Thanks, as always, for your incredible support and encouragement. We truly would not be here with out you in our corner. Have a great weekend and keep an eye here for more soon!

2/19/08

Hello everyone. More updates soon. We've been really busy since the NAMM Show and are starting to see some daylight at the end of the tunnel. 

The forum is back up and running at http://x.nordstrandpickups.com.  Please pop in and see what's happening and make a comment if you feel like it.

Thanks!

1/15/08

Happy New Year, everyone! I realize how long it has been since the last update to this page, but there has been a lot going on in the shop since you heard from us last. Like what, you ask? Well, let me tell you!

First off, new members of the crew...

Meet Mo'. He is not actually a giant but his contribution to bass assmbly and set up is huge. Hailing from Switzerland, Maurilio is an instructor at M.I. and a gigging player in Los Angeles. His humor and sunny disposition (this photo was not posed) really keep things moving smoothly around the shop.

This is Alex, the latest addition to the pickup department. A quick study and a multi-instrumentalist, he brings a lot to the table. In addition to everything he is doing for Coop, he is helping me with the packing and shipping.

We're really glad to have both of these guys in the roster and hope you will welcome them to the fold.

As many of you know the NAMM show is this week so we are up to our collective eyes in work. Everyone is really cranking extra hard to make sure there is plenty in the booth for fans of both basses and pickups. Among the highlights for us are a few changes to the Nordy line. The most significant is the inclusion of exotic tops to the option list. Here are 2 bodies for basses that will be at the show...

This stunning flame redwood topped body (seen here before finish was sprayed) is destined to get a fretless neck and you will not believe how incredible the completed instrument looks or sounds!

This photo hardly does justice to the bass as it will be when completed. The flame koa top looks deep enough to dive into and swim through. Outrageous!

But I have come to accept that you guys really dig the custom shop instruments. So be it. There was a fair amount of discussion of the SC5 bound for New York. Here is a shot I managed to snap before it got hardware, pickups and strings...

Again, the photo does no justice to a superb instrument. The walnut top has flame both horizontally and vertically, which makes it incredibly stunning. The fretboard has not been waxed yet in this shot so its true character hasn't come to the fore. It will be incredibly elegant and the Dual Coils will provide it with a tonal palette that will be difficult to match.

This myrtle topped NX5 was shipped near the end of last year and everyone in the shop flipped out (although I don't know why we still do at this point) when we got to play and hear it. It is a remarkably natural and fast instrument, both responsive and sophisticated. We loved it and were sad to send it to its new home.

Now I would hardly be honest if I gave you the impression that we have nothing else up our sleeve for the show, but it will be a treat for anyone who can make it there. And that will be a treat for both the eyes and ears. I'm not just referrnig to our suave leader, either. For those who can make it to the show, we will be at Booth 5395 in Hall B of the Anaheim Convention center and we would love to see you.

Updates will return to some semblance of normalcy after the show, so stay tuned and thanks as always for your support and enthusiasm!

11/30/07

Finally! An update that took less than a month! In all honesty we're turning out more pickups and instruments than ever before and we're still having a hard time keeping up with demand. Part of this is due to the recent review in Bass Player magazine, in which a pair of Nordy basses -- an active ash/maple and a passive alder/rosewood (both vJ5's) were given the Editor's Choice award! We're tremendously honored and totally excited about this but that is mixes with a bit of trepidation as this will inevitably lead to use being even busier!!

But we're glad that people are digging the basses. More than glad in fact. We're so pleased that we've upped production! Here is a new bass, heading shortly to our newest dealer, Bass Specialties in Philadelphia...

And we're about to ship this beauty to the UK...

For once I don't have to apologize for the pic... 'cause I didn't take it!! We will likely get a fresh shot or two of this bass soon, but for now you (like the player) will have to deal with just this tiny image. What you can't really tell from this image is that the fretboard is not just birdseye, but it's the same "fishscale" birdseye that was used on the NX5 that was featured in the March 8th installment to this page.

It was also used on this bass...

Meet Jim's NX5. This beauty is as tonally lush as it is aesthetically appealing. The parallel wound Dual Coils and Aguilar OBP-3 preamp combine with the ash body, maple/wenge neck, wenge transition block and beautiful myrtle top/headstock veneer to produce a wonderful array of sounds. This instrument is a truly functional work of art!

