JimBobTTD

In: Ibanez BTB406 Ibanez SR1206 Ibanez SR405 Out: Ibanez BTB406 The frets on the SR405

Bag/case Batteries Stand [b]Earplugs[/b] Strings Tools

There is a juicy thread in Bass Guitars about custom builds and why they end up for sale. I think it is called "A Bass For Life". It contains some great tips about what not to do; these are mostly about making it as complicated as possible, using all the options available etc. Sobering stuff... While I have never gone down the custom build road myself, I have done the next closest thing, which was Warmoth. My first Warmoth build was a SuperStrat metal guitar - white, ebony neck, Floyd Rose trem, EMGs etc. Warmoth stuff does not keep its value well, but that didn't matter as I would keep this forever and ever. Beautiful guitar. We didn't bond. I sold the guitar at an eye-watering loss recently. Hindsight says: bad idea. It was not [i]exactly[/i] what I wanted. I should not have gone with a Floyd. I don't really play guitar all that much. Mistake. Saying that, I have now started a Warmoth bass build. I have been planning it for months and, this time, I have kept the whole thing rather simple. It is basically a Jazz with a few extra twists. I think that I am far more likely to keep this one forever and ever. I say go for the custom build - life is short, you may as well do it while you can. But make sure you know what you want. Don't have anything added for the sake of it. Keep it simple!

This is the style I am after, except without the relic aspect.

[size=3][b]The idea:[/b][/size] A Jazz Bass done in the old style - nitrocellulose finishing, passive electronics, Olympic White, but with 5 strings and modern hardware. [size=3][b]Why?[/b][/size] Because I don't have anything like it at the moment; I only have active basses which look rather modern. I have a blues project on the horizon which will require something more traditional and I have found that my EMG-loaded basses sound wicked in hard rock and metal, but their sound is far less suited to older and/or softer styles of music. I wanted nitrocellulose for both the base coat and top coat because I believe that it makes for a more resonant instrument. I have a Strat which I finished in this way which sounds great and really feels alive when I play it. Many claim that this is snake oil / wishful thinking / rubbish and it may very well be, but I don't think so and besides, this is my project! So I went for nitrocellulose base and top coat. The original plan was to do the finishing myself. However, with a baby on the way and nowhere to do the finishing other than inside our flat, that was vetoed. Instead, I have gone with a gentleman in Kentucky to do the finishing for me. [size=3][b]The parts:[/b][/size] A maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 1 3/4" nut width, 10" radius, 6105 frets. There is "bonus flame" on the neck. It isn't very much, but it is a nice touch. The pictures aren't the best (I forgot to steal them from Warmoth's site before purchasing, so I don't have the hi-res versions. I have expanded the pics a bit, though): This will have a slight tint on it. [b]Alder body, top rout.[/b] This was not a "showcase" (made already) item, so it will be done by Warmoth now and so I don't have a pic. It will have the output jack on the side so I can use the Jazz control plate for volume, volume, tone and series/parallel switch. It is also going to have a double battery box on the back so if I ever want to change it to active and want 18v, I can. [b]Hipshot A bridge, chrome (stock pic from Hipshot)[/b] [b]Hipshot Ultralite Tuners, all chrome (stock pic from Hipshot)[/b] [b]Seymour Duncan SJ5 67-70 set[/b] I got these off Ebay. They were made for a custom builder and don't have the cheesy logo on the front. Score! [Pic later] [b]Parts:[/b] Gold string ferrules. I wanted a little flashiness which was just for me, and Warmoth were out of chrome and I wanted the neck before someone else jumped on it. An array of Fender parts: Neck plate Control plate Knobs String guides x 2 (from wesfinn here) Schaller strap buttons, chrome A neck plate cushion. CTS 250k pots Orange Drop 0.047 capacitor And that's about it. I don't think there will be all that much movement until the body and neck are done. It will take the finisher 4-6 weeks to get it all done (rather quickly, I think/fear) and a couple of weeks before that for Warmoth to get the parts to him. I'll put up the occasional update and some more pics when they are ready.

