We made the tailpiece resemble a castle tower with battlements:
He carves his own bridges and I had it fitted with a Yamahiko pickup—considered the best double bass pickup on the market. The cost about $700 and have to be ordered from Japan but they are worth it:
Ebony bumpers are mounted on the treble side of the bass so you can rest it on the floor without damaging the wood:
I specified the varnish to be the color of a medieval monk’s tunic. He applied the varnish in a way typical of the early violins—sweeping brushstrokes, somewhat careless in application, thin coats that allow the original color of the wood to show through, tooling marks seen in the varnish near the seams. Very antique looking:
How much did it cost me? Won’t tell you except to say it was in the 5 digits. Now, he’s making me a bow to go with it. His bows are the best around and are in the 4 digits. I’ll have to get insurance for it also. It’s a one-of-a-kind and so stealing it would be stupid. Posting up photos of it in as many forums and social networks I can is part of my strategy. Let the whole world see it so that if it gets stolen, it’s going to be difficult to keep or sell.
Before leaving his shop, I had him pose with his masterpiece:
