Accidental Fretless Custom

[Boodang]

This build is an accidental byproduct of another thread where I was looking at the Seymour Duncan Weather Report pickups and contemplating a 'Jaco' style bass. So, I contacted my local luthier, who's done lots of work for me, to discuss the project and as an aside he showed me a body he had made a while ago but had never been taken further. However, I'm so taken by the body that I've decided to take it further but it's certainly not going to be a Jaco bass!

The body is a mahogany core with a flamed black walnut top, plain back and two maple stripes with a very contoured shape. It's going to be a set neck of mahogany with a maple stripe, graphite reinforcement, double action truss rod and a slab rosewood fretless fingerboard with maple fret lines. 7.5" to 12" compound radius with a '61 spec 36.5mm nut width and slim C jazz profile and a 2+2 level headstock. 

It's going to have 2 jazz pickups, for now the Weather Report ones as they've arrived, but we'll see how they go and I've potentially got the Nordstrand warm and wooly's in mind for this. I'm a passive bass guy, so this will be double stacked volume/tone as I like the tone pot for each pickup and the passive interaction of the pickups.

I play finger style and pluck mostly over the board around the 18th fret area. I prefer to have the board under my fingers, so for those moments when I pluck further back I'm having the fingerboard extended up to the neck pickup to act as a finger ramp.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Boodang

[Boodang]

[Boodang]

[Boodang]

[Boodang]

[Boodang]

Obviously still a work in progress. It will end up with a Babicz bridge and Galli Synthesis flatwounds.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Boodang

[Geek99]

Pah - rubbish 

I’ll give you £20 for it and that’s a good price for what is clearly only good enough for firewood 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 why don’t I know Luthiers like that …

[Boodang]

7 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Pah - rubbish 

I’ll give you £20 for it and that’s a good price for what is clearly only good enough for firewood

 

 why don’t I know Luthiers like that …

Hmm, let me think about that offer.. for a nano second!!!!

Edited February 27, 2022 by Boodang

[Geek99]

Ok, glad you accepted so quickly obviously my offer was more generous than you were expecting - here’s your £20 💷 now decorate my bass-rack … I mean fireplace 

[Andyjr1515]

That body carve is a delight with the wood choices...

[Pea Turgh]

That looks really lovely.  Walnut is my new favourite wood.

[Maude]

Walnut has always been my favourite wood. 

There's something very soothing about a nicely oiled piece of plain walnut. 

 

This looks lovely. 🙂👍

[Boodang]

[Boodang]

I haven't seen it in the flesh yet, apparently the oil coating is still drying. According to the luthier it has a slightly compressed, focused sound.

The pickups are in the 70s position with the rear pup slightly closer to the bridge. 

[Andyjr1515]

It looks lovely.

[mixingwithtom]

Agreed, this looks fab!

[ezbass]

[sprocketflup]

Well that escalated quickly

 

Looks the dogs danglys mate

[Boodang]

1 hour ago, sprocketflup said:

Well that escalated quickly

 

Looks the dogs danglys mate

It certainly did! But as the body was already made and the luthier is semi retired and only doing projects when he feels like it, it's happened pretty quickly. We initially had a chat about the project, I expected it to be a while before it got off the ground but next thing I know he sent me pics of it in progress. Not complaining, actually pleased it's almost ready as once you get an idea for a bass you then just want it, but glad I had a clear vision for this from the start.

Apparently the main woods in this bass he bought 25years ago. The walnut he got would usually have been used for making gun stocks by all accounts (not by the luthier!). 

[Boodang]

So, the bass is now in my hands and as expected plays wonderfully. If you like chunky Precision necks you're going to hate this! Sound wise, the neck pickup has a very full and rounded tone (a bit like my NS Design EUB) and the bridge pickup has that jazz 'bark' to it you'd expect with it in the 70s position closer to the bridge. With 2 volumes there's plenty of variations but you don't have to roll off a pickup much for the other to become the dominant tone. 

I'll post some sound clips soon.

[Boodang]

 

A quick sound clip... both pickups, no eq straight into the wiretap with a basic drum loop. Apologies for the abrupt end edit but moving house at the moment so it's total chaos and no access to my normal setup.