WARNING: Darrin Huff Basses / Zeller Guitars

[Fuzzbass]

12/16/15
UPDATE/WARNING: Over nine years after this initial post, the vast majority of us are still waiting for our basses

After some delays due to personal reasons (explained in another thread), Darrin's apparently getting ready to roll out the basses! I just wanted to see who else from TalkBass was on the waiting list. I know at least two of you have been waiting longer than I - (3 years and 2 months)... hopefully not too many of you, though.

Here's my order:
Z-5
Carved scroll horn
Alder body
Quilt/spalt top and back
Rosewood accents between laminates and body
Transparent red finish
7 piece neck: birdseye maple with wenge racing stripes
Ebony board with binding
Single Nordstrand MM5 pickup
Aguilar 3-band preamp
24 frets
35" scale
Ebony fingerboard, clean
Black hardware:
Huff bridge
Hipshot Ultralight tuners

Whatcha got comin'?

Attached are my progress pics. I have a pic of the uncut quilt maple somewhere but couldn't find it... it's probably on my old PC.

***UPDATE JULY 3, 2012***

From this post: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/da...upport-group-256053/index43.html#post11976585

we have this update:

2006 - 0 finished basses
2007 - 0 finished basses
2008 - 1 finished bass (bolt on P-bass)
2009 - 2 finished basses (bolt on J-bass, 6 string custom bass)
2010 - 1 finished bass (my 4 string bird's eye maple bass)
2011 - 2 finished basses (lesclaypoolsob 4 string rainbow bass and Gabe's bolt on J-bass)

From this post: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/da...upport-group-256053/index45.html#post12841452

we have the halfway into 2012 update:

Well, the year is half over, so it seems like a good time for a midterm review. To my knowledge, Darrin has shipped only one bass in 2012.

Until Darrin Huff logs on again, or customers post about receiving their basses, this seems to be the most recent information we have.

 

[slowburnaz]

I'm one of the longer ones, Fuzzbass. I've got 3 years and 6 months under my waiting belt.

I've got a 5-string coming, too, if I remember correctly :

- Z5 body style with the ball scroll
- Mahogany core
-Some crazy bubinga body wing facings (the plank of wood those are coming from is below)
- Racing stripes on the body made of maple with dark rosewood (forget the real name of it, but it's right above the bubinga slab) accents between wings and center
- Myrtle center facing (I think... I honestly can't remember exactly which wood we decided on for the center)
- 7 piece neck, birdseye maple with bubinga racing stripes
- Ebony or chechen board, 24 frets, no inlays, front dots, etc.
- 35" scale
- 2 Bartolini P4 pickups (each switchable for series/parallel/reverse P)
- Ramp between pickups that matches the fingerboard
- Audere 4-band preamp
- Black hardware all around
- Hipshot A-style bridge, 19mm string spacing
- Hipshot ultralite tuners

I used to have a picture of my neck blank that Darrin finished, but I lost it somewhere.

Here's that bubinga slab:

 

[mbulmer]

I'm on the list for a custom Z4 waiting a little over 3 years

Specs are

Custom designed body,
Carved scroll
Camphor Burl top and back
Flame Maple body core
Maple and plain Camphor? accents between top and core
Birdseye and Rosewood neck
Blocked and Bound Macassar Ebony fingerboard
Nordstrand J/MM pickups with Aguilar OBP-3 pre
D-tuner on E

Here's the Body Design from Darrin and the piece of wood I picked for the top:

 

[mbulmer]

Here are some shot of my neck:

 

[freshmeat1989]

MBulmer that top is insane.

 

[west*coast*bass]

MBulmer that top is insane.

+1, though I will not wait that long for a bass to be made. For those of you who have waited, I applaud your patience.

 

[mbulmer]

Thanks,

I told Darrin what I was looking for and that was the first piece of wood he showed me. It was love at first sight. I can't wait to see the body cut, so I can really envision what it's going to look like

Matt

 

[lyle]

Dhuff makes some amazing basses and his quality from what i've heard is top notch, would love to play one some day

 

[Hman]

I got one coming...but I forgot what's the specs

 

[Skerik1]

Being a former owner of a Darrin Huff bass, I want everyone who is waiting to know that it will be totally worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was indeed a sad day when I shipped her off to her new home. I was terribly broke and needed the money.

