Andyjr1515

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1487369952' post='3239433'] Oh I don't know, Rob Allen, Rick Turner, Bolin and a few others have all done ok with piezos. [/quote] At bass pitch, I may well be quite incorrect (not an unusual situation ). However, this will be tuned at guitar pitch. I have three 6 string electrics with piezos - two with ghost systems and one an acoustic shadow system, and all three are limited on piezo only. I found the same with a Carvin hybrid semi acoustic I had for a while. On the other hand, adding the piezo blended with the other pickups is great. This piccolo is probably a bit small to try to fit both into. I'm probably wrong here too....

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1487355979' post='3239306'] Exciting stuff. Would a piezo work on a bass like this? [/quote] I did consider it...but in the end, I'm just not convinced about piezos in their present stage of development. Mixed with a magnetic pickup they are stupendous but, and maybe this is just me, by themselves they always seem just a tad disappointing. Am I the only one who thinks that?

[quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1487356236' post='3239311'] The position of the 'hidden' jack socket is just inspired. Well done. Chris Squire would have gladly played this one. [/quote] Thanks, sblueplanet. Means a lot

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1487327593' post='3238948'] Looks fantastic. Congratulations, Andy for another superb example of your craftmanship, and Nic for getting the bass you've always wanted! Glad its met your expectations otherwise i may have felt a little responsible [/quote] Thanks, Kert ...and yes, we both blame you

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1487262889' post='3238486'] Cheers Andy. We'll see what's happening nearer the time. [/quote] No probs - I'll save you a seat just in case

Got some time yesterday evening and this afternoon to start the build proper. The neck wood arrived from David Dyke - some wonderfully grained plain maple and a centre mahogany splice. Before I cut that, I needed to work out where the body was going to sit in relation to the neck. I've firmed up on a 26" to 25" multi-scale at 24 frets. This is basically how it will fit: I will make one adjustment - this version has the 'vertical' fret at the 12th fret and this makes the angle at the nut quite marked. Because I have plenty of space at the bridge end (Black Dog individual bridges) I will probably bias the steeper angles towards the bridge and have the angle at the nut less acute. Having worked out the basic positions, I was able to cut the side profiles of the neck splices. Here are basically the components: ...and it's NEVER too early to do a mock-up! Now that's what I call wings! I'm sure Pete will get used to them! The ebony faceplate was just because I had it there handy. I haven't decided out yet whether I go faceplate or not, and if so, what wood. I'll see what it looks like when the fretboard and neck have been slimmed, etc..

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1484808912' post='3218556'] Noted. Please give me an update when you can confirm? [/quote] Hi Only just caught up with the thread. I'll probably be taking Neil (Len_Derby) and between us we'll have a decent number of basses but there still should be a seat left if Dave_the_bass can't make it

I will be very interested in your conclusions and thoughts using piezos - there's another project in the pipeline....

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1486816507' post='3234737'] Well, traffic wasn't too bad on the way home. Given that I was feeling pretty happy it wouldn't have made any difference. It may have looked strange to some to see me sitting in the boot of my estate car playing a strange shape bass in the freezing cold with with a very light bit of snow falling. Had a cuppa and chat with Andy before heading off. What a genuinely nice guy. Got back to Cardiff and took it to my practice room to let it aclimatise until evening jam session (normal Friday night) Back to the bass. I have watched this grow for just over three months and really enjoyed the build thread. Would it live up to my expectation? Well emphatically YES. Friday jam is usually just over an hour or so before going for a beer. Last night it was was well over two hours. I didn't even do my normal thing of playing at least a couple of my basses. Didn't even pick up my Ric. I let my guitarist have a play and had to prize it off him to get it back. The weight and balance are perfect for me, both sitting and on the strap. The feel of the neck is sublime and the set up is spot on. The tonal variations obtainable are immense. Pups are Dimarzio Model on and a MM clone (with higher output than MM) Electrics are V-T for each pup with micro switches giving Single, series and parallel on each, It can go from deep smooth to hard punch with variations in between, I'm sure I haven't found all permutations yet. Ordering a custom bass is quite a step of faith, even from a well known luthier but after playing Kerts Single cut I was convinced to give Andy a try. I wasn't sure he would go for it when I sent the pictures of what I wanted. Glad to say he did. A few others had turned me down. Andy even supplied all the relevant hex keys and a UV torch to activate the luminlay fret markers. These are great. As you may guess I am very pleased I did and I am overjoyed with the result. Not only do I have a bass that I have wanted for a long time, it has surpassed expectation and has a story to go with it. This build diary. I am happy to belong to an exclusive group who can say this. Needless to say if you have a desire for a custom, dream bass then Anyjr1515 is your man. In a few months time I will organise the next Cardiff S Wales Bass Bash, where this and Kerts bass will be there. Big public thanks to Andy. And here's another happy feller. [url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/Snoopy%20happy_zps0php1uvr.jpg.html"][/url][url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/Snoopy%20happy_zps0php1uvr.jpg.html"][/url][url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/Snoopy%20happy_zps0php1uvr.jpg.html"][/url][url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/Snoopy%20happy_zps0php1uvr.jpg.html"][/url][url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/Snoopy%20happy_zps0php1uvr.jpg.html"][/url][url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/Snoopy%20happy_zps0php1uvr.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] Hi, Nic I am utterly delighted it has met your expectations. Your face was a picture when I opened the case to reveal it yesterday It was a great build - not without its challenges but it was immensely satisfying to be able to finally produce what I had hoped that you were looking for, and to see your reaction when you picked it up yesterday and started noodling in the arctic blast In future, I'll have to rate my builds in terms of how many Snoopys I get. This one...a 6 Snoopy build...wow Andy

