Have a fretless decision to make. (DECIDED! See inside for details :))

[Shockwave]

Hey guys and gals.

I have a fretless decision i must make soon.

Recently i have been trying to sell my lovely Pedulla Pentabuzz 5 string.

The main reason i am selling is because of the Bartolinis, They are too dark for my tastes, not hot enough. I play the fretless in a death metal/doomy style of music. This needs a cutting tone (As much as you can get on a fretless)

Now most people would say "No problem, change the pups" In which case i cant. They are a very small non standard pickup size. I have asked various custom pickup guys and they cant do anything with the current pup rout as it is far too small to work with, for the sound i want.

So i have a number of options.

Sell a bass that i love playability and lookswise. Get something that DOES have the right sound (IE a 5 string musicman fretless)

However the Musicman doesant look as flash and might not play as well (I wont be able to test drive it).

Or

Take a Punt and potentially ruin the resalability of the Pedulla and get bass routed out for Musicman Style pups (and take a chunk out of the lovely maple body) and change the pre-amp.


I really am not sure what to do here. I dont want to do the wrong thing! What would you do?

Do you think routing out the Pedulla for MM style pups will ruin the resale value? Would you see it as a bonus?

Rob.





Edit: For reference.



Also there is another factor, If i want to change the pedulla, i will be out of a fretless for a month whilst its getting sorted, theres a small chance of luthier misfire and could ruin the bass. Also i wont have the money to sort it out for a few months. However if i decide to go for the Musicman i will actually gain money (As its a part ex deal)

[RhysP]

Keep the pickups & change the preamp?

[Pentode]

Have you tried having a word with Andy at Wizard Pickups?

[rjb]

[quote name='Pentode' post='500542' date='May 29 2009, 06:15 AM']Have you tried having a word with Andy at Wizard Pickups? [/quote]

+1. Theres a guy on the forum called Huge Hands who got Wizard to make some up some non-standard pups for his Squire V. You should drop him a PM.

Also +1 to trying a new preamp.

P.S. Please don't re-route the bass - you'll likely come to regret it!

[mcgraham]

-1 to routing for new pickups. When doing something that is irreversible to a bass you really [i]really[/i] need to KNOW that it's what you want, and, from the number of basses you have bought and sold in the last few months alone, it doesn't look like you really know what you want in terms of a bass (I apologise for the severe bluntness of this statement).

If you KNOW that a musicman sound is what you want, then switch to a musicman, end of. You can then re-evaluate your sound and evolve it onwards from there.

Mark

[Beedster]

If you want the musicman tone and Pedulla style you're far better off getting someone to build you something to that spec than speculatively modding your current bass Rob. SR5's are to my mind the least elegant looking of the Fender/MM/G&L styles basses (with the exception of some horrors Fender produced in the 80's), so I see your point, but my old black/black/rosewood was to my mind the rare exception so you might find a decent looking one if you lok around?

[ARGH]

You wanna EBMM..Get an EBMM...You wanna change the P/Us yet not affect the value...rerout and replace with EMGs...replace the lot,Barts just aint nasty enough for metal.

[steve]

[quote name='Beedster' post='500567' date='May 29 2009, 08:07 AM']If you want the musicman tone and Pedulla style you're far better off getting someone to build you something to that spec than speculatively modding your current bass Rob[/quote]

+1. You could also have a look at the preamp options as mentioned above. Definately don't rout the Pedulla.

[EBS_freak]

A change of preamp will give you a greater change in tone than any pickups ever would. Barts are a good all round pickup - I would suggest finding the right preamp will be the answer.

[Stylon Pilson]

Find a 5-string MM fretless that suits you in all aspects but looks (ie neck and electronics). Then one option is to get a new body built. Another option is to have a custom bass built that replicates the neck and electronics of the MM, and then sell the MM.

S.P.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='Beedster' post='500567' date='May 29 2009, 08:07 AM']If you want the musicman tone and Pedulla style you're far better off getting someone to build you something to that spec than speculatively modding your current bass Rob. SR5's are to my mind the least elegant looking of the Fender/MM/G&L styles basses (with the exception of some horrors Fender produced in the 80's), so I see your point, but my old black/black/rosewood was to my mind the rare exception so you might find a decent looking one if you lok around?[/quote]
Absolutely!
But I would say that;


Black.
Black/White/Black scratchplate
Pau Ferro Fingerboard (no lines)

Definitely leave the Pentabuzz alone!

[Shockwave]

[quote name='RhysP' post='500540' date='May 29 2009, 06:12 AM']Keep the pickups & change the preamp?[/quote]

If i decide to keep the Pedulla, then thats the first thing i am doing.

[quote name='Pentode' post='500542' date='May 29 2009, 06:15 AM']Have you tried having a word with Andy at Wizard Pickups? [/quote]

Already been in extensive Email contact with him, He is not able to make pickups to that small of size that have the sound i want.


[quote name='mcgraham' post='500552' date='May 29 2009, 07:14 AM']-1 to routing for new pickups. When doing something that is irreversible to a bass you really [i]really[/i] need to KNOW that it's what you want, and, from the number of basses you have bought and sold in the last few months alone, it doesn't look like you really know what you want in terms of a bass (I apologise for the severe bluntness of this statement).

If you KNOW that a musicman sound is what you want, then switch to a musicman, end of. You can then re-evaluate your sound and evolve it onwards from there.

Mark[/quote]

Yup

I am still pretty much undecided, i will tell you that last night, i was all for rerouting the Pedulla. Now i am not so sure! I have make sure its "My" bass before doing something like that.

[Shockwave]

[quote name='Beedster' post='500567' date='May 29 2009, 08:07 AM']If you want the musicman tone and Pedulla style you're far better off getting someone to build you something to that spec than speculatively modding your current bass Rob. SR5's are to my mind the least elegant looking of the Fender/MM/G&L styles basses (with the exception of some horrors Fender produced in the 80's), so I see your point, but my old black/black/rosewood was to my mind the rare exception so you might find a decent looking one if you lok around?[/quote]

The offer i have been given is for a 20th anniversary one. I cant really give many details on that one though

[Shockwave]

Bump

Well i took her to practice tonight with my full rig,

I cant stand the sound, its dark, not my sorta thing at all. I took a video of it to prove it as i watched it tonight.

However it also made me feel great to have such a great looking and playing bass.

I have decided to keep it, and modify it, it might rub some people up the wrong way to potentially ruin an instrument of such expense in this way. But i love the construction so much, i must keep it. But must be modified for purpose.

I think i am in love with it sufficiently to keep it after modifiying it to my specs.

Now i just have to wait a number of months until i can afford the pre-amp and pickup upgrades! Its also interesting to note, when i have decided to sell an instrument, i never back out, i make the decision and thats final, this is the first time i backed out of selling. I am likely looking at a 3 band Pre-amp (Stack knob so no routing out) First to see if it just needs a pre-amp change.


[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVET2DXNMM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVET2DXNMM[/url]

For those who are interested, heres the "Bad" video. At the end of the night, everyones sweaty as hell due to no air conditioning or open windows allowed in close confinement. I think all three of our voices are ragged too. Sounds like one of the guitars are out of tune as well (Note the farkin fast bits of playing at around about 1:00.

[xilddx]

I'm having something similar done. My Kopo only has a bridge pup, and I can't stand those honky, quacky fretless sounds, but I really like the way the bass plays and feels and looks, so I'm having the Gallery route and fit a Delano soapbar in the neck position, with new tronics. Should have her back this weekend, can't wait!

I couldn't give a toss what people think about fundamentally altering a high end instrument, although yours is much higher end than mine. You need what you need. I remember the weird comments I got from a few guitar shops in the early '90s when I asked if their repair guy could fit a fretless brass fingerboard to a guitar I had. One of them said "what d'yer wanna do that for? It won't be a guitar anymore". I got it done and it was wickid!

You go for it, mate.

[ashevans09]

Sounds awesome, will be looking forward to hearing it

As a fellow Pedulla owner I've found the guys over there to be really helpful so it might be worth dropping them a line to discuss your problem. They are very accomodating people and answer emails quickly

Good luck!