GrassRoots Bass-IV

[JIO]

I see 4 mounting screws vs 2 but if you want to measure
View attachment 4606763

Yes, I went over that schematic thoroughly cross measuring between the two. The Gotoh plate is very nearly the same if not the same, the Gotoh gear is larger and the threaded attachment sleeve is superior to the ill-fitting standard cups/ferrules on the bass now. As in, they do not fit tight in the hs holes, so bringing each string to pitch shifts the cup so it is not flush. The last of the many issues to be resolved. So it won't need the top two screws - and the two lower ones should be close enough to line-up.

I LOVE the Gotoh Res-o-lites!

I think you have officially modded every part of the instrument now?

Yes, I only need to mirror-polish all the aluminum plates, but that will do it for the mods. I like the way the pu's sound (luckily) because where would you find ones like them if they didn't! I've done something like this a few times - as long as the core bass has 'good bones' - it's always been worth it in the end.

 

[JIO]

Taking the Bass IV to a jam session tonight - 1st chance to play/hear it 'in the mix'. (guitar/guitar & keys/drums/bass) Will provide an assessment/review later.

 

[JIO]

So, here's my thoughts after using it for 3hrs last night in a jam-session -

I very much like this bass. It starts with its look - always loved the way a Fender VI looks and I like that ESP was creative making a IV that references it visually and accurately. ESP was ahead of the curve doing a "vintage bass that never was" as Fender did 10yrs later with their Jaguar bass.

The neck comes next - its V at the nut to shallow D profile is right up my alley. I have and play basses with a variety of neck-profiles but prefer something more like this. And a J nut width is good too. I play both wide P-width necks as well and like them both. I'm lucky not to have to choose sides.

The bass is well balanced, it's comfortable to play, and it's not overly heavy. 10lbs is my weight ceiling for any bass no matter how cool it is - I prefer something around 8lbs. So at 9lbs/4oz - I can live with that.

Sound-wise both at home and in a live mix - it has a great sound and a variety of tones at the flip of a switch. I used all options other than the N pu, and only because I favor a more mid-range tone in general. I has plenty of low-end and it has strong output. It also sounds good unplugged - like I said, basswood is a really good, resonant tone wood. The mid & N pu locations are not exactly in the same location as a P or J*- but the bass can sound like both in the right settings. As in, a gen1 P-bass and gen1 Tele bass (kinda' the same) had a similar singular single-coil - so using only the mid pu sounded like a P. Using the mid & B pu sounded like a J. The treble boost is great. I play lead-like lines sometimes incorporating a Boss TR-2 tremolo pedal and adding the boost gets you extra definition when needed. It doesn't boost the volume much - it's more that it gives your tone an edge.

*A Precision-pu nut-to-center of the split pu's = 28 5/8" - the same for the center poles of the single coil pu on the Bass IV. So pretty much a P-bass in sound.

A Jazz N-pu nut-to-poles = 27-7/8", so the P-location Bass IV mid pu isn't the same as a Jazz. The B-pu on a '60s Jazz = 31-3/8" and the Bass IV is 31-7/8" - so different there also.

Two thumbs way up for the Bass IV!

 

[ModuMan]

Awesome! While many of us enjoy tinkering/modding/upgrading/fussing with our basses it all comes down to actually playing music with the things. Glad it gave you what you were hoping for in addition to the satisfaction of a job well done!

 

[JIO]

Awesome! While many of us enjoy tinkering/modding/upgrading/fussing with our basses it all comes down to actually playing music with the things. Glad it gave you what you were hoping for in addition to the satisfaction of a job well done!

Thanks! It's all a loop for me inspired by playing.

 

[hypercarrots]

The last piece of the upgrade puzzle - Gotoh Res-O-Lite tuners. All specs put them in the right ballpark to work. If I'm lucky they will be a drop-in, and they are nickel! Gotoh makes some of the best tuners out there.

View attachment 4606748View attachment 4606751

Some gotohs were just posted in the classifieds

 

[JIO]

Mine arrived yesterday - not "drop-in's, but close. Toothpick-filled the two lower holes in each as the needed hole locations were close, but not close enough. They are very light, however... so are the screws ~. Installing the E tuner, even having drilled a pilot hole first - the head broke off of one. Fun ensued for the next hour to surgically remove the buried broken screw. I finally was successful removing it with minimal damage and cut a small football-shaped piece of maple to plug it. (all behind the plate) The clovers' paddles are as close as you could get to each other - but they clear. Their operation is smooth and precise. Gotoh for the win again! (except don't send "lite" screws...)

The result - much better. Nickel is just so much nicer/warmer looking than cold chrome and I prefer solid string & tuner shafts to sculpted shafts every time.

Studying this pic of an earlier Edwards Bass IV - they look to be the same tuners, which is understandable as both companies are Japanese. But not Res-o-lites as they hadn't been intro'd yet.

