Bizarre gold upright electric

[Rich_S]

We did the touristy thing in Philadelphia today, and the kids wanted lunch at the Hard Rock. I now wish I'd taken a picture, but I'll try to describe this odd bass they had on display.

It was a solidbody electric upright. Its body was narrow and roughly triangular, tapering from a flat bottom up to the neck. Brass or gold hardware, with a sort of handmade look about it. It was painted gold, with single-ply ivory binding front and back.

Anybody ever seen this thing before, know who owned it, or built it? It was weird.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Bizarre gold upright electric

Was it one of these, just painted gold?

http://www.staggmusic.com/en/product_detail/edb-34rdl_h.html?backp=1
http://www.acavalloviolins.com/details.php?prodID=401&CAT=1
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/dean-pace-bass-4-string-electric-upright

 

[One Bad Monkey]

Re: Bizarre gold upright electric

I'd guess it was a Warwick/Framus Triumph, from the sound of the body shape.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Bizarre gold upright electric

Looks like Mr. Monkey got it. A Google photo search demonstrates there were a lot of different style of Triumph, but the one I saw was flat-topped, like this:

or maybe the one in the left-hand two images here.

I remember it had a lot of extra sheet metal on it.

It reminded me of these guys: