Mica,
wow, this was fast. Many many thanks for another great picture! Mica, was it clear that I wanted to have the headstock veneer front and back like on Johns Spyders and not a matching veneer to the body?
I think yes, but I just wanted to make sure.
Sam,
yes I also really like the name. This was a great idea from you.
Oliver (Spyderman)

Peghead veneers in place:  

 The shiny places are glue spots, and of course will be sanded away before we spray. The Vermilion is a really nice color.  

 Nice Bird's-eye Maple on the back veneer. Lots of "tears for John."  Will of course post more pictures as interesting things happen.

Mica,
many thanks for the update and the pics.
If I understand right we now put a vermillion veneer on the front of the headstock and a bird?s eye maple on the back of the headstock? Originally I had planned to have it like on Johns and my Spyders with a double veneer on front and back of the headstock. BUT I have to say that I like the idea with a vermillion veneer on the front and a bird?s eye on the back.
What do you think/suggest?
 
Many greetings and many thanks
Oliver (Spyderman)

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by a double veneer, since usually there are 5 veneers on front and 5 veneers on the back in this style of peghead.  
 
We made a number of instruments for John with a number of veneer arrangements. Some had a different veneer on the front and back, some matched eachother but not the body, some matched eachother and the body. I'm very glad you are liking it - how did we know?

Mica,
sorry for my bad explanation. With double veneer I thought about the same veneer of vermillion for the front and back of the headstock. I think Johns Spyders (like my Spyders) all had the same vermillion veneer on front and back of the headstock?
So I think your suggestion is great:
body front and back - bird?s eye
headstock front     - vermillion
headstock back      - bird?s eye
 
What do you think?
Oliver (Spyderman)

Another Masterpiece for our friend from Dueren! Congrats., Oliver! John would be very proud.
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin

Kevin,
many thanks for your kind words. I am really eager to see how it will turn out. But I am sure that it will turn out well.
BTW: the Tears for John will of course also be played live with our WHO tribute band as I am currently already doing with my Spyder 4 and 8 and Johns personal Ovation Acoustic bass. Acoustic?
Yes we are doing Behind Blue Eyes acoustic....
 
Many greetings from Dueren
Oliver (Spyderman)

Bitte Schoene!
 
This should be another beautiful bass to add to your collection. I'm glad you're playing them instead of just admiring them.
 
That's good news about the tribute band. Do you have a website and/or sound files so the rest of us can have a listen as to what you and your new band are up to?
 
How are things in Deutschland at the moment? I hope the economy is better now. One of these days I'm going to ignore the strength of the Euro and get myself on a plane and come to the other side of the pond. A beautiful 22yr old blonde, blue-eyed Bayerischer (von Munchen) student in the motorcycle class I taught last weekend named Ramona reminded me of what I'm missing by not coming to Europe, LOL!
 
Prost!
 
Kevin
 
(Message edited by kmh364 on September 04, 2005)

Kevin,
many thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately we don?t have any website nor audio files yet. We are strongly rehearsing besides our daytime jobs because we want to hit the stages PERFECTLY. We currently have 20 numbers rolling and we are currently working on five more to have a good basic set. My all time favorites are REAL ME and 5:15. But we will also do THE QUIET ONE with me on lead vocals... :-)
As for the economy here in Germany it is still not the best. If you ever come to Germany let me know. We have to meet.....
 
Many greetings
Oliver (Spyderman)

Behind Blue Eyes is very nice acoustic.  I saw it done on an episode of a popular tv series a couple of years ago.  Anthony Stewart Head was the actor who performed it.
 
Sam

Cool, Oliver!  
 
Thanks for the offer...I may take you up on it one of these days.
 
When things are Komplett, you must give us a listen to the band!
 
I hope you are also doing one of my favorite John-penned Who songs: Success Story from Who By Numbers! Who can forget that great video vignette from The Kids Are Alright movie, with JAE using gold records as clay pidgeons and a Tommy gun instead of a shotgun for skeet shooting practice, LOL! That's a good one for your 8-string Spyder!

Kevin,
Success Story is not yet in our repertoire but I am investigating....
We are already doing TRICK OF THE LIGHT which I play  of course with my Spyder 8 and it is really powerful.
Yeah, the video out of TKAA is really great.
 
Oliver (Spyderman)

Ahh, Trick of the Light...from the last great Who Album Who Are You, IMHO...another great tune!  
 
Be warned...once you play the verse of Success Story on your Spyder, you will be hooked. H*ll, I played it on my Orion 4 and couldn't stop playing it for an hour, LOL!

Dear Mica,
any new photos on Tears for John?
 
Many thanks and many greetings
Oliver (Spyderman)

Holy Cow!!!
 
Oliver, I was somehow unaware of this project until I stumbled onto this thread today.
 
Tears For John is a beautiful and proper name for this instrument, and she certainly seems like she's coming along nicely.  I'm sure she'll be worth waiting for.
 
Glad to hear you have your band together and are working hard on your presentation.  I'm jealous that you're planning on doing so many of John's songs - right now our band is sticking to a Greatest Hits philosophy as we rarely play shows that are longer than an hour long - barely enough time to get in the most well-known songs (With the combination of Won't Get Fooled Again, Who Are You, and Baba O'Riley coming in around 19 minutes, you can see what I mean).  LA audiences are picky and tend to 'zone out' if we play something they don't immediately recognize.
 
Anyway....the bass looks great so far....congrats to Ollie and kudos to Mica, Val, and team for yet another Alembic masterpiece in the making.
 
Cheers, Mike Bisch