Crazy Awesome. I agree with some other people that it would even look better with no pg! Hell, I think a clear pg would be even cooler!
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my EBMM stingray begins its diet today
- Thread starter johnk_10
- Start date
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
This was one of the most fascinating threads I've ever seen here.
And no flaming, too!
Great work! I have fretless Stingray that's super light somehow and I'm having a Status installed.
Would you ever take requests for building another for sale?
And no flaming, too!
Great work! I have fretless Stingray that's super light somehow and I'm having a Status installed.
Would you ever take requests for building another for sale?
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
thanks!
i'm in the process working with a friend that has a CNC guitar shop to make lightweight swamp ash bodies like mine. i just made the templates for it so he can enter them into the computer program. if i were to hand make a body like the one in this thread, i think that it would be way too expensive for most people to consider buying.
Great idea for a CNC body; is the neck pocket original or for a Fender style?
The downside of building a SR is that you either have to have a spare MM neck or buy a Status graphite neck as I don't think the aftermarket has a replacement to fit no matter what style of peg head.
The downside of building a SR is that you either have to have a spare MM neck or buy a Status graphite neck as I don't think the aftermarket has a replacement to fit no matter what style of peg head.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
i was testing the bass, going back and forth between the the stock pickup and the MM4.4. i love the single coil sound (split mode) when using both the EB and nordstrand, and really got spoiled at how quiet the nordy is.
at around 7pm, UPS delivered my new MM control plate so i mounted the pots and switch and wired it up to test it with the nordy.
here's a pic of the new 2-band control plate:
and here it is side by side with the 3 band:
BTW, the nordy is wired like the photo below so that the coil closer to the neck is the one that's on when in the split mode:
i added a wire that grounds all of the magnet poles and opened up the four outer cutouts for the magnets on the fiber 4 coil connector plate on the bottom so i could use the stock four springs to load the pickup.
unfortunately, by the time i finished everything up, it was too late to crank it, but i did test it at low volume and everything is working perfectly. even at a very low volume i can tell that it sounds much more like a pre-EB ray, but i really won't know which preamp i'm going to stay with until i can really put it thru it's paces at a more 'gig-like' level.
to me, it's funny that right now it looks like an ordinary natural finished stock 3-band stingray, with the four knobs (w/o stacked ones) even though it has a 3-way switch for the nordy and a 'vintage type' two band pre in it .
at around 7pm, UPS delivered my new MM control plate so i mounted the pots and switch and wired it up to test it with the nordy.
here's a pic of the new 2-band control plate:
and here it is side by side with the 3 band:
BTW, the nordy is wired like the photo below so that the coil closer to the neck is the one that's on when in the split mode:
i added a wire that grounds all of the magnet poles and opened up the four outer cutouts for the magnets on the fiber 4 coil connector plate on the bottom so i could use the stock four springs to load the pickup.
unfortunately, by the time i finished everything up, it was too late to crank it, but i did test it at low volume and everything is working perfectly. even at a very low volume i can tell that it sounds much more like a pre-EB ray, but i really won't know which preamp i'm going to stay with until i can really put it thru it's paces at a more 'gig-like' level.
to me, it's funny that right now it looks like an ordinary natural finished stock 3-band stingray, with the four knobs (w/o stacked ones) even though it has a 3-way switch for the nordy and a 'vintage type' two band pre in it .
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
i got a chance to crank it up this morning.
the difference between the two and three band systems is pretty dramatic and i really like the sound of both of them. anyway, here's my take on their differences:
two band: sounds exactly like a pre-EB stingray and is sweeter, has a bit higher treble frequency and a 'rounder' & fuller low end. it definitely has less 'honk' and harshness than the three band. all three modes (split/series/parallel) sound great, and a little more similar to each other. the two band seems to make the MM4.4 sound alot more like a vintage stingray pickup, especially in the parallel mode.
three band: more mids and stiffer sounding, and can even get a little harsh sometimes on some settings. it has a tighter bas and mid bass. it also has more 'clack' in the high/mids. when switching the pickup to series, it is alot darker, and when switching to split, alot brighter, so the 3-way switch has more of an effect.
i'm going to run it as a 2-band for a few more days, then try the 3-band again to make my final decision as to which one will stay in the bass, but right now, i'm leaning towards the two band system.
the difference between the two and three band systems is pretty dramatic and i really like the sound of both of them. anyway, here's my take on their differences:
two band: sounds exactly like a pre-EB stingray and is sweeter, has a bit higher treble frequency and a 'rounder' & fuller low end. it definitely has less 'honk' and harshness than the three band. all three modes (split/series/parallel) sound great, and a little more similar to each other. the two band seems to make the MM4.4 sound alot more like a vintage stingray pickup, especially in the parallel mode.
three band: more mids and stiffer sounding, and can even get a little harsh sometimes on some settings. it has a tighter bas and mid bass. it also has more 'clack' in the high/mids. when switching the pickup to series, it is alot darker, and when switching to split, alot brighter, so the 3-way switch has more of an effect.
i'm going to run it as a 2-band for a few more days, then try the 3-band again to make my final decision as to which one will stay in the bass, but right now, i'm leaning towards the two band system.
IMHO...
I really love the simplicity of two band, and the sound too, but I really hate the look of 3 knobs and those input jack lining up together, I certainly love the look of 4 knobs on 3 band, and the sound is quite understandable, not as perfect as 2 band, but understandable...
so...
you have my dream bass, 2 band stingray with 4 usefull knobs...
congratz
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
thanks. between the 2 and 3 band pres, the 2 band has become my favorite of the two in this bass. it is almost impossible to get a bad sound out of the bass with it, whereas with the 3 band, it takes a bit of fiddling to get a great tone. and my favorite pickup mode is running it split (but it's still humbucking since the MM4.4 uses two coils in series).
btw, to evaluate it's tone (pickup and preamps), i've been using my Avalon VT737SP/crown xti2000/whappo jr rig, which i find to be a pretty good, transparent (and balanced) sounding system. plus, that's the rig that i've been using the most on gigs for the last year or so.
btw, to evaluate it's tone (pickup and preamps), i've been using my Avalon VT737SP/crown xti2000/whappo jr rig, which i find to be a pretty good, transparent (and balanced) sounding system. plus, that's the rig that i've been using the most on gigs for the last year or so.
that's the same speaker that the tech that does mods/setups on my basses uses. with an older (HUGE to me, i'm used to VT Deluxe and smaller sized pre's) Trace Elliot pre and 3 or 4 rack mounted pieces of kit that i didn't recognize.
NICE speaker.
NICE speaker.
A very nice bass. These build a bass threads are one of the best things about TB.
P.S. My 2010 Precision V AM Standard weighs in a 8.8lbs.
FWIW, something like an OPA1642 would probably open up the sound compared to the op amp you're presently using. However, that improvement comes at a cost of higher current consumption (~3.6 mA).
