Wow, I'm very impressed by these. The silver one is more my style, but they're both beauties. Tons of mojo all around!
I'll have to file this away...
I'll have to file this away...
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
NBD - A pair of Stambaughs
- Thread starter Jared Lash
- Start date
You are correct.
Thanks. I might just do that.
I have a buddy who is a stainless guy but he really digs XL's. They are on the brighter side of nickels, IMO.
I really do dig them.
I can't think of a single thing I DON'T like about those basses (other than the fact that they aren't mine).
Congrats! Enjoy!
Congrats! Enjoy!
Thanks. I think it's interesting that different people prefer one or the other because I'm so evenly split on them.
Thanks. So far I'm liking everything about them too!
I dig the head stocks a lot too, but the fingerboards aren't too shabby either.
Here's a shot of the backs:
and the neck pocket
I'm absolutely in love with these basses. I don't know how Chris does what he does at the prices he charges. Amazing.
and the neck pocket
I'm absolutely in love with these basses. I don't know how Chris does what he does at the prices he charges. Amazing.
- Aug 27, 2003
- 1,413
- 183
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: See Profile
- Jan 12, 2011
- 4,578
- 2,460
- Disclosures
- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
Thanks Jean. When are your twins going to be done? I especially want to see the fretless.
Good Lawd!!! I am offically jealous
Right back at you. If we were closer I'd gladly let you check them out for a chance to thump on the Brutes. And you have a custom Brubaker in the works too right?
Thanks Ken. And yeah, I'm obviously a huge fan of Chris' work.
- Aug 27, 2003
- 1,413
- 183
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: See Profile
Ken just started on the inlay for the fretted fingerboard... he still has 2 more inlays, neck shaping and the bridges/tailpieces to make... so it's gonna be awhile.
I played one of the Stambaugh ERBs at one of the Lodo Bass Bash events in Dever, CO - great stuff!
Ken just started on the inlay for the fretted fingerboard... he still has 2 more inlays, neck shaping and the bridges/tailpieces to make... so it's gonna be awhile.
I played one of the Stambaugh ERBs at one of the Lodo Bass Bash events in Dever, CO - great stuff!
Those KL's are going to be crazy when they are done.
And I've actually never played one of Chris' ERBs but lately it seems like 8+ string basses make up a larger percentage of his builds than any other luthier I can think of.
Just looking through the gallery in my sig you can see the huge variety of stuff that comes out of the Stambaugh shop.
- Jan 12, 2011
- 4,578
- 2,460
- Disclosures
- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
Thanks for the offer. yes it's too bad we live so far from one another. I do have a USA Brubaker KXB5 in the Brubaker easy Bake Oven. Straight up man, two very awesome basses. Enjoy.
Just a short update on this thread.
I think it's safe to say that the honeymoon period is over and I'm still loving these basses.
The decision to sell off all my existing basses (8 at the time plus my Takamine acoustic) and build a new stable made me a bit nervous, but I couldn't be happier. They cover very different ground, as will the next couple that I have on order (from Chris as well as Alan at ACG).
I think it's safe to say that the honeymoon period is over and I'm still loving these basses.
The decision to sell off all my existing basses (8 at the time plus my Takamine acoustic) and build a new stable made me a bit nervous, but I couldn't be happier. They cover very different ground, as will the next couple that I have on order (from Chris as well as Alan at ACG).
RaginRog
Last guy you want to see is Employee Relations guy
Just a short update on this thread.
I think it's safe to say that the honeymoon period is over and I'm still loving these basses.
The decision to sell off all my existing basses (8 at the time plus my Takamine acoustic) and build a new stable made me a bit nervous, but I couldn't be happier. They cover very different ground, as will the next couple that I have on order (from Chris as well as Alan at ACG).
Bold move, but glad it worked out for you.
