Kiwi Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I recently came into a job lot of Steinberger 4 and 5 string headless bass necks which I couldn't resist pulling the trigger on. So I've asked Jon to make me a workhorse bass that essentially sounds like a 5 string cutlass and a p-bass. Hopefully this means I will only need to take one bass to gigs at last! I'm designing the body based on the standard 6 string shuker body but CNC machined to have a carved top and to take a 5 string neck. If CNC carved tops are good enough for Martin Taylors jazz guitar luthier, Mike Vanden, its good enough for me . The top will be either my own flamed redwood facings or a flamed sycamore facing on an alder body core. The body will also be chambered so I get both excellent balance with the headless option and hopefully a light weight body. Because I'm using Jon's CNC machine it means most of the work for him will be finishing, (and perhaps cleaning up my mistakes ) The preamp will be a John East MM pre + mid-sweep c/- Old Horse and the pickups will probably be two Delano MM quad coils in $$ positions with coil taps. The advantage of using the East preamp is that the built in input buffers mean the output level will stay consistent even though the pickup impendance changes with different coil options. So I avoid all of that nonsense with output levels that plagues the MM SR5 HS basses. The quad coil Delano MM pickups mean that noise free output is possible even on single coil settings. Watch this space... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassmonster Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 That sounds like its gonna be a bit of a beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 How many steiny necks have ya got young man? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 [quote name='Bassmonster' post='214908' date='Jun 8 2008, 02:28 PM']That sounds like its gonna be a bit of a beast![/quote] Mmm, well hopefully it will have the midrange bark of my Cutlass basses but be a bit more versatile. [quote name='dood' post='215067' date='Jun 8 2008, 07:47 PM']How many steiny necks have ya got young man?[/quote] 5x 5-string necks and 5x 4-string necks. I'm going to be keeping two of the 5 string necks and I have plans for the rest, to be revealed at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='215093' date='Jun 8 2008, 08:41 PM']5x 5-string necks and 5x 4-string necks. I'm going to be keeping two of the 5 string necks and I have plans for the rest, to be revealed at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future. [/quote] oh!!!!!! I see.. now I am very interested! Not that I need a 5 string headless... but.... ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 [quote name='dood' post='215100' date='Jun 8 2008, 08:56 PM']oh!!!!!! I see.. now I am very interested! Not that I need a 5 string headless... but.... ;o)[/quote] Trust me, it will definitely be worth the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Interesting project. Be great to see this take shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 ...strangely compelling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Awesome dude! I'm really coming round to the idea of getting a headless bass, just for the lightweight and portability. Annoyingly, my bass is about an inch too long to fit in the boot of my car, so it always has to come with me for a post-practice pint. Hmmmm... Looking forward to see how this develops mate! Cheers, Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='215103' date='Jun 8 2008, 08:59 PM']Trust me, it will definitely be worth the wait. [/quote] Why do I have the feeling that the words "double" and "neck" will soon be forever linked to CK on this forum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='walbassist' post='215548' date='Jun 9 2008, 04:46 PM']Why do I have the feeling that the words "double" and "neck" will soon be forever linked to CK on this forum? [/quote] Hahah, I did think of a double neck but I think I'd be too embarrassed to gig with it. I rarely use a fretless in the current band anyway. My cryptic suggestion about the wait applies more to what I'm planning for the other necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='215607' date='Jun 9 2008, 06:30 PM']Hahah, I did think of a double neck but I think I'd be too embarrassed to gig with it. I rarely use a fretless in the current band anyway. My cryptic suggestion about the wait applies more to what I'm planning for the other necks. [/quote] OH NO!!!!!!! I knew you were spending a bit too much time in the shed with the spankotron. It's having a new fitment isn't it? No necks going spare then?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='dood' post='215654' date='Jun 9 2008, 07:49 PM']No necks going spare then?!![/quote] Not to sell by themselves I'm afraid. But I think you might like what I've got planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Bass Chat Signature Basses!