my EBMM stingray begins its diet today

[mcnach]

since i couldn't try it with the nordstrand pickup, to get an idea of what the 3-way switch sounds like with the stock musicman pickup, i made a quick recording of it in the three modes (please excuse the clams, but you'll get the idea). the first part is with it in the parallel (stock) mode, after a very short pause, the second part is in the split mode, then another short pause and then it's in the series mode.

to listen to it, please right click the file and 'save as' to save it to your computer and play it, rather than clicking on it multiple times and playing it directly from here (to save my bandwidth!)

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I like thow you get the extra mids in series, but keep the levels even. I have a Warwick Corvette $$ with series/split/parallel switches, and it's a big jump. It's good if you're after a boost, but if you just want the different tone it's not so good.
Nice idea.

and that bassline... it's oddly familiar. Sounds very "Tower-of-power-esque" to me... what is it? is it a particular song or something you came up with?

 

[johnk_10]

yeah, the trim pot allowed me to keep the level even when in the series mode, and i actually like all three settings ( i think that split is my favorite).
as far as the playing goes, its just a line from 'i wish' by stevie wonder.

 

[mcnach]

yeah, the trim pot allowed me to keep the level even when in the series mode, and i actually like all three settings ( i think that split is my favorite).
as far as the playing goes, its just a line from 'i wish' by stevie wonder.

Ah, of course it was familiar!!!!

you, sir, have an excellent taste in basses & music

 

[Figjam]

the black isn't doing it for me. i've definitely decided to go this way (it was my original plan anyway):

Great.

 

[Soverntear]

great work on the body, the finish is amazing

 

[johnk_10]

i love the sound of the stock pickup in all three modes, and i'm really hoping that the new 4 coil nordstrand MM4.4 has the exact same tone, less the hum in the split mode. if it doesn't, then the stock one will stay in the bass and i'll just live with the small amount of hum that it has (it's really not that much, but it would be nice if it were completely hum free, like in the other two modes.

i was wondering if has anyone on here has tried the MM4.4 and compared it to a stock SR pcikup? i'd be interested to know what they thought. i would assume that since it's two coils side by side in series for each of the two pickups in it, it would be a bit darker, but hopefully not much.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

John,

You've inspired me to commence a similar operation on one of my G&L L2500s. I have an ~6 year old (nicely cured) Ash body blank from Warmoth that measures out to ~ 3.6 board-feet, and weighs about 7.4lb. I'm sure I could do better weight-wise, but how much would you estimate a "downsized" Stingray-style body (the L2500 is probably about like a Sterling in size) to be, given a density of ~2lb/board-foot?

The original body is Basswood with an Ash cap, so I'm not sure if I'll reduce the weight by much, but I'm more interested in the effects of the ash body as there is a VERY similar and prominent element to the acoustical sound of my other ash-body/maple-neck basses that the L2500 doesn't have. It will also get a Nitro finish - another element that I hear a difference in among my basses.

I might go so far as to build an L2500 "pseudo-clone" using a Warmoth 22-fret neck and an extra light-weight ash or alder blank. I could then get a little wider spacing and do some other mods to the neck. But I should start with this body, first.

 

[johnk_10]

IMO, that sounds like a very light piece of swamp ash. i would expect the body to weigh 3.25-3.75 pounds before the finish is applied.

i would also expect the bass' tone to have more resonance using ash (especially in the mids) as compared to a basswood/ash capped body.

please start a thread on it so we can follow your progress.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

IMO, that sounds like a very light piece of swamp ash. i would expect the body to weigh 3.25-3.75 pounds before the finish is applied.

i would also expect the bass' tone to have more resonance using ash (especially in the mids) as compared to a basswood/ash capped body.

please start a thread on it so we can follow your progress.

Resonance in the mids is exactly what I feel the basswood is missing - and exactly what my ash-body basses have in abundance.

I may also thin the body down to 1.625" and I'm considering using a Hipshot single-string bridge. But may save those mods for the "pseudo-clone"...

I'll definitely start a thread when I get round to this. I owe my wife some walls and tile in her torn-apart shower before I have the freedom to do anything else.

 

[johnk_10]

just got the replacement nordstrand MM4.4 pickup today and installed it. the pickup sounds great and now there's no hum in the split position either. the bass is now officially completed and i couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.
YAY!

 

[carlos840]

Can we have some arty finished project pics?

