Fall / Winter
2012
Ongoing public interest in the legacy of Azola Basses inspired
us to create
a new facebook page to celebrate AZOLA's history and
worldwide family.
Please visit and share the love ...
We may still rebuild our website,
which was recently decommissioned,
and appreciate your patience and
support.
In the interim ... please be sure
to visit us on facebook,
where you can share your own
photos and videos of AZOLAs in action.
Important
News about Azola Basses (Fall/Winter
2011)
Steve is presently
taking an indefinite sabbatical from bass-building and
repairs.
Azola Basses is
not currently accepting any new orders and has no remaining
inventory.
Please check this
site, and AZOLA Basses on facebook, for future status
updates.
Thank you for your
kind understanding.
5/30/2010
A note from Steve
Azola -
To all of our
friends, family and fans -
After 15+ years
and 1200 basses, it is with great sadness that I must announce the
doors of Azola Basses are closed. With the slow economy, our recent
move from "Rancho Bajo", and the wide variety of EUB choices
readily available in the world today, we have had an increasingly
hard time.
Most of all, my
wife Jill's decision to move east, and start a new life on her own,
has taken its toll on me. As most of you know, she is as much a
part of this business as I am. For me to continue without her is
next to impossible at this time.
I have returned to
the world of fine auto restoration, at a shop here in the San Diego
area. Eventually, I will have a small work space set up for doing
some bass adjustments and repairs. So, at some point in the near
future, I will do my best to take care of the Azola basses out
there which may require attention. Please be patient, I will need a
little time to get settled in my new job and adjust to my new
life.
A few words about
the EUB world in general -
When we brought
the Baby Bass back to life in 1994, there was a handful of EUB
builders in the US, plus a limited number in Europe. These
builders, like myself, had small shops and did the work themselves.
Now, most of the US builders are gone, with some of them
contracting out the actual manufacturing to Asian or Eastern
European factories. This has brought a wave of lower priced
instruments to the market. While allowing more players to get their
hands on EUBs, it has created a lot of confusion in the market
place, complicating the decision-making process. With so many
choices, most players opt for the lowest price, which usually goes
hand-in-hand with low quality. However, even some higher price
instruments are still made in China, using mystery woods and poorly
made components. So, I strongly encourage all the prospective EUB
buyers out there to please save some extra pennies so that you are
able to buy a bass built by a person that you can at least talk to
on the phone, and whose name you know.
I would like to
thank all the talented people that helped us through the years.
Most notable, Jess Oliver, who inspired me to continue with his
Baby Bass, and shared his vast knowledge, wisdom and sense of
humor. Carey Nordstrand, who as many of you know, has gone on to
build, in my opinion, the finest basses available (period!). Also,
Jimmy Crawford and Greg Parker, whose help got us through the
busiest times. Mike Tobias, what can I say, the guru of bass
building, thank you.
To all the
wonderful people we met at the NAMM shows, you welcomed us with
open arms, and made us feel like family.
To all of you who
have an Azola bass as part of your family, thank you for
allowing me to create an instrument for you. It gives me great
pleasure knowing that in your hands they help to give you great
pleasure making music.
Thank you all so
much,
Steve Azola
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June
2010
And a note from
Jill too -
First, let me say,
that yes, this is a very sad and difficult time for both of us.
Harder for Steve perhaps, as he is the one being left, and he did
not necessarily choose this path. But we are working together to
tie up loose ends as best we can - taking care of business, our
customers, and each other.
We thank all of
you for the sweet words of comfort and support and appreciation you
have sent us privately, and posted in the various forums
online.
I'm quite
confident that Steve's inspiration will be re-kindled, and he will
get his mojo back. I envision brighter days ahead for him, when he
is able to create a bass from his heart, without customer pressures
or deadlines. When it's done, and he's happy with it, perhaps he
may offer it for sale ... or just keep it to play himself. No doubt
he will rediscover this joyful creative outlet ... which I believe
he will always need, in addition to playing bass in a blues band
for fun, and bringing beautiful fine old cars back to life as his
"day gig". Without too much pressure,hassle, or overhead it could
happen ... maybe not right away ... but someday ...
I will miss all of
you ... and all of this ... as I step away from the Azola world and
travel my own road.
Fondly,
Jill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 18,
2010
AZOLA
update
We have received
many kind emails and phone calls, and appreciate all the support
and encouragement during this tough period of
transition.
A lot of people
are asking about any remaining Azola basses that may be in stock at
the shop. We do not have any completed Azola basses here at
all. Nor do we have any old Ampeg or Zorko Baby Bass parts or
accessories remaining in our inventory.
We will add gig
bag and flight case source details shortly with possible
alternative supplier contacts, if you have a Baby Bass or other
model of EUB that needs protection.
