EUB project

[Jon Clegg]

More food for thought - that pu arrangement would aesthetically inspire a more futuristic/space-age look for an EUB. hummm...

The quad lipsticks have been haunting me since @JIO posted a picture of a gold Modulo; I'm going to be using that configuration on something.

 

[delta7fred]

The quad lipsticks have been haunting me since @JIO posted a picture of a gold Modulo; I'm going to be using that configuration on something.

The Modulo I posted is in my local music shop, I keep looking at it but really don't need any more basses, I need to sell a few if anything.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

The Modulo I posted is in my local music shop, I keep looking at it but really don't need any more basses, I need to sell a few if anything.

Sell? I think you mean trade for a Modulo!!

 

[Jon Clegg]

The Modulo I posted is in my local music shop, I keep looking at it but really don't need any more basses, I need to sell a few if anything.

I'm in the same boat, but I do love the Modulo's style. It's like a Fender in a Italian designer suit. (Leo, meet Luigi)

 

[JIO]

Talk about a zombie thread - started it over 10yrs ago! Time sure is fun when you're having flys! Ok... enough of that - I posted this thread on a related topic thread a couple days ago and realized I had forgotten about this bass. I was never really happy with the way it turned out, mostly related to the pu's, and then we moved and it's been in my closet for 6 years. Sooo... I'm going to finally sort it now with renewed energy! I removed my clever pu bridge thingy which never sounded good - mostly low output. I paged through the thread and realized the solution was already considered. And that would be a single-coil pu for each string, like this Modulo.

But not lipsticks - I found this single-coil pu at Allparts for the sweet closeout price of $7@ so bought four. My plan is to fabricate a platform for them and sand the sides into an angle so they can be butted together aligned with each string. I'd like to make the platform so it attaches to the 4 magnets (two locations) already on the body, and possibly make the pu's slidable for alternate pu positions... or not - we'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I'm more interested in making it useable now because Cherie w/Bond Girl is introducing more lounge-y material and stages are small so a thin upright footprint is ideal for busting out for a couple of songs in the sets. Until the pu's arrive...

 

[mapleglo]

MMMMM, zombies....

 

[Dark Horse]

I’ve always wanted to play around with the 4 lipstick pickup setup, but my thought was to work out a slider mechanism so the pickups could be slid closer to or further from the bridge to dial in the individual string tone that was desired.

So a slider setup that was individually adjustable, but then locked in place when you got the positioning set.

Oh, and wiring them to be switchable from series to parallel.


…..and now you see why I’ve never gotten around to trying that setup…. Too many ideas, not enough time !

 

[JIO]

I’ve always wanted to play around with the 4 lipstick pickup setup, but my thought was to work out a slider mechanism so the pickups could be slid closer to or further from the bridge to dial in the individual string tone that was desired.

So a slider setup that was individually adjustable, but then locked in place when you got the positioning set.

Oh, and wiring them to be switchable from series to parallel.


…..and now you see why I’ve never gotten around to trying that setup…. Too many ideas, not enough time !

Being that the individual pu's cover more real estate than a standard 'pole' pu, having them fixed evenly side to side should work. If I develop a slidable base, it will move all four together higher or lower (from the neck-heal to the bridge) for optimal response dialing

Pu's should arrive soon - then I can start to figure it all out.

 

[JIO]

So.., the four pu's arrived last week and I've been bustin' my balls (can I say that Paul?) to make it work ever since -

Constructing the pu unit seemed simple/straight-forward but fabricating it was anything but. No CNC, no CAD - old school hands-on trial & error R&D. So the result is far from "perfect" - but I got it to work. (can you say working prototype?) Of course.., if I had known this was my tact from the beginning - it would have been far easier.

This pic shows my best attempts at minimizing adverse effects of cable routing. The relatively small oblong "surface invasion" could have been much worse. Not sure how to minimize it... but a cosmetic solution will eventually surface.., so to speak. Also "left over" from my original design, two imbedded rare-earth magnets and the pu wire port. At this point, I'm less concerned about this "detail". I could create a 'plaque' there with something important/pertinent engraved on it...

