Leaderboard

So with this second body, I plan to have a P Bass / Stingray cross. The Stingray pickup will feed into the Stingray clone preamp and the output will go to a switch. This will have the standard Volume, Bass and Treble pots. The P Bass pickup will go to a concentric pot with volume and tone both on there. The output of this will be wired to a switch. This switch will allow me to flip between an active Stingray and a passive P Bass but will not allow them to blend. There are issues with impedance doing this which could be overcome with a buffer but I have no desire to go that far yet. I may in the future but not now. The first thing I did with the original body which was sent to me with the bridge holes in the wrong place was to use some cocktail sticks and wood glue to fill the holes. Once sanded back, this wasn’t too bad at all but I'd still prefer to have it covered. I re drilled the mounting holes in the correct position. I’ve got lucky here though, the KSM foundation bridge that I bought is quite chunky at the back and this covers the bridge ground hole and the newly filled screw holes. I've fitted a side jack: The control plate was made from a sheet of 2mm carbon fibre. I taped the original control plate to this and used a belt sander to shape the carbon fibre sheet to the shape of the original control plate. I then used a Dremel to open up the screw holes and pot holes. You can’t really use large drill bits on carbon fibre as it frays and splinters so these had to be done with a small grinding bit. These holes aren’t perfect but they’ll be covered by the pots. The screw holes were counter sinked and its ready to go on. I’ve still got to order my Status Graphite neck so can’t really do much more with this than the body bits. All fitted together with pickups in place looks like this. Please note the pickup threaded inserts are yet to be fitted to the pickups aren't screwed down properly yet: For the preamp, I used a PCB from OSH park. In one of the other forums, Uncle Fluffy did this but a user called MNATS (thank you) did a redesign of this PCB and I chose to use this one as the wiring is neater. For the components of this, I tried to use the highest quality audio components I could find which fit. I used Nichicon Fine Gold for the electrolytic caps and polypropylene caps where I could. I used one ceramic cap for the 120pf but ensured this was C0G NP0. There are 2 Polyester caps in there which will be replaced with some Wima FKP2 caps soon. This was my preamp after it was all soldered up: And that's where I am with both of these so far. I'll update this thread as I progress.

Uses it as pick?

I used to own a Spector NS2000/4 bass which was nice but I’ve always had a want for a Musicman Stingray. I was never too keen on the price of these and the fact that modifications are highly frowned upon. I decided to sell the Spector and try to make my own Stingray and put a bit of a spin on it. I bought a bass body which was made to the same spec as a Stingray body. Don’t ask me where I got this as I suspect they’ve had some legal problems as they no longer offer this anymore. It was made out of 2 pieces of swamp ash. It was routed for the standard Musicman pickup location, control cavity and neck pocket. The bridge holes were drilled for a fender 5 bolt bridge. I also asked for them to route a P pickup directly next to the Musicman pickup route. This keeps the Musicman pickup in the “sweet spot” and moves the P pickup towards the neck by a few millimetres (hopefully not enough to change the P sound). The Stingray sound was more important to me than the P so the compromise was better taken by the P pickup. My plan was to have an active Stingray sound and a Passive P bass sound and never mix the two due to complications with impedance. So my original spec sheet for this was to create a natural old school looking bass with some modern materials thrown in. Carbon Fibre and Natural Wood: · Stingray Body · Status Graphite Musicman Neck · KSM Foundation Bridge · Nordstrand MM4.2 Stingray Pickup · Tonerider P pickup (cheap pickup to get me by) · Home Made Carbon Fibre Control Plate · DIY Stingray Preamp (Thanks Uncle Fluffy) · No Scratchplate (I may make one out of carbon fibre if I don’t like the look without) · Gotoh GB350 Res-O-Lite Tuners · Graphite Nut This was what was delivered to me. It looks stunning but I noticed that the bridge holes were very close to the edge of the bass which would throw the scale out. The blacked out bits on the neck pocket are just my name from the order. After some too-ing and fro-ing with the place I bought this body from, they realised their mistake. They modelled this with a Fender neck rather than the slightly longer Stingray neck which threw off the bridge mounting holes. They proceeded to made me a new body and told me I could keep this one. They sent me a one piece swamp ash body which was nice. So now I’m left with 2 Stingray bodies with P pickup routes. So… what to do with the other body? The original body was routed with a side jack but the replacement body they sent out to me wasn’t routed for this. This picture is the new body after I drilled holes for scratchplate and control plate. I still need to put some threaded inserts into the pickup mounting location: I decided I’d build an unlined fretless Stingray with an Ebony fretboard. I’d use the replacement body they sent out to me as this didn’t have the side mounted jack and, as I'm going with a 2 band preamp, I can use the 4th hole in the control plate for the jack. I’d try to stay true to most of the Stingray design on this one. I commissioned a Stingray fretless neck from the same place I bought my body from. This is what arrived: I cannot state how good this fretboard feels, it’s like glass. I've put a light coat of TruOil on the back of the neck but nowhere near finished. So, onto speccing this one out. · Stingray Body · Stingray Fretless Neck, Maple with Ebony Fretboard · Hipshot Vintage Bridge (Has a similar curve to the back like a Stingray) · Nordstrand MM4.2 Pickup · DIY Stingray preamp (Thanks Uncle Fluffy) · Original Stingray Control Plate · Original Stingray Scratchplate · Hipshot Ultralite Clover Tuners · No P pickup on this one I have no intention to try to pass any of these off as a Stingray (just want it to sound like one) so there will be no Musicman branding anywhere on the bass. These are the bits I've bought so far for the fretless: This is where I am so far. I'm yet to TruOil the body but I'm planning on some very thin coats as I don't want to yellow the wood too much. I think this raw look is real nice: I'll update this thread once I've completed this but I'm pretty close. the next post will be where I am with the original bass I was going to build.

