Conference napalm::guitar

2337.0. "C.P. Thornton Bass Guitars" by GROOVE::DADDIECO (That's Just The Way It Is .....) Thu Sep 26 1991 16:29

Recently I took a vacation in the North Country and on my way back home I 
stopped by to visit with Mr. Chuck P. Thornton - the designer/manufacturer of 
"Thornton Basses."  He lives in a beautiful section of Maine and we toured his 
workshop and viewed some of his recent bass guitar creations.  

To say these guitars are spectacular is an understatement.

A bass guitar from C.P. Thornton is unique -- not just among bass guitars, but 
among all the millions of products turned out in this country today.  Why?  
Because CPT is a Maine craftsman who fuses his understanding of the natural 
beauty of wood with his love for precisely balanced basses.  

Owning a CPT bass puts you in a category of unique ownership ie. you can be 
sure you have a one of a kind instrument.  While, in each bass, the basic body 
shape is the same and the basic construction principles are the same, wood 
selection varies, provided tone and balance are not compromised.

CPT cuts every piece of every bass himself and therefore there are bound to be 
some unique characteristics to every bass he builds.

His basses are solid neck_thru the body style.  The sustain on the one I 
demoed was the best I've every experienced. He makes four and five string 
models.  Some are natural-wood finished and some are stained.  All are 
beautiful.

CPT has picked out some other unique features to incorporate into his basses.  
The headstocks are angled at 15 degrees which puts more tension on the strings 
than the standard mass-produced basses.  This allows for closer action to the 
fretboard and much more ease of playing.  Each headstock is embellished with a 
"piece of Maine" in that his logos are created from a crushed Maine gem called 
lapidolite. Very elegant!

CPT has spent years perfecting his designs and as you can imagine, is very 
proud of his accomplishments. Even though CPT will not compromise his basic 
principles of quality construction, his customers do have some choices such as 
three or five piece laminated necks, one, two, or three piece bodies, two 
humbuckers, three single-coil J-style pickups, or P-style and J-style; active 
or passive electronics; and as I said earlier four or five string models.  
Additionally customers can choose from a broad selection of exotic hardwoods, 
depending on availability.

CPT's creations aren't cheap! But when you consider what you're buying and the 
amount of craftmanship and years of development it took to create a CPT bass, 
it's really a bargain in my opinion.  His basses run from about $2850 (retail) 
and up.  Here's the specs. on what you get in detail:

Case: Hardshell 
Body Material: Mahogany core, teak top, curly maple back.
Finish: acrylic enamel
Neck: Three or Five-piece laminated through-body construction of walnut, 
curly maple, and wenge.
Fingerboard: ebony / Frets: 24 / Bridge: Schaller
Tuning Machine: Schaller, two per side (or three and two for five string)
Electronics: R.A. Gresco Active Tone Circuit  (or passive)
Scale Length: 34 inches
Truss Rod: Double expanding type, adjusted at body
Neck Width at Nut: 1 5/8 inches
Body Width: 13 1/8 inches / Body Length: 17 3/4 inches
Body Depth: 1 11/16 inches / Overall Length: 44 7/8 inches
Weight: approximately 9 pounds

If you're interested in demoing a Thornton bass just give him a call at 
207-364-7383.  

Thanx ... d.

    Dan, when are you taking delivery on yours?
    
    							Brian

    You can also demo one of these without going to Maine;
    Wurlitzer's in Boston near Berklee has a used one.  The body is
    a composite of pieces of green and blue stained woods, very interesting
    visually; electronics were three passive J-bass pickups.  As I
    recall, it's in very nice shape.  I actually first saw it there
    about a year ago, and the price they quoted me then was $1500.
    It was still there as of two weeks ago; you could probably talk
    them down.
    
    /rick

    Brian - Brian - Brian --- now come on!!!!
    
    Not until I gets me a gig to justify a new toy!!!!
    
    Guess I'll have to sell off my Precision Light Bass ..... oh well!
    
    d.

    No....hang on to your Light Bass to dig worms for a fishing trip...get
    the Thornton Bass to make beautiful music with.

    Having just stumbled across the base note (I "Next Enseen"-ed lots of
    this conference when I first added it), I am now green with envy that I
    can't get to see these basses for myself. I would guess that the chance
    of one of these beasts making it across the Atlantic are very slim.
    
    Tell me, you say that he uses the same design in every bass - what is
    the basic shape of these? A Precision derivative?
    
    Drooling from the description
    
    Phil

    It's kind of hard to describe.  What I would recommend is that you
    just pick up the phone and call him.  Ask him to send you a promo kit. 
    It will include photos.
    
    The phone number is in the base note (2337.0).
    
    D.