My first guitar was a classical and was obviously made of wood. I suppose that I always assumed that electric guitars and basses were also made of wood. So another no, then.

I had the Ibanez (see link in benh's post above) which was great, but wouldn't go below B...which was no good, as the band played two steps down, so my 5er had to be tuned to a low A. It also took up a lot of space on my pedalboard, but it was totally solid and reliable. I would recommend it to anyone who plays 4 strings. I once had the Behringer rack tuner which is rubbish. As mentioned above, it struggles to catch E. A friend borrowed it and I didn't chase him for it back. He still has it. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I now use a Pitchblack which is fantastic. It easily handles low A, tracks well and has a power output for other pedals. Fully recommended!

Levy strap here too. I have the MSS2 model which padded and fairly wide but not too much so - I bought it from [url="http://www.musicstore.de/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/MusicStore-MusicStoreShop-Site/en_EN/-/SEK/ViewProductDetail-Start?ProductRef=GIT0007504-001%40MusicStore-MusicStoreShop"]here[/url] but you can find them everywhere. Not cheap, but quite excellent. I used to use the cheap Ernie Ball straps for years, but realised that they were rather awful. I wouldn't want to go back to them now.

I have a total of 3 hard cases at home which give great protection but are too heavy to be practical. I invested in an SKB soft/hard case for transporting my main bass (train/bus, not car). At home, they live in a Stagg rack, except the one I just used at rehearsal which usually lives in the SKB. I don't have the space to keep them in cases.

Although I voted no, I am seriously considering having gold string ferrules on the back of a chrome hardware bass. But nobody but me will ever see them, and not even I will see them when I'm playing.

Buzz - the net effect is the same, though. It is still members informing other members about their auctions. If it is ok for someone with above 50 posts, then the problem is not with posting links to Ebay auctions but that new people are doing it. It is the that part which does not make sense to me. If "The original intention behind the creation of this forum was that it was a place to discuss Ebay auctions, not to offer free advertising to Ebayers. " then why allow [i]any [/i]links to members' own auctions?

The string spacing would be very tight with 6 strings where there were once 4. I'm surely not too far off saying that the width of the 6 strings [i]excluding [/i]spacing is about the nut width of a Fender Jazz. If you want to tinker, I think a 5 to 6 conversion would be a better bet.

I see good: it will reduce the advertising in the Ebay links forum and help shift it back to discussion about Ebay auctions. I see bad: what is to stop new members posting "That's nice" 50 times in other posts to be able to post in the Ebay links forum? I think that Basschat could be inundated with pointless posts so people can rack up 50 posts so they can advertise their auction. Even if these posts are removed later, they still have their 50 when the post in the Ebay section. Also, can anyone explain what is so horrible with posting links in the Ebay forum for their own auction? It lets members know that there might be a bargain to be had and doesn't force anyone to buy anything. It is not really different from posting in the For Sale section. (with the caveat that I am seldom in there browsing and have only one or two posts in there. Take my opinions with an appropriately sized pinch of salt)

My drummer's other band's guitarist just gave me his guitar to fix after a botch job by a local shop. He wanted to have his neck pickup disconnected (but left in there) and his bridge pickup switched for an EMG81. However, he said it sounded weak and there was crackle on the output jack. I open it up: they have left the original 500k pots in but - and this is where it gets worrying - they have switched them round. So his A500k is now the tone control, and the B500k is now the volume. Furthermore, they fixed the intonation for standard pitch and not D, as he had requested. They then gave him back the original parts they had taken out...whatever they are. And they charged him for it!

I would go on the mylespaul.com forum and post about it there. There are people on that forum that truly are experts - they will be able to tell you whether it is fake or not or perhaps even why it is genuine but the buyer thinks it's fake etc.

Ebay for CTS 250k audio pots. A great and what I would call simple diagram can be found [url="http://www.guitar-mod.com/wiring/j_series.gif"]here[/url].

I would skip the head, AttitudeCastle, and just go for the lightweight cabs. The GK RB head I have is hardly light, but it is solid and reliable and sounds lush and carrying it won't pull my back out or give me a hernia. The cabs, on the other hand...