Rudy Sarzo

I recall reading that Rudy once experimented with Kahlers shortly after his signature line of Washburn basses first came out, but he never really used them much. I once asked him via email why he didn't continue using Kahlers, and his reply was that he could never get them to stay in tune. I explained to him that the reason was that the string angles on his basses all go off at extreme angles. He seemed to accept this, but expressed that he was no longer interested in experimenting with bass tremolo systems.

I have never seen any pictures of him with a Kahlerized bass, but he did indeed try them out back in the 80's.

Aah it's such a torment for me. I love basses with those wacky metal headstocks, but they just don't float with trems

Alas...at least there are always Ibanezes to keep me sane

Chowderboots wrote:

I love basses with those wacky metal headstocks

You mean like this one?

Hahaha...no not really

Hey now! I like those wonky Kramer aluminum necks! Just for the visual freak-out factor alone!

Rudy had a HUGE impact on my playing. I clearly recall seeing him with Quiet Riot and also with Ozzy. Those super deep, low tones combined with his wicked stage presence made for quite the show! I remember seeing him and going "now that's what a Metal bass player ought to look like!"

Hey, man, they're cool, but that wasn't what I was thinking of, jah mean? I always thought it looked like having a tuning fork on the end of the neck. I guess that in its own right is kidna demonic

I know--Rudy Sarzo sounds GIGANTIC!

I have a bootleg from a live radio broadcast of Ozzy playing in Memphis TN back about a month after Randy Rhoads had died (Brad Gillis, later to be with Night Ranger, took over on guitar for a while). I had the headphones on while the tape was rolling, and I clearly remember right after Ozzy introduced the song Believer, and the next thing I knew, there was this wicked, dark, heavy SWOOON!!!. Rudy had begun the song like the record with a swipe down the neck, and his bass sounded so bloody dark and powerful, the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up!

I still get chills whenever I listen to it, even 27 years later!

Hmm...I'd love to listen to that some time

I might have to upload that track one of these days.

I'd enjoy that, if you want to

Let me work on that for you.

Ooh!

OK. I got it turned into digital on my PC.

Now I just have to find a new place to host it that isn't hard to use, won't crash, and is free.

Any suggestions?

For downloads, Mediafire is awesome.

Thanks, Bill! I'll give that a whirl after we come home.

EricHaven wrote:

Hey now! I like those wonky Kramer aluminum necks! Just for the visual freak-out factor alone!

Chowderboots wrote:

Hey, man, they're cool, but that wasn't what I was thinking of, jah mean? I always thought it looked like having a tuning fork on the end of the neck. I guess that in its own right is kidna demonic

I love the look too, everyone who sees it seems to notice that first, and they always ask "WTF is that?" I love that kind of attention. I used a Hohner headless Steinberger copy for a while, and I think the appeal for me was the uniqueness of it. I guess it's the "bass player's complex," a deep rooted psychological fear of me, as a bassist, not being noticed, so I compensate by using weird looking basses and lot's of effects.

I'm pretty sure the reason for that tuning fork headstock was to reduce its weight as much as possible to help with the neck dive, which is bad even with all that weight cut out. If anyone gets the chance to get an aluminum neck Kramer, I'd take it, cause they really are great, and very unique, but GET A LEATHER STRAP. I used a neoprene strap with it that I stole of another bass before I got a Levi's leather strap (sexy as hell, BTW) and it helps tremendously.

The strap helps with the balance, you mean? I dig leather straps for basses as well. Seems to anchor them better. I dig wider ones--the look a little flashier, I think. Looking into getting a 4" one off of eBay and studding it up

Actually,
Rudy was THE first person to use a bass tremolo. When he was using the black Washburn that he modded with the Bartolinis (Metal Health Vid),Washburn built him a brown replica of that bass(only with an inline headstock) with a gold Kahler. It looked beautiful!

Here you go, Eric!
A bit blurry but there it is!
Go Rude!!!!

I used to have a gold kahler


.

Now THAT is a sweet bass!

Sorry guys....
I meant, Rudy was the first to use a Kahler not the first to use a Bass trem....

Awesome! Thanks for sharing those pictures, Art!

thanks Art, the gold on his red looks very nice yep, mine--haha no. it's gone and a black one is on it now.