For sale PRICE DROP: 2003 Jack Read Custom 4 String

I had this bass built for me by Jack Read in 2003. The goal was to build a punchy and percussive slap monster with a slim neck and a natural wooden tone. I think Jack succeeded, it sounds great! The bass has seen quite a few rehearsals and gigs.



A few years after I got it, it started having some issues due to wood shrinkage. Some tiny gaps between body and top woods, some shrinkage and twisting in the neck. Please study photos thoroughly, it's all well documented. It was plek‘d some years ago, and I just gave it a pretty good setup, it plays well. After 18 years, I would not expect any more movement in the wood.

One issue that remained even after plek'ing it is a slight "back buzz" when playing A# on the E string (6th fret) when the neck is set pretty flat for low action. The buzz is around the 3rd fret, behind the fretted note, so the pickups barely register it. This only occurs when plucking the string right before or over the bridge pickup. If you pluck the string closer to the neck, the buzz goes away (see photos). Giving the neck a little more bow will also take care of it, but if you like ultra-low action like I do, you will encounter this strange phenomenon and may want to consider planing and refretting the board. I will post some sound clips to illustrate the buzz in a separate post.



The bass really does sound fantastic, and it’s quite the looker. It's a hard decision to let this one go, but I just never really play it anymore, so I think someone else will enjoy it more. It does have its quirks, hence the low price.

Body:
Shape: Custom per sketch
Body wood: Swamp ash
Top wood: Crotch Maple
Finish: Hand rubbed satin

Neck:
Neck through construction
Neck laminations: 5 piece maple/wenge stringers
Fingerboard: Birdseye maple
Face marker dots: none- custom "T" inlay at 12th fret
Scale length: 34"
Fret size: Medium
Number of frets: 24 plus zero fret
Graphite reinforcement: No
Headstock cap: Matching body wood
Headstock shape: Custom per sketch
Finish: Hand rubbed satin

Electronics:
Pickup(s): Bartolini CB series soapbars with ebony covers
Preamp: Aguilar OBP-3, 18 volt
Controls: Volume, blend, treble, mid, bass; mid freq switch, two coil tap series/parallel switches
Active/passive switch: Push/pull on volume

Other:
Hardware color: Gold
Bridge: Roller saddles and top loading, 19mm spacing. Don’t remember the brand, and it doesn’t say on it. Could be ABM?
Tuners: Gotoh GB7
Strap buttons: Recessed Dunlop strap locks