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basses for newbies (SX batch build thread)

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#881
chunger said:
Attention all thread readers. . . if you've read this far, forget everything you just read, and go buy this for $499 (free shipping):

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Lakland-Skyline-4401-4String-Bass?sku=517708

p484077827.jpg


If unhappy with it, give me a call and I can put a pair of Norstrand big singles in there and an Audere preamp. I have no idea how they're selling this cheap. Sweet. . . i think I just put myself out of business :rollno: Gotta say, that is some downright crazy pricing.
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Meh, not at all what I'm looking for in an instrument. I'd rather have a squier P bass than that. Maybe I'm just picky though.

Sometimes it is crazy what prices companies can get away with. Compare the Squier basses to most parts basses. Most necks cost about as much as an entire Squier bass. That's not including tuners, a body, electronics, strings, anything.

If I was buying a bass for a music school I'd much rather buy a chungerfied P or J. Simple, standard bass with quality electronics and lots of attention to detail. Actually, I'd consider getting one of these for my church. I've been designing one specifically for my church on Warmoth but that bass would cost $1000+
 
#882
chunger said:
Attention all thread readers. . . if you've read this far, forget everything you just read, and go buy this for $499 (free shipping):

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Lakland-Skyline-4401-4String-Bass?sku=517708

If unhappy with it, give me a call and I can put a pair of Norstrand big singles in there and an Audere preamp. I have no idea how they're selling this cheap. Sweet. . . i think I just put myself out of business :rollno: Gotta say, that is some downright crazy pricing.
Click to expand...

I don't agree it's the same as yours. Basically they did the "chungerizing" before they sold them rather than after, and amazingly enough they came out in the same price range too.

But fact is as much as I love Barts, and G&L style basses (own two), this is not a J or P bass! And it's not passive either. So it's clearly a different animal. A very NICE animal for the cash, but different nevertheless.

Now when they start offering these in P or J models, THEN you can pack it in!
 
#886
joeyl said:
note: that screwdriver slot is not really a screwdriver slot, there is a special tool that goes into the insert and has tabs on each side to push on the brass corners. Jamming a flat head in there will guarantee it to be crushed
Always use another insert jammed onto a bolt as an insert tool, if you don't have the proper tool.
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I was gonna suggest this... the only way I got them to work.

Still I think the hex-driven ones are sturdier. There's a reason the Iron Age led to domination over peoples still working in bronze.

Ace Hardware is the only chain store that I've found good selection.
 
#887
OK. . . it's pickup development time again and time to get my head back in the jazz bass game.

I called Mike from Nordstrand and we are going to tweak on the Prototype A pickup. Utilizing the simulated hand-wind on this pickup will lower the resonant frequency and sweeten things up a little bit (mellow out those highs a little), so I am ordering one with just this change.

I'm also ordering another one all else being the same except reducing the magnet length from .783" to .750" - a very subtle change, but I feel the pickup is really close and pretty awesome the way it sits, so small tweaks now towards the goal. I just want to contain that treble a little bit more. The reduction in magnet length should theoretically reduce treble and bass, but roll off treble much more quickly than bass. Mike felt the reduction in magnet length might be too subtle and suggested trying .720", but I think the pickup is close enough that subtle will work. . . plus, the quality of the treble that I am getting is really nice. I don't much mind rolling it off a bit because the rest of the pickup is just rockin' .. . mids and lows that is.

Also, I'm taking my brother's SX 5 string in for another look because it was one of the very first ones I worked on, and why the heck not. . . I'm going to try an translate the prototype A jazz pickup over to 5 string version. Mike thinks it won't be a problem. As he is more familiar with all things magnets and coils, I told him to just do what he feels would work best. . . hopefully hit one out of the ballpark again.

The folks at Nordstrand are excited because they get to do cool experimental stuff as opposed to the normal production run type activities. I guess it's good they're happy when I call up. I wonder what I'll need to do next to keep things interesting.

BTW, the jazz prototypes we are experimenting with utilize thinner wire and squat coils that are pressed up towards the top of the pickup and take cues from the P90 guitar pickups.

This'll be fun!
 
#888
chunger said:
OK. . . it's pickup development time again and time to get my head back in the jazz bass game.

Also, I'm taking my brother's SX 5 string in for another look because it was one of the very first ones I worked on, and why the heck not. . . I'm going to try an translate the prototype A jazz pickup over to 5 string version. Mike thinks it won't be a problem. As he is more familiar with all things magnets and coils, I told him to just do what he feels would work best. . . hopefully hit one out of the ballpark again.

The folks at Nordstrand are excited because they get to do cool experimental stuff as opposed to the normal production run type activities.

The jazz prototypes we are experimenting with utilize thinner wire and squat coils that are pressed up towards the top of the pickup and take cues from the P90 guitar pickups.

This'll be fun!
Click to expand...

Oh WOW! "Chungerized" sonically hand-tweaked pickups for "real"* basses? You KNOW I'm ready to buy and upgrade an SX or two! Cripes, for that matter my MIM Fender Deluxe V is in serious need of a set of kick-butt pickups!

* All "real" basses have 5 or more strings... :)
 
#889
KingRazor said:
Meh, not at all what I'm looking for in an instrument. I'd rather have a squier P bass than that. Maybe I'm just picky though.