Someday when I get the money, I'm going to order another one. I cannot say enough good things about Darrin as a person - he's a great guy to do business with!

--Matthew

 

[Lo end PUNCH]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, I was under the understanding that he does'nt take custom orders, he just builds what he wants and puts the up for sale?

 

[slowburnaz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, I was under the understanding that he does'nt take custom orders, he just builds what he wants and puts the up for sale?

I thought he was just going to start offering more "standard" models, rather than try to pull off all of these completely custom jobs.

Whatever speeds him up is fine by me! After 3 1/2 years, the word anxious comes to mind.

 

[Cliff Bordwell]

I'm one of the longer ones, Fuzzbass. I've got 3 years and 6 months under my waiting belt.

I've got a 5-string coming, too, if I remember correctly :

- Z5 body style with the ball scroll
- Mahogany core
-Some crazy bubinga body wing facings (the plank of wood those are coming from is below)
- Racing stripes on the body made of maple with dark rosewood (forget the real name of it, but it's right above the bubinga slab) accents between wings and center
- Myrtle center facing (I think... I honestly can't remember exactly which wood we decided on for the center)
- 7 piece neck, birdseye maple with bubinga racing stripes
- Ebony or chechen board, 24 frets, no inlays, front dots, etc.
- 35" scale
- 2 Bartolini P4 pickups (each switchable for series/parallel/reverse P)
- Audere 4-band preamp
- Black hardware all around
- Hipshot A-style bridge, 19mm string spacing
- Hipshot ultralite tuners

I used to have a picture of my neck blank that Darrin finished, but I lost it somewhere.

Here's that bubinga slab:

Great looking Bubinga!

 

[smperry]

+1, though I will not wait that long for a bass to be made. For those of you who have waited, I applaud your patience.

What he said. They look beautiful, but I couldn't wait that long.

Marshall

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

What he said. They look beautiful, but I couldn't wait that long.

Marshall

I've had a hard time waiting 5 months. It nearly killed me the time I waited 9 months for my custom to be finished (partly because I lived near the luthier and knew he could have finished it much much sooner).

For those waiting, have you paid half for your deposit, or the whole sum?

 

[Stevious G]

I stopped counting the months and such a while back...

That being said, I am one of the golden few who have had the chance to spend a good sum of time with one of his basses, and I know from the bottom of my heart that the wait will be worth it.

Specs:

Z6
32" scale
Full scroll
2 Nordstrand SV pups with an Agular pre
Bubinga/maple neck
Some of the same bubinga from that crazy billet seen above for the wing back/fronts
Ash core for the wings
Solid bubinga center block
maple/bubinga racing stripes
Wenge fingerboard with maple binding and maple block inlays

 

[slowburnaz]

I've paid all but $100 of the entire amount.

I've had a hard time waiting 5 months. It nearly killed me the time I waited 9 months for my custom to be finished (partly because I lived near the luthier and knew he could have finished it much much sooner).

For those waiting, have you paid half for your deposit, or the whole sum?

 

[vene-nemesis]

Whats the reason for such long waiting periods????

 

[Fuzzbass]

For those waiting, have you paid half for your deposit, or the whole sum?

I put the required 50% down to reserve my spot. Months later, in conversation with Darrin, I mentioned that I had an '83 MusicMan Cutlass that I was no longer using. He said he loved old MusicMan basses. I asked if he was interested, and long story short he accepted that bass as the remaining 50% (it was roughly equal to market value, a fair enough deal for both of us). So, I'm paid in full.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I thought he was just going to start offering more "standard" models, rather than try to pull off all of these completely custom jobs.

Correct. Darrin realized how difficult it is to try to build completely custom basses. The orders already on his books will be filled as taken, but new orders will be limited to the options noted on his site. It's a wide set of options, but no longer anything goes.

Whatever speeds him up is fine by me! After 3 1/2 years, the word anxious comes to mind.

Amen to that!