PlungerModerno

Active pickups - Like chris b - I've never seen any for sale apart from EMG's. According to the EMG website: [url="http://www.emgpickups.com/bass/extended-series/4-string/35dc.html#info"]http://www.emgpickups.com/bass/extended-series/4-string/35dc.html#info[/url] They already have a preamp in the active pickup designs - not sure how well they would work with the J-retro. I'd imagine they could be made to work well.

[quote name='Coldflows' timestamp='1435361335' post='2808210'] In that case il do a bit of a write up tomorrow and take some pictures. Keep your eyes peeled for some serious fakerporn. [/quote] Can't wait!

Looks fantastic. If the fingerboard edges is rounded nicely I'd imagine it's as good, if not better than new!

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1435335572' post='2807877'] i find passive basses can be noisy when there is no contact with strings, so potentially its a method of removing unwanted noise? [/quote] Pretty sure that's grounding - when you touch the strings or other grounded conductive areas on the bass (like tuners or the bridge) you're grounding yourself through the instrument... when you're not touching the instrument and grounding yourself I'm pretty sure the noise is electro - magnetic interference from you and your surroundings not being sent to ground, and entering the signal chain instead (through unshielded wires and such, including the pickups!).

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1435354222' post='2808143'] Slight delay - Amazon delivered a 35DC instead of a 40DC! Have to wait for the replacement. [/quote] Whoops! Close, but you'd have to have super close string spacing on a 5 for the 35 to work properly: [url="http://www.emgpickups.com/bass.html"]http://www.emgpickups.com/bass.html[/url] Says the 35 is 3.5", while the 40 is 4" .... wonder where the names came from . . .

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1435301777' post='2807347'] I think it's actually good that they are pointing that out. None of the couriers will insure, unless the bass is in a hardcase as far as I know. [/quote] +1. I like where & how it's made clear: [url="http://greatbritishbasslounge.com/contact/"]http://greatbritishbasslounge.com/contact/[/url]

Interesting listening - the bass sounds a lot better being slightly hotter in the mix - still allows the guitars and the drums to come through clearly. Speaking of the drums - they are a lot clearer than the original, and in a couple of places seem to differ considerably in feel and emphasis. I miss the "big" drum sound the album has, but don't miss some of the jerkiness of Lars playing. I would like to hear a mix with the original drum track at the original level in the mix, everything the same but the bass emphasized a little more - would probably sound better to my ears.

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1435148127' post='2805920'] You could also add it was also a very cheap way of getting humbuck, which may have been attractive to Leo. [/quote] I think this was a large part of the switch around '57 from single coil pickups to split coil pickups. I think the look was also more fitting with the revamp of the P bass, what with all the contouring and headstock reshape.

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1434987317' post='2804438'] I've been told that ebony is 'too hard' and has more high frequencies than rosewood which is true but I want high frequencies, I want lots of harmonics!! I want twang!! I guess ebony is best bet for me.... I've had a Wal so I know how good they are, just cannot lay out 3 big ones... so compromise, decent active... decent neck What about headless? I hear theres no dead spots this sounds good for fretless surely? [/quote] I doubt there is such thing as too hard a material for a fingerboard... check out the "deltametal" used by viger: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8l-HkBjvJE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8l-HkBjvJE[/url] I've heard that the harder the material, the better the overall sustain... I'd take that with a pinch of salt however. I'd imagine the performance & sound would depend on the setup, as well as the strings (construction and material properties) and the fingerboard (construction and material properties). Dead spots, at least as I understand them, are due to the natural resonant frequency and it's harmonics being reached by a vibrating instrument (usually the neck on solid bodies) - leading the instrument to 'steal' sustain from certain notes and sound funny close to those pitches. Headless designs are not immune to this - but with the loss in mass at the headstock end the neck tends to have less obvious dead spots in the usual locations for scales at or close to 34". As I understand it the reason headless instruments get a great reputation for not having dead spots is due to clever design, and choosing light, stiff materials like graphite: the status streamliner being a good modern example).

There are strings that are 45-105 or close to those gauges that vary widely in tension, actual and felt (The stiffness under the fingers varies). I'd say try flats for an instant increase in string stiffness for comparable gauges. If you want to stick with rounds I'd go with similar strings but a slightly bigger gauge (which you specifically said you don't want) - or try different string models & makers. I've found D'Addario XL's fairly taut for light strings (their 95 E feels like some 105 E's). Having not played the Dunlop set you're using as a (pardon the pun) baseline - I don't have a specific recommended stringset to put forward.

[quote name='edpirie' timestamp='1434610542' post='2801097'] I asked Guild about the two pup version and it's due out July/August. [/quote] Now that could be cool. I'd probably try to get a chowny bass first, but that's just me.

