Prosebass

[quote name='OldGit' post='376050' date='Jan 10 2009, 12:11 PM']oh cheer up BeerDragon mate, IPA's 99p! [/quote] 99p ! where ? its £2.30 oop North....

Just got the unbranded twin Jazz pup from Shaun, rapid shipping and great guy to deal with. Thanks mate.

[quote name='paul h' post='376040' date='Jan 10 2009, 12:01 PM']How about a mini toggle for each pick up and a volume?[/quote] Easier than that is just 2 volumes a 500k for the humbucker and a 250k for the single coil. Cheers Paul we sorted that quickly between us.... Bass by committee ...I'll call it the British Leyland. Will post the progress pictures tonight.

[quote name='Raving_camel' post='374735' date='Jan 9 2009, 02:58 AM']I done a quick search in here and couldn't find anything, I hope this is the right section aswell. Last month i decided to start modding basses out of boredom, to get me through a boring winter. Anyway, i've decided after doing pretty boring things so far (LED fretboard, de fretting, building a neck) that i'd try and make a pickup. I bought myself 10 neodymium magnets and 75 metres of .50 copper wire. I'll use two sticks to hold the magnets in place, so sideways on it will look like this Magnet = M, stick = | M|MM| I then wrap that in the copper wiring, (they say between 5,000 and 8,000 times! ), tape it up, cover the two wires, plug into a volume pot, and I have a pickup. Is it really this simple? I am a complete noob to building and modifying. I would post on another forum I use, but i'd get ripped to shreds by elitists and you guys seem a lot more respectable and nicer. My long term plan would be to make a working bass from parts i've made (ie, make the pups, bridge, tuners, etc) Also interested in hearing from people who have made a pickup themself, or have read up on it. Thanks for reading and take care everyone.[/quote] Great to see someone having a go at this and although in theory it seems quite easy, the variables actually make it rather difficult. There is a hell of a lot of machining, mathematics and trial and error involved. I would recommend you read this first [url="http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Magnetism-Musicians-Erno-Zwaan/dp/9090018581"]Book by Erno Zwann[/url] He is the guy who makes the Q-Tuner pickups and is one mean bass luthier as well. The book covers the building of several different types of pickup with full instructions and also the build of a fretless bass which is awesome. I have a copy and probably have read it 10 times.

[quote name='paul h' post='376018' date='Jan 10 2009, 11:44 AM']You are now my primary source of GAS. Although I don't like humbuckers at all, I love the innovations you come up with. I have often thought of having a three single coil jazz with a five way selector switch and if I do well at poker next year I think you will be the man to see about it! Good work. Paul.[/quote] Cheers Paul I'm thinking of going really simple on this one with 2 switches for on/off with each pickup and just a passive tone and volume using the Cermet sealed pots I used on the natural bodied Precision I recently built. Alternatively a full active 3 band EQ but I'm not a fan of basses full of knobs and it would have 5 if it was active ! Or just 2 volume and 1 tone ....not sure yet.

Amazingly I am down to my last black Jazz

I have been building a Precision for Clarky over Christmas and although it took a week longer than it should of he was very patient and understanding. He also bought the case I was sending it in without even seeing it. Great guy to deal with and totally trustworthy. Thanks mate...

Just bought Wills Axxeman from him. Great guy to deal with...thanks

[quote name='BigRedX' post='372572' date='Jan 6 2009, 11:03 PM']C is the most interesting because it's the least derivative. I'd smooth out some of the lines and make it a bit more curvy though if it was me.[/quote] +1 on that Swoopy curvy things just aren't doing it for me at the moment and "C" looks the most purposeful and if you used A or B it would be a case of "oh that looks like a such and such" Go for originality every time. I would straighten the pups up though as they throw the balance of the shape out , but hey that's your choice.

Jacks early tone is very "marmite" you either love or hate it. My personal favorite from Cream is NSU but I would never go anywhere that sound myself.

Some say "good old Jack" some say "f**k him"

[quote name='BassQueen' post='374146' date='Jan 8 2009, 03:40 PM']Well, I'm indulging myself in some jazz! Spent another 20 mins practising scales yesterday till my hand objected, still gonna do that very day until I have the strength back in my little finger! Once the strength is back then I can do more. I had a spinal cord injury 5 years ago which greatly impaired my arm and finger strength and I did not play for a while, but really getting into it again. Any more women out there playing double bass on this forum or just little old me?? Bassqueen :wub:[/quote] Nice one keep it up and let us know how you progress. I have never played a double bass but did have a Framus EUB from about 1965 that I stupidly sold to Musicground for a pittance a few years ago. I'm not sure as to any other women playing DB here but you can bet there are a few "Queens"....

