FS: Stambaugh Fretless 5 re-post

[Justyn]

Can't edit the old thread anymore and I've made some upgrades/changes to the bass, so I'm starting a new one.

Here's the scoop on this model from the Stambaugh site: http://www.stambaughdesigns.com/news...resonance.html

This bass was actually built before the Resonance was an actual stock model and those of you who have seen it before here on TB may remember it as having only the bridge transducer pickup and a single volume control. Though it was fine that way and perfectly captured the Rob Allen chambered-body fretless sound in a 34" scale, I couldn't resist taking it a little further. Here are the current specs:

- 5-string bolt-on fretless 5
- 34" scale
- String spacing at bridge: 19mm
- Body thickness: 1.9"
- Finish: Oil
- Weight: 7.5lbs.
- Neck: 5 piece maple & bubinga
- Fingerboard: Macassar Ebony w/lines
- Nut: Ebony
- Fingerboard radius: 14 to 16
- Body: mahogany (chambered)
- Top: Quilted bubinga with sap wood center.
- black accent veneers
- bubinga headstock plate
- Mother of pearl side markers
- 5-piece maple and bubinga neck
- Hipshot ultralite tuners w/ dtuner on the E/B string (depending on how you string it)
- Flush-mount strap locks
- Bartolini humbucker
New - Graphtech Ghost saddle-equipped Hipshot Bridge
New - Graphtech Acoustiphonic Bass Pre-amp

Originally, this bass had an ebony bridge with an undersaddle transducer. It was an early design of Chris's and didn't produce quite the necessary downward pressure on the saddles to yield a consistent output across all the strings. I chose to replace the carved saddle with a Hipshot Bridge to give me the option of adjusting the saddle height as I'm always experimenting with new strings.

Coupling the Bartolini humbucker to the bridge piezos is a Graphtech Acoustiphonic preamp. The controls are:
- Magnetic volume
- Piezo volume (push/pull for mid boost)
- Quick Switch (toggles magnetic/both/bridge)

Even with two dedicated volume knobs I still find the quick switch pretty handy, though if you wanted you could replace it with a tone control for the piezo, or you could move the mid-boost from the piezo volume pot to a dedicated switch. The Acoustiphonic is modular, so switching bits and pieces out is a breeze. I like to leave all my EQ to my amp, so the setup works fine for me as it is.

I just strung it EADGC with Ti Jazz Flats and it sounds lovely. In the past I've used both D'Addario Chromes and Labella Tapewounds strung BEADG and it also sounded great, just a different flavor of the warm, woody, organic thing it does so well.

So, there you have it. Asking $1400 shipped in a gigbag. I'll also throw in a Nordtrand Fatstack in a wood cover that I've experimented with. You can see it in some of the pics.

Speaking of which, additional pics can be found here.

Don't hesitate to hit me up with any offers, questions, comments, etc. I have another bass on the way, so the term 'motivated seller' definitely applies. I could do a partial trade for a lightweight head, or a Mono bag, but other than that, I'm pretty good.

Thanks.

J.

[Tslicebass]

Bump. Wish I had the funds. Been gas'ing for one of these for a while

[jibreel]

What a beauty !! Width at the nut?

[Justyn]

Width at the nut is about 44mm.

[jibreel]

Originally Posted by Justyn

Width at the nut is about 44mm.

1.73228 " quite nicely narrow.

Very tempting !!

[TapyTap]

Do you have any audio of the piezos soloed?

[Justyn]

Originally Posted by TapyTap

Do you have any audio of the piezos soloed?

I don't...yet. I have songs that I've recorded with the pickups blended, and I'll see about linking to them, or I can always email them to interested folks. I'm currently between recording setups, but let me see if I can pull something together for you.

- thanks

[Justyn]

Originally Posted by jibreel

1.73228 " quite nicely narrow.

Very tempting !!

It really is a delightfully easy bass to play, and pay careful heed to the term 'motivated seller.'

[Quackhead]

Have you compared this bass side-by-side with a Rob Allen?

[Justyn]

I played a Rob Allen 5 up at Bass Specialties in PA a few years back, but I didn't have the Stambaugh with me at the time to do a direct side-by-side. With a set of Labella Tapewounds and favoring the bridge piezo, the Stambaugh is definitely in the same territory, but I wouldn't feel comfortable making any more definite of a claim without having them both in hand to compare. I actually originally bought this bass because of its similarity to the Rob Allen, only in a 34" scale, which I preferred. When I first got the Stambaugh it had just the bridge piezo and I had Chris add the magnetic pickup later to add to the versatility.

Hope that helps...I'll see about some sound clips.

Originally Posted by Quackhead

Have you compared this bass side-by-side with a Rob Allen?

