- Apr 18, 2008
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
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My first multiscale (experimental)
- Thread starter ctmullins
- Start date
- Apr 18, 2008
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
And here we go - bass straight into the Scarlett, straight into a bare-bones audio track in Logic. No effects, no processing. Six quick sections in one take, volume and tone wide open:
This is actually pretty interesting to me, because recorded this way - which is the best way I know to capture the true, natural tone of the bass itself - it actually sounds smooth and balanced. You can hear some fret clank due to the combination of the low action and my questionable technique, but the actual tone sounds pretty refined to me. I am also pleased to not hear any (or very little) buzz or single-coil hum. My difficulties last night, in the rehearsal space, thru the amp (a Hartke Kickback something or other, on a platform about 18” off the floor), must be more attributable to the room/amp than the actual bass. That’s a pleasant discovery!
- Pick, bridge pickup
- Pick, both pickups
- Pick, neck pickup
- Fingers, bridge pickup
- Fingers, both pickups
- Fingers, neck pickup
This is actually pretty interesting to me, because recorded this way - which is the best way I know to capture the true, natural tone of the bass itself - it actually sounds smooth and balanced. You can hear some fret clank due to the combination of the low action and my questionable technique, but the actual tone sounds pretty refined to me. I am also pleased to not hear any (or very little) buzz or single-coil hum. My difficulties last night, in the rehearsal space, thru the amp (a Hartke Kickback something or other, on a platform about 18” off the floor), must be more attributable to the room/amp than the actual bass. That’s a pleasant discovery!
It sounds great! If it were me, I'd probably go crazy and chuck an active preamp in there and make it real hi-fi like. But horses for courses, I'm sure you're happy with how it sounds! It's surprisingly bassy, especially the bridge pickup.
That aside, I eyed up your collection post and damn, am I jealous of your abilities! Just being able to dream up a bass and make it exist is a ridiculous thought to me. That headless tele bass has me drooling!
That aside, I eyed up your collection post and damn, am I jealous of your abilities! Just being able to dream up a bass and make it exist is a ridiculous thought to me. That headless tele bass has me drooling!
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
I love a good active preamp! Especially John East stuff. But sometimes a bass sounds good passive, and I just leave it like that.
Thanks very much, that means a lot. I enjoy dreaming up “what if” or “fantasy” instruments, and some of them (by no means all of them!) become actual builds. The brain can instantly come up with a new idea, but it takes months (or even years) to make it a reality, so there’s never the instant gratification of walking into a store and walking out with a shiny new instrument. The half-baked ideas never make it all the way to reality.
Honestly, I am grateful to have enough mechanical ability to begin learning woodworking. And reading build threads here over the last thirteen years has really accelerated my education. The collective knowledge and wisdom here is astonishing.
And happily, along the way, I’ve gradually built a collection of real players, all custom-tailored to my own preferences.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Thanks to this thread - Alembic-style Filter preamps, really cool option - I purchased a JTEX Distiller LPF for this bass. I got it installed today, and initial impressions are good. Even though it's a single LPF for both pickups, it can still deliver a wide array of tones. I'm taking it to rehearsal tonight to see how it performs at full blast!
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
I have to say - after all this time, and all of the frustrations, I am frankly amazed that I can finally pick this thing up and play it. There were many, many days that I was sure this was going to become firewood. Funny how a series of events can wind up, innit?
Not sure about these strings - the E string is super zingy - has this weird hollow ring to it. It doesn’t sound like it belongs to the rest of the set somehow. It’s not dead, it’s just - different….
Not sure about these strings - the E string is super zingy - has this weird hollow ring to it. It doesn’t sound like it belongs to the rest of the set somehow. It’s not dead, it’s just - different….
This is the part I'm dreading, when I finish my build and people want to hear it being played. maybe I'll hand it off to a friend who can actually ..... you know .... play.
Funny, I've been thinking the same thing all throughout my project. I never actually learned to play correctly. All I ever did was sit and learn songs I liked by ear. Or try to. I did learn a bunch or Rush, but I was a little obsessive about them back in the day. But that was well over 20 yrs ago. I'm thinking what I will probably do is relearn a song that I think will help show what the bass sounds like and record a little snippet of that. Maybe just learn one small part of a song and practice it over and over and over, and then it will sound like I can shred.
Of course, that brings us to recording,..which I have no way of doing. That will be a whole new adventure, between driving everyone nuts about what I should buy/use and then learn to use it.
Of course, that brings us to recording,..which I have no way of doing. That will be a whole new adventure, between driving everyone nuts about what I should buy/use and then learn to use it.
I can pedal roots all day. 
But who wants to listen to that all by itself?
But who wants to listen to that all by itself?
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
We’re not critical! It’s more about hearing the tone of the instrument, not the skill of the player.
Right? Right??
Right? Right??
From everything I've seen, it looks like the JTEX is a solid option for a filter preamp, but I'm not seeing any for sale right now. 
@Jerry Catanescu how is the process going? A few of us I think are chomping at the bit to try out a Distiller!
@Jerry Catanescu how is the process going? A few of us I think are chomping at the bit to try out a Distiller!
Sorry, I've been on staycation, trying my best to keep away from the shop. Will make some more soon (early June).From everything I've seen, it looks like the JTEX is a solid option for a filter preamp, but I'm not seeing any for sale right now.
@Jerry Catanescu how is the process going? A few of us I think are chomping at the bit to try out a Distiller!
Awesome, and no pressure
Nothing should interrupt an enjoyable staycation, the last year has given everyone plenty of reason to need it
Pro tip: remove your work email account from your devices when on vacation. The whole account. Don't kid yourself that you won't check it, or that they won't try to bug you in spite of your out-of-office autoreplies. Delete! Put it back in when you're back. I've never felt more on vacation than now, even though I stayed home.Awesome, and no pressure
Nothing should interrupt an enjoyable staycation, the last year has given everyone plenty of reason to need it
I finally have all the parts. About to start building a new batch 
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,016
- 1
- 31,730
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
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