This was my first custom build. Local Luthier Scott Smail builds Grove basses, and is known for cool old crate tops. He asked me a few years back, "if you could have built ANY bass you want, what would it be?"
"An awesome P (J) bass. Fender doesn't make what I want, and ordering it from Sadowsky or Lull is cost prohibitive."
A build idea was born. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it, and less than the other guys.
The neck we ordered from Warmoth. Slim taper P neck maple/Macassar Ebony, with vintage size stainless steel frets. Carbon stiffening rods, and drilled for hipshot ultralight tuners. Black graphite nut. The E has an ultralight detuner. I had Scott do a matching headstock. Color is Inca Silver. The back of the neck is finished in tung oil. It almost has an unfinished smooth wood feel. Edges were rounded, frets dressed and polished, and the leveling and nut job was done by my awesome tech, @ModulusAcacia. It has never needed an adjustment since. Action is nice and low with no buzz.
The headstock and the body are finished with 12 coats of nitro, WITH NO POLY UNDERCOAT. I didn't want anything to prohibit resonance. That means the surfaces are like a lacquer gloss, and some parts of the end grain you can see a little texture where the finish absorbed. It is minute. The feel is smooth as silk.
For the body, I went to the shop and looked and and knocked on several planks of Alder and chose the one that was the loudest. At my request, Scott made a 3 piece body. More consistent and stable that way. He hand cut and shaped everything. I had him put the bridge pickup in the 70's position. That is uncommon in a PJ. It gets more cut and the vowel sound widens on the upper strings.
That spot on the body where there isn't paint: after it was all said and done, I wanted it a little more rounded off in that spot where my wrist sits. So I brought it to the shop and sanded it down. Scott then refinished that part of the body in the same nitro and buffed it, blending it in. The bare wood part isn't bare wood; there is shiny gloss nitro finish over it.
I had several pickup sets in it. I settled on the Delano fe/Mc 4 set. Carbon steel blades, and the jazz is hot and split coil humbucking. The tone is kind of modern. There are more highs and lows available but nothing is overdone. There is content there to go pure vintage thump, or bang out classic rock lines, or pick it and shred metal. Or you can go full on Victor Wooten PJ... it's all there. The fundamentals are strong with this one. It is fully shielded and dead quiet. Controls are passive VVT with 250k CTS pots and .047 Orange Drop cap, with a standard Switchcraft Jack.
It had been played a lot, with my usual light touch, and kept wiped down. My home and all gigs are smoke and animal free. No liquor spills or anything else weird. Still smells like Nitro. It is settled and it's not moving at this point. There is zero fret wear, due to the steel frets.
So, we have the most amazing 4-banger I have owned... why am I selling it? I'm selling everything but the upright and one cheap P bass, and going all in Dingwall. So no trades, please, unless you have this bass in a Dingwall, in which case I'd add cash.
Price is firm at $995, check or money order only, and includes shipping. It comes in a minty Fender branded SKB TSA2 flight case. The only way I'd negotiate on price is if you don't want the case, and I'll use a cheap but well padded gig bag.
"An awesome P (J) bass. Fender doesn't make what I want, and ordering it from Sadowsky or Lull is cost prohibitive."
A build idea was born. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it, and less than the other guys.
The neck we ordered from Warmoth. Slim taper P neck maple/Macassar Ebony, with vintage size stainless steel frets. Carbon stiffening rods, and drilled for hipshot ultralight tuners. Black graphite nut. The E has an ultralight detuner. I had Scott do a matching headstock. Color is Inca Silver. The back of the neck is finished in tung oil. It almost has an unfinished smooth wood feel. Edges were rounded, frets dressed and polished, and the leveling and nut job was done by my awesome tech, @ModulusAcacia. It has never needed an adjustment since. Action is nice and low with no buzz.
The headstock and the body are finished with 12 coats of nitro, WITH NO POLY UNDERCOAT. I didn't want anything to prohibit resonance. That means the surfaces are like a lacquer gloss, and some parts of the end grain you can see a little texture where the finish absorbed. It is minute. The feel is smooth as silk.
For the body, I went to the shop and looked and and knocked on several planks of Alder and chose the one that was the loudest. At my request, Scott made a 3 piece body. More consistent and stable that way. He hand cut and shaped everything. I had him put the bridge pickup in the 70's position. That is uncommon in a PJ. It gets more cut and the vowel sound widens on the upper strings.
That spot on the body where there isn't paint: after it was all said and done, I wanted it a little more rounded off in that spot where my wrist sits. So I brought it to the shop and sanded it down. Scott then refinished that part of the body in the same nitro and buffed it, blending it in. The bare wood part isn't bare wood; there is shiny gloss nitro finish over it.
I had several pickup sets in it. I settled on the Delano fe/Mc 4 set. Carbon steel blades, and the jazz is hot and split coil humbucking. The tone is kind of modern. There are more highs and lows available but nothing is overdone. There is content there to go pure vintage thump, or bang out classic rock lines, or pick it and shred metal. Or you can go full on Victor Wooten PJ... it's all there. The fundamentals are strong with this one. It is fully shielded and dead quiet. Controls are passive VVT with 250k CTS pots and .047 Orange Drop cap, with a standard Switchcraft Jack.
It had been played a lot, with my usual light touch, and kept wiped down. My home and all gigs are smoke and animal free. No liquor spills or anything else weird. Still smells like Nitro. It is settled and it's not moving at this point. There is zero fret wear, due to the steel frets.
So, we have the most amazing 4-banger I have owned... why am I selling it? I'm selling everything but the upright and one cheap P bass, and going all in Dingwall. So no trades, please, unless you have this bass in a Dingwall, in which case I'd add cash.
Price is firm at $995, check or money order only, and includes shipping. It comes in a minty Fender branded SKB TSA2 flight case. The only way I'd negotiate on price is if you don't want the case, and I'll use a cheap but well padded gig bag.