A thing of beauty!

Think the ad has moved? this link worked for me: [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/fs-ft-musicman-stingray-bass-guitar-fret-level-and-pro-setup-cash-or-warwick-/1120712139"]http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/fs-ft-musicman-stingray-bass-guitar-fret-level-and-pro-setup-cash-or-warwick-/1120712139[/url] I would prefer a 2 band Ray to most Warwicks - except maybe a double buck, but that's just my GAS for a custom shop Warwick speaking...

I like it . . . well I like the way it looks. No idea about the mods however.

[quote name='njr911' timestamp='1433794230' post='2794083'] Thanks! Thats the one - not sure why I couldn't find it...it's a great guide [/quote] You're very welcome - glad things have come together better . . . If it needs shimming - it needs shimming. . . a quick check I like to see is if the saddles, when adjusted all the way to the deck, are putting the strings lying on the frets or very nearly.

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1434375886' post='2799000'] Lovely. [/quote] +1 It's really a great rescue. Better than new I say!

Not certain - but I suspect this may be of use . . . A BC user by the name of Manton Customs has done some stellar work restoring & building instruments. Haven't had personal dealings but thought I'd mention it. See: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/262381-who-can-make-me-a-jazz-body-with-custom-pickup-routes/page__p__2777705__hl__manton%20__fromsearch__1#entry2777705"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/262381-who-can-make-me-a-jazz-body-with-custom-pickup-routes/page__p__2777705__hl__manton%20__fromsearch__1#entry2777705[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/33301-manton-customs/"]http://basschat.co.uk/user/33301-manton-customs/[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/239233-manton-customs-build-echo-tele-inspired-guitar-ash-neck-and-body-24-fretnow-finished/page__p__2478384#entry2478384"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/239233-manton-customs-build-echo-tele-inspired-guitar-ash-neck-and-body-24-fretnow-finished/page__p__2478384#entry2478384[/url]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1434345793' post='2798723'] One thing to be aware of is you could well have problems stringing flatwounds through the body because of the break angle, in which case go for top-loading with those. Bear in mind also that stringing through needs a little more string length, so depending on what strings you're using and the scale length you might find the silks coming close to the nut. [/quote] +1 Some strings will, some strings won't. Remember - if the bridge is in the right place (the saddles can be adjusted to intonate almost any string at pitch) and the ferrules / through body holes are in appropriate locations - it should work perfectly for most strings. If however (like an L2500 tribute G&L I had) the through body holes are in a straight line it makes stringing thicker strings through a bit of a pain - as the E & B saddles needed to be fairly far back to intonate correctly, the string had one hell of a bend to go over the saddle (almost straight up & over, unlike the A, D, & G strings which had more sensible transition from vertical to horizontal). Stringing through the bridge has the advantage of intonation adjustments not significantly altering the break angle (on some designs, like the G&L one mentioned) - as well as allowing some quick change features if that's something you care about. On an unusual note - there are some designs that are both through the bridge and the body - sort of:

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1434346355' post='2798727'] . . . how can people consistently hear differences between maple and rosewood fingerboards? [/quote] Not sure. Not sure they do that is ! At least due to the fretboard material on fretted instruments. On unfinished fretless instruments - well I imagine it'd be like fret material: Softer will tend to wear faster and absorb and reflect string vibrations slightly differently. The main difference between fretless & fretted tone is not the fretwire or fingerboard material however - it's the string contact area (like caterpillar tracks vs. conventional wheels). IME a bass with a rosewood board always feels slightly different to a maple boarded one - but it's voice will be defined by the strings, setup, electronics, playing technique, and of course how well the player can get along with the instrument. I find it more plausible that people are listening with their eyes and/or their fretting hands (which may prefer one fretboard over another) - than the "tonewood" theory that there is an audible difference due to the wood species of the fretboard. Now a spongey fretboard made of a tough foam rubber may just about work - and sound different (all dead spots?), but a suitable fretboard blank will not have those properties. It will be quite hard and dense like most rosewoods or maples, or a usually denser ebony, as opposed to softer and less dense woods like redwood.

