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Passive 5 String Build


fingerz
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So, after playing just about everything I'm thinking of getting a 5 string passive 35" scale bass built. I want to keep things simple and love the honesty of passive sound...

I know Lakland do a passive 5 but the body is a bit small, and seeing as so much stuff is sooo expensive off the shelf, it seems I could get all I want built for me for similar money...

I know quite alot about how basses work. I wonder if anyone has any experience on achieving that vintage tone in a newly built instrument. Pickup winding etc(these would be done for me), are there different tonal ranges in tone pots? Body thickness, moisture content. I like Ash/Rosewood sound.

It would be great if I could learn anything from your experience, I've never done anything like this and if I do, I need to have all the info to minimize risk of disappointment.

So any tone tips? Cosmetic stuff I can do me-self! I understand not many people will have had a passive instrument built, but if you have, or know loads about it, it would be great to learn some more stuff.


Thanks alot.

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i built myself a passive 5 string about 5 years ago and it's still ym only bass thoug i have modded it countless times, a few things i learnt in the build

1 pickups, if you're going passive you need something powerfull, i have a basslines mm5 in mine and it packs a lot of power, it did cost as much as everything else put together but its worth it

2 good quality wood, unless you're an incredible craftsman your first home built bass isn't going to be very well made compared to a professionally built one so compensate by getting nice wood, and by nice i mean not too heavy but with loads of sustain - do some research.

3 the B string, it really hard to get it tight, even with a long scale and heavy strings mine isn't as tight as i'd like it, there are many factors when getting a tight B string so try to get all of them and you should be ok.

4 pots don't change your sound, the capacitor on the tone knob will, but it's mainly your wood and pickup choice that will affect it

EDIT: just realised that you're getting it built, forget the home made stuff

Edited by harryharold
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