We suggest that
you watch the various internet classified ads and ebay for future
availability of pre-owned Azolas.
We have set-up a
new email address which will be monitored periodically. The
standard email address format should be used, but we are spelling
it out in an effort to reduce the amount of automated "junk mail"
it may attract.
basses <at>
azola <dot> com
You may send
warranty-related/repair questions, which Steve will continue to
address. Please be aware that we have actually had very few
warranty or repair issues with our instruments. So we do not expect
many of you to need our help in the future. But we would like to
assure you that we still care about each of our "children" out
there in the working world, and will always offer any support
possible.
You may also
submit your contact details, if you wish to be notified about any
basses Steve might choose to create in the future. Please do not
expect personal responses to all future emails or phone calls, as
Steve will technically be on sabbatical from bass-related business
for an indefinite period, and the business is officially closed.
But he will try to help whenever he is able to do so.
Thanks again to
everyone for your understanding and cooperation.
AZOLA Basses are
found on stage and in the studio with artists around the world,
including -
* Lance Morrison - Don
Henley
* Hutch Hutchinson - Bonnie
Raitt
* Benny Rietveld -
Santana
* Barry Bales - Alison Krauss and
Union Station
* Jeff Ament - Pearl Jam, Three
Fish
* Richard Patterson - David
Sanborn, Boz Scaggs
* Nelson Braxton - Michael
Bolton
* Scott Ambush - Spyro
Gyra
* Victor Miranda - Al
DiMeola
* Richie Goods - Manhattan
Transfer
* Penn Jillette - Penn &
Teller
* Lonnie Plaxico - Cassandra
Wilson
* Jason Scheff -
Chicago
* Alphonso Johnson - Weather
Report, Santana, The Other Ones, Jazz is Dead, Steve Kimock
Band
* Cliff Hugo - Carl Verhayen
Trio, Supertramp, (studio bassist)
* Tony Banda - Poncho Sanchez,
Banda Brothers
* Eddie Resto - Eddie Palmieri,
(LA studio bassist)
* Juan Formell - Los Van Van
(Cuba)
* Pavel Molina - Los Van Van
(Cuba)
* Tony Muhammad - Anthology/San
Diego house band musical director
* Rene Camacho - Rickie Lee
Jones, Kevin Eubanks
* Juan de Marcos Gonzales &
his Afro-Cuban Allstars
* Lalo Carrillo - Luis
Miguel
* Robert Henson - Corey
Smith
* Wil-Dog Abers -
Ozomatli
* Yunior Terry Cabrera - Lila
Downs, Los Terry, Steve Coleman
* Jyrki Kangas - Pori Jazz
Festival(Director)
* Chip Jackson - Billy Taylor
Trio
* Carlos Perdomo - Los Sabandenos
(Canary Islands)
* Otto Price - DC Talk
* The Brothers Cazimero
(Hawaii)
* Brian Eichenberger - The Four
Freshmen
* Don Johnson - Riverdance,
(Nashville studio bassist)
* Ron Johnson - Karl Denson's
Tiny Universe
* Mark Mancina - Film score
composer/Producer
* Trevor Rabin - Film score
composer/Producer
* Greg Silva - Roomful of
Blues
* Nate Query - The Decemberists
* Scott Thile - Chris Thile &
Nickel Creek
* Mike Bernal - Mitch Woods &
His Rocket 88s
* Matt Bissonette - Boz Scaggs,
Joe Satriani, Rick Springfield, (LA studio bassist)
* Steve Coleman (for use with his
band)
* Andy Eulau - US State
Department Jazz Ambassadors
* James Genus - SNL Band, Brecker
Brothers
* Conrad Korsch - Rod Stewart,
Manhattan Transfer, Mojo Mancini
* Chucho Merchan - Jaguares,
David Gilmour
* Ruben Rodriguez - Eddie
Palmieri, Lincoln Center Jazz, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Caribbean
Jazz Project
* Kazutoshi Shibuya - Orchesta de
la Luz, Orchesta del Sol (Japan)
* Oscar Stagnaro - Berklee School
of Music faculty, Calle 54
* Bert Turetzky - Educator,
improv genius
* Myron Dove - Robben Ford,
Santana, Mark Isham
* Hiro Ito - Orquesta de la Luz
(Japan)
* Dave Marotta - Studio
bassist
* Massimo Biolcati - NY
bassist
* Devin Hoff - The Nels Cline
Singers, Devin Hoff Platform
* Nathan Peck - Alex
Skolnick
* Bernie Minoso - Tito Puente
Orchestra
* Mission Viejo High School -
Award-winning Jazz Band
* MCAS Miramar - US Marine Base
band
* Band of the Air
Force Reserve
* Riverside Community College
(CA)
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