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NBD-Mockingbird Heritage Classic
- Thread starter johnk_10
- Start date
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
That'd be weird for me, seeing a bass I designed everywhere...I mean, it's weird enough when I hear myself on my iPod. Maybe I'm just weird...I'd buy a mockingbird, but I want one with the big R on the headstock...and those cost an arm and a leg now. But, maybe, someday.
I just might spend some job time to fire up da photoshop and mock it up (no pun intended
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
yeah. i like the original rosewood faced headstocks with the mother of pearl "R" too, so i'm going to mod this one (and the trans red one) to have it. i just got the rosewood veneer for it today and the MOP is on its way to me.
I just find the logo on the new ones...well...cheap looking. Plus, the big "R" was awesome. I can't wait to see when yours have big "R"s, like they're supposed to.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
a few modifications:
since the mock has always been notorious for having neck dive, i thought that i'd play around and have 'my way' with this one, and try and make it a bit more comfortable to play.
the first thing i did was to replace the heads with some Hipshot ultralites. i went with the larger clover ones, since the original had large schallers on it, and they weigh the same as the smaller 'Y' hipshot ultralights at 44 grams each. this knocked a little over 2 oz. off of the headstock as compared to the stock heads. the hipshots required no modification and were a direct retrofit.
the next thing i did was to relocate and extend the horn strap button. i made a 1/2" spacer out of heavy steel, put a "V" notch in it to align with the pointed horn, and used a 2 inch long stainless steel sheet metal screw that i machined the head down so it would fit into the schaller strap lock button. i put a heavey felt washer in between the spacer and body to protect the finish.
the bass now balances very well with the neck naturally resting at a comfortable angle when suspended (no hands) from the strap.
since i'm not as thin as i used to be, the only issue left is that the bass leans slightly forward, due to it not having a tummy cut. the upper horn also always had a tendency to dig into my rib. so that was my next plan of attack.
i put it on a strap and located the area that needed to be removed. i used masking tape to mark it and then used a 5" drum sander to remove the wood on the back of the bass.
here's two pics of the way that it is right now, before i shoot the area with some trans black to match the rest of it.
i'm still waiting for the mother of pearl blank to arrive so i can cut an "R" logo out of it for the headstock and laminate a piece of rosewood veneer with the MOP inlaid on the face.
it's kinda strange (and funny) for me to be making all these these 'corrections' to the mock after designing the body way back in 1975, but if i'd have had a chance to spend more time with the prototype in its building stages, i could have addressed them in the first place.
since the mock has always been notorious for having neck dive, i thought that i'd play around and have 'my way' with this one, and try and make it a bit more comfortable to play.
the first thing i did was to replace the heads with some Hipshot ultralites. i went with the larger clover ones, since the original had large schallers on it, and they weigh the same as the smaller 'Y' hipshot ultralights at 44 grams each. this knocked a little over 2 oz. off of the headstock as compared to the stock heads. the hipshots required no modification and were a direct retrofit.
the next thing i did was to relocate and extend the horn strap button. i made a 1/2" spacer out of heavy steel, put a "V" notch in it to align with the pointed horn, and used a 2 inch long stainless steel sheet metal screw that i machined the head down so it would fit into the schaller strap lock button. i put a heavey felt washer in between the spacer and body to protect the finish.
the bass now balances very well with the neck naturally resting at a comfortable angle when suspended (no hands) from the strap.
since i'm not as thin as i used to be, the only issue left is that the bass leans slightly forward, due to it not having a tummy cut. the upper horn also always had a tendency to dig into my rib. so that was my next plan of attack.
i put it on a strap and located the area that needed to be removed. i used masking tape to mark it and then used a 5" drum sander to remove the wood on the back of the bass.
here's two pics of the way that it is right now, before i shoot the area with some trans black to match the rest of it.
i'm still waiting for the mother of pearl blank to arrive so i can cut an "R" logo out of it for the headstock and laminate a piece of rosewood veneer with the MOP inlaid on the face.
it's kinda strange (and funny) for me to be making all these these 'corrections' to the mock after designing the body way back in 1975, but if i'd have had a chance to spend more time with the prototype in its building stages, i could have addressed them in the first place.
