Paul Rhoney » Bass VI

Custom Control Plate Fever!

Paul Rhoney — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:52:55 +0000

I’m currently taking orders for the next round of my custom control plates. These are precision laser cut 2mm thick stainless steel plates. I countersink the screw holes and buff polish them right in my shop. The price is generally $40 shipped in the US ($45 int’l) for each plate. Total order turnaround time can be a matter of months, but I’ve finally got a good reliable method for polishing them down, so I’m hoping to get this next round out a lot quicker.

Here’s a gallery of plates I’ve made in the past. Some of these photos are by me, others are by my so-far 100% satisfied customers.

The Korina VI

Paul Rhoney — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:02:55 +0000

The Teisco TB-64 Clone

Paul Rhoney — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:05:30 +0000

As far as I know, Teisco is now defunct and nobody owns the name.* Or at least nobody is doing anything with it. So until somebody tells me otherwise, I get to unabashedly talk about how I’ve been commissioned to make a clone of one of their cool and rare guitars.

I’d already started making short-scale six-string basses when I heard about somebody who was looking for a custom builder to make a high-quality lookalike of the Teisco TB-64. The TB-64 was Teisco’s version of the Fender Bass VI. You may have seen one in the hands of Blonde Redhead and Jet Harris.

I raised my hand pretty early on as being interested in doing the build. I started out drawing it full-scale and posted the screenshots for the client to see. He liked what I had done, so he sent some funds over for me to get started.

It’s been about a year in the making on this one, but given the level of “custom” that went in to it, I think that’s ok.

*I’ve been recently informed that the brand name Teisco is currently owned by Westheimer Corp.

Bass VI® is a trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.