If I was buying a bass for a music school I'd much rather buy a chungerfied P or J. Simple, standard bass with quality electronics and lots of attention to detail. Actually, I'd consider getting one of these for my church. I've been designing one specifically for my church on Warmoth but that bass would cost $1000+
Click to expand...

I don't know. . . the Skyline here is PLEK'd, has no alignment problems, good hardware, good 5 screw neck joint, good strings. I figure if you shield the electronics cavity, put in a pair of Nordstrand big singles and maybe an Aguilar OBP 2, then wire Vol, Vol, Tone, Bass, Treble with a series/parallel push/pull on one of the knobs, you'll have a pretty formidable instrument under $1000 still.

As long as the wood is good, I don't see how functionally you can get much better than that.

bassbenj said:
Oh WOW! "Chungerized" sonically hand-tweaked pickups for "real"* basses? You KNOW I'm ready to buy and upgrade an SX or two! Cripes, for that matter my MIM Fender Deluxe V is in serious need of a set of kick-butt pickups!

* All "real" basses have 5 or more strings... :)
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Jaco only needed 4 . . . I only play ~3 :hiding:

UPDATE: DR Strings is a go as of this afternoon. I will be standardizing on DR Lo-Riders 45, 65, 85, 105 and moving away from the Dunlops for the remaining builds. I've depleted my stock of Dunlops as well as finished out a batch for PLEK, so this is good timing. While this will break the continuity in audio samples, I feel the more standard tension and response of the DR string as well as it's better longevity and ready availability at music stores will serve us well. I have also ordered a few more sets of the Cool Blue Extra Life strings that have also proven to work well --> perhaps on a few premium grade instruments. Contact has been attempted with TC Electronic regarding their line of bass amplifiers.
 
#891
chunger said:
I don't know. . . the Skyline here is PLEK'd, has no alignment problems, good hardware, good 5 screw neck joint, good strings. I figure if you shield the electronics cavity, put in a pair of Nordstrand big singles and maybe an Aguilar OBP 2, then wire Vol, Vol, Tone, Bass, Treble with a series/parallel push/pull on one of the knobs, you'll have a pretty formidable instrument under $1000 still.

As long as the wood is good, I don't see how functionally you can get much better than that.
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The PLEK is really the only benefit I see. I've never played a bass that was so out of alignment that it was noticeable to me. Low end Ibanez basses have 5 screw neck joints too. I'd be replacing the stock strings on any bass new or used regardless. I don't like active electronics, I like all EQ done on my amp (or FOH board if I'm playing on stage).

So that bass isn't really worth it to me. I'd take a Squier P over that probably.

On the other hand, if they were offering one of their Skyline P or J basses at that price, I might be interested. But as much as they cost, I might as well just get a Fender :P
 
#892
I dunno... Lakeys are nice...

My interest in this thread is now officially based off of the pickup tweaks and the Chunger Chinese basses coming soon to a store near you. I'm really happy this project became bigger than SXes - I'm a little disillusioned with them. Keep it up, Chung!
 
#897
wideyes said:
I dunno... Lakeys are nice...

My interest in this thread is now officially based off of the pickup tweaks and the Chunger Chinese basses coming soon to a store near you. I'm really happy this project became bigger than SXes - I'm a little disillusioned with them. Keep it up, Chung!
Click to expand...

I agree that this thread has become bigger than SXes even though I am not "disillusioned" with them. But I am very interested in the pickups (especially given Chungers ability to test sounds under serious conditions of playing and creating tracks) and I am also interested in the whole concept of "Chungerizing".

To me chungerizing goes like this. You start with a bass that fundamentally made of sound materials. Hence one has to understand that just ANY "entry level" bass is not up to this. A quick scan of the net (as I did seeing what was out there to compare to the recent SX 6 string) shows that many are made of highly questionable wood: Basswood, "force fed" maple, plywood, some who knows what? If you want to end up with high end quality you have to start with some real wood. [Yeah, I know the bongo is basswood, but it's highly engineered and EQed to make it all work in a unique way. A Fender clone on the other hand isn't going to be so lucky IMHO]

So if we take the SX, they are nice Ash or Alder and yeah maybe they are three pieces instead of two, but I very much doubt anyone can HEAR that, although depending on the color of the wood you can SEE it on natural finish basses. The SX necks are excellent maple. Not weak mahogany or "force fed" maple. So even if frets are all over the place (and they are NOT) A PLEK or hand job and you've got something of value.

But SX isn't the only "raw materials" for Chungerizing. Let me point out that my first "chungerize" project was NOT one of the stack of SX basses in my basement, but my nice old workhorse G&L ash body Tribute L-2500! It was more money (about $600 when I got it new) BUT just take a gander at the price of the equivalent G&L MIA versions! See what I mean? And so far I'm tickled to death with the progress on this project. Inserts on bridge and battery cover. Inserts on pickup screws. Nice fret tune up. And some more (I did some of this before) dealing with the ever-present hum and noise of G&L products.

Not only is this turning into an amazing bass, it's one of my favorite basses as well! And that is what "Chungerizing" really started out about, isn't it? Modding basses so they really, really feel GOOD when you play them. Hey, should just beginner students be the only ones to enjoy basses like that?
 
#898
About the bodies being made out of three pieces instead of two ...
I had a '78 Fender P-bass that had a three piece body, it didn't seem to hurt the sustain or tone one bit. I Don't see how that would necessarily negatively impact the sound of an SX, either. Are people actually claiming that as a negative for SX's?
 
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