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='215691' date='Jun 9 2008, 08:38 PM']Not to sell by themselves I'm afraid. But I think you might like what I've got planned. [/quote] Ah, so it's the CK signature series Shuker bass line! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I have to see these!!!! ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='walbassist' post='215701' date='Jun 9 2008, 08:50 PM']Ah, so it's the CK signature series Shuker bass line![/quote] Mmm lets just call it a collaboration rather than an endorsement because I'm underwriting the financial side of things. I'm not really able to endorse gear as such, but Jon is definitely helping me out with an idea I've been mulling over. Anyone who has already seen my comments on graphite necked basses in other threads could probably put some of the pieces together. But there's some new bits being designed and prototyped as I speak which will add some extra versatility for players in covers bands like myself. Because I haven't tried any of it out, I don't know how good it will be in practice so its better I say less for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='215775' date='Jun 9 2008, 10:09 PM']Mmm lets just call it a collaboration rather than an endorsement because I'm underwriting the financial side of things. I'm not really able to endorse gear as such, but Jon is definitely helping me out with an idea I've been mulling over. Anyone who has already seen my comments on graphite necked basses in other threads could probably put some of the pieces together. But there's some new bits being designed and prototyped as I speak which will add some extra versatility for players in covers bands like myself. Because I haven't tried any of it out, I don't know how good it will be in practice so its better I say less for the time being.[/quote] File me under "interested" A bit of a shame it's not a bonkers multineck project though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 File me under interested too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 [quote name='BigRedX' post='216127' date='Jun 10 2008, 01:12 PM']File me under interested too...[/quote] likewise ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 [quote name='dood' post='216244' date='Jun 10 2008, 03:32 PM']likewise ;o)[/quote] And as my interest has been piqued, me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJA Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 a mini-bodied bass like the Status Streamliner or Zon Vinny would interest me. trouble is, I'd like a D-tuner on the E string, and AFAIK the only detunable headless bridges, by Steinberger and Hohner, are narrow-spaced- I'd prefer 19mm spacing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 [quote name='SJA' post='216280' date='Jun 10 2008, 04:07 PM']a mini-bodied bass like the Status Streamliner or Zon Vinny would interest me. trouble is, I'd like a D-tuner on the E string, and AFAIK the only detunable headless bridges, by Steinberger and Hohner, are narrow-spaced- I'd prefer 19mm spacing.[/quote] Mmmm, it sounds very exotic. Jon's good for that kind of custom work but I'm not sure about how much demand there would be in a function band. Maybe you could have a chat to him? It's probably not going to be possible for me to supply a neck for that purpose though, I'm sorry. However I'm certainly open to suggestions and ideas if there's a general appeal for them. My ideas are going to seem very pragmatic by comparison, based on the problems I've actually enountered while playing rather than a Ned Steinberger level of engineering innovation. (That might come later though, if it all works out. But I'm taking baby steps for now and beginning with first principles ie. a bass that sounds good). EDIT: Here's a pic of the neck and the East MM preamp If anyone would like to swap their black East control knobs for a set of gold ones, please feel free to PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='215607' date='Jun 9 2008, 06:30 PM']Hahah, I did think of a double neck but I think I'd be too embarrassed to gig with it. I rarely use a fretless in the current band anyway. My cryptic suggestion about the wait applies more to what I'm planning for the other necks. [/quote] Wood fingerboards perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 [quote name='Wil' post='220487' date='Jun 17 2008, 11:45 AM']Wood fingerboards perhaps?[/quote] Eventually? Absolutely! But for the steinberger necks we can probably get away with it. The necks have a core filled with a very fine grained grey hardened foam which seems to do a great job of dampening off the clatter. Replacing the fingerboard would add an extra cost that isn't really needed. I'm anticipating a very firm sounding instrument with a crisp high end and deep lows. I will have to wait and see how much midrange comes out but with the chambered alder body core, it should hopefully sound nice and firm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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