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1486744244' post='3234327'] Can you post a link for the pickup you are intending to use? All the SD Cool Rails I can find say they have a mid-scoop which IMO isn't that useful on a bass. BTW that top looks fantastic! [/quote] Thanks! Ref the pickup, yes, the cool rails is heavily mid-scooped. The reason it's a contender, remembering that this is a guitar scale and pitch, is that, delving into the dark forums of the jazz guitar world, the cool rails comes out frequently as a very strong contender for the neck position in the standard 'volume high, tone at 2 or 3' settings of the Jazz fraternity, especially when matched with flatwound Jazz strings. Rails might be useful too because the string spacing will be 'unconventional'. I haven't ordered any yet but they are definitely in the possibles list...

[quote name='rOB' timestamp='1486729658' post='3234151'] I love the headstock. Really classy. [/quote] Thanks, rOB I've just got back from meeting Nic part way for the handover. He was very pleased with the look and the feel of it. He'll probably still be stuck in motorway traffic. So here am I, pacing up and down like an expectant father waiting to see if he's as happy with it once he's plugged it in !

OK - first bit of wood is cut I tell you what - working on this size is SOOOO much easier than a full-size bass. It feels like a toy!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1486596551' post='3233222'] I don't know what the pickups were. Manne make their own rails picks, but the ones on my bass didn't look like any of the current models. Hopefully the SD Cool Rails will have a lower output and a less "rock guitar" tone that the ones on my bass had. I would suggest getting something that can be wired in series and parallel - I think mine would have benefitted from a parallel setting. [/quote] Yes - the Cool Rails are relatively low output with a mids bias.

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1486592254' post='3233172'] Bugger [url="http://vid1122.photobucket.com/albums/l527/Mkuk0/P1020990_zpsj87dnqa7.mp4"]http://vid1122.photo...zpsj87dnqa7.mp4[/url] [url="http://vid1122.photobucket.com/albums/l527/Mkuk0/P1020989_zpsptusatob.mp4"]http://vid1122.photo...zpsptusatob.mp4[/url] No..wait! try this [/quote] Yes - that works . Wonderful! I got to have a high speed taxi run in the tail gunner seat of a Lancaster a couple of years ago. Up there with the best experiences ever! I've got a YouTube clip somewhere - I'll post it if I can find it.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1486590344' post='3233147'] Regarding the pickup, IME what you choose to fit will very much depend on how the owner of the bass is intending to play it and what sort of amp he is going to be putting it through. My Manne piccolo bass had guitar hum buckers with rails rather than pole-pieces and IMO they were somewhat on the "hot" side for playing through my bass rig and getting a bass-type tone out of. As a 4-string guitar through my H&K Tube 50 guitar amp it sounded lovely, but I originally bought it so that I could do faux 8-string bass parts on recordings which would have weird things happening in them like the octave part not always exactly tracking the bass strings, so I was constantly fighting against the "guitar" tone of the pickups and the fact that they really wanted to be driving some pre-amp valves hard. [/quote] Now that is very interesting . I have been looking at the SD cool rails neck pickup. A number of jazz players seem to rate them and it would fit with the fact that my string spacing at the pickup is likely to be non-standard. What rails did you try? I'm also looking to extend the bass strings to 26" and also fit flat wounds, again heading down the Jazz tone rout. It's an interesting project already