This is difficult but it has to be.....in no particular order.... Mr John Francis Anthony Pastorius III Percy Jones Mick Karn All that fretless mowah , chorus pedals and octavers...better than sliced bread

[quote name='yorick' post='372856' date='Jan 7 2009, 11:03 AM']Sweet. Can you do a lefty Sid clone?[/quote] I could, if you are interested drop me a PM [quote name='Beedster' post='372887' date='Jan 7 2009, 11:27 AM']I bet he can, that he can do it pretty quickly, and that it will be bloody good [/quote] Cheers Chris maybe I can tempt you again in the near future [quote name='Buzz' post='373150' date='Jan 7 2009, 03:31 PM']21 fret neck, Any intonation or fitting issues? Looks quite nice anyway.[/quote] Plenty of fitting problems as the angles between the pocket and neck itself was all wrong, but it fit fine with perseverance. No intonation problems as the last fret and fingerboard hang over the body. [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='373167' date='Jan 7 2009, 03:48 PM']That's a really cool looking build! Just needs an ageing Fender decal now & nobody would look twice! Fantastic [/quote] Looks like that will be happening to it soon, but as a builder I could not possibly put one on myself ! [quote name='Pookus' post='373245' date='Jan 7 2009, 04:59 PM']Are you going to carve the name "Paul" in it with a flick knife?[/quote] Bit severe ! did the original have that done to it ? My name is Paul but as a makers mark I won't be using a flick knife... Thanks everyone for the kind words and encouragement.

Built over Christmas

[quote name='BigRedX' post='369908' date='Jan 4 2009, 01:32 PM']You may well find that shorter than 30" is even less desirable than headless.[/quote] I think that will depend on the playability and sound. 28.5" scale is basically a 34" scale with a capo on the third fret. Although I am aiming for a very playable and good sounding bass I am also building these with the major factors being portability, appeal to younger / small handed players and mass market. As with all design parameters compromises have to be made. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating as the saying goes. [quote name='BigBeatNut' post='369929' date='Jan 4 2009, 01:55 PM']Oops ... just noticed your very first post does in fact say 28.5 inches ... I guess you will be winding away that extra string length somewhere ... and somebody (you or the purchaser) will need to consider custom cases for flying. ... You can't guarantee to carry-on an instrument these days.[/quote] Part of the design is for it to fit in a case 36" x 12" so yes a custom case is being designed along with the bass and will probably be ABS. Using full size winding posts I have never had a problem with roundwounds when winding the full string on the tuners. The design needs to be able to utilise "normal" strings as I am aiming at the mass market and do not want to go down the road of custom strings or only being able to use a certain string.

It does indeed look like they are branching out into the Guitar / Bass / PA sectors. Lets hope they use some of Castle Acoustics speaker expertise in the cabinet department. My main Hi-Fi speakers are a set of Castles from the early 90's that are still awesome and bass sound rather good through them (if you like a compressed tight sound)

Hi Chaps lots of good ideas although I think the really small Tanglewood bass is a little too far removed from a usable bass that would be taken seriously with most 34" scale players. The Status is a good bass but again headless is not universally accepted and body wise its not the most attractive to my eyes. I have a few basses in the workshop and as soon as they are finished will get the prototype photos on here for your perusal.

Get yourself to a Tesco or WH Smith and get a copy of Computer Music. It has a full Suite of software for a home studio with every cover disk , bargain for £5.99

I know what I'm doing tomorrow and I'll report back as to how its done and how long it takes to turn a nice shiny Prosebass Jazz into a battered road-weary, smoky bar beer stained relic Instead of its usual price of £225.00 it will be £400.00 ......bargain...!

John Wetton never seems to get a mention ?

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='366129' date='Dec 30 2008, 11:55 AM']That's very cynical. Fender will keep putting them out as long as people like the look / feel / tone of them. Why shouldn't they? Would you rather they went out of business?[/quote] I did win Mr Cynical UK a few years back I have been involved in several lines of business and have come to the conclusion that Marketing for large companies is more important than product ! Thankfully I realised years ago that Fenders are basically not good value for money if what you want out of a bass is playability and sound. If you are interested in belonging to the "Clan" and are worried about resale then Fenders are an excellent choice. Producing a good product is no longer good enough these days it has to be sold and the majors especially Fender are superb at selling the "sizzle" whilst in my opinion their "steaks" are mediocre to say the least. I know this opinion will upset Fender fans but someone has to say it. I don't get the "relic" thing as to my eye they look false and whats wrong with a nice shiny new guitar ? Horses for courses and all that just expressing my opinion......

[quote name='ednaplate' post='366123' date='Dec 30 2008, 11:46 AM']How much longer can Fender keep rehashing the same old same old? [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n6w2ArB_zzM"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n6w2ArB_zzM[/url] Happy New Year y'all.[/quote] For as long as people are sucked in by their marketing machine.