Club Clement: Part 2 (post your basses here)

[tjclem]

agreed

 

[wavey davey]

Hello all,

Just finished up working out a bass with Tom to be put into existence in the near future. I sold my fretless (Carvin Anniversary) a couple years back for a fretted (Warwick Vette) back up...well, maybe this was fate: I'm totally psyched, especially after reading everything posted here, fretted back up is gone and a sweet TC bass is in the crystal ball.

A few comments:

The Q-tuner pups are awesome. I have a set of BS's in my Warwick Thumb and I couldn't be more pleased. Not sure about the sound of a chambered with them, but on my Thumb I get absolute clarity, clean like chlorox tone, excellent overtones, and still have that Warwick punch when I want it. The pups are very hot though not pushed by active electronics. I did have to fine tune my head a bit more than usual to get the right blend of tone and attack.

I second the Roland Cube rec. for a practice amp. Been planning on getting one - played through it a few times, but have not purchased. The batterry option is nice (I do a lot of camping, good for campfire jamming) and it sure does make a much bigger sound than it would seem by appearance. I also use the Bass Ace a lot with a good set of cans. It won't have your wife/husband/roommate banging on your door to quiet down and you can plug an ipod into it to work on tunes.

Cheers!

Hi and welcome! I've just put my 'wick 'vette in a box, destined for an authorised dealer to sell on my behalf!

After playing my Clement, the 'vette would never see the light of day again.

I'm stoked with mine, looking forward to seeing yours on the club!

 

[manjushri]

manjushri,

Congrats on getting your Clement fretless plans rolling along. Would you be willing to share the specs with us?

I am fairly certain that I have seen a picture of a Clement with a single BS Q-Tuner in the neck position, but I have not heard it. Did you install a High Z and Medium Z pair, or did you do something else on the Warwick? I am assuming that the Qs dropped right into your Thumb without any routing. How do you have them wired now?

The TC bass specs:
Body Style: Phoenix
Body: Swamp ash, Walnut top with black veneer underneath
Neck: 5 piece - 3 maple, 2 mahogany
Fingerboard: Bloodwood, white lines
Knobs: walnut
Pups: matched pair of q-tuner bl-4's, transparent with black coils; volume/volume/tone
Hardware: black
Electronics cover:swamp ash

This will be my first custom build. It truly is a joy to pick the woods and details and I cannot express how much I look forward to laying my mits on that mother.

The Thumb has a matched pair of BS Q-tuners, medium z/neck, high z/bridge, and is wired volume/volume/tone. This is what Arno at QT suggested and I find it a simple and effective set up. They did not require routing.

 

[manjushri]

Hi and welcome! I've just put my 'wick 'vette in a box, destined for an authorised dealer to sell on my behalf!

After playing my Clement, the 'vette would never see the light of day again.

I'm stoked with mine, looking forward to seeing yours on the club!

I sold my 'vette also, though I doubt I'll ever unload the Thumb, especially now that I have the Q-tuner pups in it. I just love the way that thing plays.

Thanks for the welcome.

 

[TapyTap]

The TC bass specs:
Body Style: Phoenix
Body: Swamp ash, Walnut top with black veneer underneath
Neck: 5 piece - 3 maple, 2 mahogany
Fingerboard: Bloodwood, white lines
Knobs: walnut
Pups: matched pair of q-tuner bl-4's, transparent with black coils; volume/volume/tone
Hardware: black
Electronics cover:swamp ash

The Thumb has a matched pair of BS Q-tuners, medium z/neck, high z/bridge, and is wired volume/volume/tone. This is what Arno at QT suggested and I find it a simple and effective set up. They did not require routing.

Very interesting specs you have picked out there. Are you planning on placing the BLs in the same locations as your Thumb's BSs? Will you place all three rows of pole pieces up (XXX) on both BLs?

Do you notice a big difference tonally between the two Qs on your Thumb?

 

[MrWalker]

Thank you so much for the reply. Yes, you are correct, I am particularly interested in the Q-Tuner (soloed) and how it interacts on a hollow Clement such as yours. Thank you for your efforts. They are much appreciated.

By the way...you play bass guitar very well!

Thanks, mate!

I'll be sure to make a recording, I'll try this weekend. My work is a bit tight these days, and the other day when I sat down to record something, my main fuse was blown (talking about the main fuse in *ME* not in the bass or the house *hehe*).

Will work on it.

I've got flatwounds on this bass now, and it makes it hard for me to compare it to my other basses. I've always had rounds, and I should probably swap out the flats and put on a roundwound set for the sake of comparison.

 

[wavey davey]

I sold my 'vette also, though I doubt I'll ever unload the Thumb, especially now that I have the Q-tuner pups in it. I just love the way that thing plays.

Thanks for the welcome.

I went for Thumb 5 (ish) pickup position on my Clement, (you may have seen the pics on here, but here's another anyway )

[#177 playing hide and seek!!]

It does give a really good attacky bark to the sound.

TapyTap was asking about the difference between the tones. Assuming he meant the difference between Neck and Bridge p-up, despite their proximity to eachother, I find a huge difference between them. Is that the same on the Thumb?

 

[jonmusician]

Here are the latest pictures of the 7-string - having a lazy day in the sun (and well-oiled) before getting ready for work...

 

[eude]

I went for Thumb 5 (ish) pickup position on my Clement, (you may have seen the pics on here, but here's another anyway )

[#177 playing hide and seek!!]