I can't promise you we'll have one or more big updates in December as we're gearing up for NAMM and there are a few surprises to be announced at that point. Hang in for more!

11/07/07

Okay, at this point you're probably expecting an apology for the huge gap in updates to this page but for once (twice?) I am not throwing an 'I'm sorry' at you guys. Things at the shop have been completely insane and they show no signs of tapering off any time soon.

Rather than going on about basses, as is the norm here, I'm going to show you some of what the pickup department does. What it's capable of doing.

For those who have read the "Players" page lately, you may have noticed a Chilean bassist named Igor Saavedra. He is one of the busiest and best known players in South America whose reputation as a sideman is only equalled by his reputation as a clinician, as a regular columnist for Bajista magazine and for his singular instrument, an extremely custom 8 string single course bass. We were recently contacted to build him a set of pickups which would be as custom as the instrument they were destined to inhabit. While we have made a number of pickups which could be described as custom, these were truly works of playable art.

Igor designed the movable ramp which houses the p-ups, something he calls the mic ramp, and he paid us a great honor by attaching our logo to the inside cover so no one would confuse the manufacture of the pickups. And how do they fit in the bass? See for yourself!

This is what no one sees. The guts of the instrument. But who's heard these pickups since they were built and installed on Igor's bass? Why the attendees of his recent Master Class!

Still not enough for you? Fine. Then we turn you over to the good people at YouTube who are hosting some video footage from the recent event. What's interesting about the video is that Igor changes over at one point and starts playing a $200 four string. Why is this interesting? Because this bass was not regarded as anything spectacular until a Nordstrand MM4.2 was installed in it and... Well, you can hear for yourself how good it sounds. And this is only the mic off a camcorder!! We will post links soon with Igor's current sound... Be prepared!!

Other things of note. Keep an eye out on bass magazines for a review of the Nordy! I will not divulge which periodical, but it is available on most news stands and in most book stores. I was also interviewed for Bass Guitar Magazine and that article appears in the current issue, #33.

I know I'd hoped to show you more of Jim's NX5 and the SC5 bound for New York in this installment but there has not been time to get and edit good shots for you. Soon, I promise!

As always, we thank you for your support and enthusiasm. Your emails and comments in our forum, as well as in other online forums, means more to us here than you know. Thank you all so much!

Take care and we'll have more for you soon!

9/27/07

Apologies once again for the wait before we post new goodies to the page, but we have been BUSY!! Aside from our usual production of instruments and pickups, we are working on streamlining our operation in general. This means some improvements to the administrative end of things as well as really tightening up teamwork here in the shop. The goal is to maintain quality and reduce turnaround time on bass and pickup orders.

And speaking of our orders...

This Sea Foam Green vJ5 recently made its way to Atlanta Discount Music. With its alder body, rosewood fretboard and J-coils this thing is a fingerstyle bassist's dream. This photo was taken in natural light but in a shaded area and you do not get a real sense of the color. Maybe this will prove a bit more illuminating...

The bass is fitted with an Audere JZ3 preamp which features a passive tone control in addition to the 3-band EQ and the Z-Mode Switch, so there is a truly impressive tonal palette at the player's fingers... literally!

But you guys are really curious about the custom shop stuff, aren't you? So be it...

Another gargantuan photo for you cats! Here you can see the progress on Jim's NX5 and the SC5 which is destined for shipping to New York. What's truly frightening about these basses is that while they are eye grabbing now, they are still waiting for finish to be sprayed! The lighting here is less than ideal but the myrtle on the NX and the walnut on the SC are going to be staggeringly beautiful. And the fingerboards are great complements to the tops.

If you haven't done so in a while, you may want to check out the Players page. There have been a couple of great additions. You will links to monster instrumentalist Igor Saavedra and one of the most prestigious low end boutiques in South America, Probass - Chile. Not enough? Well, you can see 2 of our new Nordy players, Darron and Paul, and their gorgeous axes.

Our next update will show these basses in a much different light, so until then, stay well and thanks for waiting!

8/20/07

Even though it has been more than one month since you got to feast your eyes on a new update I'm not going to apologize. We have been insanely busy and -- literally -- running all over the place to get the Nordstrand name out there. Our first stop: the Lodo Bass Bash.