You can barely see a round tolex circle behind the adjustable extender... another casualty of calculating/executing cable routing after the fact. Once again - it could have been worse... sometimes your best efforts are as close as they could reasonably be, and one needs to be happy to get that close.

I replaced the .022uF cap with a .047uF cap, which is recommended for such a bass and coincidentally is also my "go to" cap for all my basses. I have one nagging grounding issue* to deal with - I usually cover all the bases there - but this solution is illusive so far. Tone all the way off = no hum - tone up = hum. You'd think I'd know how to resolve this by now...

*update: I resolved the grounding issue by wrapping a thin twisted bare wire strand around the E string below the bridge - one end under the E-string at the bridge and the other to the ground wire under the bottom brass plate which goes to the jack.

 

[JIO]

 

[Kenan]

Hey Jio, such a cool project! Question: are you sure you want the pickups that close to the bridge? In that configuration, I would want them as close to the fingerboard as possible. I think that would give the best chance at approximating an upright thump.

 

[JIO]

Hey Jio, such a cool project! Question: are you sure you want the pickups that close to the bridge? In that configuration, I would want them as close to the fingerboard as possible. I think that would give the best chance at approximating an upright thump.

Thanks, I know you are right - my thoughts were initially making it movable but making the platform & routing for wiring was such a PITA that I landed it near the bridge. It does sound ok, more 'upright bass' than I would have thought it could ATC. The mono-pod can be expanded high enough to play standing, but it's better stabilized seated. (like a cello) I'm kind of burned-out on further refining it at this point but eventually I'll dive back into it, redesign the pu carrier and consider putting it on rails so it can slide to different positions. Meanwhile, I'll just play it and try to get my upright chops back.

 

[JIO]

Beginnings of the redesign of a sliding pu mount. I will route a shallow 7"x 3" cavity/base for these aluminum rails, mount strategically positioned magnets along its length that align with the mount magnets. So to move it you would just lift it and re-position it along the 7" length. The pu's will all sit straight up and the strings will all be positioned the same distance away from the top of each. Should work out much better than my 1st attempt.

 

[JIO]

Working on the format, this version with shorter (5") tracks that allow full access. I'm grappling with aesthetic's, trying to keep the new system from looking incongruous. At this point 'function' is clobbering 'aesthetics'. As the rails are more to keep the pu in place, as in, not to 'slide' - I'll paint them matte black. I'm going to try a conductor system that doesn't require wires. If it works it will be easier to illustrate than trying to describe it with words. Think slot car track.

 

[JIO]

Made a lot of progress in the last couple of days. Got the pu platform dialed, painted (matte black), rounded over the E & G outside edges for bowing access and installed tiny rare-earth magnets in its base. Went back to longer rails (7-3/4") and imbedded the same (9) magnets in each rail/guide. I had some very thin flamed mahogany veneer and attached it to the rails. So far so good -

I was concerned the magnets wouldn't hold the pu unit (a bit heavy) but it does it very well. I can move it to 6 positions from neck-heel to bridge. Plenty of options for dialing. Wires are coiled out of the way for now - not going to be the end result.

The thin veneer covers the magnets but still grabs the magnetic pull. I had to order some copper tape so for now I'm sealing the veneer. So far so good.

 

[JIO]

It worked! I created a movable pu not tethered/connected by wires to the controls/jack. I mentioned slot-cars/track - using copper tape with the positive & negative wires from the pu grounded to each of the tracks provides the connection.

Neg to Pos pig-penning of each pu and copper tape strips aligned with the wire leads under the tracks. Magnets hold the pu unit in place securely -

Negative & positive wires from the control cavity pressed against the copper tape surrounding the inside edge of the two tracks

So far I like the #2 (from the top) position -

Will take it to our Bond Girl rehearsal next week to test it in a live ensemble situation -

 

[RichterScale]

That's way too cool

 

[mapleglo]

Awesome idea for the pickup connection!

 

[JIO]

 

[ctmullins]

Clever!