Buncombe Built Exhibit Opening

 Me, Billy Radd, and some of the quirky instruments I've Built on display

Laura Graziano, cellist, Steve Miller, instrument maker, and Derek Graziano, musician, luthier and lapidarist. 

Kitty Love welcoming attendees to the show

Last Friday evening, the Asheville Area Arts Council held an opening for their Bunbombe Built Exhibition of musical instruments built in our county. Held at the AAAC Gallery in Asheville's Grove Arcade, the three-hour event was hosted by Executive Director Kitty Love, and curated by Linda Go and Gar Ragland.

As far as I could tell, a good time was had by all. I certainly had fun talking to the public about why and how I make instruments out of film cans and cigar boxes.

The Babicz FCH Difference

Yesterday I replaced the stock bridge which came on my 2014 Gibson SG Special Bass, that I received from Anita Gayle last year for my birthday, with a beautiful Babicz FCH (Full Contact Hardware) eCam Saddle System. The resulting increase in the tone of my bass is dramatic with much more dynamic range. I liked my Gibson SG Bass before, but now? I love it!

The FCH saddle also allows hight adjustment of each individual string and the ability to fully lock down the bridge saddle so that string height and intonation adjustments remain secure even when changing strings, features not found with my original stock saddle.

Jeff Babicz designed his FCH to gain the maximum amount of direct string coupling to the body of the instrument providing over 50 times more contact service per saddle compared to the conventional stock saddle. In fact, the new 2015 version of the Gibson SG Special Bass and other models now come stock with a Babicz saddle just like my new one.

It literally took me only 10 minutes to change out the old bridge with the FCH and adjust and set the intonation of each string. And, tricked out with some RotoSound black nylon flat-wound strings, I suspect that my bass looks and sounds like no other (I might be wrong about that, but I'm sure there are not too many other bass guitars with this particular combination/setup at this moment).

So, all in all, this is the best upgrade I have made on any of my stringed instruments - bar none.