Lol yeah the tummy cut would have been nice as part of original design along with forarm cut on rear top front of body.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
i've found that once the bass has a tummy cut, it angles the body inward more, and lessens the need for a forearm relief, and they are a little rounded/sloped in that area anyway. but yeah, an arm relief would've been cool too.
John,
I'm astonished and shocked, and in a good way. You have that gorgeous '51; you now that much about the screws they used for them back then; you've met Leo; consulted serious guitar builders; now, the Mockingbird.
What can I say? The mockingbird was the first (and only so far) bass that was custom made for me back in 1994. No, not a Rich, - a $200 copy. In fact, I didn't know for quite a while what the great thing was - I just saw a 2 by 3 inch crappy photo of the bassist of Tiamat (not a fan) in a black and white fan mag, that only had a big 'R' on the headstock, and asked the guy to make me one exactly like that one - white with black hardware, oh man, what a bass that was! As an afterthought, I should've asked for black binding but oh, well
John, I can't imagine WHAT your next story will be, but, boy, I'll be waiting.
I'm astonished and shocked, and in a good way. You have that gorgeous '51; you now that much about the screws they used for them back then; you've met Leo; consulted serious guitar builders; now, the Mockingbird.
What can I say? The mockingbird was the first (and only so far) bass that was custom made for me back in 1994. No, not a Rich, - a $200 copy. In fact, I didn't know for quite a while what the great thing was - I just saw a 2 by 3 inch crappy photo of the bassist of Tiamat (not a fan) in a black and white fan mag, that only had a big 'R' on the headstock, and asked the guy to make me one exactly like that one - white with black hardware, oh man, what a bass that was! As an afterthought, I should've asked for black binding but oh, well
John, I can't imagine WHAT your next story will be, but, boy, I'll be waiting.
a few modifications:
since the mock has always been notorious for having neck dive, i thought that i'd play around and have 'my way' with this one, and try and make it a bit more comfortable to play.
the first thing i did was to replace the heads with some Hipshot ultralites. i went with the larger clover ones, since the original had large schallers on it, and they weigh the same as the smaller 'Y' hipshot ultralights at 44 grams each. this knocked a little over 2 oz. off of the headstock as compared to the stock heads. the hipshots required no modification and were a direct retrofit.
the next thing i did was to relocate and extend the horn strap button. i made a 1/2" spacer out of heavy steel, put a "V" notch in it to align with the pointed horn, and used a 2 inch long stainless steel sheet metal screw that i machined the head down so it would fit into the schaller strap lock button. i put a heavey felt washer in between the spacer and body to protect the finish.
the bass now balances very well with the neck naturally resting at a comfortable angle when suspended (no hands) from the strap.
since i'm not as thin as i used to be, the only issue left is that the bass leans slightly forward, due to it not having a tummy cut. the upper horn also always had a tendency to dig into my rib. so that was my next plan of attack.
i put it on a strap and located the area that needed to be removed. i used masking tape to mark it and then used a 5" drum sander to remove the wood on the back of the bass.
here's two pics of the way that it is right now, before i shoot the area with some trans black to match the rest of it.
i'm still waiting for the mother of pearl blank to arrive so i can cut an "R" logo out of it for the headstock and laminate a piece of rosewood veneer with the MOP inlaid on the face.
it's kinda strange (and funny) for me to be making all these these 'corrections' to the mock after designing the body way back in 1975, but if i'd have had a chance to spend more time with the prototype in its building stages, i could have addressed them in the first place.
Interesting...the cutaway fits very well the design of the instrument, have you ever thought about contacting B.C.Rich or Moser to make a Mock II?
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
got the tummy sealed, painted and buffed out so this part of the modification is complete. also got the mother of pearl for the headstock yesterday, but the rosewood head plate hasn't arrived yet (should be here today or tomorrow).
IMO, this bass is really shaping up nicely.
here's two pics of the finsihed tummy cut:
IMO, this bass is really shaping up nicely.
here's two pics of the finsihed tummy cut:
