I’m impatiently waiting for a new-to-me used Ibanez SRH505 fretless and already my mind is whirring with the possibility of modding it.
Don’t get me wrong, I bought it because the piezo-only setup sounds great, and I love that it’s a simple volume-tone setup. But, never content to let things be, I’m imagining how it could sound even more awesome if it had a (pair of) magnetic pickup(s).
If you had a semi-hollow 5 string fretless bass on the way with approximately 17mm string spacing at the bridge and a piezo pickup already installed, what pickup or pickups would you consider installing for added flexibility?
My first thought was just dropping a single soapbar in the neck position, but I’ve also got to hear the bass with something other than flatwounds on it to see how much mwah the piezos can put out.
If I go through with any mods, it’ll be handled by Maurilio Mina at Mo’s Shop in Redlands—he works with Nordstrand and modded my Dingwall Super P5 with a bridge pickup, side jack, and had his guy refin it in Capri Orange, so I know he’s capable of an incredibly high quality of work that would look like the bass came from the factory this way.
Don’t get me wrong, I bought it because the piezo-only setup sounds great, and I love that it’s a simple volume-tone setup. But, never content to let things be, I’m imagining how it could sound even more awesome if it had a (pair of) magnetic pickup(s).
If you had a semi-hollow 5 string fretless bass on the way with approximately 17mm string spacing at the bridge and a piezo pickup already installed, what pickup or pickups would you consider installing for added flexibility?
My first thought was just dropping a single soapbar in the neck position, but I’ve also got to hear the bass with something other than flatwounds on it to see how much mwah the piezos can put out.
If I go through with any mods, it’ll be handled by Maurilio Mina at Mo’s Shop in Redlands—he works with Nordstrand and modded my Dingwall Super P5 with a bridge pickup, side jack, and had his guy refin it in Capri Orange, so I know he’s capable of an incredibly high quality of work that would look like the bass came from the factory this way.
