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Karl Kaminski · Jul 7, 2026

yes! this is also what Ive been suggesting. A test to double check if the strings is intonated is to capo the 3rd or 5th fret and check tuning at the 15th/17th fret respectively. if they are not 'in tune' the saddle is in the wrong spot. Lengthing the string length/pull the saddle back (away from the nut)

Bliff Curton 2 · Jul 7, 2026

Very cool thread and amazing project.

I have the CR5 and it blows me away.
I find it actually has a ton of mids. Actually to me it's very flat across the whole tone spectrum. Very round and vintage but also modern. Doesn't make sense, but that's how it works for me.
100% Mags is Fender-like for me. Perfect for rock.
If I need a bit of mid-scoop, I roll in some piezo and that's a natural mid-scoop for me.

I also find that with all the headroom in the preamp, extreme EW settings are very effective.
100% treble and 90% bass gives me a great Spector / Alice in Chains sound.
But honestly centered EW gets the job done for me 90% of the time.

It's awesome to know these are TW pickups.
I had tried contacting EMG and NS Design to figure out the pickups and electronics, but they act like it's classified.
Doing coil taps and 3-way individual volume would be so epic.
One reason I don't bypass the EW it comes with is the 40hz eq point for bass. It does so well to tame the piezo or add umoh to the mags. Then from there, I do EQ'ing on my DI preamp and Studio One DAW, usually cutting out all the mids I'm not used to because I usually prefer mahogany basses.

2saddleslab · Jul 7, 2026

Metal Sombreros · Jul 7, 2026

Prettay prettay low

brianrost · Jul 7, 2026

When I posted it, I though other people might think it was funny :whistle:

Skipslade · Jul 7, 2026

I own a B30 sunburst fretless ( from previous owner ) that has a pick-up and preamp in it ( don't know what it is but it sounds really good , does not have a brand name visible ) and I recently bought a B50 natural color , no amplification system in it yet , but will need one , I have to make up my mind about what to get ...... the style of music is some kind of Hot Tuna /CSN mix trio or quartet , plugged in guitars .
I do love those basses ( and being a huge JC fan thats's the reason I bought those Guild ) , I also own an Olympia acoustic ....

https://img.leboncoin.fr/api/v1/lbc...36d26576aa01a30ff74055de3ef.jpg?rule=ad-large

jlo95 · Jul 7, 2026

The pickguard is from Avantguard. A French builder who specializes in celluloid pickguards.

Avantguard® | Handmade Tortoiseshell Pickguards

Buy the most authentic tortoiseshell pickguard for your guitar or bass. All classic Fender pickguard models are available to order: Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang, Precision Bass, Jazz Bass and more.

www.avantguardshop.com

projectapollo · Jul 7, 2026

Data center build-outs are placing huge demand for memory chips, driving prices on related gear sky high. I went on Amazon to buy a USB thumb drive and was shocked at the current prices for a simple memory stick.

I don't see a recent Origin Effects pricing increase here in the US.

Buying Origin Effects from Thomann in Germany now results in a 17% import/handling fees to the US. That is perhaps a bit less than the VAT tax added for European buyers. I used to be able to buy Origin Effects imported from Germany at a significant discount to buying from my US-based authorized dealer. That was because we (individual consumers in the US) had the odd situation of being able to avoid VAT, US State Tax, and Import Fees.

cakexifx · Jul 7, 2026

Hey there yall!
I just recently got a used BBVII and I'm loving the tone of it so far compared to my already owned BB234. That said, the biggest problem I have with it is how it's neck is a bit thicker than the BB234 that I'm so used to playing, as well as having a nitro finish on the neck which give it a sticky undesirable feeling, so it feels uncomfortable to play.

I was considering swapping out the necks of both the basses, as their dimensions were very very similar and they both have 21 frets.
This is my first time doing anything of this sort and I couldn't find very good information online so I was wondering if this simple swap was possible to do.

