Douglas Pisces Single Coil P-bass from Rondo -- first impression

[Mastermold]

Okay here's a few comparison shots next to my CIJ Fender '51 reissue:

Headstock:

Body:

I'm off to rehearsal now but if you guys want any more pics let me know and I'll snap a few more tomorrow.

 

[LCW]

i dont like it

EDIT:because of the headstock i dont want to sound shallow but i like my headstocks pretty. Jigsaw+reranch=B E A -utiful

 

[mongo2]

I think that headsotick could be reshaped to look more like the original.

 

[Number27]

hey, do you think you could get a neck pocket measurement/comparison for us? i really hate that headstock so i'm wondering if the pocket is the same size as the sx or fenders. if it is then i might be getting one.... maybe....

 

[LCW]

these have been sellin decently there were 12 sunburst and 12 blacks when they first came out now there are 4 sunbursts and 8 blacks in stock

 

[mongo2]

Yeah, that looks about right. I was thinking I'd change the pickup out with a Quarter Pounder just for fun, but I suspect it wouldn't change enough to fix the problem.

You might want to check to be certain the QP will fit in the routing.

 

[Fajah]

Mine is on the Fedex truck for delivery today. I'll definitely be reshaping the headstock which was always part of the plan.

 

[Iroquoi]

I wouldn't buy one considering that there is the squier cv for little more bucks

 

[FL Knifemaker]

I think my estimate is pretty close within the parameters I stated.

How 'bout it OP, was I close?

That's what the guy that built it was thinking On a positive note, the headstock provides enough lumber to do just about anything.

 

[DeanT]

If they just chopped off that bulge in the headstock by the string tree, I could live with the design. As it is, it's a deal breaker for me. Just too not good looking for my taste. I wonder how it sounds. Sound clips anyone?

 

[Dolflundgren]

Can I give you $160 for your Fender?







....plz?

 

[Drewbacca]

Is it me or does the headstock seem smaller in reality, especially when compared to the 51RI?

 

[Dolflundgren]

Is it me or does the headstock seem smaller in reality, especially when compared to the 51RI?

Yeah, I'm a little worried that once it's "pared down" it will be a bit smaller than the RI (if that's the shape it's going to end up being).


But it should be VERY close, so long as he only takes off exactly what he needs to pull the original shape out of that headstock.

 

[Fajah]

I'll be making a template from a Squire headstock photo I have to superimpose on to the Douglas headstock. I anticipate there being enough meat on the sides to get the correct contour, but possibly not quite enough to match the rounded top. I'll know soon enough though.

 

[Fresh Eddie]

I find monopole pickup designs using small diameter poles to be particularly sensitive to string/polepiece alignment.

But the only way to really tell is to try it. You might want to play some notes above the 12th fret on the strings that have the misaligned poles and see if they sound right.

From what I can see it looks like the pickup is a shifted a bit towards the E string side.

While you are testing, be sure to try bending the strings a little bit while you are playing them, too, to make sure the volume does not drop off unevenly from one side to the other.

 

[Dolflundgren]

I'll be making a template from a Squire headstock photo I have to superimpose on to the Douglas headstock. I anticipate there being enough meat on the sides to get the correct contour, but possibly not quite enough to match the rounded top. I'll know soon enough though.

That's what I was thinking: The sides look fine, the top might be a problem.


Good luck, man! I hope it turns out awesome.

 

[Cliff Bordwell]

Can we see a shot showing the bridge?

 

[pjmuck]

Even though the PUP cover on the Squier is concealing the PUP, it looks to me like the PUP on the Douglas might be closer to the neck. Am I right or are they the same and the picture's distorted? What I'm seeing is less pickguard distance from the heel of the neck to the top of the PUP compared to the Squier.

 

[Dolflundgren]

Even though the PUP cover on the Squier is concealing the PUP, it looks to me like the PUP on the Douglas might be closer to the neck. Am I right or are they the same and the picture's distorted? What I'm seeing is less pickguard distance from the heel of the neck to the top of the PUP compared to the Squier.

That's not a Squier, it's a CIJ Fender.

 

[Fajah]

Ok, here we go:

1) Fit and finish are perfect. Not a mark on it. Through my strap it seems to be fairly well balanced.

2) Tuners are smooth and work perfectly fine.

3) Nut is basically good. The slots might need some cleaning up with heavier gauge strings but nothing insurmountable.

4) The neck is a bit thicker than I was hoping for. It's the same thickness that my SX SJB-75 was at 7/8". I would have really liked the 3/4" thickness that my Douglas 825 has. However, it's very smooth and has the same satin finish which I like.

5) Frets are finished very nicely and not as large as jumbos that were on my SJB-75.

6) Stock setup is the best of any bass I've ever received from Rondo. Very low action with a bit of fret buzz. The stock strings are a lighter gauge than what I'm replacing them with. Getting a good setup will require minimal tweaking.

7) Electronics are good. Controls are smooth but the pots could use some tightening, especially the tone pot. No big deal here. Jack is solid.

8) It has potential sound wise, but I won't really know until I change the strings and set it up properly. Definitely has the single coil hum (that varies with the relative position to my rig) with both volume and tone controls are wide open and with my amp cranked up to gig level. Roll off the tone a bit and it subsides but it's still there.

Unlike Mastermold's, the strings are pretty much centered over the poll pieces. E,A, and D are almost bang on with the G being slightly off. No better or worse than any other bass from Rondo and no volume differential at all from one string to the next. Here's a pic which not a 100% representation. I think my camera distorts the image slightly when I take close shots.

Shot of the front:

Shot of the back:

Now the infamous headstock. Here's some shots first:

IMO, it's going to be tough to replicate a "tele" shaped headstock exactly. There's just not enough wood at the top to round it off properly. However, a little artistic flair will go a long way and I don't think it would take too much make it more attractive.

All in all, I'm happy with it. The headstock will be the first thing I attack...probably tonight. The only other thing is whether I can get used to the single coil hum, but I'll see over time.