- Nov 27, 2003
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- Rogue luthier employed at Knooren Handcrafted bass guitars
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Well, LoBue 3.0 shipped out, so I’m now returning to my Spector build. However, the plan has changed...
One of my past LoBue customers has challenged me to complete a Spector, by May, for a sizable amount of money. With that, I started ordering parts.
I found everything I need, but I had a question about pole spacing.
I purchased a DiMarzio Will Power.
This is just like their regular Model One, but with a tad wider poles pieces for Fender string spacing.
My first idea, was to save a few bucks, by using a Fender vintage threaded saddle bass. However, by using a tape template, and my AVRI P Bass, I discovered that even with the strings at the most narrow position, they were still wider than pickup poles.
So now, I’m stuck buying another Schaller roller bridge. Damn you Gene, and your dumb sh$t mudbuckers!
Parts are ordered!
One of my past LoBue customers has challenged me to complete a Spector, by May, for a sizable amount of money. With that, I started ordering parts.
I found everything I need, but I had a question about pole spacing.
I purchased a DiMarzio Will Power.
This is just like their regular Model One, but with a tad wider poles pieces for Fender string spacing.
My first idea, was to save a few bucks, by using a Fender vintage threaded saddle bass. However, by using a tape template, and my AVRI P Bass, I discovered that even with the strings at the most narrow position, they were still wider than pickup poles.
So now, I’m stuck buying another Schaller roller bridge. Damn you Gene, and your dumb sh$t mudbuckers!
Parts are ordered!
LoBue 3.0, before leaving to her new owner.
I have never been able to find out why, but that is how he had it laid out on the last incarnation of this bass. I have no idea what the availability is of short scale strings back then, but your assumption makes pretty good sense.
Man I'd love to have one of these lobue basses, but like the first mudbucker version, just black with the pin stripe white details & one bridge. Always prefered this over much that he's played, it was just unique & simple in a way & agressive (at least in the concert videos & when he does his whole blood thing) the bass tone is killer!!
The mudbucker, visually makes the bass, but I hate working with them. You have to add onboard eq’ing, buy special bridges, etc.
I know, i've built a grabber bass for my dad 3 years ago, & i bought a schaller roller bridge for the application (in accordance to your first lobue bassd build actually). But no EQ, its just straight tone, it works good. If the low E did suffer with a stock bridge like Gene used, then for sure the schaller i better option. But if not, i'd just opt for the way Gene had it.
As for EQ, is the Lobue supposed to only be like a volume, tone, rotary for parallel/series? What EQ would you use
My first LoBue, I had a passive mudbucker, a tad juiced up, with series/parallel rotary knob. I then ripped all that out, stuffed an EMG 35DC under the pick up cover, and added an EMG SPC in the third knob position.
My second LoBue installed EMG HB with again, adding the SPC in the third knob position. This version sounded the best, and had a killer aggressive tone. If I was still doing the KISS thing, I would’ve kept this one.
My third LoBue was a return to posssive mudbucker, but I added an overdrive circuit to the third knob. I wasn’t in love with it, but the heavy distortion selection was Cobo Hall delish.
I’m glad this Spector only has two knobs...
Tonight I had two mysteries to solve.
When ordering parts for these builds, I tend to shop around for the best deal. In few cases, you can find everything in one place, so that ever-annoying fee called, shipping, makes build cost rise.
I always opt for items on EBay, that have low or no shipping cost. So far, I’ve purchased the neck (Kiesel), body, bridge, bridge cover, tuners, Pickup, and copper tape. All told, I have spent $20 in shipping.
I have to get the knobs and strap pins. I anticipate another $5 to my shipping costs for these items. But I digress...
That being said, I’m always looking for a way to cut costs, without sacrificing quality. One way I do that, is looking in my own parts supply, to see if I already have components.
I was going to purchase potentiometers and a capacitor, but I remembered that I have a bunch of these from past projects. I needed 500k potentiometers, per DiMarzio, and capacitors below .033mFd.
The first mystery was if I had these items on hand?
Luckily enough, I had some, on hand. Next question:How will they sound? Will they work?
So, I soldered them up, wired the pickup in Series, and everything appears good!
The pots had no crackles and operated smoothly.
Just for kicks, I decided to A/B, tapping this pickup, against my P Bass’s pickup. Sometimes you can tell a pickup’s output by tapping it with a screw driver, and doing the same thing against a known bass.