Very interesting points - I agree dead spots and other very detectable phenomena are a fact of solid body electric basses . . . but are more about mass, stiffness and the other properties of the wood - not the species, which is well down the list when it comes to predicting the properties of an individual piece of wood. Looking up the species may of course give good information on the average properties of the wood from the tree though. As for the original question - "How do you recognise a good tonewood?" - I think there's two areas of discussion - both may benefit from open discussion: 1. How do you recognise good wood? 2. Tonewood, what is it, is it an important thing in a typical solid body bass? For the first part - it's got to be suitable to the demands it'll be put under - the pieces of lumber need to be good (adequately dry, free of significant flaws, appropriate grain density and direction). A good example wood be the longstanding tradition of using Yew for longbows . . .but not just any piece - choosing the right piece is critical to making a high performance bow. The best are very symmetrical, using sapwood and heartwood in a pretty clever way (they have very different properties under tension & compression): For the second part, I can see a lot of subjective experience & opinion but no clear proof of it's influence in solid body instruments... I don't want to shove my opinion down anybody's throat however. Believe as you see fit, and please share your opinion or experience if that's something you want to do.

[quote name='ZenBasses' timestamp='1434221034' post='2797788'] Hey, just some advice from all you knowledgeable people. I have my new Shuker now since November. It has the most amazingly figured cocobolo fingerboard.. Oodles of sap wood in it for good measure. Jon said after 6 months I will need to oil the fingerboard. I was wondering which oil to use? I have a bottle of Dunlop lemon oil that I have always used on my basses. Would this be suitable? Or should I be looking more at Danish Oil, tung, linseed oil etc etc? I have a old tin of Danish Oil that has never been open.. Kept in the garage.. Dunno if this is okay to use. Any help greatly welcomed.. [/quote] Assuming it's unfinished (not sealed with a lacquer or hard oil finish) - like most ebony or rosewood fingerboards - it will gradually season and adjust to the environment. This is probably not desirable since the fingerboard has already been seasoned correctly by the builder or wood shop . . . so there are a few options: You can finish the fretboard, although this is a big step - and pretty much irreversible... What I have done with great results is use linseed oil on unfinished wood. It's for cricket bats and things, I use the raw version. With varnish or other resin based finishes you may build up a long lasting finish, which may be perfect, but I would test it on a similar piece of wood before using it on a valuable fingerboard. I'd ask the maker (Mr Shuker) of the bass what he would recommend.

Interesting stuff. Would love to see more of the woodworking, but it's pretty clear what's going on. I found it quite funny in one of the latest vids when they make the "drop top" comment . . . an accident, but not a setback.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1434120420' post='2796913'] I'm terrible with names and faces, I need to have met the particular piece of tonewood a few times before recognition kicks in. [/quote] - I never forget a woodgrain - but I find it hard to recall names of wood - especially if it's exotic and not named obviously, like snakewood: [quote name='such' timestamp='1434138516' post='2797152'] wood doesn't matter, right... shortly after buying my Marcus, I also bought a Classic 70's jazz with EMGs installed. I kinda liked it, so I also installed EMGs in the Marcus. So, identical basses geometrically (scale length, shape, body-neck attachment, pickup positions and spacings) also had identical pickups. Guess what happened after I put identical strings (new D'Addario ProSteels .045-.105)? They sounded different. The difference while amplified was reflecting the difference that I could hear unplugged. Long long time ago I also for a little while had two 5-string Warwick Corvettes, one with ash body and wenge neck, the other with bubinga body and ovangkol neck. The difference was even greater; it was hard to believe that the pickups and preamp were identical and identically arranged. If you play your solid body electric bass while sitting down, what happens when you rest your chin on the body? Do you feel the vibration? Do you "hear" the sound through your bones? Aren't the pickups mounted in that vibrating body? So, aren't they also vibrating, relative to the also vibrating strings? So, isn't it possible that what the pickups pick up is vibration of the strings against the body, and if the body against the strings, combined? [/quote] Interesting experiences . . . my understanding of things, both from my own experience (swapping out pickups, setting up instruments etc) and learning about solid body bass guitars from others, is not that wood can't make a difference - but that other things are so much more important when using non-microphonic magnetic pickups . . . in any case, I love wood and know that getting a stable instrument that sounds great, wether acoustic, electric, solid or otherwise - it's no accident.

Nice. The bubinga is lovely, and it will no doubt look even better with finish and the shades of the neck & fingerboard to set it off!

I'm not going to scream "but tonewood is all make believe" - even though that is my opinion when it comes to solid body instruments with regular potted magnetic pickups. I will say woodworking generally, as well as lutheiry (not sure how to spell that) often focuses on the specifics of wood - picking the correct, or best piece. If I wanted to learn more (and I do) I'd look at those who make acoustic instruments, esp. classical stringed things like the cello, contrabass etc. Whether you feel wood is all important to the tone of an instrument (i.e. choosing a very dense piece of rosewood or ebony will make a big difference to tone on a fretted instrument) the wood is definitely essential to the function of an instrument. It's got to be strong and stable. Workability is also good to know. As is allergen info and the like!