My third pedal in the Ironman series, this came up on the Bay and I won it for a very good price. Joyo are three for three as far as I am concerned. Solid construction, nice design, simple responsive controls - oh and it sounds great. I'm a big phaser fan, if you think of Phil Lynott's sound on Dancing In The Moonlight, you'll have an idea of the sound I like. I'm less keen on the smudged, overly thick phaser sounds and this pedal produces a lovely clean , well articulated phase. Even with the Width and Feedback fully clockwise the notes are clear and unmuddied, the passing is just more pronounced. Winner!

Father Christmas has delivered a bit early. A couple more pedals (an Aftershock and a Programmable Graphic) to help complete my transition from menus to knobs...

I've been a bass player for 40 years. I, like many of you have had hundreds of basses over that time, every make and model you can think of. Around 5yrs ago I hit hard times. Horrendous times, personally and financially. So everything went to pay rent and survive. My last basses.... 2 Stingrays, 78 P bass and a Gretsch Thunderjet plus my TC rig, all gone. I've had nothing since. Literally 6 weeks ago life turned around financially, new job, new hope. So..... I'm starting to rebuild gently at first.... In: Yamaha RBX460 Hohner B Bass TC BG250 Totally delighted with all 3, under £500 for all 3.... the TC was £40!! Looking forward to a P bass, a Jazz and a Stingray joining the gang next year. The RBX460 was the start of my new journey, a gift from my new partner....and I couldn't have started with a better, albeit modest instrument, and honestly the Hohner is immense, up there with basses 3 times its price. NEVER give up fighting. I'm proof that life can turn around, even when there seems like there's no hope.... keep fighting. It WILL get better.

So, sell the Fender and spend the money on having the BB stripped and painted LPB, yuss?

Imagine the day when there's a Fodera thread and no-one mentioned Fedoras.......just imagine 🤔 Si

For me, just the anticipation of what Jabba and Andy will bring is sufficient motivation to keep on organising the S-W Bass Bashes.

New pedalboard day. Pretty damning awesome.

I’m so oar inspired that I’ve decided to copy his work and make a bass from this excellent piece of timber...

In my previous posts, it looks like an innocuous battleship grey… shine some light on the bugger and it turns into a rainbow…

My new Jabba special just arrived. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME

Well this is so much fun. I'm a simple soul and I like effects I can master in a reasonably short time. And I like them to produce a pleasing noise too. While I could probably approximate the sound of this 'micro' pedal with the other synth options at my disposal, it would be an awful lot of work. This pedal is an absolute belter with all the controls doing something simple and obvious to the sound, and it took mere seconds to find a usable setting.

So you won't mind being paid in lentils.

So the high point of Yamahas bolt on designs vs a mid spec fender japan jazz that’s not really a jazz and happens to be the colour you like?

I've never played a forces venue, but I have jousted. I can confirm that no good came of it.

"A number of Fodera basses for sale atm" BTW, which ATM is it? One in Chorley? Let me know please and I'll send my driver to pick them up from there.

I was just about to say that. Should be a Pinned Thread for people wanting that to match up. Plan in advance and even get the fretboard wood you want.