TomB · Jul 7, 2026

tb-player said:
Fender 1963

Fender 1961 also. It seems like all the early ‘60’s P-necks. feature that. One TB’er claims the CS Pino, supposedly modeled after a ‘62, has a chunky neck. That would be an exceptional ‘62. Are there other exceptions from the era?

degailen97 · Jul 7, 2026

RobbieK said:
Yes. Without that cap, the pre will have a very flat response with the three tone pots set in the centre. Much more like a modern preamp.

Having a cap right across the pickup like this, will always create a big resonant peak. By changing the cap, you are simply moving that peak around in frequency. To experiment I'd recommend halving and halving again etc.

I am wondering by what factor I would have to change the cap values in order to achieve the Stingray sound on a regular jazz bass, where pickup impedance is roughly doubled? Talking not just about the character-giving parallel cap at the input but the whole tonestack.

Oh and also, how would I go about increasing the overall gain of the preamp (at least x2)?

RitterSport · Jul 7, 2026

I got the GHS pressure wounds and put them on the 734a and they are certainly my favorite round wound strings by a long way. Almost none of that initial zing that I don't like, easier on the fingers, less finger noise. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll need to adjust the intonation and the action.

Big gig this weekend, then I'll put the Low Tension flats on my main bass.

Ross Davies · Jul 7, 2026

John D Harris said:
I don't use an upright anymore, but if you are a mostly "set it and forget it" type of player, I think just having the Opus would work for you.

It has a 5-band parametric EQ with HPF and LPF.

Minor adjustments on the fly are not too terribly difficult, or if you have a Midi setup, the sky could be the limit.

The Q is set and I don't know if it would be narrow enough to work at a notch filter - perhaps @Ross Davies could chime in on that.

I have no idea how it would behave with Arco playing either - my mind kind of attempts to see potentials for gear not behaving the way we think it should.

Thanks for looping me in. The Q is not narrow enough for a notch filter on the OPUS as it is more focused on Tone Shaping as opposed to anything super surgical. Let me know if you need any more info!

definenredefine · Jul 7, 2026

I humbly suggest an Ibanez RB or Blazer.

fretno · Jul 7, 2026

Yeah that Duncan is a Rickenbacker neck pickup. Not a big deal though especially if it fit ok and it sounds good. IMO a stock Gibson humbucker sounds good there too.

fretno · Jul 7, 2026

Rayjay said:
Just dropped my bass off to get a refret. It's a Fullerton Reissue 62 jazz, made in 83 that had been converted to fretless at some point. These are such great necks I decided to take a chance bringing it back to full glory. I decided to use a new to me luthier, but took my time picking him for his lack of reluctance compared to the other guys I asked, and for his recommendations from some friends. Good experience but he had some interesting comments during the meetup.

First of all, nice guy, and he had a big collection at his house of mostly basses. No red flags with the house or the shop setup or any of the repairs I saw.

But first he was a bit baffled by the concentric pots, which he never saw before. He thought they were a mod.

He asked about me "taking it apart" but he meant it had no pick guard (Jaco style). I had to explain I liked the look and intended to use it like that, and have the pick guard if I change my mind.

Then he was concerned about the frets I bought (Dunlop 6230 nickels) - specifically, that they would match the radius of my bass's board. Well, to the best of my knowledge, a fret will conform to the radius regardless of what it is. Am I right?

Also, he asked if I happened to know the radius (if it was 12" or 9 1/2"?) so I said pretty sure its vintage spec 7 1/4" - but he was quick to retort they never made them that tight. I didn't bother to argue.

Then he asked if I was having him refinish the body. No! I said only what we had discussed which was fret only and anything related (new nut etc). Glad we discussed that....

