henry norton

I've noticed some Chinese made guita#s are approaching the £1000 mark now. This at the same time as Gibson launching their new Melody Maker US built range at less than £500 (sadly no basses yet). There's no doubt the high end Chinese gear is very nicely made and designed (often by US companies) whereas the pared down Melody Makers leave allot to be desired in terms of equipment and finish. Eventually this will filter through to bass guitars so the question is would anyone here put up with sharp frets and minimal equipment just to have "Made In The USA" stamped on the back of the headstock?

[quote name='skelf' post='1357752' date='Aug 31 2011, 05:26 PM']Have you had a look at the USA price on the Solid 4.[/quote] Yeah, I'm just gettin up off the floor now. That said it's hand made and everything important like the bridge and pickup are unique to it and you couldn't say that about a [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-custom-shop-pino-palladino-precision-bass/2227"]Custom Shop Precision[/url]. The Godin is actually pretty good value for money considering it's North American made, especially considering some Chinese made guit#rs are approaching the 'Holy Grand' now.

I'm getting quite obsessed with these two basses; [url="http://www.roballenguitars.com/solid4.html"]Rob Allen Solid 4[/url] And [url="http://www.godinguitars.com/godinshifterbassp.htm"]Godin Shifter[/url] It just shows there's still a bit of room for creativity - they're close enough to Fenders to look comfortable and familiar to play yet far enough away to not be yet another clone. Now if I could just have the Godin body with the Rob allen pickups and bridge....

[quote name='Beedster' post='1356691' date='Aug 30 2011, 07:16 PM']What does make a difference in terms of buying a Precision is how the bass plays and feels, so that's the criteria to go on, and if needs be, upgrade PUPs/tuners down the line[/quote] That's precisely the reason a player will spend a couple of grand on an instrument that can otherwise be made in China for 30 quid. I'd still rate JV Squiers as equal to early Fender Japan stuff which in turn I would rate above most US produced instruments of the same vintage. Interestingly enough, since the latest Chinese factories are really starting to get their sh*t together all the gaps are closing quite fast. I still like the latest US standards simply because they [i]are[/i] US standards and have that kudos even a superior far eastern copy will never have.

Home made by the shape, F hole size, square tailpiece and the flat looking board. If it does the job......

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1353991' date='Aug 27 2011, 11:43 PM']Pretty much been playing precision basses, sometimes with a second pickup I use just for bottom, but I've had a jazz an been playing with the pickup balance for sounds. I do find I'm knob twiddling for tone change in adition to moving my fingers. But it did make the question occur to me, which pickup position (of the typical ones) do you find gives the most ynamic range of tones according to how you alter you playing (as in where and how you pluck/attack a note). I think I dig the bridge position pickup, when it is a P style, I don't rate a single jazz pickup so much, maybe just because it is lower output, but between the two jazz pickups there is stuff I like. I'm mentally speccing out a Wishbass.[/quote] I think it's easy to get mixed up with tone and timbre. Pickup position changes timbre more than tone, otherwise known as the quality of the note, harmonics etc. Electronics generally just affect tone, generally. Sweet spots are sweet for a reason and I would say you could get more out of a MM position than say a Mudbucker or a Jazz bridge, but the Precision split coil isn't that far off the MM sweet spot so there probably isn't much in it. The fact that the MM has always come with more control over the 'tone' probably means some players don't work so hard to get it right with their fingers (edit: although obviously StingrayPete does!). I've owned P, J and SR basses and still go back to a split coil Precision when I need to sharpen up my technique.

A no from me too. I like ashtrays to the point where I used to have 2 Fenders so I could have ashtrays on one and none on the other. I think the lack of control plate and the fact that the bridge pickup sticks out lends the bass to coverless. The cover doesn't look right on it.

On a slightly more positive note you should be fine if you get yourself a decent 2x10 designed for bass, although if you really want a guitar like distortion a guitar 2x12 will do the same job a hi tech Bass 2x10 will but will add speaker cone distortion at high levels, but will sacrifice some low end and volume. I've got a JCM800 bass amp (a 4150) and you can overdrive the preamp valves by whacking a strong signal through it, but you need to turn it right up to get power amp distortion. You could try a power soak as it's a 100 watt amp or you could try boosting your signal. Bear in mind it's a purpose built bass amp so the tone stack and possibly even the valves (maybe 6550's instead of EL34s) could be different from the guitar amp range so it might not distort in a 'classic Marshall' way. There are loads of valve powered stomp boxes on the market, have you looked in that direction?

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1346575' date='Aug 20 2011, 06:07 PM']I've found cheap upgrade aftermarket pickups to still be an upgrade to the stock pickups on real cheap guitars. I don't think pickups are very complicated pieces of equipment, there is really limited scope to spending money on making them.[/quote] Yeah there's definitely a law of diminishing returns on these things. I've seen some truly bizarre cost cutting measures on some not so very cheap stock guitar pickups - I guess on a ninety quid bass the pickups must count for only a fraction of that but ultimately there's only so much you can do with magnets, bobbins and copper wire. You could also look at second hand pickups - you can get more for your money that way and at least it'll be a known quantity. There are always a few on the forum.

I'm very interested in the Tulipwood board. There are 2-3 different types of tulipwood but the ones I've seen are either too soft or too dark to be a real alternative to a maple board. Maybe he's discovered a new species!

Well something like a Seymour Duncan or Bart pickup might cost you twice that if you shop around but twice not very much is still not very much. After your strings, the pickup is the biggest factor in defining the sound of your bass so I would say make savings elsewhere and put the money where it really counts.

Looks very nice. Natural Precision always has a bit of extra kudos imo.

