Anyone have strong opinions about pickup spacing? These are currently at 28" and 30 1/2" from the nut. Admittedly, this is an area I dont have clear ideas about. And what about angled pickups?
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First bass - neck through.
- Thread starter jimmy rocket
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- bass first bass neck neck through
- Apr 18, 2008
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
DCBs, while nice-sounding high quality pickups, are a bit mellow. So closer to the bridge will bring out a tad more zing from them. If that's what you want. They'll work well where you have them. Depending on what tone you're going for. What tone are you going for?
Edit: I'm assuming they're DCBs. Am I wrong?
Edit: I'm assuming they're DCBs. Am I wrong?
They are DCBs, and that's really good info. With the Spanish cedar body and maple top I'm expecting the sound to be fairly balanced. At least that's how it taps right now. Brighter in the neck and top but mellow in the back. I may scoot the neck pickup a little further toward the bridge given that information.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,027
- 1
- 31,768
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Pickup placement is a bit of an art form, at least if you're not copying one of the common configurations. Putting fatter-sounding pickups closer to the bridge is a good approach; lately I've been enjoying very clear-sounding pickups placed closer to the neck.
If you want to go to the trouble, you can experiment before committing by placing the pickups on small blocks suspended above the strings, and moving them around while listening to the tone.
If you want to go to the trouble, you can experiment before committing by placing the pickups on small blocks suspended above the strings, and moving them around while listening to the tone.
Now that the bass is together, the one thing I'm not overly thrilled over is the upper fret access on the treble side. The 19th fret is comfortable. Twenty is an easy stretch. Twenty-one and above requires the reach-around.
I've thought about carving it out some, but I feel like that's going to kill the overall vibe.
In other news, I'm working out the design elements around the neck/body joint. This is the starting point and I'm trying to figure out where to go from here.
I've thought about carving it out some, but I feel like that's going to kill the overall vibe.
In other news, I'm working out the design elements around the neck/body joint. This is the starting point and I'm trying to figure out where to go from here.
To me upper fret access is a key element, personally I would favor that over the design. I always want 24 frets and natural access to all of them. What you have there is really cool though.
This one has 22 frets max no matter how I slice it, but I am thinking hard about how to alter the design and provide access to all of them. My next build will be a single cut-away, maybe 5 strings, and preferably 24 frets, so I feel like I'm learning a great deal on this build as to how to make that work.
It's hard to hit a home run on your first at-bat, but I'd be happy with a double.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,027
- 1
- 31,768
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Interesting how different design elements carry different importance for different players. For me, 22 frets is more than enough, with 16 being plenty for a live situation; in the studio I would prefer 24, but in the studio I won't mind playing seated, making upper fret accessibility less crucial (I can wrap my hand around easily while seated, and not having to concentrate on all of the other things that go with a live scenario). Think F1 car (studio) versus rally car (live).
Generally, I'm happy to sacrifice a few high frets for a comfortable instrument.
Generally, I'm happy to sacrifice a few high frets for a comfortable instrument.
I've had a couple 24 fret basses over the years, and realized I virtually never need the top couple frets. My Ric build is my #1 player now, 20 frets is plenty. Bass looks great, flog it with no worries. I like the continuous curve of the heel undercut, extending it any further would look odd. Maybe ease the transition between the "steps" a little?
I may have ruined it...
... but you can get to all the frets now.
There's still a little tweaking and cleanup to do, and maybe taking it to the bandsaw was foolhardy, but you never know until you try.
... but you can get to all the frets now.
There's still a little tweaking and cleanup to do, and maybe taking it to the bandsaw was foolhardy, but you never know until you try.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,027
- 1
- 31,768
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
What frets?
Kidding, looks nice, very similar to your original.
Except the bridge. It's backwards.
Yeah, I saw that after posting. Doesn't work as well that way.What frets?
Kidding, looks nice, very similar to your original.
Except the bridge. It's backwards.
Dang it, this thing won't intonate right!Yeah, I saw that after posting. Doesn't work as well that way.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,027
- 1
- 31,768
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
I'll be honest. I'm hesitant to play anything above the 12th fret for fear that the frets will simply fall out from the shock of being touched after all these years.
I'll be honest. I'm hesitant to play anything above the 12th fret for fear that the frets will simply fall out from the shock of being touched after all these years.
I hear you. I live in that 8th fret key of C land, but for anything above that I've got to be feeling pretty funky.
I drilled some holes and made a thing.
I'm going to try to rout these out this weekend. In the meantine, I need to get some tuners and string this up to see how everything feels.
I'm going to try to rout these out this weekend. In the meantine, I need to get some tuners and string this up to see how everything feels.
Well poop.
I evened it out, but now I'm not sure what to do from here.
I'm afraid patching and re-routing would look just as bad and a pickup ring is just silly. Maybe live with the gap.
F.
The bit caught the template.
I evened it out, but now I'm not sure what to do from here.
I'm afraid patching and re-routing would look just as bad and a pickup ring is just silly. Maybe live with the gap.
F.
The bit caught the template.
Doh! Man, I feel for you.
I know you don't want pickup rings, but wenge rings would look just fine... and they'll only need to be decorative.
