Hammersmith K4 - TalkBass Special Model

[DerekW]

You’ll love the balance of it on a strap!

And I found my favorite pickup setting was neck pup full, and bridge 70-80%

And I didn’t notice it as overly bright, but then again, I tend to play heavier music, so it might just have suited my ear. Plus, the tone knob works great

Hey @MarkoYYZ , what pots are you using in that? I didn’t open it up to peak.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

The passive C4 is wired like a standard Jazz... 250k vol - 250k vol - 250k audio taper tone with an .047 orange drop cap.

Yes, the Dunlop dual design strap pins are standard on all basses (not the whole lock set up, just the strap pins).

I did have the bridge pickup a wee bit high in order to balance out the volumes between the two. It may be too much bark+bite for some and lowering it will mellow the bass a little.

The gig bag is a default we have been using until our own batch comes in. The Hammersmith bag will have slightly thicker padding (25mm to 18mm) and padded shoulder straps that will match the instrument strap that comes with the bass... but the K bag will be slighlty smaller, otherwise the bass will bounce around a little too much. I had originally ordered 200 of the regular sized bags, but changed the order to 125 of each size. That should cover us through summer next year, I think.

 

[Meyatch]

Ok, so I got the chance to play the Hammersmith at a gig last night. The balance on a strap is magical. The playability was great. The full frequency range available from this bass is almost overwhelming, thundering lows, high end that approaches harshness, and everything in between, and the volume at every fret and string is very even.

I don't use an amp, so I am at the mercy of the soundman. The guy we had last night is good, but likes a very bassy mix, more than I usually like. He loved it.

We usually open the 2nd set with a song in a different tuning, and I played my Ernie Ball Musicman Sterling. When I bring a bass I don't usually use, I will just retune the sterling if I feel like it sounds better, and it usually does. To be honest, I probably would have done that last night, but I hadn't gotten any pictures of the Hammersmith yet.

When I first started, I had a hard time taming the high end of the Hammersmith. Its very sensitive to right hand dynamics. By the end of the night, I had a better feel for it, and I was happy to play it the rest of the night.

It would be interesting to hear it with a different soundperson, and hear how adaptable it is.

I will see the photographer later and maybe get a little video.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

Thanks Mitch. Love to hear feedback from gig use - great pics too.

Those BigSplits are sonically very wide open, while at the same time being a little hot. You may want to play with the pickup height a little more if you feel it needs taming to suit your tone and playing style - that's easy enough for the next person to tweak a little if they wanted.

As for the strap balance - that's the one model that wasn't an ode to a P or J, so ergonomics was #1. It seems like you're a tall guy, so reach may have felt on the compact side. It's the opposite of a Spector or Warwick in terms of how the bridge is placed right at the rear of the body, pulling the neck "in" and pushing to top horn well past the 12th fret. On the C it's closer to the 11th while not looking long and freaky like a Conklin or something.

Glad it worked well for that gig, hopefully next weekend it works well also, before shipping it onwards Monday... which brings me to Craig. Can the poster who is Craig McFarland please check your email or send me a PM here? You're next up.
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[Meyatch]

Thanks Mitch. Love to hear feedback from gig use - great pics too.

Those BigSplits are sonically very wide open, while at the same time being a little hot. You may want to play with the pickup height a little more if you feel it needs taming to suit your tone and playing style - that's easy enough for the next person to tweak a little if they wanted.

As for the strap balance - that's the one model that wasn't an ode to a P or J, so ergonomics was #1. It seems like you're a tall guy, so reach may have felt on the compact side. It's the opposite of a Spector or Warwick in terms of how the bridge is placed right at the rear of the body, pulling the neck "in" and pushing to top horn well past the 12th fret. On the C it's closer to the 11th while not looking long and freaky like a Conklin or something.

Glad it worked well for that gig, hopefully next weekend it works well also, before shipping it onwards Monday... which brings me to Craig. Can the poster who is Craig McFarland please check your email or send me a PM here? You're next up.
.

I did feel like it was a little small sitting down. Once I put it on a strap I had no problems with it, it didn't feel small at all, and it certainly doesn't sound small. I did end up turning the bridge pickup down to maybe 75% or so, and then bringing it back in with certain effects and things. The bass generally played nicely with effects. Sometimes thats a bit of a gamble.

 

[Meyatch]

I uploaded 2 videos in my talkbass album, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to post them here.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

I uploaded 2 videos in my talkbass album, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to post them here.

I didn't know we could upload videos here... let me see if I can attach them.

Edit: Weird - you can embed dozens of media files and formats, just not the one native to talkbass itself. :headscratch:

Links here:

A64AB8D1-6DA7-431E-9236-DAF6D933E7BF

65F81594-5064-4BE6-8AC4-94F4C71FE1C4

 

[Meyatch]

Thanks, I haven’t heard them through real speakers yet. Hopefully the bass is coming through better than on my phone.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

Thanks, I haven’t heard them through real speakers yet. Hopefully the bass is coming through better than on my phone.

