Long story short, got fairly ok Chinese copy of the Boden 5 bass. It had some Korean pickups & tone module. B-string was very muted, sound was not anything I'm targeting at.
So, after working with the neck profile more to the original shape, and didn't destroy it, let's fix the sound.
Haven't heard anyone using Nordstrand FD3 pickup set in a multiscale bass so it's time to try how it goes.
Bridge tuners were mounted too near to the neck, and too tight spacing. That together with the original pickups angled didn't position strings properly I think.
And FD3 won't sit well angled so routed out space to mount EMG40 casings to 90° angle after positioning bridge tuners properly.
Then electronics... decided to try Darkglass Tone Capsule as it's used in the Prog version of the Boden. And instead of blend used two volume pots with push/pull switches, per pickup to serial or parallel.
Then drilled out placement for the properly positioned stereo jack near bridge where sleeve grounds the 9V battery, and routed groove for original jack plate for better ergonomics. Stereo jack in original position has switches for both tip & sleeve, wired directly from per pickup-push/pull switch, returning to another DPDT miniature toggle switch for having pickups in parallel or series (and behind neck pot volume).
The additional jack is to get both pickups directly out for recording or using external sound processing, if ever needed.
And last, second miniature DPDT for getting active/passive, latter without any tone controls as it goes with the Tone Capsule.
The jack with switches was no fun to get installed without shorting anything to the shielding or DPDT switch terminals... but the result was surprisingly good.
This cheap and ergonomic multiscale bass beats Ibanez EHB1505MS in playability and sound. It has more possibilities to get very punchy output for the effects, or sound like J or P/PJ bass. And all that with well used strings, retired from EHB.
So, after working with the neck profile more to the original shape, and didn't destroy it, let's fix the sound.
Haven't heard anyone using Nordstrand FD3 pickup set in a multiscale bass so it's time to try how it goes.
Bridge tuners were mounted too near to the neck, and too tight spacing. That together with the original pickups angled didn't position strings properly I think.
And FD3 won't sit well angled so routed out space to mount EMG40 casings to 90° angle after positioning bridge tuners properly.
Then electronics... decided to try Darkglass Tone Capsule as it's used in the Prog version of the Boden. And instead of blend used two volume pots with push/pull switches, per pickup to serial or parallel.
Then drilled out placement for the properly positioned stereo jack near bridge where sleeve grounds the 9V battery, and routed groove for original jack plate for better ergonomics. Stereo jack in original position has switches for both tip & sleeve, wired directly from per pickup-push/pull switch, returning to another DPDT miniature toggle switch for having pickups in parallel or series (and behind neck pot volume).
The additional jack is to get both pickups directly out for recording or using external sound processing, if ever needed.
And last, second miniature DPDT for getting active/passive, latter without any tone controls as it goes with the Tone Capsule.
The jack with switches was no fun to get installed without shorting anything to the shielding or DPDT switch terminals... but the result was surprisingly good.
This cheap and ergonomic multiscale bass beats Ibanez EHB1505MS in playability and sound. It has more possibilities to get very punchy output for the effects, or sound like J or P/PJ bass. And all that with well used strings, retired from EHB.