Not exactly deeply concerned but that's where my bass is now! I'll update in a few weeks. Should be ok, right?!? View attachment 7529724

A neck can be re-fretted without the body. So you could just ship the neck. A fret does not necessarily conform, it can actually fight you back a little. The fretboard prep is an important step and those boards are all different. The slotting is hugely important ,depth and width. The tangs on the fret is important. If not slotted correctly pounding in a big tang can force a bow. Lots of fun things to be aware of during a simple re-fret. After they’re in the leveling is a thing. Everyone has an approach here but the end result should be clear notes when plucked on every note and every string. All the way up and down the neck. Including open. To do this it usually falls within a certain spec. If the action is too high or low or relief is off. Or nut slotting. It will not play out on every note. Then there is string bending lol. We as bass players don’t bend much but there should be an understanding of it by the tech. I could go on and on lol. Since it’s underway and there is no turning back let’s all buckle up and grab some popcorn.

dbsfgyd1 · Jul 6, 2026

Wasnex said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...I.E. if it sounds good to you...

IME it's very easy to fool ourselves when dealing with tone choices. The way we listen tends to vary over time. When you are tweaking your tone, you tend to focus in very narrowly on a certain quality rather than hearing your tone in it's entirety. Thus when you successfully add a certain sumtin, sumtin you might be totally pleased with the results.

However if you later do an AB comparison after your focus has broadened, you may find that the device that adds the certain sumtin, sumtin also adds other qualities that you don't want. You may not notice these qualities right away. But when you do, you may become fixated on them...or you may only notice when doing a direct AB comparison.

Bottom line, stacking too many devices usually ends up adding undesired artifacts. So it's a good idea to do an AB comparison to validate your initial impression. But ultimately, if it sounds good to you...

+100%

Iridescentone · Jul 6, 2026

Hang it on a wall to stare at. Just make sure the hanger is anchored to a stud! :woot:

Iridescentone · Jul 6, 2026

Is there any reason the zero couldn't be pre-slotted by the Plek machine? I know the Plek is only as good as the operator/programmer, but I've never seen one in action, nor am I aware of all its capabilities. Or would that be strictly a hands on thing?

Asking for a friend.

Daniel B5 · Jul 6, 2026

You'll probably get a response from Godin soon: last week there was a national holiday in Canada so perhaps their customer service folks took a long weekend.

But in the interim, as the owner of an A4 Ultra with synth output, I believe all of the A4 Ultra models have piezo and magnetic pickups that can be blended (maybe that's why the "Ultra" part of the name was added).

I think that only the first generation of the A4 Ultra included the 13-pin output for a synth, which was removed in the most recent generation.

emjazz · Jul 6, 2026

I’ve been ordering strings from them for a few months now. I’m a big fan. Outstanding service. I can’t recommend them enough!

OnPo · Jul 6, 2026

I own Höfner H500/2-AR-0 Artist Club bass since February and its great instrument! Not sure about Hofners new effecient line, this one is hand made exactly like the other Made in Germany models and came with same certificate. Maybe there could be robot involved in poly finish aplying and polishing, who knows. Also outer "veneer" seems to be slightly lower quality(like AA instead of AAA), les flames in maple and spruce top seems to be rift-sawn. It does not matter anyway, since it is a laminated body like every other Hofner bass

J Wilson · Jul 6, 2026

Venture 8x8

Ampeg :: Venture Series :: Lightweight Bass Cabs

ampeg.com

eduan · Jul 6, 2026

Hi,
Require a MOSFET for my Peavey Megabass.

Can anybody assist or provide details of an alternative which can work for “frakenstein” conversion.

South African bassist asking.

SeayBass · Jul 6, 2026

For those who are wondering about flexibility of these strings:
Here's a pic to give an visual on the flex of the cobalt flat vs actual flats. Pictured below are .095 E strings. They are both pulled to the max they'll allow. You can see the cobalt (inner loop) is much more flexible than the EB Pino flatwound (outer).

The Pino flats at this gauge are consistent in flexibility with labella flexible flats, or TI flats. That is to say they're relatively flexible in the world of flats. And you can see the Cobalt Slinky Flats are significantly more flexible than the traditional flatwound in this test. You can also see the exterior wraps, one is smooth (pino), while the cobalt has gaps more like a quarter round or some such.

For the record, These are both excellent strings, in my opinion. They're very different. The slinky cobalt are unique, in my experience.

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