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Custom singlecut 4 string fretless for Luther

wilser

wilser

May 4, 2004
4,789
53
Northern Virginia
www.ramirezbass.com
#1
New project!

Fretless 4 with Model KSC shape

* 4 string
* Model KSC shape
* Through body bloodwood neck
* 31" scale
* fretless unlined stabilized (Gallery Hardwoods) curly purpleheart fingerboard
* 2" thick chambered hard ash body
* curly maple top
* Bill Lawrence humbucking pickup
* Audere 3 band Zmode pre
* Multilayer hand carved transition block
* multilayer headstock laminations
* Brass nut
* Hipshot gold hardware (ultralites and triple lockdown bridge)

Here's a rough sketch I made to help visualize the woods:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#6
cnltb said:
On reading , that a bill lawrence pickup going to be used, I have a question.
How would you describe them , in terms of a"typical" character?
Click to expand...

It's the first time I'm using one of these. But from the files Luther has sent me of his current bass (which is using one of these same pickups) it should be KILLER! Here's Luther playing his current bass, you can get an idea of the sound AND HIS KILLER CHOPS!:

 
#8
Very cool that you're using the BL pup. They're very reasonable in price, but my perception is that they're not popular, so they're normally not an option for "high-end custom" builds--unless your customer asks for it!

If (or rather, when) this sounds good in the end it could help "legitimatize" the pups. But then he might raise his prices.
 
#10
Larry Davis said:
Wilser, what do you think the tone difference between an acrylized curly purpleheart fingerboard and a non figured acrylized purpleheart fingerboard might be?
Click to expand...

hmm, interesting question. I would say there is about a 36.7523% increase in mid-hump® in the acrylized curly purpleheart version versus regular purpleheart. Of course, if you use curly purpleheart (non-Larrytized) it would only be about a 12.34% (give or take a 1/10th percent). If on the other hand you were to use acrylized non-figured purpleheart then the increase would be in the neighborhood of 22.7893%. So to answer your question specifically the increase is about 13.963%. As you can see, I chose (rather Luther chose) the best combination for maximum mid-hump®.

If any of this is unclear, feel free to ask away! I know mid-hump®ology can be confusing under certain conditions. :D
 
#12
wilser said:
hmm, interesting question. I would say there is about a 36.7523% increase in mid-hump® in the acrylized curly purpleheart version versus regular purpleheart. Of course, if you use curly purpleheart (non-Larrytized) it would only be about a 12.34% (give or take a 1/10th percent). If on the other hand you were to use acrylized non-figured purpleheart then the increase would be in the neighborhood of 22.7893%. So to answer your question specifically the increase is about 13.963%. As you can see, I chose (rather Luther chose) the best combination for maximum mid-hump®.

If any of this is unclear, feel free to ask away! I know mid-hump®ology can be confusing under certain conditions. :D
Click to expand...
I hereby declare wilser "Professor Von Hump."
 
#16
wilser said:
hmm, interesting question. I would say there is about a 36.7523% increase in mid-hump® in the acrylized curly purpleheart version versus regular purpleheart. Of course, if you use curly purpleheart (non-Larrytized) it would only be about a 12.34% (give or take a 1/10th percent). If on the other hand you were to use acrylized non-figured purpleheart then the increase would be in the neighborhood of 22.7893%. So to answer your question specifically the increase is about 13.963%. As you can see, I chose (rather Luther chose) the best combination for maximum mid-hump®.

If any of this is unclear, feel free to ask away! I know mid-hump®ology can be confusing under certain conditions. :D
Click to expand...


Having used an acrylic flamed purpleheart board on a fretless I have to tell you your figures are way off. After extensive testing against an identical bass other than the fretboard. (For those of you that don't know I make 3 versions of every bass I get an order for but introduce subtle variations in to each one for test purposes.) Fortunately Larry is able to supply me with consecutive cuts from the same boards in order to keep the test as accurate as possible. After the customers bass is on the way to them I burn the other 2 because every bass I build is a one off so this is the only way I can ethically work. Any way after extensive testing in my purpose built full floating anechoic chamber I can tell you that your figures are wildly inaccurate. The actual increase in mid hump resonance ©® is 36.7536 % over the non acrylic board I find it difficult to believe that a respected builder like yourself would wish to associate themselves with such shoddy figures. However this anomaly could be explained by my insistence that Larry use a modified monomer in the process. I like the long chain monomers to be two atoms shorter than his normal monomer Larry is such a consummate professional that he cuts of the surplus atoms with his trusty pocket knife which I believe also makes use of the shorter chain monomers in the handle.
So after taking that in to account your figures look slightly better as the difference taking the reduction of two atoms would bring the figure to 36.7534%. While this does improve your figures it is still not acceptable for us true idiots.

Cheers
Alan
 
#17
Skelf said:
Having used an acrylic flamed purpleheart board on a fretless I have to tell you your figures are way off. After extensive testing against an identical bass other than the fretboard. (For those of you that don't know I make 3 versions of every bass I get an order for but introduce subtle variations in to each one for test purposes.) Fortunately Larry is able to supply me with consecutive cuts from the same boards in order to keep the test as accurate as possible. After the customers bass is on the way to them I burn the other 2 because every bass I build is a one off so this is the only way I can ethically work. Any way after extensive testing in my purpose built full floating anechoic chamber I can tell you that your figures are wildly inaccurate. The actual increase in mid hump resonance ©® is 36.7536 % over the non acrylic board I find it difficult to believe that a respected builder like yourself would wish to associate themselves with such shoddy figures. However this anomaly could be explained by my insistence that Larry use a modified monomer in the process. I like the long chain monomers to be two atoms shorter than his normal monomer Larry is such a consummate professional that he cuts of the surplus atoms with his trusty pocket knife which I believe also makes use of the shorter chain monomers in the handle.
So after taking that in to account your figures look slightly better as the difference taking the reduction of two atoms would bring the figure to 36.7534%. While this does improve your figures it is still not acceptable for us true idiots.

Cheers
Alan
Click to expand...

AHA! my numbers come from REAL WORLD (20'x35' bar with exactly 67 drunken middle aged males, 32 drunken twenty something females, 14 twenty something males - alcohol level doesn't matter here -, 2 virgin nerds, assorted waitresses and bar tenders and 1 bouncer sitting at the front entrance) testing, not any fully control pseudo scientific full floating anechoic chambers!!! Anyone who disagrees with my numbers is, by definition, wrong.
 

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