At about this time I was coming to the end of a bar-coding project at work, which went so well that I was given a bonus. I wanted to spend this on something special, rather than just let it disperse into general funds, and so I got the idea of getting a bass built to incorporate some of the conclusions I've come to in thirty years as a bass player.
On the Internet I found out about Kasha/Schneider bracing for acoustic guitars - devised by an American physics professor and developed by an American luthier. I liked the idea of re-designing the instrument on scientific principles - the acoustic equivalent of Ned Steinberger's work on the electric bass - a clone of which has become my main electric instrument. So I decided to find someone who would be prepared to take the risk of building something new and different.
I went back to V & P guitars, and set up a meeting with their luthier Phillip Smyth - who turned out to be the man whose ability I had doubted back on Blackboy Hill! He was interested in the challenge, and we developed a design together. He came back with a drawing that put the ideas into a beautiful shape, we decided on English walnut for the back and sides, cedar for the front, maple for the neck, and we had a deal.
Only slightly later than agreed, and after only one cancelled gig, I took delivery of my lovely new bass.