Thanks to Butch, Wherever You Are

[whitebison66]

Oddly, that subject line is completely un-ironic.

Remember that unique Warmoth creation? If not, it is immaterial.

Back when we were, uh, discussing the Butch-o-caster, I noticed something in the photos, something I hadn't thought about in almost 20 years.

No, not my Loudness 'rising sun' tank top.

This was something else.

Something that once remembered was sorely missed.

Something I began to search for, and now something I have found.

[size=10pt]Nobease. [/size]

I grant you, they were rarely in subtle colors, but I have to admit they were some of the most comfortable knobs I've ever used.

I realize that sounds more than slightly odd, but anyone who's used them will agree. 

Now, thanks to the magic of the Internet in general and eBay UK in particular, I will soon be the proud owner of the little treasures pictured below.

I bought a set of all 4 colors offered.

I think the saddest part is that I have guitars I can use them on such that they will all be color - matched.

But I think Larry DiMarzio deserves at least a little of that blame!

Seriously (?), one of the things I love about the internet us that I can reach back across the mist of time (which often smells suspiciously like a certain kind of smoke) and re-connect with the odd, quirky things I've seen in almost 30 (!) years of guitar playing.

Some, like the Bowen Handle, can stay back in 1982, even though you can still buy them today (probably from the same initial production run).

But I am very glad to have found the Nobease.

Now if I can just find even a photo of a Whammer Jammer...

 

[Dan025]

i think this whole board is in a time warp. i used to post when i was still in the airforce and lived in japan under the name dimitrir33. that was a year and a half ago and i remember the butch-o-caster.

rising sun in what was it lime green and yellow or something with the name butch written in stylized characters the looked oriental but were western letters. i read some posts now and feel like i haven't missed a thing.

 

[Superlizard]

I bought a set of all 4 colors offered.

You don't have Neon Green (still have a few from the 80's).   :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Mor Paul]

I'll stick some on the new tele  :cool01:

 

[whitebison66]

These are most likely remainders from ESP-UK: http://www.espshop.co.uk/nobease.asp

I got lucky (?) searching eBay and found them.

They made black ones, but most likely those are all history now.


Does anyone else remember the Whammer Jammer? I never saw one, only read about it. It was supposed to be some odd piano-like contraption that fit over the bridge or something. The concept sounded interesting, which means the execution was probably junk. I've seen the odd one for sale on used gear sites, usually NIB. I just always wanted to see one.