 

[johnk_10]

sure.

i'll take some when i have some better light, and post them tomorrow.

 

[johnk_10]

since i got a SUB bass last week with the two band preamp (and i love the sound of it), i decided that i should at least try a 2-band in this lightweight ray. i got a few 2-band pcb's from TB member 'unclefluffy' (thanks BTW!), and made up two of them (see pics below):

i'm building it up as a complete new solderless/quick connect control plate and now have every component, including NOS CTS 25K audio, 100K audio and 1 meg rev audio pots, but i'm waiting for a new MM SR control plate which should be here tomorrow or wednesday. i love the way that the bass sounds right now, and i do like having a mid control with the 3-band, but it's going to be interesting to see how it sounds with a 2. IMO, the 2-band system is a bit less stiff/brittle sounding and a bit more 'organic'. it should be fun and i can't wait for the new plate to get here.,

 

[johnk_10]

i was A/B'ing between the stock MM pickup (with the coil taps) and the Nordstrand MM4.4, and while i think that the nordstrand is an excellent pickup, i seem to prefer the stock one in this bass. the stock one has a little more high end clarity/transparency, whereas the MM4.4 is a bit more midrangy (with a bit less top end).

the stock one in the split mode isn't completely hum free, but with the shielding, it's still very quiet so that's what i'm going with.

i'm going to use the MM4.4 in another bass that i'll be building up in the coming months, and it won't be located as close to the bridge (it'll be in the p bass location) so i think it'll work perfectly in it.

 

[delta7fred]

John

As far as I recall, or can see from the PCB, there is no 1k output protection resistor (that was fitted to the latter 2 band preamp boards) on unclefluffy's board. It is worth fitting one to reduce the risk of blowing the LM4250 when plugging/unplugging the chord/lead. Sod's law says if it blows it will be at the least convenient time.

 

[johnk_10]

where does the 1K resistor go in the circuit?
i was going to just leave the preamp on 24/7 just the like the originals since it only draws 44ua which is almost the same as a battery's shelf life.

 

[SamanthaCay]

since i got a SUB bass last week with the two band preamp (and i love the sound of it), i decided that i should at least try a 2-band in this lightweight ray. i got a few 2-band pcb's from TB member 'unclefluffy' (thanks BTW!), and made up two of them (see pics below):

i'm building it up as a complete new solderless/quick connect control plate and now have every component, including NOS CTS 25K audio, 100K audio and 1 meg rev audio pots, but i'm waiting for a new MM SR control plate which should be here tomorrow or wednesday. i love the way that the bass sounds right now, and i do like having a mid control with the 3-band, but it's going to be interesting to see how it sounds with a 2. IMO, the 2-band system is a bit less stiff/brittle sounding and a bit more 'organic'. it should be fun and i can't wait for the new plate to get here.,

That is beautiful, I love the fact the battery will rarely ever go bad. I’ve got a bartolini ntbt in one of my basses that’s two band, it’s batteries never go dead and it’s about the same size as your mm pre. Kinda make’s me wonder what’s inside the black epoxy cube that is my ntbt.

 

[Joe Nerve]

si

Thanks for the new desktop picture.

 

[delta7fred]

John

Even with the preamp permanently powered I believe it can still blow the opamp under certain circumstances.

It (1k resistor) is fitted in the output lead from the preamp to the top (hot end) of the volume pot. On your preamp that looks like a white lead, the one on the opposite edge of the board to the red lead.

Later versions of the 2 band pre had it mounted on the PCB.

I like the look of the new body, a very nice job you have made of it. I have a SUB that is not getting much use, the slab body makes it feel like playing a coffee table. It weighs in at 10 lbs so could do to loose a bit. I may just have to do something similar (when I get round to it). I am just wondering what a black neck on a natural body would look like.

 

[johnk_10]

John

Even with the preamp permanently powered I believe it can still blow the opamp under certain circumstances.

It (1k resistor) is fitted in the output lead from the preamp to the top (hot end) of the volume pot. On your preamp that looks like a white lead, the one on the opposite edge of the board to the red lead.

Later versions of the 2 band pre had it mounted on the PCB.

I like the look of the new body, a very nice job you have made of it. I have a SUB that is not getting much use, the slab body makes it feel like playing a coffee table. It weighs in at 10 lbs so could do to loose a bit. I may just have to do something similar (when I get round to it). I am just wondering what a black neck on a natural body would look like.

thanks for the tip!