Custom singlecut 5 string for Justin Williams

[wilser]

Here's another bass I'll be starting soon. This one is going to take longer than the other basses given that I had some other customers in the queue before him, but nevertheless, it's probably going to be a cool bass. This dude really went custom!

It'll be my KSC shape in 5 string strung up E to C. Specs are:
hipshot black hardware A bridge and ultralites
bass Xtender on the E string
3 piece hard ash neck
walnut body
set neck construction
burl maple top
cocobolo fingerboard and ramp
33.5" scale length
28 banjo frets
Qtuner pickups
Audere 3ZB 3 band preamp with true passive treble

Here's the model, the drawing is a 6 string, but this bass will be a 5er:


Walnut body blank:

[T2W]

Congrats Wilser ! Its nice to see youre receiving orders for customs, you deserve it, youre a great builder! Peace.
-Mario-

[scottyd]

MMMmm an ash neck, very tasty! Cant wait to see more, the pups will be very interesting.

[wilser]

the pickups got here yesterday from the netherlands. cosmetically I expected more QA out of Q-Tuners. I'm sure they sound much better than they look. Justin ordered them with wooden rosewood covers.

[scottyd]

Honestly for what those things cost thats pretty dang pathetic. ON a positive note, I know you can make them look better with a little Wilser magic.

[budman]

What kind of rosewood is that? Is it dyed?

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by budman

What kind of rosewood is that? Is it dyed?

+1
That is some dark rosewood.

[wilser]

it's probably the exposure from the camera ...it's browner than it looks in the pic.

[erikbojerik]

I don't think that's the rosewood, I think it's black epoxy that they pot the pickups into.

EDIT: I guessed wrong...

Wil, did they do the RW covers themselves? Why all the holes?

[wilser]

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

I don't think that's the rosewood, I think it's black epoxy that they pot the pickups into.

nope. it's wood. I was told it is rosewood by the guy who ordered it. the grain looks like rosewood, but it looks like it is either dyed or it is a very dark piece of rosewood. The bobbins are epoxied into channels in the wood.

Here's another view:

[PilbaraBass]

The pickups don't look that bad, actually...and it's definitely rosewood...but a dark piece for sure...

but why rosewood? when the top is maple and the fingerboard is cocobolo...

[budman]

Probably Indian rosewood.

[wilser]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

...but why rosewood? when the top is maple and the fingerboard is cocobolo...

I don't know, that was the customer's choice, not mine. I didn't know they were wooden covers until I opened the box ...I just assumed it would be their clear or black epoxy thing.

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

...
Wil, did they do the RW covers themselves? Why all the holes?

It was either them or someone contracted by them. It was done on the netherlands and shipped that way directly to me. They have a bunch of set screws that you can adjust the height with a hex key. I never found much use for that, but hey, to each his own.

[scottyd]

Lol any chance of getting you to bust one apart and tell us how they make em? J/K

[erikbojerik]

Originally Posted by scottyd

Lol any chance of getting you to bust one apart and tell us how they make em? J/K

From their website, it looks like the coils are just wound around empty bobbins (air core) with neo bar magnets at the bottom (i.e. not inside the coils). N-S oriented parallel to the strings.

But Wilser's look different, I don't see the magnet at the bottom; it would have to be inside the coil, or on top of the coil.

Unless the hex screws actually contact the neo mags (which I've heard are a b*tch to drill & tap), then their magnetization is just induced...not sure how useful their height adjustment would be in that situation. Especially if the magnet is on top.

[Bhuti]

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

From their website, it looks like the coils are just wound around empty bobbins (air core) with neo bar magnets at the bottom (i.e. not inside the coils). N-S oriented parallel to the strings.

But Wilser's look different, I don't see the magnet at the bottom; it would have to be inside the coil, or on top of the coil.

Unless the hex screws actually contact the neo mags (which I've heard are a b*tch to drill & tap), then their magnetization is just induced...not sure how useful their height adjustment would be in that situation. Especially if the magnet is on top.

They set them in black plastic, white plastic or clear acrylic.

I believe that the magnets are set horizontally and in the second pic you can see the winding around them and how they are oriented. The hex screws are adjustable in a couple of positions to bring out different fundamentals of your pickups. Sounds like Z-mode for a pickup to me.

There've been numerous threads about Q-tuner pickups involving the poles, orientation of magnets, and comparisons with other pickups. do a search and i think all the answers you guys have will be answered.

[pilotjones]

Yeah, magnets horizontal are in the coils, just like Aaron Armstrong's pickups, just like some old Gibson pups, just like...

[Bhuti]

Have any pics of that top wilser?

[Musiclogic]

looks like fun Will

[wilser]

Originally Posted by Bhuti

Have any pics of that top wilser?

I'll post pics of the top once I fill the voids.