It does give a really good attacky bark to the sound.

TapyTap was asking about the difference between the tones. Assuming he meant the difference between Neck and Bridge p-up, despite their proximity to eachother, I find a huge difference between them. Is that the same on the Thumb?

When I had my Thumb 5 string Bolt-on, the difference between the neck (mid) pickup and the bridge was huge too, not sure who it works but it does.
I bet it's even better on your Clement mate.

Congrats again!

Eude

 

[eude]

Here are the latest pictures of the 7-string - having a lazy day in the sun (and well-oiled) before getting ready for work...

Looking good mate!
Can't wait to see this one finished.
Would love to hear some sound samples once you get your mitts on it.
Really interested in your playing style and what you'll do with the range of the instrument.

Cheers,
Eude

 

[wavey davey]

When I had my Thumb 5 string Bolt-on, the difference between the neck (mid) pickup and the bridge was huge too, not sure who it works but it does.
I bet it's even better on your Clement mate.

Congrats again!

Eude

I think a lot of the sonic difference comes from the pickup itself.
Like Manjushri's Qs, the Nordys in #177 are a matched pair, bridge and neck. I would assume than they are - wound / assembled / have fairy-dust-sprinkled-on - differently.
No idea if this is the case in a unmodified Thumb, but sort of looks that way!

**EDIT**
Tom's just informed me that #177 has 2 bridge pickups, not a set!! There goes my theory!
Still, she sounds incredible and had a lot of range!

 

[manjushri]

The difference between the bridge and neck Q's in my Thumb is huge. And I would agree with wavey that the sound of the pups are very different in nature than any others I have experienced. It's almost like they are active without being so, but without any of noise that is often experienced in active pups. The tone is sickening - it just speaks with a crystal clarity (even on low notes), remains gutsy, and has a resonance that rings with a bell type quality.

On a side note, I'm actually dealing with the very slightest of hum that completely disappears when I touch the metal on the terminal of my cable while it is in the bass. I cracked the back open and touched the ground wire while amped up and it also goes away. I think that there is not a solid ground and expect that my local tech/luthier will be able to fix it, in which case I expect it will be totally silent.

I'm not sure how I will set the poles on my TC yet. I think some experimentation will definitely be in order once I have it in hand. I haven't done any adjustment with my BS's and am quite happy.

 

[jonmusician]

Looking good mate!
Can't wait to see this one finished.
Would love to hear some sound samples once you get your mitts on it.
Really interested in your playing style and what you'll do with the range of the instrument.

Cheers,
Eude

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated!

Here is the finished bass... Perfect!!!

Hope you like it...

 

[arcangel6]

WOW!!!!!!

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated!

Here is the finished bass... Perfect!!!

Hope you like it...

 

[Anthbass]

The 7 string looks great. Tom is really outdoing himself of late. Do enjoy.

 

[wavey davey]

WE hope YOU like it!!!!!

 

[jonmusician]

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated - she certainly looks superb - can't wait to play her...

Tom will be sending her off to me tomorrow...

Then the wait...

Then the anticipation...

Then the realisation...

Then the playing...

Then... (I'm sure!!!)

 

[neobassman]

#181 is spending the night less than 10 miles away in Laurel, MD, according to UPS. I really hope to see it tomorrow morning and hope it beats the snow here. We're expecting 16-24" in central Maryland, which is a lot of white stuff for around here. Would love to have all weekend to sit, watch it snow and cuddle up with a new friend. Hope my wife won't be (too) jealous!

 

[TapyTap]

The difference between the bridge and neck Q's in my Thumb is huge. And I would agree with wavey that the sound of the pups are very different in nature than any others I have experienced. It's almost like they are active without being so, but without any of noise that is often experienced in active pups. The tone is sickening - it just speaks with a crystal clarity (even on low notes), remains gutsy, and has a resonance that rings with a bell type quality.

On a side note, I'm actually dealing with the very slightest of hum that completely disappears when I touch the metal on the terminal of my cable while it is in the bass. I cracked the back open and touched the ground wire while amped up and it also goes away. I think that there is not a solid ground and expect that my local tech/luthier will be able to fix it, in which case I expect it will be totally silent.

I'm not sure how I will set the poles on my TC yet. I think some experimentation will definitely be in order once I have it in hand. I haven't done any adjustment with my BS's and am quite happy.

Thanks manjushri.

I am assuming that your Thumb has the "wider" pickup spacing with the "neck" pickup closer to the P-bass position. I have seen some Thumbs with the two pickups very close to each other at the bridge...wavey davey's new Clement comes to mind in this regard.

It sounds like your Thumb has a simple grounding problem. I have heard that the Q-Tuners are extremely quiet. It will probably be a simple fix.

I am still curious as to your chosen pickup locations on the Clement. However you choose to center them, those three rows of pole pieces on each BL should be interesting to tweak (Although it seems that all pole pieces up could be just perfect).

 

[TapyTap]

Thanks, mate!

I'll be sure to make a recording, I'll try this weekend. My work is a bit tight these days, and the other day when I sat down to record something, my main fuse was blown (talking about the main fuse in *ME* not in the bass or the house *hehe*).

Will work on it.

I've got flatwounds on this bass now, and it makes it hard for me to compare it to my other basses. I've always had rounds, and I should probably swap out the flats and put on a roundwound set for the sake of comparison.

No pressure from me to hurry...take your time.