My new Nordy made the scene in performance:

Cindy Sheffield Michaels captured this image of Edo Castro and Yves Carbonne soloing over Miles Davis' and Marcus Miller's amazing "Tutu" while I, trusty vJ5 in hand, locked the groove. The ash/maple monster with its Big Singles made a definite impact, even when played in the same ensemble as Edo's 7 and Yves fretless lefty 12 string.

We also ran clinics:

Carey discussed pickups and how they affect tone. Now before anyone points out the fact that the bass he's holding is noy a Nordstrand, it must be stated that the instrument in question houses as its sole pickup a custom Fat Stack 8. Carey's seminar was one of the most interactive of all the events during the 3 day low end extravaganza. Photo courtesy Cindy Sheffield Michaels.

My clinic focused on the 'meat and potatoes' aspects of playing, about getting and keeping a gig. Discussions included choosing reliable gear, keeping a positive outlook and learning as much as possible about maintaining both of those things while working. Photo courtesy of Cindy Sheffield Michaels.

But things were not slacking here in the shop during our absence:

Hide was making basses like a fiend! These are only the bodies that were rough cut. There are also several instruments he was hand sanding, both bodies and necks.

While I have generally made a point of highlighting Nordies a lot recently, I do not want you to think that we have been slacking off on the custom instruments:

This is Jim's NX5, which has been shown a bit in recent updates. Here you can see it in clamps, before any of the refined work is done. Not enough for you?

These two shots reveal the 'raw' instrument. The ears are still attached and the heel joint is not even roughed out.

But it quickly blossoms into something that takes your breath! Wait 'til you cats see the next round of shots!

Thank you for bearing with us. Remember you can now also find Nordstrand on myspace and there is a blog up on Stew's myspace page about Lodo and Duke City.

More updates coming soon!

7/13/07

Just a quick announcement, everyone.

We are more than happy to answer any questions we get through the pickups website form, but please make sure you include your entire email address or we can't write you back! Putting just a name in the 'Name' and 'Email' fields means we have no way to contact you.

So if you write to us and don't hear back, it's not that we're blowing you off, it may simply be that we don't have your email address!

Thanks and have a great weekend.

7/9/07

Still not quite down to a weekly update (has that ever been the case??) but I'm proud to bring you this blurb in under a month. Maybe I need slightly more ambitious goals...

First, and foremost it is with great pleasure I introduce (or re-introduce for some of you) the latest addition to the Nordstrand crew... Hideaki!

Once again, I apologize for my lack of photographic expertise but here are a few things to counterbalance my ineptitude with the camera: 1) We have a woodworker again! This means production will not slow on the bass half of things. 2) We have a ridiculously talented woodworker! This means that quality will stay high for anyone who was concerned about it. 3) Hide (pronounced 'He-day' for those not hip to Nihongo) is a great guy with a positive outlook. This means that spirits around the shop will stay high so you can count on more goofiness coming your way through this site, though our forum and through company communications and correspondence in general.

What else have I got for you? While it is not so glamorous as the custom and Nordy bass eye candy to which you've grown accustomed, here is another ingredient into the Nordstrand mix...

That's right! The Nordstrand signature gigbags are finally here! They are well constructed, solid and have plenty of room for sheet music, strings, tools, cables and even a small change of clothes. Well, maybe just an extra shirt if you're already packing the aforementioned goodies, but it's a handsome case and one we're proud to add to the list of options on the vJ series of instruments.

More eye candy for you all soon but I'm late for rehearsal and I still need to shut the shop down for the night!

Stay well and keep checking in with us for more good stuff!

6/21/07

Yes, it has been ages since we've had an update and I do apologize heartily but the loss of a single cog in the machine hit us far harder than we thought. We will have another update for you all very soon because we are finally getting a new wood worker. I do not want to take away from the surprise or the drama but things on the bass building end will soon be back in synch with pickups production. Both halves of the business should really start to roll not too long after that.

And speaking (writing) of production, here are a few of the lovelies completed recently...

This shot was actually snapped weeks ago and these as well as 2 others were finished and tested before shipping to their new dealers and/or owners. The Sherwood Green 5 on the left is actually Carey's personal instrument and has been making the rounds in L.A. recently. It debuted at a TalkBass get together a few weeks ago and a session player friend of ours has had it on loan. I'll see if I can get some pics snapped of Carey with his proud baby once it comes back to the fold. Both the Candy Apple Red 5 and the Daphne Blue 4 are two of three basses bound for Sleek Elite of Japan. The Root Beer 5 is half of a pair Carey built for Steamco Music of Manitoba, Canada. The final Nordy is a natural ash/maple 5 with black blocks and binding for the one and only Blueberry Hill Bass of Chicago. Illinois.

The latest on the Nordy line? We're sending 2 very different basses in for review in a high profile music industry publication. We don't know when it will go to press but as soon as we know, you'll know.

Now, before anyone gets up in arms about the lack of "in progess" shots of custom instruments...

This is Jim's NX5 with the neck and top in place. Another shot? Okay...

What you can't tell from my (still) horrible skills on a digital camera is that the fretboard us our now infamous "fish scale" birdseye maple. The myrtle of the top (and matching headstock veneer) is just going to explode in the most beautiful way once finish is applied to it. This --when combined with the northern ash body, 3-piece maple/wenge/maple neck, Dual Coil pickups and an Aguilar preamp -- is sure to create an incredible sounding and playing instrument!

As I wrote in the beginning, we have been hit really hard with the departure of Chris and our collective workload has increased dramatically but with our new woodworker and the pickup department really getting things dialed in, we are very optimistic.

Thanks as always for your patience, understanding and support. The quality of our products and the diversity of our offerings remain as important to us as our customers and with your encouraging messages in the forum, in email and over the phone we are never lacking for incentive. You guys are the best!

5/8/07

Today is a day of much news, some of it good and some of it bad. First up, we have a less than ideal pic of Aaron...

Whoa! That's a big pic! Well, in all fairness so is his contribution to the shop. While he is only working part time Aaron is really helping us with pickup production! Welcome to the shop, man!

Now on to something a bit less up and light. Over the last year you have learned a bit about our main woodworker, Chris Bakken. He has been an absolutely invaluable mamber of the shop, both in terms of production and as a great personality. He has decided to return to Minnesota, his family, friends and his girlfriend. While we will miss "Rockin'" Bakken, we absolutely understand his decision. We do not expect anyone to step in to his (stylish and once burned) shoes, but we wish him happiness and great success. Everyone should keep an eye out for a new builder in the Midwest before too long!

As you might guess, this will affect bass production a bit. To compensate for that there will be no new custom bass orders taken until we hire someone new and get him or her up to speed. Many of you will remember the 5 custom slots that we opened last October. While no official notice was made, the last of those orders was taken just recently. This means that only orders yet to be placed through dealers will be affected. Nordy production will not be affected at all.

But now that the word custom has been mentioned, it's time for me to bring up the final order of business today. Custom pickup orders. We have every intention of continuing to make custom p-up orders. With two extended range bassists working under the roof it would be a bit hypocritical of us to stop. However... what few people understand is that each custom pickup must be engineered (a time-consuming process) and then assembled by hand. It is extraordinarily difficult to maintain normal production while incorporating custom work at the same time. We are about to intitute a policy of separate invoicing for custom orders. This means that things which are not stock (non-standard pole spacing, wiring, winding, et cetera) will be batched separately from regular orders. While we do not want to do this it is the only way to keep our current backorder time from increasing. We will send word out to our dealers soon about the specifics of ordering custom pickups and what the wait time will be on them very soon.

Sorry I am not giving you guys more in the way or eye candy and positive news but there will be some soon. Never fear!!

We are always streamlining our operation and trying to balance out the escalating demand for our products with larger orders and the company's growth. As always, none of this would be possible without your enthusiasm, support and general coolness. You guys truly are the best. Thank you for always being there and for always encouraging us.

5/4/07

Things here at Nordstrand have been nothing but crazy since I last posted an entry here. Bass orders are strong and steady while pickup orders continue to escalate. In fact, we have hired another new employee to help offset the ever-increasing demand for our p-ups. In the coming installments of this page you will meet Aaron, the new new guy. Unfortunately there just has not been time to snap a pic of him... yet.

So what sorts of things did I snap pics of for this version of the"What's New" page? I'm glad you asked!

First, we have one of the more unusual Nordies built to date...