[Justyn]

Bump.

[plumcouleeman]

You may just have found a motivated buyer, Justyn. Just happened on this listing around midnight, having spent most of the day checking out builders, pricing, etc. Need sleep before pushing forward. In addition to requests for sound clips, I am interested in the neck shaping. Bought a Clement a year ago, and I agree with the kudos Tom gets for his design. Are you familiar with his basses? Is so, how does the neck compare?

Will get back to you tomorrow.

[Justyn]

I've never played a Clement, though I'd certainly love to get my hands on one.

Gosh...how to describe the Stambaugh neck. I think it's damn near perfect. Somewhere between a C and a D shape, I guess, if I'm using those terms right. Not chunky at all (and I've owned a few Warwicks, so I know chunky when I play it), but not as thin as, say, the pair of Cirrus basses I used to own.

I just think it's the bees knees, really. I don't own a set of calipers, but I'll see if I can take some kind of measurements to get you more than just my subjective opinion.

Meanwhile, I hooked up my aging PreSonus Firebox only to find that my copy of Cubase LE doesn't run under Windows 7.

Yeah yeah, I know, I need to upgrade, big time.

Anyway...I found a program called, appropriately enough 'Free Sound Recorder' and made a quick demo of what the Stambaugh sounds like with the piezo soloed.

I put my faithful Labella tapewounds back on and this is straight in, no tone manipulation and there's a bit of a buzz that I attribute to interference from something around here as I got the same noise from my Brubaker and my Jazz Bass, but...it's a start.

I just got the CD back that I played this bass extensively on, and I'll have tracks from that up shortly.

Thanks.

[plumcouleeman]

Good to hear from you, Justyn.

Just got an email from Tom who's right now playing at the Cabbage Patch Roost & Bar near Deland, FL, a 10 hour drive south of Richmond. (Deland is Tom's locum for home & bass-building.) You should go visit the man like I did in January. (btw, I live a mere 1,700 NW of you, where the snow is only 30" deep in the fields, though the temps were a balmy 28 today.)

Thanks for the clip which slipped itself into a listen of Little Feat's "Let It Roll" album. I really love the sound of this "unretouched" clip. Looking forward to others. I hope we can find common ground on this instrument.

[TapyTap]

Thanks for the piezo audio sample.

[Justyn]

Originally Posted by TapyTap

Thanks for the piezo audio sample.

No problem. More on the way as soon as I can manage it.

Meanwhile, I found a bunch of old photos from the bass as it was initially built (i.e. with the wood bridge and sans magnetic pickup). I've added those to the existing pics.

[plumcouleeman]

BUMP

Originally Posted by Justyn

No problem. More on the way as soon as I can manage it.

Meanwhile, I found a bunch of old photos from the bass as it was initially built (i.e. with the wood bridge and sans magnetic pickup). I've added those to the existing pics.

[Justyn]

In the studio today with a different bass. Will record more clips with the Stambaugh tonight!

(Assuming I have any fingers left. It's that kind of session.)

[plumcouleeman]

Looking forward to more sound demos once your fingers reconstitute. btw, I found an identical clip on the Stambaugh Club site posted by Jared Lash. Is this a generic clip or did one of you borrow from the other?

Originally Posted by Justyn

I've never played a Clement, though I'd certainly love to get my hands on one.

Gosh...how to describe the Stambaugh neck. I think it's damn near perfect. Somewhere between a C and a D shape, I guess, if I'm using those terms right. Not chunky at all (and I've owned a few Warwicks, so I know chunky when I play it), but not as thin as, say, the pair of Cirrus basses I used to own.

I just think it's the bees knees, really. I don't own a set of calipers, but I'll see if I can take some kind of measurements to get you more than just my subjective opinion.

Meanwhile, I hooked up my aging PreSonus Firebox only to find that my copy of Cubase LE doesn't run under Windows 7.

Yeah yeah, I know, I need to upgrade, big time.

Anyway...I found a program called, appropriately enough 'Free Sound Recorder' and made a quick demo of what the Stambaugh sounds like with the piezo soloed.

I put my faithful Labella tapewounds back on and this is straight in, no tone manipulation and there's a bit of a buzz that I attribute to interference from something around here as I got the same noise from my Brubaker and my Jazz Bass, but...it's a start.

I just got the CD back that I played this bass extensively on, and I'll have tracks from that up shortly.

Thanks.

[plumcouleeman]

Sorry Justyn, just went back and noticed Jared said the clip was not by him or of his bass.

Originally Posted by plumcouleeman

Looking forward to more sound demos once your fingers reconstitute. btw, I found an identical clip on the Stambaugh Club site posted by Jared Lash. Is this a generic clip or did one of you borrow from the other?