Beautiful and thoughtfully designed basses. I'm a fan of the 3 pickup configuration and that 5 position switch provides a lot of good tonal combinations. One thing that surprized me was that you can solo a single coil pickup. It's been my experience that single coils have to be run in hum-cancelling pairs. Is there something different about those Aero's that allows them to run soloed and not hum? Also, I've thought about but haven't fully understood the effect distance between pickups has on the sound when combined in parallel. The farther the separation the lower the scoop frequency makes sense. Too far apart and you're scooping the low mids (wouldn't want that). Right next to each other like a humbucker rolls off the highs. Pickup separation on the silver one looks a tad closer thana 60's jazz which would seem ideal. Very cool. I'm thinking a build like this with the Nordstrand Dingwall FD3 pickups might also work well.So last year I contacted Chris with the idea of a pair of versatile, but passive fivers and here's what I ended up with. The orange one started with the notion of doing a 70's style Fender Roscoe Beck (dual jazz pickups with series/parallel/single coil options) and the silver one is a variation on Chris stock Fossil design.
The Silver one actually showed up more than a week ago but the orange one just arrived today so I figure it's time for an official thread
Pics:
The common specs:
- 5 strings (BEADG)
- 33" Scale
- 19 mm spacing at the bridge
- 1.75" at the nut
- Brass hipshot B style bridge
- Hipshot ultralite Y key tuners
- 10-14" compound radius
- Flattened D profile neck
- Slightly flatter/wider than normal fretwire
- Passive wiring
- Custom inlay on the back of the headstocks
And for the silver bass:
- Alder body
- Ash/walnut/maple neck
- Ebony fingerboard with MOP blocks and ivoroid binding
- 3 Aero single coils with 5 position selector
- Stellartone 16 position Tonestyler
- Pearloid pickguard
- Currently strung with Stambaugh/Mangan nickel rounds
And for the orange bass
- Northern Ash body
- Maple neck with bubinga stringers
- Maple fingerboard with ebony blocks and binding
- 2 Delano DJC 5 HE pickups in 70's position
- Volume/Volume/Tone with series/parallel/single coil switches
- 3 ply Black fingerboard
- Currently strung with Stambaugh/Mangan stainless rounds
The orange one with those two Delano DJC 5 HE pickups really seems like it could be a chameleon. How do you like the sound of those? Series/parallel/single coil selection with independent volumes for each pickup also offers a lot of good tones on tap. Either pickup is a standalone for coverage in different harmonic areas plus you can blend them. In single coil mode does it allow you to select either coil or is the selection fixed? I'll bet the series setting sounds fat. It was my favorite setting on my Dingwall ABZ-5.
Last edited:
No, the Aeros are true single coils and prone to hum when soloed. No different that a Jazz, Ric or single coil Pbass. Larry at Aero can build the pickups as side by side humcancellers but I opted to not go that route. Just like with a Jazz bass I figured in really noisy environments I could just use them in pairs. I did play a Dingwall that has three FD3 pickups. They aren't evenly spaced like my bass - in that one there are two in standard 60's jazz spacing (I believe) with the third close to the bridge pickup to get Stingray like sounds. Super versatile bass.
I love the Delano DJC 5 HEs. They are actually a pair of the JC 5 HE humcancelling jazz pickups so they are quad coils. So even in "single coil" mode they are humcancelling. I typically like them best in "single coil" or parallel mode which gets close to Stingray tones. Series is darker, mid heavy and burly. Quite a bit of volume boost in series mode.
Right now they are wired so that when in "single coil" it's the outer most coils that are selected. I've thought for a while about rewiring it so instead of series/parallel/outer single coil each switch would instead select between outer single coil/parallel/inner single coil.
Outer/parallel/inner would provide 4 different pickup alignments. I'd bet that you could hear the differences between outer/inner/neck biased/bridge biased. That might be a worthwhile rewire to try.
Do both bridge pickups in parallel cop a bit of that Stingray vibe?
Perhaps selecting the bridge-biased neck pickup coil would put it closer towards the P-bass sweet spot?
Do both bridge pickups in parallel cop a bit of that Stingray vibe?
Perhaps selecting the bridge-biased neck pickup coil would put it closer towards the P-bass sweet spot?
