mcgraham Posted July 15, 2009 Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) Hey all I've been in talks with Enrico @ W&T about a new bass, specifically a fretless to complement my Chronos 'Klimt'. [u]Base specs:[/u] 5 string, neck through 33" scale, strung EADGC Modified Zoid shape body to accommodate... [u]Neck & Fingerboard:[/u] Ash-maple-Ash neck w/... 3 octave unlined ebony fingerboard (ala the Hyperbass) Side dots at every position (we have a scheme to make it clear which position is which) [u]Body:[/u] Bubinga body, chambered/semi-hollow (60mm body depth) Quilted Bubinga top (wings only - pic provided) [attachment=28952:Quilted_Bubinga.JPG] [u]Pickup/Electronics:[/u] Single 'dual coil' pickup (by Christolph Dolf of Bassculture fame) Bridge coil @ 70s jazz bridge position East SP-02 preamp (3 band - trim pots to adjust center frequency of each control in the cavity) [u]Controls:[/u] Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Passive tone (push/pull for active/passive) Series/bridge single coil switch For those who haven't seen Wood&tronics basses - [url="http://www.wtbasses.net"]click here![/url] For those who haven't seen my particular W&T bass - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=39407&hl=klimt"]click here![/url] Stay tuned for more details to come! Mark Edited February 5, 2010 by mcgraham Quote
BassBus Posted July 15, 2009 Posted July 15, 2009 That's going to be a stunning colour when that wood is finished. Will watch with interest. Quote
bythesea Posted July 15, 2009 Posted July 15, 2009 I think I am going to add this thread to my "banned sites" list Quote
budget bassist Posted July 16, 2009 Posted July 16, 2009 very nice! hopefully it will be as nice as your other W&T, probably the best playing bass i've ever touched! I didn't know it was a short scale, probably has something to do with that. Quote
mcgraham Posted July 17, 2009 Author Posted July 17, 2009 It's only an inch shorter! Honestly, I don't feel it makes much of a difference in terms of length, but there is slight drop in string tension (compared to same string gauge on a 34" scale). I don't massively observe this drop, but it is definitely there. Hopefully speaking to Enrico about this tonight so will give add an update once things are more concrete. Mark Quote
eude Posted July 17, 2009 Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='542949' date='Jul 17 2009, 09:50 AM']It's only an inch shorter! Honestly, I don't feel it makes much of a difference in terms of length, but there is slight drop in string tension (compared to same string gauge on a 34" scale). I don't massively observe this drop, but it is definitely there. Hopefully speaking to Enrico about this tonight so will give add an update once things are more concrete. Mark[/quote] 33" basses are the way forward as far as I'm concerned. My Shuker 6 string is a 33" as was my, now ex, Shuker J Bass. They're just that little bit easier to get about on without being noticeably shorter. I've not noticed a big difference in tension at all either, no bigger than what you would find moving between different string manufacturers... Looking forward to seeing this one develop, I'm a huge fan of W&T basses Eude Quote
mcgraham Posted July 17, 2009 Author Posted July 17, 2009 Well, my bro lives in Edinburgh, so next time I'm up (I'm due to visit him at some point) we could have a get together! You could check out the Klimt and I could check out your Shuker. Mutually beneficial all round! I'm happy with 34" or 33" scale. They're so similar I don't notice. What I do like about 33" scale is that it's one inch closer to 32" inch (which I'm tempted to go for on this bad boy) which makes for a shorter more manageable bass... which is one inch away from 31... etc etc. I just wish basses were as compact as guitars sometimes. Mark Quote
eude Posted July 17, 2009 Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='542982' date='Jul 17 2009, 10:14 AM']Well, my bro lives in Edinburgh, so next time I'm up (I'm due to visit him at some point) we could have a get together! You could check out the Klimt and I could check out your Shuker. Mutually beneficial all round! I'm happy with 34" or 33" scale. They're so similar I don't notice. What I do like about 33" scale is that it's one inch closer to 32" inch (which I'm tempted to go for on this bad boy) which makes for a shorter more manageable bass... which is one inch away from 31... etc etc. I just wish basses were as compact as guitars sometimes. Mark[/quote] I'm totally with you on that one dude! My regular basses are all gonna be 33"ers from now on, but I'm really tempted to go for a 31" or a 30" 4 string at some point. There's no reason these days that basses have to enormous and ungainly... A meet up in Edinburgh would be awesome mate! Just drop me a PM when you think you might be headed up and we can arrange some bassing! Cheers, Eude Quote
mcgraham Posted July 17, 2009 Author Posted July 17, 2009 Sweet. Sounds like a plan. It won't be for a little while as I'm getting married in 2 weeks (woo!). But I'll be in touch after that. Re: shorter scale instruments. I would love to blend guitar and bass into one instrument, (initial thoughts are fanned fret 32" to 29", strung EADGCFAD - seems a good idea). But I'd need to slowly figure that one out spec wise. Mark Quote
eude Posted July 17, 2009 Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='543007' date='Jul 17 2009, 10:38 AM']Sweet. Sounds like a plan. It won't be for a little while as I'm getting married in 2 weeks (woo!). But I'll be in touch after that. Re: shorter scale instruments. I would love to blend guitar and bass into one instrument, (initial thoughts are fanned fret 32" to 29", strung EADGCFAD - seems a good idea). But I'd need to slowly figure that one out spec wise. Mark[/quote] Now that would be cool. I've been messing with the idea of a 30" six string with a swappable nut, or perhaps a zero fret and some clever string guides to allow B to C or E to E (Baritone Guitar) tuning... One day anyway, but not until this blasted recession is over... Good luck with the wedding mate Eude Quote
budget bassist Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 the only couple of 35" basses i've played, i've noticed a big difference in playability due to that extra inch, though the sitting position could have been part of the problem. Quote
mcgraham Posted July 20, 2009 Author Posted July 20, 2009 Honestly, I think that the difference in feel due to the variation in length is massively overexaggerated. We're talking a difference of only a few percent in length. Whilst this has a more enhanced effect on tension (due to relationship between scale length and tension needed to get a given pitch at that scale length), it's still only a few extra centimetres. For example, I played Alex Claber's bass (36" scale length) and it was only the added tension that I noticed, which I attributed just to the gauge of strings and higher action. The extra two inches didn't bother me at all. Perhaps I'm just less sensitive to this sort of thing, but I really think the difference in terms of length feel is massively overrated. Mark Quote
mcgraham Posted July 21, 2009 Author Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) Alright, so I finally managed to speak to Enrico about the specs. Here it is after the first wave/iteration: [u][i]Base specs:[/i][/u] 5 string, neck through 33" scale, strung EADGC Modified Zoid shape body (reasons for the modification will become clear later) [i][u]Neck & Fingerboard:[/u][/i] Ash-maple-Ash neck Ebony fingerboard, unlined Side dots at every position (we have a scheme to make it clear which position is which ) [i][u]Body:[/u][/i] Bubinga body, chambered/semi-hollow (60mm body depth) Quilted Bubinga top (wings only) [i][u]Pickup/Electronics:[/u][/i] Single dual coil pickup by Christolph Dolf (@ Bassculture) - one coil @ 70s jazz bridge position, one coil @ 60s jazz bridge position East SP-02 preamp (3 band - trim pots to adjust center frequency of each control in the cavity) [i][u]Controls:[/u][/i] Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Passive tone (push/pull for active/passive) Series/parallel/single coil switch I'm keeping the real inspiration behind this bass secret for a little while longer, at least until Enrico has made the full size template for the modified body shape. After that, all will become clear. Mark Edited July 21, 2009 by mcgraham Quote
eude Posted July 21, 2009 Posted July 21, 2009 Brilliant spec mate Very jealous.... What made you go for the Zoid shape then? Or is it part of the secret? Looking forward to see the modifications anyway. Will it look anything like the one on here? >> [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=50477"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=50477[/url] That bass is pure sex If you'll pardon my french... One other question, the pickup, is it a neck pickup with the coils in the two different locations? Oh and what made you go chambered too? Eude Quote
mcgraham Posted July 21, 2009 Author Posted July 21, 2009 Thanks Eude! I'm looking forward to getting a concrete spec sorted in the near future. I suggested the Zoid shape because I like it, it's quirky but stylish. The shape also lends itself well to the particular modification we had in mind. It'll look similar to the bass you linked to insofar as it is a Zoid-esque shaped bass! After that the similarities end. It's actually going to be a humbucking bridge pickup. Partly for tone, partly for another reason. Chambered was Enrico's suggestion. He's just made a bass for Roberto Badoglio (bassist in Italy) using a chambered bubinga body and koa top, and both of them are over the moon with how it turned out. Here's a bodyshot of that particular bass: [attachment=29352:BODY.JPG] The only thing he wishes he'd done with that bass is to stick a bubinga top on it. So we're doing that 'wood recipe' with this one Mark Quote
eude Posted July 21, 2009 Posted July 21, 2009 Nice one dude I like the sound of the bass more and more. I take it that bass was a 33"er too? Just a guess based on the bridge position. Did you see the dark blue W&T Klimt that went through Bass Direct recently? I'm generally not into coloured basses, but man it was gorgeous! Eude Quote
mcgraham Posted July 21, 2009 Author Posted July 21, 2009 I saw a teal/green one, but it was such a deep colour it could be perceived as a number of other colours. I believe that one was a 33" scale. Robert Badoglio is a big Matt Garrison afficionado, albeit with his own sound. That bass is verrrrry similar spec wise to Matt Garrison's latest Fodera bass (semihollow body with Koa top!). Mark Quote
eude Posted July 21, 2009 Posted July 21, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='546597' date='Jul 21 2009, 03:35 PM']I saw a teal/green one, but it was such a deep colour it could be perceived as a number of other colours. I believe that one was a 33" scale. Robert Badoglio is a big Matt Garrison afficionado, albeit with his own sound. That bass is verrrrry similar spec wise to Matt Garrison's latest Fodera bass (semihollow body with Koa top!). Mark[/quote] That's probably the one dude. I think you're right, it could of been called any one of several "oceany" colours. Haven't seen that new bass you're talking about yet, I'll have to have a wee look about tonight. Does Matt have a W&T bass at all? Eude Quote
mcgraham Posted July 21, 2009 Author Posted July 21, 2009 He does indeed. Enrico knows Matt from NY, or Berklee days or something like that. So Enrico has sent Matt one of his basses. very similar specs to his current Fodera. The Chronos 'Klimt' spec bass that I have is inspired by and in homage to Matt Garrison's playing style. Mark Quote
alexclaber Posted July 22, 2009 Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='eude' post='542988' date='Jul 17 2009, 10:20 AM']There's no reason these days that basses have to enormous and ungainly... [/quote] My 36" bass is shorter overall than a Fender and the reach to the first fret is shorter than on my Warwick. Ergonomics! Good move on going chambered, I'm definitely a convert to its tonal benefits. Alex Quote
mcgraham Posted July 23, 2009 Author Posted July 23, 2009 I've not actually had much experience with chambered basses. But Enrico and Roberto have been going crazy over their latest experiment with the chambered extra deep bubinga body, so I'm not going to say no to the added benefit of this Mark Quote
eude Posted July 23, 2009 Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='mcgraham' post='548656' date='Jul 23 2009, 10:41 AM']I've not actually had much experience with chambered basses. But Enrico and Roberto have been going crazy over their latest experiment with the chambered extra deep bubinga body, so I'm not going to say no to the added benefit of this Mark[/quote] All Sadowsky basses in recent years have been chambered too - Lighter Weight - More Resonant. Can't be a bad thing surely... Eude Quote
mcgraham Posted July 23, 2009 Author Posted July 23, 2009 [quote]Can't be a bad thing surely...[/quote] It could be! What if they're filling those chambers with something awful? Like poorly placed apostrophes... Quote
alexclaber Posted July 23, 2009 Posted July 23, 2009 Regarding the scale length thing, I'm starting to wonder if the sonic difference has a significant effect upon how you play? I just feel like with my 36" scale I'm playing a bit more like on a double bass, more open strings, fewer notes, a more percussive BIG note vibe as opposed to slinking about. Like the opposite of Norman Watt-Roy on Rhythm Stick. Alex Quote
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