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1486579522' post='3233009'] Hope this works <embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid1122.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl527%2FMkuk0%2FP1020989_zpsptusatob.mp4&title="> <embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid1122.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl527%2FMkuk0%2FP1020990_zpsj87dnqa7.mp4&title="> [/quote] No it didn't When I've got videos, I just download them onto Youtube and send people the link.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1486573975' post='3232937'] The proof of the pudding...Harry has hardly been here since the bass arrived... [/quote] ...actually, that's more to do with the fact that his internet is completely down and has been since the weekend

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1486575266' post='3232954'] Yup, well spotted, its on a Dolley so you can run it up and test it without it being mounted in a plane, I was lucky enough to fire it up and give it some wellie as part of a birthday treat visit to Sywell Aerodrome last year...a great day out and I got to sit in a working Mark VIII Spitfire and chat with the pilot, a red arrow display chappie. I have some video of same if I can work out how to post it! [/quote] Fantastic

[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1486572694' post='3232919'] Ye gods, it didn't take you long did it! .......luckily for us! Can't wait to see where this goes [/quote] Well, Pete's been pushing me throughout the Mouradian build so I thought I'd better relent By the way - what's the engine on your avatar? A Merlin?

Thanks, folks

Hi again I alluded to this one before Christmas. I generally tackle full builds one at a time and this one has been gathering dust while I've been finishing off Nic's Mouradian-style 4-string. It's for Pete again...yes - our old-git's-band's bassist. I can only think it's some kind of Ponzi pyramid selling scam! Surely he can't need or want that many of my builds??? Anyway, within weeks of me finishing his EB-3ish build last year, he was pressing me for a piccolo bass build. We spent a long time exploring exactly what he meant by a piccolo bass (there are, as we discussed in the previous thread, a number of opinions of what constitutes one ) In the end, I crystallised what he actually wants. It's basically a 4 string electric guitar If you remember, this is the shape I've come up with: Going to have:[list] [*]a tear-drop 'f' hole with a routed chamber in the rear upper bout. [*]24 to 25" (or something in that general range) scale fanned fretted [*]The above bookmatched walnut top, left natural [*]Mahogany back [*]Through neck, possibly maple, with central dark centre splice (I do like how Nic's Mouradian and Tom's African basses look in that respect) [*]Not sure yet about the top carve. Maybe just a smooth, shallow curve [*]Individual bridge anchors (pretty essential with the fan fretting) [*]4 string - EADG at electric guitar pitch (ie 1 octave higher than a bass) [*]Probably a conventional pickup of some sort (still to be determined) but set well forward, jazz-style. [/list] The fretboard - which I'm sure is going to be a pig to do - is going to use this piece of snakewood I've been saving for the right project:

Like the OP, violin. I physically can't hold the beggar. I put it under my chin, pointing the right direction and at the correct angle...and my arm is usually at least 30degrees in the other direction. Pity really...

Many thanks for the great comments, folks. Always very much appreciated. Everything's ready now for the handover to Nic. It sits nicely on the strap as well as the lap, the action should be pretty much the same as Nic's present basses, the SmoothHound now sits nice and squarely in the housing, the pickups are balanced and SOUND GREAT!, the neck is silky smooth and - to my uncouth touch - feels great, it's just under 9lb and - although not perfect - I'm really, really pleased with it and think Nic is going to be too Here - I promise - are the very last shots :

It looks great, T-Bay More importantly is that you've got a bass that is comfortable to play. Things that don't feel right just niggle and niggle and take away the pleasure however good or 'original' the instrument looks. It's why I started modding stuff in the first place. As far as I'm concerned, the manufacturer-supplied instrument is just a starting point. Job done, mate

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1486240801' post='3230337'] I am utterly speechless. I can't belive how well this has progressed. Needless to say I am very keen to get my mits on it. Andy has done a fantastic job. He is great to communicate with and although we haven't met yet I feel we are friends. Full review to follow soon. [/quote] Blimey - 6 Snoopys makes us blood brothers at the very least