Those people just need to find the P-body J-neck people and do some swapsies.

Fiery Gun Hand - Cardiacs

Sandberg VS4. Job done.

It’s here. I confirm…it has a weight. needs my preferred strings etc and a tweak to my taste. it is lovely

Experts talking cr@p.... Where to start with that. I won't bother. Lucky all this covid stuff is just a hoax isn't it? And you taking your own chances is fine but you're actually risking other people's health too, is that fine? Just because you're not bothered?

Is that the Zippo one? I've heard it's a little lighter 😉

I'm keen on trying a Fodera, I'm just waiting for an Indonesian built tribute to come out.

There are basses with 5 strings, and 5 string basses and they are not the same thing. I like 5 strings. Played them for a long time. I've had cheap ones and expensive ones (£3K+) In all that time I've only had 2 basses without those overtones. Marleaux Consat Custom 34 inch scale Ibanez Mezzo 5 string 32 scale. All the others - The Stingrays (2 of them), the 37inch Dingwalls, the Sandberg TT5, other Ibanez etc have all had them. Some very mild, some very obvious. I can only assume there is something in the construction of those 2 that solves the issue, and that it's a cheap fix as the Mezzo was under 10% of the cost of the Marleaux! They also had very different pickups / bridges / preamps / woods. I've had all manner of strings on those 2. Steels / TI Flats / White Nylon La Bellas (amazing on the Marleaux) and even with the very brightest steels I never had the overtones. So I believe the answer is in your bass, not in the strings.

If you usually have the front pickup (or back) too close to the strings, you get wolf-tones, the further up the board you go, as the string begins to get closer to the pickup. Try dropping the pickup a little under the B

I wooten have believed it unless you informed us, are you saying that the Fod era is over? Now cannon foddera?

Marketing opportunity surely missed here for a Fodera Fedora?

Johnny Osbourne, truth and rights. Wheeel up!

At the height of my addiction I think I had about 25. Cheap stuff, stupid expensive stuff, in between. I've now got my Spectrum, FX25, Hotone mini thingy, and the BSW. The guy from Lovetone is now working with ThorpyFX and I believe there will be an updated Meatball at some point. That is going to cost me money!

Yes, and nor should you.

I'm not surprised, they went out of fashion decades ago. I haven't seen anyone wearing a Fedora in ages.

Very John Deacon “Another One Bites the dust” I think that’s stunning in its simplicity; classic by name, classic by nature.

On the subject of BEF, I'm with Paulo. I had a really long play with one once, and couldn't get it to do the 'squelchy' sound I had in my head. Solid pedal, but envelope filters are an idiosyncratic bunch - almost like playing a second instrument at times.

I bet you my Ray34 sounds different to yours, even if I put your strings on 😎 The differences you're hearing are very likely from the electronics, but I don't doubt the neck will have some effect.

For the dubious privilege of them picking a neck off a different shelf ? They used to allow jazz bass profile necks to be ordered

Oh dear. I feel another build project coming on 🤣 Bet it plays and sounds as good as it looks , Mr K has an unerring habit of getting things right 😀 Congratulations @Paul S , you've made me very jealous 👍

I went boring some 7 years ago and opted for un interesting standard Sunburst for my Classic. But I love it!

There’s Too Many Irons In The Fire - Cardiacs

That bucker has got some booty, it can certainly move some air, check it out. It's banging:

Don't confuse similar with same. Wood is a way too inconsistent material to achieve constant results. Luthiers go to great lengths with selecting and storing and selecting and controling and selecting again in favor to achieve the desired result. Companies live with a broader variety. A 5-string is a different animal than a 4-string. They are not the same instrument. They just share brand and product name.

Of course he was out of tune, he didn't have a tonepros bridge, Buzz Feiten compensated nut, locking tuners, carbon stiffening rods in the neck or a tuning pedal on his pedalboard. He was lucky not to have dropped that guitar without straplocks. To be honest, he probably thought intonation was a Polynesian colony. Disgraceful carry on, altogether.

Neither, it's definitely a bass. https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Brian-May-Bass-Guitar-Antique-Cherry/1R29?origin=product-ads&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk4aOBhCTARIsAFWFP9GLgizGEaVNX6GQjrLg_T2nDObFnCV166Ci7PmyTElfNO7pcad19uoaAjBGEALw_wcB

I have knocked something up which is very not safe for work so don't play this for your kids , well I guess it depends how old they are A bit of a rush production wise, but very much in my usual take/stylee of this months challenge I think. The Fugly Duckling

Here we are