​

 

[JIO]

Had band rehearsal last night and brought the Bass IV. I play through a Mesa M-2000 Fet/Tube 650w head and Carvin 18" cab there - and the bass sounded great. I'd describe its tone as chocolaty, which is generally not what I usually bring to "in the mix". (prefer a more mid-range to treble tone for articulation sake) The pu setting I used was Middle pu/Bridge pu/treble boost. (or M/B no T-boost) Pu's are hot - I do have them set close to the strings but wasn't experiencing wolf-notes so they probably aren't too close. I'll be interested to hear how it works live as I use a 550w Ashdown head & B-15N cab. The pu's being hot should allow me to not have the amp volume as high, which would be good. The kind of music we play doesn't require me to push the amp. We rock some songs but we're a dynamic pop/rock band, not 'hard rock' and adjust our volume so you can hear our singer's voice and understand all the lyrics.

Very easy to play - great neck... and once I adjusted to the stronger output, I played lighter and used the strength of the output expressively. (as in, some notes would feedback!) To me, this has to do with the resonance of the (basswood) body combined with hot single-coil pu's. This bass does this in spades. And that classic J-bass 'growl'? It's there in a big way, but not nasally - more guttural/low end.., really great tonal character.

 

[JIO]

 

[H K]

Hey, @JIO ! I was picking up a bass today, and saw a familiar shape on the guys rack...

 

[JIO]

Hey, @JIO ! I was picking up a bass today, and saw a familiar shape on the guys rack...View attachment 4623575

Wow! Very cool! So is it your couch it's now sitting on? Looks to be in VGC - like the natural hs. How do you like it?

 

[JIO]

Took my Bass IV to my bands rehearsal tonight. (second time) Our keyboardist/singer was absent, so we worked on our 'trio' (guitar/bass/drums) songs and the Bass IV rocked! As already mentioned, the single-coil pu's are hot - I think it might be my loudest bass! After tonight, I may lower the pu's so it's overall volume is lower. But it sounds rich and deep - even with only the bridge pu on and tone all the way up. It's a bit of a wild animal now - but working with it delivers! And (bonus).., my drummer noticed it and liked the way it looked! (colour/finish) and he wanted to know what all the switches were for. -!- Believe me, that's special, when your drummer notices what you are playing!

 

[JIO]

Took the Bass IV to another Friday Night Jam session. (10mins from where I live) No pu height adjustment (no time) - just rocked it. - Love it. Our drummer Josh (also an awesome bass-player) played it when a guest drummer sat in. Loved hearing him played it and loved hearing the bass. He loved it too. I heard that in his playing.

 

[JIO]

Fender A-string restraint added. It only works on turners with a top nut as the Gotoh's have.

 

[wongka]

Wow.Looks cool, I got my bass IV yesterday,
I also want to upgrade the parts from plastic to metal.
May I know where can I get these

 

[JIO]

Wow.Looks cool, I got my bass IV yesterday,
I also want to upgrade the parts from plastic to metal.
May I know where can I get these
View attachment 4677005

Very cool - you'll love it! Did it come from Japan? Looks to be in VGC. I fabricated the plates from aluminum myself, and I don't know I'd be wanting to do another set - especially the switch-plate. I did it by hand which is time-consuming and difficult to reproduce accurately. I imagine a fabrication biz who does laser-cutting would be the way to go, and I know through the Luthiers Corner here on tb that people have done that. I don't have a fabricator recommendation but a google search in your area could bring up someone to do that.

I'm curious to know if your bass has the grounding issues that mine did. As you read/saw here, I did a full cavity shielding/star-grounding to get it quiet.

I've been using mine for my bands rehearsals lately, and plan to use it for our next show in a few weeks. I've been favoring the middle/bridge pu's combo but they are all very useable. The V/T pot by-pass switch is great for a on-the-fly boost if needed.

Enjoy your new Bass IV!

 

[wongka]

Yes, my bass also has grounding issues, I think I need to do a full shielding also.

 

[JIO]

Yes, my bass also has grounding issues, I think I need to do a full shielding also.

Funny - I can see the assembly-line worker in charge of "shielding" splooging carbon paint in the cavity as it moves along a conveyer-belt! I didn't shield the long narrow wire channel because the wires are individually shielded by default. Once fully shielded and star-grounded it will be quiet. Carbon shielding paint & copper tape. FTR, you can buy copper tape at your local Ace HW sold as 'Slug Tape' for cheaper than from Stew Mac.

 

[JIO]

Vintage Bench Test: 1963 Fender Bass VI

Interesting to read about the early '60s Fender Bass VI - especially curious is the Magnetic Field Accumulator claws... really? Aside from that... a drawback of the ESP Bass IV is that the three pu's can't be easily accessed for height adjustment compared to a Fender Bass VI with its exposed flanges. (need to remove the pg to access the pu height screws and the tr adjustment port...)

Magnetic Field Accumulator claws and adjustment flanges on a Fender Bass VI.

...er... where do I adjust for pu height and tr adjustment? But... it's still a great bass, but it has a few style-over-function issues...

 

[wongka]

Finally i finished the shielding, the world become much more quilt