Kelly Garni's Amazing Bass (little 'part' of Randy in it)

Talk about Randy Rhoads here.

Moderators: Randy Perry, The Flying Dutchman, Stiltzkin, skezza, Trigger

User avatar
RR-ElectricAngel
Mass Poster
Posts: 999
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:32 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Kelly Garni's Amazing Bass (little 'part' of Randy in it)

Post by RR-ElectricAngel »

Kelly has probably the most amazing bass. Here is why: Perry Ormsby (Ormsby Guitars) built Kelly Garni’s amazing 8 string bass. (Sorry but the pictures only show bass strung temporarily with 4 strings). Kelly talks about it here:

http://www.rockstarweekly.com/mp3/kellygarni/16.mp3

The body is Tasmanian blackwood. (Picture 1)

Standard rock maple was used for the circular portrait. (Picture 2)

It has a flame maple neck with blue maple pinstripes. (Picture 3)

The front of the body is quilted maple. (Picture 4)

Randy’s thumbnail was NOT ground up and used in the lacquer. Instead it was imbedded in clear resin and housed inside a plectrum-shaped hole in the headstock.(Picture 5)

Kelly talks about Randy’s fingernail here:

http://www.rockstarweekly.com/mp3/kellygarni/17.mp3

In the cavity of the body just below the front pickup is housed all of the music that Randy wrote with Quiet Riot. This includes the vocals, leads, rhythm, bass and drum tracks. They have been converted onto microfiche film and housed like a time capsule along with a personal note from Kelly Garni to Randy thanking him for teaching him bass. (Picture 6)

Fretboard inlaid with the piece of music Hey Joe. This was the first song Randy and Kelly played together. (Picture 7 )

The inlay is Chinese turquoise, Afghanistan azurite (darker blue). The vertical lines are birdseye maple, bar lines are maple boiled with blue stain. The treble clef and time signature is abalone. (Picture 8 )

An etching is carved out on the back side which is a quote from Randy. It states, “Five years from now I would love to have people know me as a guitar hero”. The self portrait of Randy was originally on the cover of Guitar For The Practicing Musician magazine February of 1995. A hi resolution scan of the photo was taken and then a modified laser burner was carefully used over nine hours and needed 12 redoes to complete the etching. (Picture 9)

Kelly with his amazing bass. (Picture 10)
Attachments
Randy Etching.jpg
Bass Body.jpg
Microfiche Cavity.jpg
Kelly Garni Bass Headstock.jpg
Bass Front.jpg
Bass Neck.jpg
Last edited by RR-ElectricAngel on Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:02 am, edited 21 times in total.
To be a teacher you must never stop learning yourself...
User avatar
RR-ElectricAngel
Mass Poster
Posts: 999
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:32 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

More Photos

Post by RR-ElectricAngel »

Here are pictures 7-9.
Attachments
Bass Back.jpg
Fretboard Inlay.jpg
Hey Joe Inlay.jpg
Last edited by RR-ElectricAngel on Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
To be a teacher you must never stop learning yourself...
User avatar
RR-ElectricAngel
Mass Poster
Posts: 999
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:32 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Keely With His Bass

Post by RR-ElectricAngel »

Kelly With His Finished 8 String Bass
Attachments
Kelly With His Bass.jpg
To be a teacher you must never stop learning yourself...
rhoads56
Cool Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by rhoads56 »

Wow, that guy REALLY looks like me!

:)

Thanks Electric Angel!
rhoads56
Cool Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by rhoads56 »

Hmmm, look what I found!

Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image



We shall talk more about this real soon :)





.
User avatar
whoopiecat
Mass Poster
Posts: 889
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Beantown

Post by whoopiecat »

A truly beautiful piece of craftsmanship Mr. Ormsby. :shock:

Tom
Whenever I put on Blizzard or Diary, what a wonderful, delicate furious beast.... I MISS you, man!
rhoads56
Cool Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by rhoads56 »

whoopiecat wrote:A truly beautiful piece of craftsmanship Mr. Ormsby. :shock:

Tom
Thank you Mr Cat!
User avatar
GUITARIDOL5682
Mass Poster
Posts: 4761
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:42 pm

Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

Perry how long did it take to put that guitar together ?. A beautiful guitar and a nice tribute to Randy.
rhoads56
Cool Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by rhoads56 »

5.5 weeks.

I got the call. We chatted and emailed back and forth for a week. I booked my flights, and started building. Not my fastest build (44 hours for two guitars), but certainly one of the most hectic. Couldnt work without a film crew there. They were always running late, or needed to set up, etc etc. Parts didnt rock up. Parts went missing. Thumbnails went missing. Products were faulty. Lasers didnt work, etc etc. But, I prefer to work under pressure and to a definate deadline, otherwise I just procrastinate. My most 'famous' guitars (or at least my most well known) have all been absolute rush jobs, nail biting all the way to the deadline, finished within minutes (or hours) of when they are required. But, they are my best work, and the guitars im REALLY proud of. I definately work better under pressure :)
User avatar
whoopiecat
Mass Poster
Posts: 889
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Beantown

Post by whoopiecat »

It certainly doesn't show any signs whatsoever of being a 'rush job'. The paint job is gorgeous, and Randy's portrait on the back is jaw dropping.
Just...Wow!
Whenever I put on Blizzard or Diary, what a wonderful, delicate furious beast.... I MISS you, man!
User avatar
Tito
Mass Poster
Posts: 1687
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:45 pm

Post by Tito »

BEAUTIFUL CRAFTSMANSHIP!!!!!!!!YOU ARE A TRUE ARTIST!!!!!
rhoads56
Cool Member
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by rhoads56 »

Thanks guys. When I say 'rush job', i mean more that I didnt have my usual 6-48month lead time to think about it! It was more like, think of the specs, come up with the components, and start straight away. My usual way of working is very different to that.
jasonmusicman
Cool Member
Posts: 102
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:55 pm

Post by jasonmusicman »

Anyone notice all the polka dot flying v's in the background of this pic.
Image.

Beautiful guitar, kelly looks really happy with it.

Image

jas
bebebear
Senior Member
Posts: 57
Joined: Sat Sep 19, 2009 9:08 pm
Location: USA

Post by bebebear »

Kelly LOVES his bass!!! It's his "pride & joy"!! He practically slept with it the first few nights...he couldn't take his eyes off it! He needed it with him at all times!! The bass plays amazing...it reverberates & has tone even when it isn't plugged in, it's harmonic, as though it has a mind of it's own & we think it does!! (we truly think Randy has ALOT to do with that!!) LOL And Perry was absolutely ADORABLE!! Such talent & soft-spoken grace about him! He's a jewel! We can't wait to see Perry again! We hated letting him go! Just a lovely man from the land down under!! Kelly & I feel blessed to have met him & Kelly will always hold Perry in his heart for the wonderful bass (gift) Perry created for him! There's a "bond" now between Perry, Kelly & Randy!!
Cpt Matt Sparrow
Mass Poster
Posts: 3565
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:57 am

Post by Cpt Matt Sparrow »

I completely understand the excitement. Before I got my Classical guitar I didn't sleep the night before and for weeks after (and still now sometimes) just stare at him; I call him Rik (the other is Tony :) )

Congratulations on a fine and unique axe!

Matt
Having a break from online activity for a while to concentrate on music. Please email if you need to get in touch. Matt
Post Reply