This photo does not really give you an idea of just how unique the Daphne Blue shading is. Along the same lines you get no sense of how lovely the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard looks. This beauty is equipped with NJ4SV pickups, run passive in a volume/volume/tone configuration. I could tell you it sounds and plays outrageously well, but that really doesn't let you know just how well. We wish this vJ4 a safe journey to Japan where we are sure it will find a great home.

Next up we have a shot of a primary ingredient in any bass: The neck. Three necks, actually...

The first is a maple/wenge/maple neck with a stunning birdseye maple fretboard and a truly wild myrtle headstock laminate. This is bound for an NX5. Next down we have a cocobolo fretboard with a walnut veneer for the headstock which will all be matched to a 3-piece maple neck. The bass will be an SC5. Finally, while it looks like a fretted neck, you are looking at what will be a lined fretless pink ivory fingerboard on a spruce neck. The SC5 to which it will be fit promises to be one of the wilder basses to leave the shop this year. As always, my ability with a camera is less than great and you will be more than pleasantly surprised to see how this trio blossoms over the coming weeks.

Unfortunately this is all I've got for you guys right now but there will be more goodies and soon upon which you will be able to feast your ocular orbs.

Be well and keep an eye on this page!

4/9/07

Yes, once again I have taken ages to get you all some eye candy and news of the Nordstrand world, however this once I will not apologize. We have been slammed and are just up to our collective eyeballs in work. Custom basses are taking life, Nordies are flying out the door and pickups are being assembled and shipped at a pace that is staggering. Add to that the fact that our computer nearly died (but didn't thanks to some great work on Carey's part!) and you have quite a mix!

So where do I begin with today's update? Let's work in reverse order of all that I mentioned above... Computer excepted!

Pickups. Pickups, pickups, pickups!! The site is still being overhauled but you can preview some of what lies ahead in the forum where we have added sections including complete descriptions of the entire model line as well as some wiring diagrams. When the pickups site is totally renovated we will have sound clips as well. Please browse around and keep an eye out for updates there and here.

New this year are the addition of EMG 40 and 45 sized pickup covers for the Signature Series. Carey is also engineering some things for the 35 sized covers but that is not yet complete. What do they look like? Well, here is a set of the newest model pickup, the Big Split, in EMG 45 shells. Kinda sexy, huh?

Still hardly qualifies as a reason to delay the updates more than a month, though, right? Right. So take a ganger at this:

What you are looking at is not a bunch of orders waiting to be divided up and shipped. This is part of one order!! Read that again. This is just a part of a single order. How many orders are in the queue right now? As of this morning there are 62 orders up on the board. While Coop and Patrick do a spectacular job, they are still only 2 guys and they work feverishly. Relentlessly. Mercilessly. When you take into account that every single custom pickup has to be engineered, even if it is based on an existing design, the fact that this pair cranks out as much product -- and we are talking very serious quality product -- is just mind-blowing!

Of course we are always looking to increase our productivity and efficiency. The pickup department is growing at an unprecedented pace and we could not be happier about this. While most people associate the Nordstrand name with instruments and amazing attention to detail, Michael Cooper and Patrick Lujan are the real unsung heroes around here.

But now that I've mentioned basses, I would be remiss if I didn't start shelling out the eye candy, right? Okay, here we go.

Nordy production is in full swing. Now that we are doing everything in-shop, we have so much more control over the basses. We still have to wait on parts like hardware, preamps and pickguard material, but since we carve the necks and bodies from wood hand-picked but Carey and Chris we are not at the mercy of anyone for the lion's share or work on these beauties. The only other thing that happens to the basses outside of the shop is that they are painted elsewhere, but again, this frees Chris and Carey up to focus on making the instruments. Maybe in a future "What's New" installment I will snap a pic of Chris' assmebly schedule... Very impressive!

But where are the goodies, you ask? Why, right here! This is a neck bound for Japan... Oh! Pun so not intended!

As you can see the Brazilian rosewood 'board has already been bound and cut for block inlays. The next time you see this bass it will be matched up to a painted body. A Daphne Blue body, to be completely accurate.

Here are a vJ4 and vJ5 which have just shipped to Canada...

In terms of 'vintage' instruments, these are 2 of the most popular combinations. A natural finished ash/maple or a burst on an alder/rosewood Nordy seem to be in demand more than most. It isn't hard to see why, though!

What else was there? Something... Something... What was it?

Ah! Custom basses! You junkies wanted to see more of the top shelf stuff. So be it.

This stunning piece of myrtle will be the source for the top of Jim's new NX5...

Obviously the naphtha used to highlight the figure in this photo will be very different from the final look of the bass, but WOW!! As a player who has come to work among these artist-craftsmen I am always learning. Trees are like people in that they have their own personalities. No 2 tops are the same, even when you see 2 that are similar. This, while still a staggeringly beautiful piece of wood, will be substantially different from Aram's, the most recently completed bass with a myrtle top. Here is the rough stuff. We can't wait to see it blossom!

Here is an SC destined for Brooklyn's Groove Shoppe...

Now remember, there's no finish on the bass, I'm a lousy photographer and these are far from ideal lighting conditions. This walnut top is just going to explode when the finish is applied. The color of the cocobolo fingerboard is going to settle into a far more 'standard' (read "less yellow") color as well.

And here's the big surprise. After years of people talking about wanting Spruce Geese of their own, the first real Goose variant is being built...

The pink ivory 'board on this bad boy is just outrageous, as is the bear claw spruce for the top. Rather than apologizing for my photographic ineptitude I'll simply let the bass transform before your eyes over the coming updates. She'll be quite different from the Goose we all know and love.

Now stop sending me email asking for updates or I will make you wait even longer!

Kidding! I'm kidding!

Things are moving at break-neck speed and we are doing our best to stay on top of things and to bring you guys along for the ride. There are great things in the future and we can't wait to share with you. Your support is appreciated more than you know. Thanks for all your kind words and input. Keep an eye on the website and the forum; We promise you serious goodies soon!

3/8/07

I know, I know... This is long overdue and I apologize profusely but things have been nothing but crazy since NAMM. First, Patrick is settling into things swimmingly and pickup production is really coming along nicely. This is great as we have picked up a bunch of new customers and all our regular customers are all ordering much much more than was the case even a few months ago.

As I have probably been a bit too verbose in the last installments this edition of "What's New" will focus more on the visual. By now everyone knows we're very excited about and proud of the Nordy line of basses. We had planned to unveil this at NAMM but insead are sharing with you here the bass which spearheaded the entire project: Serial number 1!

This beauty will end up in the hands of none other than Jay of Blueberry Hill Bass. Unfortunately for everyone reading this (and fortunately for Jay), this bass is not for sale. Yes. You are not mistaken. This candy apple red vJ4 with blocks, binding and split J-coils is the personal bass of the Midwest's pre-eminent bass dealer. From personal experience -- and everyone here in the shop will vouch for this -- this bass' looks do not compare with its sound and playability. It's a killer!

Of course the Nordy project is not what initially drew people to this page. Everyone loves the custom shop instruments and we've got one or two of those to tickle your fancy today.

Yes, this is the same NX5 from the last installment. The figure in the redwood looks a bit muted in this shot but that is the fault of the photographer and not the instrument or its lovely satin finish. There is a subtle amber tint added to the mix since last you saw her and the overall character is creamy.

The figure is a bit more visible here and now you can actually see the bloodwood transition block. Not hideous, eh?

I mentioned the crazy birdseye in the fretboard last time and I wanted everyone to have some idea of what I meant. This will still not give you any idea of the extent and depth of the figure because in preson it looks almost like fish scales. It's just out of this world!

Here is Vincent's lefty NX6 after it came back from finish but before the satin was give a hand rub treatment by the mighty and macho Chris Bakken. The colors are really in beautiful balance and it is truly a dignified instrument. This shot was taken last week and today...

... it's even further along. Sadly, the lighting and background in this shot combined to give this pic and unfortunate and inaccurate green tint. The bass really has a majestic look which will really gel when we have the cocobolo knobs on it and everything is in place.

This striking piece of crotch walnut is destined for an SC5 which will find its way to New York's Groove Shoppe. Aside from figure generally associated with this cut of wood, this piece has very unusual vertical flames which are really striking. We're all really excited to see this bass take life!

We're hoping now that everyone has recovered from NAMM and that we're all (knocking on wood as I type this) getting over all of our various NAMM-related maladies, as Pat starts fitting into things better, we're hoping for something not unlike equilibrium around here which means more frequent updates once again. Thanks as always for your patience and support!