Hah. Same here, that's why I haven't commented. The first clip is a bit longer and gives a better chance to zone in on the bass - sounds decent through my Hauwei P10 (which I have to mention, is a pretty awesome phone).

 

[Meyatch]

ok, I just listened through some real speakers, damn that bass sounds good. I wish that 2nd video was longer, but that sounds killer for those 10 seconds of actual bass tone. Might have to look into picking one of these up. I can't do 2 of these pickups in a k right?

I have a couple longer videos, but talkbass said they were too big, so I might look into posting them on youtube, or reducing the video quality or something.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

ok, I just listened through some real speakers, damn that bass sounds good. I wish that 2nd video was longer, but that sounds killer for those 10 seconds of actual bass tone. Might have to look into picking one of these up. I can't do 2 of these pickups in a k right?

You can, as a custom. Standard models will have the Alumitones - hoping to become known for this look and to be carried in dealers this way - but we'll be doing some customization also. Already in the works is one with a pair of MFDs from a G&L, and the other has a Musicman + Jazz Alumitone (IIRC). These one-offs will go out after standard models are all caught up. I'm not committing to doing customs permanently, but we'll certainly do batch runs with P pickups, J pickups, etc... and since the Big Splits are our #1 fave pickups here, that's a probable run also.

Someone will get a deal on that C4 at some point, once it's done being passed around. That, or it will continue under a new passaround program with a new group of possible buyers. I meant to do that before, but everything we build is either sold or intended for someone. Very few have changed hands from their first owner, but we have taken a couple back in trade and those could be candidates, I guess. I have another C4 on the way back from a different TBer now, actually (PJ config), though it may already be sold.
,

 

[NKBassman]

I uploaded 2 videos in my talkbass album, but I’m having trouble figuring out how to post them here.

I didn't know we could upload videos here... let me see if I can attach them.

Edit: Weird - you can embed dozens of media files and formats, just not the one native to talkbass itself. :headscratch:

Links here:

A64AB8D1-6DA7-431E-9236-DAF6D933E7BF

65F81594-5064-4BE6-8AC4-94F4C71FE1C4

Sounds great! Now if only there were similar such videos of a K in the wild.

@Meyatch , so is that just DI straight into the PA? Or was there some pedal board tone shaping happening as well?

 

[Meyatch]

both of those clips are run through my pedalboard, with nothing turned on (at the time) except a sansamp. I think I have some videos of effected sounds if I figure out how to make talkbass accept them.

 

[NKBassman]

both of those clips are run through my pedalboard, with nothing turned on (at the time) except a sansamp. I think I have some videos of effected sounds if I figure out how to make talkbass accept them.

That's cool, just checking. Sounded nice.

 

[Meyatch]

I can't hear the bass as well in these as my other videos, not sure if its just on my work computer or what.

This is with my manta filter, and Han-Taun on.



and this is just dry again.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

Heh. I have to prod, beg and plead with people who promise me videos to post them, and here is Mitch offering them up for a bass he doesn't even own. You rock dude
.

 

[Meyatch]

Heh. I have to prod, beg and plead with people who promise me videos to post them, and here is Mitch offering them up for a bass he doesn't even own. You rock dude
.

Happy to provide you with more pedestrian sounds than the videos you usually post.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

OK, so Craig is fine waiting without the passaround bass coming to him, which means that @jumbodbassman is next in line. This works well because CT isn't far from PA, so please check your email James.

 

[MarkoYYZ]

Update - jumbodbassman is next up, but will be out of the country for most of next week, so I think it makes sense to ship it to him the week after he returns. This means we wither leave it with Meyatch a bit longer, or use the opportunity to fit another person into the passaround for the time in between. It would make sense to keep it in the same region of PA, NJ, NY, CT or MA, I think. If anyone else in here fits, we can work something out - it doesn't have to be someone who is part of the pre-order batch - though you should probably have a trade rating on here of some kind. Please speak now if this could be you.

@Fat Freddy - are you in Albany like the info under your avatar shows? You opted out of the pre-order and got a refund, and have a zero trade rating, but maybe we can work something out?
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[Meyatch]

Update - jumbodbassman is next up, but will be out of the country for most of next week, so I think it makes sense to ship it to him the week after he returns. This means we wither leave it with Meyatch a bit longer, or use the opportunity to fit another person into the passaround for the time in between. It would make sense to keep it in the same region of PA, NJ, NY, CT or MA, I think. If anyone else in here fits, we can work something out - it doesn't have to be someone who is part of the pre-order batch - though you should probably have a trade rating on here of some kind. Please speak now if this could be you.

@Fat Freddy - are you in Albany like the info under your avatar shows? You opted out of the pre-order and got a refund, and have a zero trade rating, but maybe we can work something out?
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If it stays with me any longer, I might not be able to send it away.