It’s not scientific, but the DiMarzio sounded just as loud as the P bass. Maybe this pickup won’t be as terrible as the past pickups I’ve used in Gene basses?!
Lastly, you may notice the 9V clip. I got word that Gene uses an EMG PA-2 in his basses. Apparently it increases presence, and can be used with any passive pickup. I’m debating on incorporating this in the build, but I’m not sure it will be necessary. I will have to think about it.
When ordering parts for these builds, I tend to shop around for the best deal. In few cases, you can find everything in one place, so that ever-annoying fee called, shipping, makes build cost rise.
I always opt for items on EBay, that have low or no shipping cost. So far, I’ve purchased the neck (Kiesel), body, bridge, bridge cover, tuners, Pickup, and copper tape. All told, I have spent $20 in shipping.
I have to get the knobs and strap pins. I anticipate another $5 to my shipping costs for these items. But I digress...
That being said, I’m always looking for a way to cut costs, without sacrificing quality. One way I do that, is looking in my own parts supply, to see if I already have components.
I was going to purchase potentiometers and a capacitor, but I remembered that I have a bunch of these from past projects. I needed 500k potentiometers, per DiMarzio, and capacitors below .033mFd.
The first mystery was if I had these items on hand?
Luckily enough, I had some, on hand. Next question:How will they sound? Will they work?
So, I soldered them up, wired the pickup in Series, and everything appears good!
The pots had no crackles and operated smoothly.
Just for kicks, I decided to A/B, tapping this pickup, against my P Bass’s pickup. Sometimes you can tell a pickup’s output by tapping it with a screw driver, and doing the same thing against a known bass.
It’s not scientific, but the DiMarzio sounded just as loud as the P bass. Maybe this pickup won’t be as terrible as the past pickups I’ve used in Gene basses?!
Lastly, you may notice the 9V clip. I got word that Gene uses an EMG PA-2 in his basses. Apparently it increases presence, and can be used with any passive pickup. I’m debating on incorporating this in the build, but I’m not sure it will be necessary. I will have to think about it.
Does that mean you're not part of the KISS tribute, or are you guys just in the different era (needing you to have the Spector for the Love gun & so forth era of KISS).
What was the overdrive circuit?
My Kiss tribute had our final gig, last March. We had just found our 4th drummer, and although he was the best Peter Criss we had ever worked with, his actions after the gig, and his attitude caused us to let him go, and ponder if we should keep the band going.
We sat down, weighed it out, and just came to the conclusion that we liked being an a tribute, but the KISS thing was such a large investment in time and money, with little return. Florida had 3 KISS tributes at the time, and the other two bands had agents to get them decent gigs. Even with these agents, gigs are sparse for a KISS tribute. We played a lot of bars, which was at best, a $125-150 night, per guy.
Unlike many of our tribute peers, we liked to inject humor into our KISS tribute. With that, we wanted to tribute a band which:
1. Had humorous angle.
2. Didn’t have any tribute competition.
3. Was a lot less work than KISS.
We decided that one band which met these requirements: Spinal Tap.
I bought a BC Rich Mockingbird, a black wig, grew my beard out, to shave into shape, before the first gig, and was getting ready to buy an S&M vest, and red spandex trousers, when our guitarist said he’s moving...
With that, we officially ended the band. Too bad. I loved the Spinal Tap idea.
We even had a Stonehenge made!
It’s been nice not to be in a band, as now I’m able to spend more time with my kids and fabricate KISS basses. Maybe, in the future, I will be able to resurrect this band idea...
As for the overdrive, I purchased this:
You pay for what you get, with this thing...
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Well damn that's pretty heavy in band context. Bummer it didn't work out, but KISS is pretty demanding (i'd say the same if someone did an Alice Cooper tribute band with all the theatricals). That stonehenge, classic!!
Cool little gizmo i'd guess, but if it came close to Cobo hall sounding, then why not. It'd still be cool to have a lobue bass of that era. First band i ever saw on TV was KISS in San Francisco 1974/75, Gene had the natural finished Grabber, even if the show was black & white (i was born in 94, but either my dad had a vhs with the performance taped or it somehow ran on some channel on tv) Regardless, KISS was what got me into music, along with my dad's records & vintage classics Like Bowie, new york dolls, the who, beatles, etc.
