David Norwood
David Norwood is an East Coast bassist, and songwriter out of
Smyrna, Delaware. David is currently performing local gigs in
the band Avocado Express. The band is also planning a debut
album, slated for release in 2019. He also has plans to release a
solo album, when the time allows.
Since graduating high school in 2013, David has journeyed
deeper into the world of bass, with Ron Pacheco, Jean Baudin,
Stew McKinsey, and Bill Dickens being his biggest influences.
Having owned and played many different instruments, he never
quite found the quality or quantity of what bhe was was looking
for (String wise that is!) until he discovered Conklin Guitars and
their massive instruments.
After many years of contemplating his dream basses, they
finally came to fruition as well as few others.
David owns 1 Conklin Custom Shop 11 string bass (The Beast), 1
Conklin Custom Shop 9 string bass (Blue Thunder), 1 GTBD-7,
and 4 GT-7s. He has plans for a Custom Shop 10 string bass, or
the first ever Conklin 12 string bass!
While I have been emailing Bill back and forth for years about a custom
bass build for years, it took a long time, but the basses of my dreams were
finally a reality, and everything I wanted.
I first came across Conklin in late 2012. A used GT-7 had popped up on
eBay....I had been playing a 6 string for about two years, and after seeing
Bill Dickens' instructional video, I had to have one. Unfortunately, being a
senior in high school, money doesn't grow on trees! For my 18th birthday,
my father bought me my first Conklin, a used GT-7. It had some cosmetic
issues, but it played like a dream nonetheless. It was then that I decided
to dig a bit deeper into the Conklin company......and I found that they
made bigger basses!!
After many countless emails back and forth, I finally had a chance at a
Custom Shop build! Bill and Mike sent me a quote in April 2017, and my
father and I came together as a team and figured out a way to finance the
basses of my dreams!
Sadly, on June 9th, 2017 my father suddenly passed away after being
diagnosed with cancer....Bill Conklin was one of the first people to reach
out to me once I got myself together...we decided that the best bway to
honor my father's memory was with the most perfect basses in the
business! So we created the basses with the same specifications my father
and I had drafted up and quoted prior to his passing...the only extra spec,
to put his name on the back, as a constant reminder of why I have the
best!
Working with Bill and Mike has been one of the most rewarding
experiences of my life! Not only do they give superior customer service,
and create the most beautiful instruments I've ever seen, but they treat
each and every customer like they are a member of their own family! Bill
and Mike, you guys are the best! May God continue to bless you both!!!
-David Norwood