• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Experimental 5-string build

#43
Finished my hasty temporary wiring, bolted the neck on, and strung her up to try her out. Here's a quick pic with her sibling:

DSC00471.jpg


(I think I need to retire this camera...)

And here's a straight-on closeup of the bridge, showing the alignment of the strings in their individual "bridgelets" - everything's lined up just fine, but the angle of the earlier pic definitely did make it look wonky...

DSC00476.jpg


I had a few minutes to play her, and I must say that it's going to take me a little while to come to grips with the variety of sounds available, between the four coils and the Bart pre. I ran out of time tonight, but I'll try to put up some sound clips tomorrow night. rick0link, my earlier impression is still valid - these pickups sense all five strings just fine!
 
Last edited:
#44
That 8 string bass looks kinda funky, but the 5 string is amazing!!! How much did it cost you to make it!?!?!? PM me if it doesn't make you comfortable disclosing it to the public, but only if you want to tell.
 
#49
Hopkins said:
If you run the two middle coils together is it still humbucking? Very interesting configuration you have come with there sir.
Click to expand...

They should, because the bridge-most coils in each pickup are wound with one polarity and one winding direction, and the neck-most coils in each pickup use the opposite polarity and winding for humbucking purposes.

So, first pickup's bridge coil has polarity and winding opposite of the second pickup's neck coil. In other words, it'll humbuck - in fact, that combo looks pretty darn close to the sweetspot.
 
#50
Eric Albany said:
That 8 string bass looks kinda funky, but the 5 string is amazing!!! How much did it cost you to make it!?!?!? PM me if it doesn't make you comfortable disclosing it to the public, but only if you want to tell.
Click to expand...

LOL - thanks! No idea - I troll eBay for cheap wood, and the Classifieds here for cheap electronics - the pickups were left over from an earlier project - so not a lot of money. It really costs me a lot more in terms of time, but that's okay, because I'm still in the learning phase. And this project is really only half done at this point - still have to sand, stain, and clearcoat. :)

reverendrally said:
P.s. do the pickups sound a lot different without the preamp?
Click to expand...

No idea - I didn't wire this one with an active/passive switch, so the pickups are always routed through the preamp. I'll record some sound clips with the preamp set flat, though - that should be close to the passive sound.

Hopkins said:
If you run the two middle coils together is it still humbucking?
Click to expand...

Stealth said:
They should, because the bridge-most coils in each pickup are wound with one polarity and one winding direction, and the neck-most coils in each pickup use the opposite polarity and winding for humbucking purposes.

So, first pickup's bridge coil has polarity and winding opposite of the second pickup's neck coil. In other words, it'll humbuck - in fact, that combo looks pretty darn close to the sweetspot.
Click to expand...

Stealth hit the nail on the head - any two adjacent coils together are humbucking, as well as coils 1 and 4 together. All other positions hum a bit, but I haven't shielded the cavity yet, so that should help.
 
#52
ctmullins said:
LOL - thanks! No idea - I troll eBay for cheap wood, and the Classifieds here for cheap electronics - the pickups were left over from an earlier project - so not a lot of money. It really costs me a lot more in terms of time, but that's okay, because I'm still in the learning phase. And this project is really only half done at this point - still have to sand, stain, and clearcoat. :)

No idea - I didn't wire this one with an active/passive switch, so the pickups are always routed through the preamp. I'll record some sound clips with the preamp set flat, though - that should be close to the passive sound.

Stealth hit the nail on the head - any two adjacent coils together are humbucking, as well as coils 1 and 4 together. All other positions hum a bit, but I haven't shielded the cavity yet, so that should help.
Click to expand...

Do you know what kind of wood you made it out of?
 
#54
LowEndMan2112 said:
It's purpleheart and ash. Typically when you make a bass you know what woods you use ... just saying :smug:

Looks great finished! Such a unique design, love it :)
Click to expand...

Yep - as mentioned at the beginning of the thread, it's purpleheart and ash. And it's H E A V Y - gonna have to do something about that...

Thanks for the compliments! But - it's not finished. I went ahead and wired it up so that I could play it and find out what it sounds like. The next (and final) phase is sanding/staining/clearcoating/buffing. :)
 
#55
Okay, as promised, here are some quick and dirty sound clips! Let me emphasize that these truly are both quick and dirty, so don't judge too harshly, please. :smug:

All recording was done with the bass plugged into my PreSonus Inspire, into a GarageBand "No Effects" track, which was then sampled down to a 192kbps MP3. I left the Bart preamp flat, so this collection is just to show the different pickup coil combinations. Strings are brand-new D'Addario Half-Rounds.

So that we can all know what is what, I'm numbering the coils as follows: Coil 1 is the closest to the neck, then coil 2, then coil 3, and finally coil 4 is closest to the bridge.

First clip is singles - coil 1, then coil 2, then coil 3, then coil 4:

Singles

Next up are the humbucking pairs of coils - first coils 1 and 2, then coils 2 and 3, then coils 3 and 4, and finally coils 1 and 4:

Invalid Link Removed

Next I recorded the non-humbucking pairs of coils - first coils 1 and 3, then coils 2 and 4:

Doubles with hum

Finally I recorded a few clips with more than two coils engaged - first is coils 1, 2, and 3; next is coils 2, 3, and 4; and finally all four coils:

Triples and quad

All of this is still so new to me that I haven't yet formed any of my own opinions, other than the fact that there seem to be enough different voices in this instrument! And I haven't even begun messing with the preamp yet.... :bassist:
 
Last edited:
#57
Wow, just wow. The number of voicings is just insane. Of the single and twin-coil combinations each one has its own distinct voices and I think they'd all be very usable. Even the humming combos sound great! And I have to admit the triples and quads are a whole different ballgame, and they sound really good.

...now I want a six-string like that. :D
 
#58
I'm gonna ask you for your advice since you're smart enough to build a 5 string that didn't come in a kit or pre any thing. Do you think that I should change my electric guitar into a 6 string bass or not? I trust your advice so tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Please PM me with your advice or post it here.

Thanks,
Eric
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back