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Club Bordwell Part 3

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#381
Bassmanbob said:
Question for you guys:
1. I've played only 5 stringed basses that are 35" scaled so there are no issues with B string tension. (They are Roscoes.) But after seeing some of you with 33" or 32" B strings, I'd love to get back to a 34" scale. How is the tension and sound on the B strings on your 32, 33 or 34" scaled basses?

Of course any comments, even if not answering my question, is welcome.
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Mine's a 34" scale Ball 5. To answer all your questions at once, I bought it without ever having touched a CB bass ever before. I'd only heard one in a live mix at a Mummies show, and also looking at Tim's YouTube vids. I've not been disappointed at all, and I am not easy to please. I have very little tolerance for dead spots, floppy B's, and overpowering B's.

Buy with confidence. Cliff is a skilled craftsman with a penchant for precision, which is what makes for a great instrument builder, which also of course means a great B string.

IMHO/IME
 
#383
Bassmanbob said:
That was quick! Thanks guys.

The end of October (November) + 11 months = October 2012.

Hey... I've really waited since at least 2004, what's another 11 months? :hyper:
Click to expand...

I have had four of them and another two on order. Cliff has amazing skills, and you always get exactly what you have dreamed up!
Congrats on your order.

-ScottM
 
#385
OK. So I got my placement on Thursday for a CB Bass in October 2012. Well I need instant gradification, so I got this also on Thursday, as a goof, to play with while I'm waiting for my CB. I'll get it in 3-7 business days. Mind you, this is a fun play bass, not to be confused with a serious bass like a CB, but I've wanted one of these for a long time too.

HeartbreakerPic.gif


I figured it would be fun to play when we do some of our tongue-in-cheek disco stuff.
 
#386
Not getting the heartbreaker. Daisy Rock Guitars still has it on the website to purchase, but no longer has any left. RRRrrrrrrrrrr!

Eh... it was a goof anyway.

Meanwhile, back at CB Basses...

Wow! I got the order form from Cliff, and I never considered all the different options a custom bass could have.

1. Neck shape: Options: Jazz, round, oval or "D" Huh?
2. Thickness at 1st: Options: .850(standard) or .810(thin) Is that thickness of the neck at the first fret from the back of the neck to the fretboard?
3. Thickness of the body. I went for the thickest because there is a push/pull preamp I want.
4. Width at the nut:
5. String spacing at the bridge:

I realize all these options are great... I'm NOT complaining, but I didn't know ordering a custom bass would be so much work. :eek: LOL Actually, it really is fun. :hyper: I'm more excited than I was when I first started.

But seriously. I have no idea about the neck shape. Can anyone give me examples of what neck shape is on what bass? (I think I have the Jazz one figured out)
 
#387
Bassmanbob said:
I realize all these options are great... I'm NOT complaining, but I didn't know ordering a custom bass would be so much work. :eek: LOL Actually, it really is fun. :hyper: I'm more excited than I was when I first started.

But seriously. I have no idea about the neck shape. Can anyone give me examples of what neck shape is on what bass? (I think I have the Jazz one figured out)
Click to expand...
Yeah, trust me, it's WORTH it!!!!!

Buying a custom instrument HAS to be this way because it really should be highly personalized to your specific preferences. It's custom, because it's custom made for YOU.

On the neck shape, just call/email Cliff. He will best describe it, but at least regarding "oval", he told me this: "Oval is a flatter version of the C, thinner on the edges."

Oval is what I selected, and it feels great to me.

If "D" is a standard D, then that's like the standard Jerzy or maybe even Warrior necks. Kinda' bigger around at the roll towards the board, but a very definite flat area on the back, so there is more meat to the neck (theory is more mass=better tone), but if your thumb never rolls off the center of the back of the neck it still feels fairly slender.

I would ASSUME (so be careful with this) that "round" would be a more standard "C" profile, most typical in the market.

I won't guess at "Jazz". :)
 
#392
I was in touch with Cliff Bordwell, and in the process of getting a build quote for a long-scale 6 string fretless Single Cut, when this beauty popped up for sale on TB. It fit the bill perfectly!
It's in pristine shape, not a scratch on her:

cb1.jpg


pcb-041226c.jpg


pcb-041226cbb.jpg


pcb-041226bf1.jpg


It's the Parallel Chamber single cut featured on his website (with the exception of the first pic, the rest are actually from the site), and Cliff said it was one of the first parallel chamber models he built.
This thing is a beast! I love the neck and the tone is incredible. I'm glad I found this bass, because I wouldn't have ordered the chambers trying to forego the cost, but they are definitely worth the extra money. Especially on a fretless. The chambers make a huge difference in sound quality, and I can actually feel the bass vibrate strongly against my body when playing. Nice deep rumble and growling mids. I couldn't be happier with this purchase.
I feel a little bad that I wasn't able to actually purchase a new build from Cliff, seeing as how helpful he was with the quote process, answering my questions, and especially now that I see the quality of his work. But I couldn't pass up the deal on this beauty. I've got plenty of bass candy to keep me happy for a while, but I'm sure the GAS monster will strike again someday...I'll definitely be looking into another Bordwell build.

Full specs:

Scale length: 35 inches
Neck shape: Slim D-shape
Width at nut: 2.15
Width at 24th position: 3.625
String spacing at Bridge: .708
Overall length: 42 1/2 inches
Widest: 14.0 inches
Construction :
Neck: 5-piece Ash / Panga Panga
Fingerboard: Ebony

Headstock plate: Walnut
Nut: Ebony
Body: Matching Walnut top and back, Walnut and ash core.
Finish: Tung oil / Resin

Hardware :
Bridge: Hipshot style "A" 3-way adjustable.(chrome)
Tuners: Hipshot Ultralites(chrome)
Truss rod: (2)stainless steel two-way adjustable
Positions : 24 side markers.
Strap locks: Dunlop (chrome)
Output: 1/4" (w/ElectroSocket)

Electronics :
Pickups: Nordstrand Fatstacks,

Preamp: Aguilar 3-band
Controls: Volume(p/p-active/passive), Blend, Passive tone
Treble, Mids, Bass
 
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