2/16/07

Greetings from the world of Nordstrand! My apologies for the horrid lag in giving you your fix of eye candy but a bunch of us got horribly sick after NAMM and we're only now starting to get better. On the lighter side, we've hired Patrick to help us with pickup production and things are getting dialed in quickly.

Patrick is a Leo. Turn ons include pasta, porcelain curios, and of course shooting lasers from his eyes. No, no. no... He's actually a local cat who's very cool, has a wicked sense of humor and learns really quickly. As with Chris you'll be hearing more about him over the coming months. Welcome to the shop, man!

Many of you have noticed our recent update to the players page. For those who have not, you can now check out Jamiroquai's groove monster Paul Turner playing his beautiful Nordy in the studio on a recent session. If you have not heard what this man can do, check out any of the many videos online featuring him. His playing on the band's greatest hits album, particularly the tune "Runaway", jumps out of the speakers.

What? You want to see basses? Okay, okay! Here's a shot of Vincent's lefty NX6. It's ready to go to finishing, which is why it doesn't have the naphtha to give it that deep majestic coloring you saw in the last shot. The next time you see it will be post finish and it should be an absolute heartbreaker...

Next we have Jon's NX5. This bass has a solid figured redwood body, an insanely beautiful birdseye maple fretboard and maple covers for the passive Big Singles.

This shot hardly does justice to the way this bass will look once finish is applied.

We try not to mention the pickups here since most everyone is after peeks at beautiful luthierie and exotic woods, but sometimes Coop and Chris make something that's too cool to let slide. Now custom pickups require a fair amount of engineering and occasionally hand made pickup covers. This means that the wait for them is often significantly longer than what people are used to. They are also more expensive. But sometimes they simply have to be shown off.

Such is the case with this wild set of J-coils for Jean Baudin. The unusual nature of the set required that the builder engineer the instrument from the pickups and we're all excited to see how it turns out...

Along the same lines, the guys went to town and completly recreated the Fat Stack for a bass for me. You'll not the way the pole pieces are rotated slightly across the length of the pickup. This is to accommodate the difference in string excursion between the ultra low F# and the nearly stationary high F natural string. The result is a magnificently balanced sounding p-up...

So we wish everyone a great weekend and thank you for your continued support. You cats will love our next update which will come in significantly less time than this one took. Stay well and take care!

1/30/07

Just a quick note to let everyone know that there will be a real update soon to let you know about NAMM but... we just found out that there was a glitch in both of our email accounts. All the email sent to us between January 17th and January 24th was in limbo somewhere and it just got dumped on us today! If you or somone you know fits that description, please bear with us: WE ARE WORKING THROUGH EVERYTHING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN!!

As an added bonus, all the images captured in Carey's camera from the show were lost. So if you have some pics from the show (performances by Dominique Di Piazza, Paul Turner, the mighty ScoPaz or Rufus Philpot for instance), please forward them to us and we will put them up on the site, giving you full credit for them.

We will have some great bass pics for you soon and possibly some of the craziest pickup photos you've ever seen, so hang tough!

1/8/07

Happy New Year, everyone! We hope your celebrations were great and that the transition into 2007 has been a smooth one. Here at the shop we've been gearing up for the NAMM show and are really excited. Today's update is actually more a teaser than anything but there will be no apology for that.

We've been focusing more on the Nordy project here on the "What's New" page for a while and it seems appropriate, particularly given the time of year, to remind everyone what it was that established Carey's name: custom basses.

Welcome to the second 7 string to come through production here at Nordstrand, a set neck NX7 for our good friend, Edo...

Remember that finish has not been applied to this and that frets, pickups and hardware are yet to be installed. This instrument features an alder body, a cocobolo fretboard and quilted sapele for the top and headstock laminate. The black veneer line really adds a touch of elegance to the bass.

The outrageous neck is maple and wenge with a maple veneer line down the middle. You'll notice the koa transition block is separated from the neck by an additional maple veneer. Not too shabby.

Bearing in mind that this is an unfinished instrument, I think you'll agree that this is going to be out of this world. And why is it making the update page now? Because this bass is not only making its debut at NAMM next week, but that is also when we're presenting it to Edo. You guys think he'll be happy with it? ;)

Alright, back to the business of running business! We'll try and get you one more update before we head to Anahiem next week, but until then take care and stay well.