mcgraham Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) Hi all Well, today is a good day! (Not least because it's a Friday) I have been in discussions with Wood&Tronics for the last 4 months or so preparing a set of specifications for a custom order (check out [url="http://www.wtbasses.net"]the Wood&Tronics website[/url] or [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk"]BassDirect[/url] if you're not familiar with their work). The reason today is a good day is because today is when the head luthier gets the completed spec list. Seeing as today it officially 'kicks off', I thought I'd share the specs with the rest of BC. With this bass we've gone with distinctive woods of great tone and beauty, but also an understated elegance, e.g. not crazy laminate numbers or super intricate tops. Here are the specs... Due: September 2008 34" scale Chronos model (single cut) 5 string, strung B-G Neck through construction (no heelblock) Maple-Ash-Maple neck (3 piece) Walnut body Ebony fingerboard Flamed mahogany top (yes that's right!) Nordstrand Dual Coil pickups W&T East Custom preamp (3 band w/ parametric mids + loads more, just ask!) Black hardware Ebony finger ramp Ultra-fine satin finish w/ gloss on the wood top 26 banjo frets No markers, only 12th fret inlay (TBA) Matching flamed mahogany truss rod access cover Blackwood neckthrough overlay + blackwood headstock veneer Re: the top wood, I've only seen one other example of figured mahogany and that was on Anthony Jackson's Fodera. Needless to say I'm thrilled to have this. The gloss finish on the top will make the figuring appear incredibly deep and rich, and will really jump out at you. Now, the blackwood neckthrough overlay was Enrico's ('front man' at W&T) suggestion. Essentially, rather than a full facing or showing the neck woods in the neck through portion of the body, we're placing a blackwood stripe (looks like ebony) over that portion, as well as veneering the headstock with the same wood. This is to work with the virtually unmarked fingerboard as as to yield a 'black stripe' effect from the tip of the headstock all the way to the heel of the bass, disrupted subtly by the matching truss rod cover and the exposed pole pieces of the Nordstrand pickups. Yes, I am excited Mark Edited July 31, 2008 by mcgraham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 That sounds great! Have you thought about chambering the body, seems to bring out more of the resonance with a thru-neck bass. Any side markers? So what's going on with the preamp? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 the flamed mahogany is a good score, well done sir! What about the neck? I hope you've asked for it to be as stiff as they can make it. I tried a couple of W&T basses at Bass Direct which varied significantly in terms of sustain and attack. But there's no accounting for taste I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 [quote]That sounds great! Have you thought about chambering the body, seems to bring out more of the resonance with a thru-neck bass. Any side markers? So what's going on with the preamp?[/quote] Thanks for the replies guys, I was beginning to think no-one cared I did consider having chambers, but I'm after a particular sound, clean, clear, crisp. So I don't want to depart from the wood recipe we've come up with. The preamp is a custom job that John East does for W&T (at least it's custom and W&T have it!) which is 3 band (bass, mid, treble), parametric mid sweep control, the treble is a push/pull for a bright switch, and the bass also has a cut only passive tone, which is push/pull to get into active/passive. The frequencies may also be spec'd as W&T desire too, but I am not sure that is correct. The blend is also a custom taper so that in the middle both pickups are on full. Yes, there will be side markers [quote]the flamed mahogany is a good score, well done sir! What about the neck? I hope you've asked for it to be as stiff as they can make it. I tried a couple of W&T basses at Bass Direct which varied significantly in terms of sustain and attack. But there's no accounting for taste I guess.[/quote] I have no worries about the neck being stiff. When I tried a particular Chronos (one of their recent offerings) I found the relief to yield an action just a fraction too high for me (only just). When I went to adjust the truss rod, it turned out that the truss rod wasn't even exerting force on the neck, it was in 'neutral'. The neck's really are super stable. Whilst some of their earlier offerings may look and possibly play below your expectations, I have no worries about neck stability or sustain. Plus, they do use some very unique wood combinations, so the sustain difference you experienced may well be due to the wood combinations they use, and the various complex resonances that occur. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Congratulations. The preamp actually sounds the same as the one in my Sei, it's very versatile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 [quote]The preamp actually sounds the same as the one in my Sei, it's very versatile.[/quote] Awesome When did you get yours? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Looks like it's going to be a superb bass Figured mahogany is definately different and there doesn't seem to be a lot of it about. I wanted something different on my up-and-coming ACG 9 string and I was as amazed as anyone else when I heard that you could not only get such wood but that it was spectacular as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 It is indeed quite spectacular! Mine isn't quite as densely figured as yours, but it's a lot brighter in appearance. Like a lighter rusty-red. I have a few pictures of it but in alternate mock up form. I'll stick them up soon. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 Here are some pics of some basic mock-ups we'd done before deciding on the above specs. I really liked the look of the ebony fingerboard with the ash neck through showing, but I felt that I'd enjoy having a bass that made a bit more of an artistic statement; this is something W&T are keen on doing, and I think they're rather good at it! [attachment=11319:eb.jpg] [attachment=11320:sw.jpg] Mark P.S. FYI, the lighter more maple coloured fingerboard wood is satinwood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 That'll be really nice, I see you're going for the notch then. What's the current wait time ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 Thanks for vote of confidence! I am indeed going for the notch, I really like it The next batch is starting more or less right now! I've dropped them an email asking about a rough estimated completion time so I should know more about that sometime soon. They do work very quickly though, Erik is a very 'fluid' luthier. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Mark...this is sounding pretty special my friend, nicely done!!! I've been enjoying your cpmmentry on it in our conversations mate...can't wait to see and play it mate!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 Cheers buddy! I'm looking forward to doing the same You're first on the list to try it. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 [quote name='mcgraham' post='249986' date='Jul 28 2008, 09:43 PM']Cheers buddy! I'm looking forward to doing the same You're first on the list to try it. Mark[/quote] SSsccccchhhhhhwwwweeeeeeaaaaaatttt!!!! You best have some back up there mate, i can't promise i'll be able to control myself and avoid boshing you on the head to make a speedy get away with a beasty beauty!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 I'll just put your Ampeg against the door to prevent you from leaving Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 [quote name='mcgraham' post='250006' date='Jul 28 2008, 10:08 PM']I'll just put your Ampeg against the door to prevent you from leaving Mark[/quote] Lol...i'll be well away before you manage to lift up that bad boy mate, lol! Mind you...i'd not want to leave the Ampeg behind, you got me there bud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 Alrighty, a quick update: 1) The neck is now 3 piece maple-ash-maple. It had been a toss up between 3 piece ash, 3 piece maple, 3 piece ash-maple-ash and 3 piece maple-ash-maple from the beginning. We've changed to this in order to keep the 'even' tonal sound of maple accented with the 'throaty' sound (ala Matt Garrison) that the ash imparts to the neck. 2) ETA: 1st half of September 200[b][u]8[/u][/b]. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 [quote name='mcgraham' post='251458' date='Jul 30 2008, 04:32 PM']2) ETA: 1st half of September 200[b][u]8[/u][/b].[/quote] That's a bit quick, where's the schadenfreude in that?! The neck woods and solid body make a lot of sense as you've said you want a clean, clear, crisp sound. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 I know. Very quick. Combination of things: they're relatively new so they don't have loads of orders; they're very efficient with their workload; and the chief luthier (Erik) is a very gifted and fluid luthier. I have scrutinized their work closely, and I can find no faults with what they are producing. I consider them to make the best basses I have ever played or examined. Thanks for your encouraging words on wood choice; always good to be assured you're going in the right direction Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Interesting stuff indeed kind sir...ash/maple/ash should give you some great results, as well as provide you with a broad range of tones mate!!! Vunderballlll!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I'm enjoying reading your build diary. I've played two W&T basses with Mark @ BassDirect and enjoyed them both a great deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 Glad to hear you're enjoying it, even though it's so short They really are great basses aren't they? There were a large number of people who tried the Spectrum model at the Northampton bash (which I wasn't so keen on soundwise, relative to the others) that were reeeally taken with it. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poptart Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Mark This is panning out to be an awesome bass. Erik is really on top of his game and we are working closely with W&T and fine tuning these basses and they just keep getting better IMO. A custom project is always very exciting and this one is looking like a winner. Bass Direct has a couple of new ones in the pipeline as well that will have slightly different flavours to the ones we already have in stock to show just how flexible these basses can be. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 Too right they keep getting better! As you said Mark, now is the time to get in on the action with W&T; they're relatively new but full of talent, so demand is low and quality is high. In a few years demand for these basses will rocket, then you'll have a comparable 2 year wait time that Fodera have. Quick plug for Mark and BassDirect. Without them I wouldn't have got to try W&T, and BD helped get this project off the ground before it progressed to one-on-one direct discussions with W&T. Great support; understanding and genuine too. Thanks Mark! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Nearly there then This will be fab. Put me down for a test drive too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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