Yeah that finish you like looks like ash that's been sanded smooth like any ordinary guitar body (not wire brushed as that will make the entire body look scratched under a black finish) but not grain filled. Basically sand your (guitar) body down to 400 grit or thereabouts, rub it over with fine wire wool to remove the dust from the grain then clean it up and spray it using something like this; [url="http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/shop/category/nitrocellulose-lacquer/page/2/"]Cellulose Rattle Cans[/url]. This site has plenty of information and links to take you through the spraying up process. Don't forget to post it up in Build Diaries of course!

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1337825' date='Aug 12 2011, 04:03 PM']As I've said the last few times replacement pickups for Thunderbirds has come up, you should check out: [url="http://www.mikelull.com/t%20bass%20parts.htm"]Mike Lull T-Bass Pickups[/url] or [url="http://www.thunderbuckerranch.com/"]Thunderbuckers[/url].[/quote] Aren't the Thunderbucker and Lull pickups the old, unique, Chrome T.Bird size whereas the newer T.Birds were fitted with relatively standard sized black soapbars? I might be wrong but it would probably be worth checking out before you shell out a massive wedge on pickups that don't fit.... By the way, if your bridge pup is only 7% I'd take a look at the wiring!

[quote name='JPJ' post='1337540' date='Aug 12 2011, 12:47 PM']There are companies that can take a prototype and 'scan' this into your chosen CNC language, thus removing the 'drawing' stage. A sort of modern day equivilent of the old duplicating lathes/mills etc.[/quote] Sounds interesting. I might look into that. Anyway, I'm going to stop hijacking this thread now

[quote name='bleedproof' post='1337370' date='Aug 12 2011, 10:56 AM']I agree. There's a whole new level of skill required to make the machinery work - not to mention the time it takes to learn how to do do all the clever things you can do with a CNC.[/quote] The software is already there to make these things work, as well as some fairly good plans for DIY'ers to make their own CNC routers. The real difficulty IMO is interpreting the sweeping, compound curves of a guitar into a CAD drawing without it coming out looking like a childs toy or a GCSE project. I've always been particularly impressed with people who can draw a realistic carved top on CAD, as well as getting the shape and form just right.

[quote name='JPJ' post='1337329' date='Aug 12 2011, 10:26 AM']"Not so interesting bits"? For me the wood butchery part is the most interesting, whereas the hours and hours in the company of sandpaper is the bit that I find boring[/quote] Ha! yes that's true 'til you start running off four at a time. It's interesting as even some quite small concerns use CNC to carve bodies and necks these days, whereas even the largest still rely on a person with fine sandpaper and a buffing machine to handle the finishing. It shows where the value is, whether that's real value or just perceived I suppose is up to the buyer. But yes, I could spend all day carving bits of wood if only it would make me money

Do you need to transpose the whole bass down? You will find the neck stays straighter if you just tune down your E string and learn to play it with the other 3 in A, D & G. You could then fit a Hipshot Bass extender key so you won't even have to p#ss around with a tuner whenever you needed the lower notes.

[quote name='JPJ' post='1336384' date='Aug 11 2011, 01:28 PM']Ok, I really shouldnt have watched that, now I've got serious gas for a three-axis CNC machine In truth though, given that you can achieve results just as good with a hand router and good templates/jigs, I can only imagine that this is a worthwhile investment if your: a) going to make a lot of guitars or basses; or have another use in mind (fine furniture etc).[/quote] All the original Fenders were made using jigs and pin routers. The main advantage of CNC is that you can be doing something else whilst the machine is doing the not so interesting bits. I'd have a CNC like that one if I had the space, but if I had a platen that size I'd be doing 4 bodies at a time!

Hmm, sounds like a normal Precision to me. That's a studio sound so I'd spend some time tweaking the tone of my amp and my effects (compression for a start) rather than trying to find a bass that produces[i] just that [/i]sound flat, into any old amp. If you've got a Precision and a plectrum, you're nearly there.

Maybe you could ask Wizard pickups to wind you a fairly low impedence humbucker with blade poles so you keep the balance on the strings. Probably any decent quality pickup will be better than a cheap Epiphone one but bear in mind no humbucker will give you sparkling highs, unless you go for a second hand EMG 89 (which might suit your tastes quite well as it goes as it's the right shape, active, has blade pole pieces and can be switched from classic humbucker tone to single coil). You could always consider rewiring anyhumbucking pickup you get to parallel rather than series which will give you more highs too. No pickups should distort just because of thicker, lower tuned strings. The output of even the hottest magnetic pickup is miniscule in comparison to what it would take to saturate its own coils.

+1 on all that but tell us a bit more about what you want to make.

+1 on all that but tell us a bit more about what you want to make.

Looks brilliant. I've just been reading about Fender Japan's new Pawn Shop guitars, which mixes classic necks and bodies with alternative hardware and one model is a Mustang with Fender wide range humbuckers [url="http://www.fender.com/en-GB/products/pawnshop/models.php?prodNo=0266400"]Here[/url] . It reminds me somewhat of your Telemaster and also reminded me of another chrome bass humbucker should you dare to take a router to your masterpiece again [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-Genuine-Fender-Telecaster-Tele-Bass-Pickup-/200636024332?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2eb6d6c60c#ht_2234wt_1037"]Fender Wide Range Telebass Humbucker[/url]. In fact, your bass looks so cool I might just have to build one for myself....

[quote name='fretmeister' post='1330435' date='Aug 6 2011, 10:49 PM']Actually the cost of CF has gone mental because of the new Boeing and Airbus super jumbo aircraft. They want every scrap of CF available and are happy to pay through the nose because of the huge orders they have. Those 2 aircraft have completely changed the CF market.[/quote] I've got a roll of 2/2 twill carbon fibre fabric which I'd be more than happy to swap for your Bongo